Chapter 4: Breaking

The girls had noticed it for days.

Talia was changing.

No excitement about shopping.

No gym for almost two weeks.

No jokes, no laughter, no spark.

Her once-bright aura had dimmed like someone turned off the lights inside her.

Finally, they decided they couldn’t ignore it anymore.

Before they could knock on her door, they heard a muffled sob from inside.

Amaka gently tapped.

“Talia… sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

The door cracked open.

Talia stood there — eyes swollen, hair messy, voice gone weak.

She didn’t have to say anything for the girls to feel the weight she’d been carrying.

They stepped inside quietly.

Talia sank onto the bed like her body had no strength left.

Her voice cracked:

“Do you remember the investment app I've been building?”

The girls nodded.

“I launched it today… and within minutes, I was hacked.”

She choked back a sob.

“Everything I worked for — gone. My investors pulled out. They said I’m not ‘stable’ enough.”

Her tears spilled over.

She buried her face in the pillow and screamed in frustration, her whole body trembling.

“Why is everything falling apart? Why do I try so hard just for life to slap me back down? I poured months of my life into this!”

Amara moved closer and wrapped her arms around her.

“Talia, breathe. Listen to me — we’ve got you. I’ll pull my strings, and Serena and Lila will pull theirs. We’re going to pitch your app again. You’re too brilliant for one hacker to ruin your destiny.”

Lila squeezed her hand.

Serena wiped her face gently.

And slowly… Talia’s sobs softened.

She hugged them all, one by one, holding onto them like they were the only steady thing in her world.

As they stepped out of her room, Amara’s phone buzzed.

A new email.

Sender hidden.

Subject: “Opportunity for Solar & Hydro Energy.”

She opened it.

An investor — anonymous.

Offering $5 billion for a stock investment.

And specifically requesting Amara.

Her heart stopped for a second.

Why hide their identity?

How did they find me?

Why this amount? Why now?

Before she could overthink it, her boss called her in.

“Excellent work, Amara,” he said with a proud smile.

“This kind of investor could change our entire company. Expect a bonus.”

She walked out confused, excited, grateful — and deeply suspicious.

Meanwhile…

Lila had been glowing all week, getting ready for her date with the guy she’d been talking to for three weeks.

She dressed beautifully, did her makeup perfectly, and arrived early at the restaurant.

She waited.

And waited.

And waited…

Her messages stayed on “delivered.”

Her calls rang once before disconnecting.

Something felt wrong.

She checked social media.

He had blocked her.

Just like that.

Vanished from her life without a word.

Her heart cracked.

Her smile — gone.

She whispered to herself, voice shaking:

“Why do guys do this to me? What is so wrong with me? All I want is a family… a husband… a simple life. Why does it feel like love runs away from me?”

She stayed in that corner of the restaurant, trying not to break down.

She cried silently, cleaned her face, and forced herself to walk out like nothing happened.

She went home and lied:

“It went fine.”

A few days later, Lila received a call from Sandra, an old church friend.

“Lila, it’s been over a year. When will we see you again? Come this Sunday, please.”

Those words sat in her chest like a heavy stone.

She realized she had drifted far — not just from church, but from herself.

That night, she gathered the girls.

“Sandra called… she wants me back in church. Honestly, I think we all need it. A lot has been happening. Maybe we need Jesus again.”

Silence.

Then excuses:

Amara:

“I have somewhere to be on Sunday.”

(But she didn’t mention that she had secretly emailed the anonymous investor.)

Sienna:

“I need to catch up on sleep.”

(Hiding the fact that she had been crying at work all week.)

Talia:

“I have a meeting with investors.”

(Not revealing she was terrified they’d reject her again.)

And just like that… the plan died.

Sunday came.

The girls stayed home.

And the world around them kept shifting, preparing for something none of them expected.

Breakthroughs.

Heartbreaks.

Revelations.

And blessings disguised as storms.

They had no idea…

Everything was about to change.