THE TRIPLET ( season one)

“I insist.” Rose heard the finality in Kay’s voice even through the phone. Not anger. Not begging. Just that quiet, stubborn certainty that made her chest tighten. “I think you should give me some space to think,” she said, gripping the phone until her knuckles went white. On the other end, silence stretched. Three seconds. Five. Like he was weighing every word before letting it go. “Yeah,” Kay exhaled. “I’ll be hanging up. Take care, dear.” “Yeah.” Rose replied, but her voice came out flat. Empty. The kind of “yeah” that meant she was already disconnecting her heart. More silence. He didn’t hang up. She could hear his breathing—slow, measured, like he was standing at the edge of a cliff deciding whether to jump or step back. For five whole seconds, neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke. Then Rose ended the call. The screen went black. And with it, something in her chest did too. “Who was that?” Eshoe asked, lowering herself onto the bed with a glass of water. Water sloshed over the rim because she always moved like she was in a hurry to live. “Kay,” Rose said, not looking up. Eshoe set the glass down harder than necessary. “Don’t you think you’re being too harsh?” Rose didn’t answer. She stared at the cracked screen of her phone like it held answers. It didn’t. It only held his last message from yesterday: _“I’m not giving up on you, Rose. Not this time.”_ “She’s feigning that strict act on purpose,” Debbie cut in, lifting her head from her laptop. Her glasses slid down her nose. She’d been pretending to work for the past 20 minutes, but Rose knew she’d heard every word of the call. The cold tone, her replies, her ambitions. She knows them all “I don't think so” Rose muttered. “I just wonder when you’ll stop judging every man because of what one person did to you.” Debbie said with concern. " I think we should all mind our business" Rose shunned her Debbie’s face flickered. Hurt. Then she recovered, pushing her glasses up. “Oh! We’re still on that topic? I thought you were going to say something important.” Ivy popped a bubble of gum, the sound loud and obnoxious in the small hostel room. “Yeah, we should change the topic.” She blew another bubble like her life depended on it. “This is getting depressing.” Rose stood up, moving toward the small wooden table where her textbooks were piled. Dust on the edges. Assignments half-done. Life half-lived. “But sincerely,” Debbie pressed, not letting it go, “I’m sure you know how humane Kay is. Not every guy is going to be vulgar and cruel like—” “Yeah, I know,” Rose interrupted, voice impassive as she sat down and opened her Economics textbook. The words blurred. She wasn’t reading. She was remembering Kay’s hands. Steady hands. Hands that didn’t hit. Hands that didn’t lie. “Then—” Debbie started. “I’ll get a boyfriend when it’s time,” Rose said quickly, too quickly. Another lie to end the conversation. But Ivy was already laughing, gum still in her mouth. “See this girl ooo! You think when you’re ready you can just go to the market and pick a boyfriend like tomatoes? I hope you don’t regret it later.” Eshoe sighed and leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “See Rose, I’m not forcing you. I’m just trying to convince you. All men won’t be the same.” She paused, then quoted softly, like her grandmother used to: “If you decide to close your eyes until all the bad people pass by, you’ll miss the good ones too in the process. You should give him a chance. Even if it’s just getting to know him. No dating involved. Just friendship.” “Exactly,” Debbie jumped in. “You both should be friends until you think you can trust him.” Rose ignored them again. She flipped a page in her textbook. Calculus stared back at her. Numbers made sense. People didn’t. “I need to do my assignment,” she changed the topic. “Don’t change the topic,” Ivy whined. “Just be his friend.” “He might not have that mindset,” Rose dragged the words out, like each syllable hurt. “Then make it known,” Debbie said. “Tell him you both are just friends. Nothing else. I’m sure he’ll respect that. Kay isn’t like the others, Rose. You know that.” Rose snapped her textbook shut. “But I don’t understand. Did he bribe all of you to force me into a relationship?” “It’s not that,” Eshoe said quickly, hands up in defense. “But he keeps disturbing us to help him talk to you. He’s worried, Rose. He thinks you’re shutting everyone out again.” Silence fell. Heavy. Familiar. The kind of silence that lived in this room ever since Rose stopped talking