For The Pain You Caused

The Date

You watched me believe he stopped loving me."

I know.

Why?

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Because Dad told me to protect you.

I shook my head.

Dad was dead.

I know.

Then how did he tell you?

Nia froze.

The room went silent.

I stared at her.

She looked terrified.

Nia.

Her lips parted.

I never said he told me after he died.

My heart stopped.

What?

She looked away.

I stepped closer.

When did he tell you?

She didn't answer.

When?

Her voice finally came.

The night before he died.

I couldn't breathe.

That makes no sense.

I know.

Then explain it.

I can't.

Why?

She looked at me with tears in her eyes.

Because I wasn't supposed to tell you until Damian came back.

My stomach dropped.

What?

She nodded slowly.

He made me promise that if Damian ever returned, I should give you the letter.

I stared at her.

But Damian already gave you the letter three years ago.

She nodded.

And he wasn't supposed to come back then.

I felt the blood drain from my face.

Then why did he?

Nia didn't answer.

I looked down at the letter.

Three years ago, I had believed Damian walked away from me.

Now I wasn't sure if he had walked away at all.

Maybe he had been running.

Maybe he had been hiding.

Maybe someone had been waiting for him to return.

And suddenly, the message from the unknown number made sense.

You spoke to him.

Now ask him what happened the night your father died.

The problem was...

I had already asked.

And Damian had lied.

Or perhaps

he had told me only the part he was allowed to tell.

My phone vibrated.

Both Nia and I looked at it.

Unknown number.

One new message.

You finally found the letter.

My heart stopped.

Another message appeared.

Now ask Nia why the date on it is three years old.

I slowly looked up at my sister.

She had gone completely pale.

And that was when I knew.

Whatever secret she had been protecting for three years...

she knew more than she had told me.

---

Chapter 7

The Date

For several seconds, neither Nia nor I moved.

The message remained on my screen.

You finally found the letter.

Then another one appeared.

Now ask Nia why the date on it is three years old.

I looked at my sister.

She looked at me.

Neither of us spoke.

How do they know? I whispered.

Nia's face had lost every trace of color.

I don't know.

You said that already.

I know.

Who is this person?

I don't know.

I held up the phone.

They know about the letter.

Nia swallowed.

Maybe they're trying to scare you.

How would they know about the date?

She didn't answer.

I looked down at the envelope again.

The date was still there.

Three years ago.

The same period Damian had left me.

I turned it over in my hands.

Why is this date here?

Nia stared at it.

I don't know.

You said Dad gave you this.

No.

I looked up.

You just said

I said Dad told me to give it to you.

That's not what you said before.

She closed her eyes.

I was confused.

No.

I shook my head.

You're not confused.

Amara

You've been hiding something from me.

I've been trying to protect you.

Everybody keeps using that word.

I held up the letter.

Protect me from what?

She looked at the envelope.

The date isn't Dad's.

I frowned.

What?

The date.

She pointed at it.

Your father didn't write it.

I stared at her.

Then who did?

Damian.

My heart skipped.

Damian?

She nodded.

When he gave me the letter, he wrote the date on the envelope.

Why?

I don't know.

You didn't ask?

I did.

What did he say?

He said it was the day everything changed.

I stared at the date again.

Three years ago.

The week Damian left me.

The week my life fell apart.

I looked at Nia.

What did he mean by everything changed?

I don't know.

You're lying again.

I'm not.

You always say you don't know.

Because sometimes I really don't.

I took a breath.

Then tell me what you do know.

She sat down slowly.

I remained standing.

She looked exhausted.

Three years ago, Damian came to this house.

When?

The day after he broke up with you.

My chest tightened.

Why?

He came with the letter.

Why didn't he give it to me?

Because he couldn't.

Why?

He said if he gave it to you, you'd ask questions.

I would have.

I know.

And?

He was afraid you'd follow him.

Follow him where?

Nia looked away.

I don't know.

I laughed bitterly.

You really need a new answer.

