Maria sat on the studio couch, makeup lightly dusted, her palms slightly sweaty. The lights above were hot, the cameras trained on her.
But her voice—steady.
This wasn't about scandal. It was about strength.
She spoke of motherhood. Of fear. Of the pressure to stay silent. Of love that wasn't perfect but tried anyway.
The host, a respected woman known for hard questions, leaned in. "Do you still love him?"
Maria paused.
Then smiled faintly. "I love the father he's becoming. The man who now listens more than he speaks."
The clip went viral.
Within hours, social media exploded—with support, with arguments, with admiration.
But not everyone was pleased.
---
At the Madu Estate…
Vanessa tossed her wine glass at the wall.
"How dare she speak like that? Like she's already his wife!"
Alexander's mother, Ifeoma, watched calmly from the couch. "And what exactly would you do about it, Vanessa?"
"She's dragging your family into gossip!"
"She's restoring dignity to her name," Ifeoma replied coolly. "Something you never did when you were with my son."
Vanessa fumed. "He's still weak for her. She's a liability!"
Ifeoma stood slowly, her voice now sharp. "Careful, Vanessa. You're forgetting whose house this is. And who holds the name."
Vanessa backed down—but not for long.
Because the next morning, Maria received a letter.
A custody challenge.
Filed anonymously.
But she knew exactly who was behind it.