Untitled Episode
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Chapter Four – Ghosts from the Past
I couldn’t breathe when I saw him.
Chike.
The man who once held my heart, then crushed it without mercy. The man I left Alex for, years ago, thinking it was love.
Now here he was, standing in my doorway, smiling like a snake.
“Janet,” he said softly, “you look… different." " More beautiful than I remember.”
I gripped the doorframe to steady myself. “What are you doing here, Chike?”
Tonia folded her arms and gave him a suspicious look. “Yes, what do you want?”
Chike’s eyes slid to her, then back to me. “I just came to see how you’re doing. Word on the street is—you and Alex are no more.”
My heart thudded. How fast did news travel? Or was he already watching me?
I forced my voice to stay calm. “Yes. We’re no more. And that is none of your business.”
Chike chuckled, stepping closer. “Ah, Janet, don’t be harsh. You know I always cared for you.”
A bitter laugh escaped me. “Cared? Chike, you cheated on me, lied to me, used me. Don’t stand here and pretend you cared.”
For a second, something hard flashed in his eyes, but he covered it with a smooth smile. “People change, Janet. I’ve changed. I regret the way I treated you.”
Tonia hissed loudly. “Abeg, shift with that talk. People don’t just change overnight.”
Chike ignored her, his gaze fixed on me. “Look, I know you’re hurting. I know Alex has moved on. But you don’t have to be alone. I can be here for you. I can love you the way you deserve.”
I shook my head, anger rising. “You think I will go back to you because Alex left? Is that what you think of me?”
His lips curved. “I know you, Janet. You hate being alone. And Alex—he is gone. Sandra has him now. Why waste your tears? Let me make it right this time.”
My chest tightened. His words stabbed, not because I believed him, but because some part of me feared he was right—about Alex being gone, about Sandra winning.
But before I could answer, Tonia stood and pushed him toward the door. “Get out before I call boys to beat you. She doesn’t need you."
Chike raised his hands, laughing. “Okay, okay. I’ll leave. But Janet, think about what I said. You know where to find me.”
He walked out, leaving a heavy silence behind.
Tonia shut the door with a bang. “Nonsense man. Can you imagine? After all the rubbish he did, he wants to come back? God forbid!”
I sat slowly on the bed, my mind spinning. “But why now? Why is he here now?”
Tonia’s eyes narrowed. “Because he heard you and Alex broke up. He smells weakness and wants to take advantage.”
I rubbed my arms, suddenly cold. “It feels… strange. Like everything is crashing at once. Alex, Sandra, now Chike. And those text messages…”
Tonia frowned. “Text messages?”
I hesitated, then showed her my phone. She read the messages, her face darkening.
“Janet, this is serious. Someone is watching you. You need to be careful.”
I bit my lip. “What if it’s Sandra? She already hates me.”
“Maybe. Or maybe it’s that i***t Chike. He could be playing mind games.”
I sighed, burying my face in my hands. “I just want peace, Tonia. Just peace.”
Tonia hugged me tight. “You’ll get it. But you need to stand strong first. No more letting people walk over you.”
Later that night, when Tonia left, I lay awake again. Sleep refused to come. My mind replayed Chike’s words, Alex’s cold eyes, Sandra’s mocking smile, and the Grey family’s rejection.
I turned and stared at my sewing machine in the corner of the room. I hadn’t touched it in weeks. Once, it was my dream to be a fashion designer, to make clothes people would love. But I had abandoned it while chasing Alex, while losing myself in him.
Maybe Tonia was right. Maybe I needed to start standing again.
My thoughts were cut short by another buzz from my phone.
My heart raced. Another message.
Message: “Be careful who you trust. Not all your friends are loyal.”
I sat up, my whole body shaking. Not all my friends?
My mind flew to Ada. She hadn’t visited in a while. She always complained about money, about how life was hard. Could it be…?
No. Ada was my friend. She couldn’t betray me.
Could she?
I pressed my phone to my chest, whispering to myself, “God, please, don’t let it be Ada.”
But deep down, a seed of doubt had already been planted.
The next day, Ada finally called. “Janet, it’s been long. Can I come over?”
Her voice was cheerful, but my stomach twisted.
“Yes,” I said slowly. “Come.”
As I dropped the call, I whispered to myself, “If she is truly my friend, I will know today.”
But what if the message was right?
What if betrayal was already sitting at my door?
- Writer
