Written by Balogun Iretomiwa
Arsela stood naked in front of the full-length mirror and took a good look at herself. She couldn’t believe what she saw; it seemed so surreal, impossible. Suddenly, an arm came from behind and wrapped itself around her neck endearingly. The voice whispered softly, “That was all in the past. You are safe now. You are a wonderful woman, Arsela.”
The man, who was naked as well, hugged her from behind. Thinking deeply about the past and how she had turned out, she could not help but shed a tear. While the past could be said to be a lesson, if she could turn back the hands of time, Arsela would make better decisions, for such lessons had almost broken her.
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David let out rough and heavy grunts with each thrust, like someone struggling to lift something heavy. His breathing was loud and uneven. Arsela lay still beneath him with no sound. Perhaps if her breasts didn’t jiggle, one would have thought she was a lifeless doll. He let out a loud grunt, one which signified he had cum, before rolling to the other side of the bed. Twenty seconds passed before Arsela got up to clean herself. When she returned, he was already snoring, unaware and uncaring, sweating as a result of the just-concluded rigorous action. Annoyed, Arsela proceeded to have her rest in the guest room.
It was a never-ending cycle of the same routine, the same sound, the same position while he did what he wanted and satisfied himself. This was not meant to be. Sex was meant to be enjoyed by both parties. Arsela knew this clearly. However, in her case, she never felt satisfied.
It had been five years of marriage, five years of lack of sexual satisfaction, and she did not want to speak about it anymore. The first time she had spoken about it, David had said women were not supposed to feel pleasure during sex. Arsela argued terribly with him, stating that she should also feel satisfied since sex was not a one-way thing. The second time the issue came up, David repeated his response, that only loose women felt pleasure during sex. This caused another round of arguments.
The third time broke the camel’s back. Deciding to take matters into her hands, Arsela explained to David how she wanted to be touched, the parts of her body that turned her on, and even new styles they could try out. She wanted them to explore sex. However, this made David very annoyed.
“You are asking for all that?” he scoffed. “Look at yourself; you disgust me.” Shocked at the outburst, Arsela could not believe the terrible words he uttered to her. Arsela had never been a slim lady from the very beginning. While it could be said that she had added on a little bit of weight after she got married to David, due to inactivity since he asked her to stop working, moving from a hip size of 47 to 50, it was still derogatory for him to insult her.
From then on, David never failed to drop derogatory remarks at Arsela, blaming her for their lack of children and calling her useless because all the responsibilities were borne by him. It was like an opportunity he had been waiting for, presented on a platter of gold. Slowly, Arsela began to lose her self-confidence and became a shadow of herself.
—
5th of July, Arsela’s birthday; the birth of something new. Arsela decided to go out, have fun, and make herself happy. After a happy and fulfilled day, Arsela was on her way home when she heard a voice call out, “Pretty lady.” It seemed like the call was directed at her. She looked around before pointing to herself. It had been years since anyone had complimented her. She couldn’t believe her ears. It made her happy. His name was Collins, and it was the blossom of a new friendship; one that brought her the peace that her home did not provide her.
The peaceful days soon came to an end due to a misunderstanding with David. He had demanded sex, to which she had refused. She was under the weather and couldn’t muster any strength to give in to his whims and demands. Annoyed, David stormed out of the room and didn’t return home for weeks. Arsela, who was fully dependent on David, didn’t have a source of income, and soon, she began to starve. It was then that she decided to reach out to Collins.
Collins was surprised at the condition in which he met Arsela. “What happened to you, Arsela?” he asked. Collins took care of her and got her back in shape. Soon enough, David returned home and played his role as a perfect husband, while Arsela’s ordeal brought her and Collins closer.
“What, Arsela?” Collins shouted, exasperated. “You mean you left such a promising job because he asked you to quit?” A shocking revelation by Arsela during a casual conversation made Collins determined to help her. Slowly but surely, Arsela’s and Collins’ friendship evolved into a romantic one.
The first time she visited, Collins was so gentlemanly that Arsela had to constantly remind herself subconsciously that she was married. From a light-hearted peck on the face to a peck on the lips to a full-blown kiss, soon, their clothes were off.
Stark naked, Arsela instinctively tried to cover herself, but Collins gently moved her hands away. “Why cover up such a beautiful creation?” he asked. Used to her husband’s comments, Arsela asked in return, “Why would you think I am beautiful?”
“Because you are,” he replied.
Slowly, he began to kiss every part of her body, even the most intimate parts. Worshipping her body with his tongue, he left no place untouched. At first, she felt jittery and unaccustomed to such touches, but she relaxed after a while. Soon, he asked her how she liked to be touched. With a smile, she told him. “I would like my breasts to be sucked…” And everything she wanted, he did.
He touched her sex with his fingers and tongue, touched her face, and then he squeezed her boobs. He sucked her breast with so much hunger, her nipples were left rock-hard. Afterwards, he proceeded to lick her stomach, down to her vagina, and then he ate her out. The pool of pleasure was immense. She couldn’t help but scream and pull his head closer to her vagina, and for the first time, Arsela came. Soon, he positioned himself in between her legs, arched his body, and fully went into her. Arsela felt so filled, it was nothing like she had experienced before. With each stroke, she felt like she was walking on clouds. She made an effort to meet his thrusts. The room was filled with the sound of bodies colliding. Collins turned her over and slapped her ass lightly. This sent waves through her body, and then he entered her again. With each clap of the ass, Arsela moaned loudly. He grabbed her boobs while thrusting into her. She was going to come again, and Collins was near as well. Together they both screamed out in pleasure. The burst of sweetness and the murky smell of sex filled the room. She was happy. After the mind-blowing sex, Arsela and Collins stayed in each other’s embrace.
Although Arsela struggled with the thought of having cheated on her husband, the guilt soon disappeared with the presence of wonderful sex. She decided to put away those thoughts and focus on herself. In order to regain confidence about her body, Arsela started with words of affirmation. “I am beautiful. I am not ugly. I am strong. I am not useless.” Every morning and night, she chanted these words while looking at her reflection in the mirror. She also began to read self-help books, determined to regain her confidence. Arsela started doing things she never used to—exercising, yoga, and even taking online courses to return to the workforce.
Arsela decided to pick up her old skills, and she took further online courses on cybersecurity in order to get accustomed to new industry trends. At the same time, she actively searched for a job. While she couldn’t secure a job in her previous field, cybersecurity, she got a job as a virtual assistant. It was the beginning of something new for her.
Six months later, Arsela decided to have a clean break with David. Seeking the help of a new friend, she contacted a lawyer who helped her with the divorce proceedings. David didn’t believe Arsela could ever leave him, but he was wrong. He mocked her and vowed never to take her back if she came begging. But he didn’t notice the changes in her. She did; she was no longer the caged Arsela.
After a wonderful sexual session with Collins, Arsela stood in front of the mirror. Remembering the days of her horror, she was thankful for strength. Now a free woman, living a simple yet fulfilled life, she couldn’t ask for anything more.