about “that night” three years ago. “Will you go out with him?” Eshoe asked carefully. “I thought you said friends,” Rose shot back. “Why is ‘going out’ coming up again?” “How else will you know about him if you don’t spend time with him?” Debbie reasoned. “Fine,” Rose exhaled, rubbing her temples. “I want to solve my assignment, please.” “Really?” All three said in unison, eyes lighting up. “Yeah. I want to solve my assignment, nah,” Rose said, avoiding their gazes. “That’s not what you meant,” Ivy grinned, gum snapping. “You said ‘fine’. That means yes.” “Change the topic, please,” Rose said, and for the first time her voice went shy. Traitorous heat climbed her neck. “During the call, didn’t he say you should go out with him?” Debbie pressed, ears practically twitching. “Because I heard you say ‘I’m not going, please.’” “Please stop digging,” Rose begged. “Yeah, I’m not,” Ivy lied, grinning. “But you should go out with him,” Eshoe pushed. “Send him a time you’ll be free.” “Where’s Monica?” Rose deflected. “She went to the mart,” Debbie said. “Have you forgotten?” “Oh,” Rose mumbled. “Oya, chat him ASAP,” Ivy demanded, slapping the table. “I’m not. Besides, my phone isn’t with me,” Rose lied. Her phone was in her pocket. She just needed an excuse. “ Then lemme help you chat him with my phone” Eshoe stood up to get her phone before Rose could stop her. Rose inhaled heavily. Too late. Eshoe returned a minute later with her phone in her hand. “Eshoe, oya help us chat Kay if Rose isn’t going to chat him herself,” Ivy ordered. “Maybe tell him to come over by 1 o’clock tomorrow,” Debbie suggested, already planning Rose’s life. “I’m not going, please. Don’t ” Rose snapped, reaching for it. “Okay,” Eshoe said innocently. She pretended to type, thumbs moving fast, then locked the screen. “I’ve sent it,” she lied, facing Rose with the most angelic smile. Seconds later Rose narrowed her eyes. “Rose, do you have Jessy’s contact number? My note is with her,” Eshoe switched tactics smoothly. Too smoothly. “Yes,” Rose unlocked her phone without thinking and handed it over so Eshoe could check the contact. The second the phone was in Eshoe’s hand, her fingers flew. Not to Contacts. To w******p. To Kay’s chat. Rose watched, suspicion creeping up her spine, but said nothing. She told herself Eshoe wouldn’t. She told herself wrong. “If you are chanced, you can pick me at the girls’ hostel by 1 PM,” Eshoe typed. Her thumb hovered. Then pressed send. _SENT._ “You haven’t found the number?” Rose asked, frowning. “Yes,” Eshoe exited w******p so fast it looked like a glitch and opened Contacts. She wrote out a random number on a scrap paper and handed the phone back. “Okay, I’ve seen it.” Rose’s phone beeped seconds later. A notification slid down from the top of the screen. Rose unlocked it. Her eyes scanned the message. Then froze. _“Thanks dear, I would come as expected tomorrow 💝😀”_ Her blood ran cold. She scrolled up. Saw the message Eshoe had sent from her phone. Her own contact. Her own number. Her own betrayal. “Eshoe,” Rose said slowly. Dangerously quiet. “You sent this message.” “Which message?” Eshoe blinked, acting innocent while failing miserably to hide her smile. “Geez, what kind of girl are you?” Rose shot up from her chair and lunged at Eshoe, who shrieked and bolted, weaving around beds to avoid the beating she deserved. The whole room erupted. Ivy doubled over laughing. Debbie clapped like she’d just watched the best drama series. “Make these girls stop their paparazzi jare, make we go shop for her tomorrow’s date!” Ivy shouted between laughs. The door swung open and Monica entered, arms full of shopping bags. She stopped, taking in the chaos. “What happened?” Ivy pointed at Rose, who was still chasing Eshoe around the bed. “We just arranged her first date in two years. You’re welcome.” Rose froze mid-step. Her chest tightened. Tomorrow at 1 PM. Kay was coming. To the girls’ hostel. Her phone buzzed again in her hand. Another message from Kay. _“I’ll be there. Don’t hide from me this time, Rose. Please.”_ Rose stared at the words until they blurred. Three years of walls. Three years of “no men”. Three years of triplet scars hidden under long sleeves. And Eshoe had just torn them all down with one text message. Tomorrow at 1 PM, Kay might see her. The real her. Scars and all. END OF CHAPTER 1 Cliffhanger for Ch2: 1 PM tomorrow. The hostel gate. Kay arrives. But Rose hasn’t told him about her scars. What happens when the man who insists on staying sees the reason she insists on pushing him away? ---