جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 30

the first thing amara noticed was the silence,not quiet like a normal hotel room, just empty, dead,she opened her eyes, still heavy with sleep, and reached across the mattress, her hand hit flat, undisturbed sheets,the other side of the bed was stone cold,“hello?” she whispered,crickets, just the low hum of the ac unit,she sat up fast, pulling the duvet around her shoulders, she threw off the covers and checked the bathroom, empty, no wet towel, no splash on the sink, nothing,he was gone,panic hit her chest like a fist, she paced the room, her bare feet sinking into the thick carpet, did he really just bounce? after everything?she stared out the window at the hazy lagos morning, a bitter knot twisting in her gut, to even get herself looking decent for the club last night, she had sold her old tv and her small standing fridge, all of it gone just for a shot at a better life, and now what? was she just another quick hookup to him?she sat back down on the edge of the bed, waiti

Amara remained seated inside the quiet hotel lounge long after her conversation with Sandra ended, not yet ready to leave.The silver dress she had worn to the party caught the light whenever someone walked past her table; last night, beneath the soft glow of the mansion, it had made her feel beautiful and almost like someone else, but this morning, under the harsh sunlight coming through the glass walls, it suddenly felt too noticeable. If she walked back into the hostel wearing it, the questions from the other students would start immediately, so she decided to wait until evening when fewer eyes would be on her.She lifted her glass and took another sip, though the drink had already lost its chill and she barely noticed. Her mind was entirely on him. She realized she couldn't even remember his name, and as she tried to picture his face, the sharpness of his features, and the sound of his voice, she found that the harder she tried to remember, the harder it became. The only thing she

The cold water ran slowly over Amara’s body as she stood beneath the shower. She scrubbed herself repeatedly, once, twice, three times, trying to scrub away everything that had happened the previous night.When she finally stepped out of the bathroom, she wrapped a towel around herself and stared at her reflection. She looked different—not physically, but something inside her had shifted, though she couldn't explain it.Quietly, she changed into one of her oversized pajamas before sitting on the edge of the bed. Almost immediately, her eyes drifted toward the mattress. Beneath it… five million naira lay hidden.A slow smile spread across her lips. Then, without warning, her stomach growled loudly. She blinked, and only then did she realize something: she hadn't eaten anything substantial since the previous day. Between the house party, the hotel, the long hours spent in the lounge, and the shock of discovering the money, food had completely slipped her mind.She stood up.“I should be

The loud banging on the door jolted Amara awake.“Amara!”“Open the door!”“We know you’re inside!”Still half asleep, she pushed herself upright. For a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was, but then her eyes dropped to her chest. The brown envelope—she had slept with it pressed tightly against her all night, refusing to let it leave her sight. Her heart jumped. Without wasting time, she lifted the mattress and pushed the envelope beneath the wooden bed frame before lowering it back into place.The knocking came again.“Amara! Open this door!”“I’m coming!” she shouted.She quickly fixed her hair, wiped the sleep from her eyes, and unlocked the door. Sandra and the other two girls immediately pushed their way inside.“There she is!” Sandra laughed as she pulled Amara into a hug. “See this girl! You disappeared completely, we’ve been calling you, hope you’re okay?”The girls looked around the room, and their smiles slowly faded. Something was missing. The small television that u

Amara barely remembered the journey back to the hostel. Her legs still felt weak after collapsing by the roadside, and the small crowd that had gathered slowly dispersed once someone helped her into a tricycle that dropped her close to the school gate. Instead of going straight to her room, she stopped at the hostel office.The hostel secretary—a final-year student everyone affectionately called Big Sis—noticed her condition immediately.“Amara?” She looked up in concern. “What happened to you? You don’t look well.”Amara forced a weak smile. “I think it’s something I ate. I’ve been vomiting.”Without asking too many questions, Big Sis opened a drawer and brought out some tablets. “Take these. They should help with the vomiting. Drink plenty of water, and if it continues, we’ll take you to the school clinic.”Amara thanked her quietly, swallowed the medicine with a bottle of water, and sat there until the dizziness faded enough for her to walk back to her room. She locked the door beh