Lahat ng Kabanata ng Rich Love : Kabanata 81 - Kabanata 90

Carolyn’s POVIt was just past midnight when the call came.A number I didn’t recognize flashed on my screen, and for a second, I almost let it ring out. But something in my gut twisted—a small, tight knot of dread. I answered.“Hello?”“Hi, good evening—sorry, are you Carolyn?”“Yes?”“This is Tunde, from the Reign Club. A young man—he asked us to call you. He passed out in one of our private rooms. He mentioned your name right before he lost consciousness.”My stomach dropped.“Wait—who? What’s his name?”“J.J. Oh My God. It's J.J. Johnson.” I would hear the fear in his voice, and it was shaking. My heart stopped. “Where is he now?”“He is still at the private lounge at the club. Please, can you hurry? We need your help to take him to the hospital. I didn't want to call an ambulance cause I know if his family finds out what happened to him in our club they will surely close us down. We can't leave here?”"I am on my way right now," I said, grabbing my hoodie.When I got to the room

Carolyn's POVI sat in the examination hall with my pen clutched so tight in my hand that my knuckles turned white. The ticking of the wall clock was a steady reminder that time was moving, even if I felt stuck in a moment that refused to let me go.The essay question was staring at me.“Discuss the significance of Nigerian Literature in the evolution of Nigeria’s entertainment structure.”I knew the answer. I had read it. Highlighted it. Recited it to myself while pacing my bedroom floor. But all I could think about was last night.J.J.Collapsed in that room at the club.Whiskey glass half-full.His voice, weak and slurred, barely getting my name out before blacking out.The hospital bed. The machines. His face.The note I left him.I swallowed hard and forced my hand to move. I wrote the first paragraph in autopilot. My handwriting was neat, robotic. But my head was somewhere else entirely.Why was he doing coke?What had broken inside him so badly that he couldn’t survive the week

Carolyn's POVThe car ride home was quiet, but not uncomfortable.George kept one hand on the wheel and the other lazily draped over the console. The windows were down slightly, letting in a breeze that carried the soft scent of rain on warm tarmac. Streetlights cast soft gold patterns over the dashboard. For the first time in weeks, I felt something close to stillness.“I had a good time,” I said, glancing sideways at him.He smiled, eyes on the road. “Me too. You deserved it.”I nodded. “Thanks for tonight. It was... really nice.”We drove in silence for a few more blocks, soft music playing low from the speakers. I rested my head slightly against the seat and stared at the night outside—the way people moved in slow snapshots beneath neon lights. I wished I could pause right there, freeze that sense of ease and put it somewhere safe. Away from everything else. Away from J.J.George pulled into the driveway of Auntie Pat’s mansion. The headlights cast a slow, fading beam across the f

Carolyn’s POVThe first two weeks of the holiday passed by like a whisper—quiet, warm, unremarkable. For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t waking up to exams or secrets or whispers behind my back. I spent most mornings on the balcony with a cup of tea, letting the sun warm my skin. The quiet helped. It helped me forget, even briefly, how broken things had become.I hadn’t heard from J.J.I told myself that was a good thing.George texted once or twice, casual things—memes, harmless updates—but I kept my responses brief. After that night at the restaurant, I realized how thin the line was between comfort and complication. I needed distance.And then, one late evening, my phone buzzed with a message from Julius.Julius: Hey, I need a favor. Can you meet me at the IBB mall? I’m short on something for a payment. Won’t take long. Car park. Basement level.I blinked at the message.I hadn’t seen Julius much lately. When I wake up, I don't set my eyes on him, and anytime I a

Carolyn’s POVResuming school after the holiday felt like walking into a fire I couldn’t put out.The morning sun didn’t carry warmth. The school walls, once familiar, now felt like they’d turned on me. The girls at the gate whispered. The boys near the assembly block pointed. My footsteps echoed a little too loudly, like even the ground was trying to make sure I knew I didn’t belong here anymore. I can still remember the beatings I got at the mall; it was very vivid. I can still feel the legs stomping on my body, as I walked past most of the school girls, I couldn't help but wonder if they were part of the girls that J.J. had sent after me. If they were among the girls that beat me up, I was still angry about that situation, I was still boiling deep down in my heart, but I know how much power J.J. holds, and to be honest, I'd rather stay the fuck away from him and just mind my business and forget about the past. Jay Johnson is not someone I can afford to upset further than I have alr