LOGINEllaâs words stayed in my head longer than I wanted. Maybe heâs hiding something and maybe heâs not. âyouâre not thinking clearly.âI kept on saying that to my self over and over again for the past 3days. âMaybe your marriage wonât survive.â Those particularly words weâre so firm.I tried to shake them off, but they kept echoing⌠echoing⌠echoing until it felt like the room itself was breathing her poison.Snapping out of my reverie, I instantly made up my mind to lie to him and figure it out in marriage just like I concluded months back.I leaned back against the wall, my chest rising and falling faster than normal.My fingers trembled a little.Then the edges of the room began to blur.Not again.My eye blinked very sharp as flash of pain crawled behind my left eye, and just like that⌠everything felt distant⌠muffled⌠as if I was sinking underwater.I blinked⌠slow⌠too slow.I remember hearing my heartbeat.I remember whispering Sevenâs name.And thenâNothing.A blank space in my
Main chapter 115Hours later, Tania and Lizzy had probably gone out because I heard the front door shut loudly with Lizzy screaming down her lungs saying see you later after we all had that long conversation that ended with the two of them, trying to calm my racing heart down. Cause I couldnât stop talking about Trisha. What if he was truly lying to go see one of those numerous girls that loves being all over him.After all, theyâre better women with conception ability.So for the past two hours the house have been quiet. With the wind blowing down itâs breeze and flipping my chiffon curtains.I crossed my legs over each other, sitting on my soft mattress, staring blankly at the walls of my room. The photograph still burned in my mind â the boy, the younger version of me, the family smiling like nothing could ever go wrong. I pressed my palms to my face, trying to make sense of it all.A soft knock on the door made me start.âStarr? You in there?âI recognized the voice immedia
The Next Morning đ The sunlight spilled through the sheer curtains, painting soft golden patterns across the bed. My head still ached faintly, but the dizziness had eased. I reached for my phone and blinked at the time â 7:43 a.m.Seven wasnât beside me. His side of the bed was empty, the sheets already cool. I sat up, rubbing my temples as flashes of last night returned â the nausea, the photo, the haunting sense that something was slipping through my fingers.The faint sound of voices drifted from downstairs. I slipped into one of Sevenâs shirts and padded barefoot toward the stairs. Halfway down, I stopped.He was on the phone again.ââŚI told you Iâll take care of it,â he said, his tone clipped. âNo, she doesnât know anything yet. And she wonât â not until Iâm ready to have that discussion with her.âMy breath caught.There was a long pause before he spoke again, softer this time. âI made a promise, and I intend to keep it. Even if it costs me.ââMoreover, Iâm not still sure about
Days Later âąThe last three days have been nothing short of blissful. Sometimes, I still catch myself smiling for no reason â just thinking about everything thatâs happened.Seven and I finally went to Nigeria to see my father. It had been almost a year since I last saw him, and as the car pulled into our compound, a wave of memories came rushing back â childhood laughter, long evenings under the mango tree, and the sound of his voice calling me âmy sunshine.âHe was already waiting on the veranda when we arrived. The moment he saw me step out of the car, he opened his arms wide, and I ran straight into them. His familiar scent â a mix of aftershave and home â wrapped around me like comfort.âDaddy,â I whispered, smiling through tears.âMy daughter,â he said softly, holding me tighter. âYouâve grown into everything your mother once dreamed youâd be.âThen he looked at Seven, who stood a few steps away, waiting respectfully. My fatherâs eyes softened even more.âAnd you must be t
That night, long after everyone had gone to bed, although Seven was in the bathroom, I lay awake staring at the ceiling. My phone glowed faintly in my hand, showing me pictures of my boutique in Dubai. The racks of dresses, the soft lighting, the gold letters of my name shining proudly above the entranceâit all looked so far away, like a life I wasnât sure Iâd get to keep.Was I really supposed to leave it behind? My customers, my work, everything I built from scratch? The idea of starting over in New York pressed on my chest, heavy and suffocating.The bathroom door opened, and Seven walked out with a towel slung around his shoulders. His eyes went straight to me. I quickly shoved my phone under the pillow.âYouâre still awake?â he asked, his voice low.âCouldnât sleep,â I said, forcing a small smile.He sat down on the bed beside me and took my hand. âYouâve been quiet all evening. Whatâs going on?ââNothing,â I lied quickly. âIâm fine.âHe leaned in, kissed my forehead. âWhatever i
Seven kissed the top of my head like that would stitch me back together, then pulled back just enough to study my face. He searched my eyes as if he could exorcise Kenzieâs words with a look.âWe donât have to stay,â he said quietly. âIf you want, we can leave. Now.âFor a second, I almost nodded. I wanted nothing more than to escapeâto shrink away from the laughter, the looks, the sense that the world had turned against me. But something stubborn lurched up inside me, hot and fierce. I had never been good at running from things that hurt me; I had a habit of staying until I understood why they hurt.âNo,â I told him before I could talk myself out of it. My voice was small, but there was a steadiness beneath it. âI donât want to make a scene. But Iââ I swallowed. âI want you to stand with me. Not to argue with them, but justâbe here.âHe nodded, relief loosening his shoulders. âAlways,â he said. âIâll be right here.âSevenâs words lingered even after he left the hallway. âIâll always







