‘I have lost my wife to my best friend’

Raphael is devastated after his best friend, Osondu, came back from his base in Malaysia to snatch his wife.

“Dear Marriage advisor

My name is Raphael, a 36-year-old man. I am very bitter and I just want the world to know what my best friend, Osondu, did to me when he came home from Malaysia last December.

Would you believe that Osondu had the mind to snatch my wife, Uzoamaka, and took her to his base just because he felt he had more money and influence.

Though many people who know my story say I should rather blame my wife over the issue, I still feel that Osondu should share in the blame and I will never forgive them as long as I live.

Osondu and I were apprentices some years ago, and few months after our master settled us, he traveled out of the country to, according to him, seek greener pastures.

We were the best of friends and we kept in touch as he told me all he was going through first in South Africa before moving to India, China and later settled in Malaysia where he hit it big in some fraudulent stuff.

All through the years, he had been deported twice, sent to prison over some shady deals but he kept insisting he would make it.

I got married three years ago to Uzo and though Osondu could not make it to the wedding, he sent me some money to support us and so, it was just natural he put up with me when he came home for the Christmas in 2015.

The first time he set eyes on my wife, Osondu kept telling me how lucky I was to get married to such a beautiful wife. All through his stay before traveling to the east to see his family, he kept showering praises and gifts on my wife.

I was happy that my best friend appreciated my wife, but little did I know that he was watering the ground to snatch her from me.

So it was a huge shock for me when I came back to Lagos after being away for two weeks only to meet my house empty. When I asked my neighbours if anyone had seen my wife, I was told they thought we had traveled together.

I called her number but her phone was switched off. I was so worried after I called her family members and all of them told me they did not where she was.

I had to report a case of missing person to the police and their efforts as well proved abortive until a week later when she called me with a foreign number to tell me she is in Malaysia with Osondu.

Uzo had the nerves to tell me that she was in love with Osondu and had gone to Malaysia to be with him. I called Osondu to confirm and the idiot told me to take it as a man and that I did not have the wherewithal to take care of a woman like Uzoamaka.

He then said I should calculate all I spent on her and send the bills to him and he would pay me off. He must have settled her family members because when I reported to them, they said there was nothing they could do as Uzoamaka was an adult and knew what is right or wrong.

It is now one year since my best friend and wife dealt me a bitter blow and I am still yet to come to terms with this betrayal. I have even contemplated harming them spiritually but my family wants me to forget about the whole episode, saying Uzo was not meant for me.

Raphael.”