Chapter 35: The First Love That Lasted
Two full months had passed since the trial ended, since the gavel fell and the courtroom emptied, leaving Sophia standing in a life that had once seemed impossible.
Two months of breathing without fear. Of moving forward without looking back.
In that time, the headlines had quieted. The media frenzy had faded. But Sophia’s world had only grown louder in the best way.
The center in Benin City was almost complete. Each brick laid with intention, every beam etched with purpose. It rose from the ground like a monument to all she had survived—and all the women she hoped would never have to survive the same.
The land it stood on had been donated without fanfare. An anonymous gift. No ribbon-cutting ceremony. No press release. But Sophia knew. Deep down, she knew.
It had Liam’s fingerprints all over it—his quiet, steady way of making amends without stepping back into her light.
She didn’t call him.
Didn’t ask.
Some doors, even the well-meaning ones, are