She didn't smile.

He was leaving Lagos.

My stomach dropped.

What?

He was going to leave.

Where?

Abroad.

Why?

He wouldn't tell me.

I sat opposite her.

So Damian wasn't planning to stay.

No.

But he came back.

Yes.

Why?

She shook her head.

I don't know.

I stared at her.

For the first time, I believed her.

She genuinely didn't know.

And somehow, that made everything worse.

I looked at the letter again.

What's inside?

I told you.

No. You told me what it says.

She looked at me.

What's missing?

Her expression changed.

I noticed.

There is something missing.

She didn't answer.

Nia.

She sighed.

Your father gave Damian two things.

My heartbeat quickened.

The letter.

Yes.

And?

A photograph.

What photograph?

I don't know.

You don't know?

Damian never showed it to me.

Then how do you know he had one?

Because your father told me.

I leaned forward.

What did he say?

He said Damian would know what to do with it.

Do you know what was in the photograph?

She shook her head.

No.

Was it of Dad?

No.

Was it of me?

No.

Then who?

I don't know.

I stood again.

Where is it?

I don't know.

Damian has it?

I think so.

I grabbed my phone.

I'm calling him.

Nia stood.

Wait.

No.

Amara, please.

I dialed Damian.

He answered almost immediately.

Amara.

Did my father give you a photograph?

Silence.

That silence told me everything.

You have it.

Yes.

My eyes closed.

Where is it?

I can't tell you.

I laughed.

You people are unbelievable.

Amara

No. You don't get to do that anymore.

I know.

You have a photograph my father gave you.

Yes.

And you have a letter.

Yes.

You've had them for three years.

Yes.

And you still expect me to believe you were protecting me?

I wasn't protecting myself.

Then who were you protecting?

He didn't answer.

Damian.

You.

I swallowed.

From what?

From the truth.

That isn't an answer.

It's the only answer I can give you right now.

Then give me the photograph.

I can't.

Why?

Because the photograph is dangerous.

I laughed again.

How can a photograph be dangerous?

Because of who is in it.

My smile disappeared.

Who is in it?

He went silent.

Damian.

I'll come to you.

No.

I need to explain this in person.

Then come.

I will.

The call ended.

I looked at Nia.

He has the photograph.

She nodded.

What is in it?

I don't know.

I stared at her.

Then my phone rang.

Unknown number.

I didn't answer.

It rang again.

I watched it until the call ended.

A message appeared.

Don't let him show you the photograph.

My heart began pounding.

Another message.

You won't like what you see.

I looked at Nia.

She saw the message.

Her face changed.

Who is that?

I don't know.

She took my phone.

Read the messages.

Then looked at me.

Amara...

What?

I think you should leave.

Why?

She looked toward the window.

I don't think we're alone.

The room went cold.

What do you mean?

I've had this feeling all week.

What feeling?

Like someone has been watching the house.

I stared at her.

You never told me?

I didn't want to scare you.

I almost laughed.

That worked out well.

She walked toward the window.

I followed.

Outside, the street looked normal.

A few cars.

A woman carrying groceries.

A man standing beside a parked vehicle.

Nothing suspicious.

Then the man looked up.

Straight at the house.

Straight at us.

I froze.

That's him.

Nia grabbed my arm.

Who?

The man outside.

He was standing beside a black SUV.

Dark clothes.

Cap pulled low.

He wasn't doing anything.

Just standing.

Watching.

Then his phone came up.

He looked down at it.

My phone vibrated.

I looked at the screen.

Unknown number.

You shouldn't have gone back to Damian.

My blood ran cold.

The man outside got into the SUV.

The car pulled away.

I ran toward the door.

Amara!

I ignored Nia.

I stepped outside.

The SUV was already disappearing around the corner.

I stood there, breathing hard.

Nia came beside me.

Don't.

I looked at her.

Don't what?

Don't chase this.

Why?

Because you don't know what you're walking into.

I turned toward her.

Neither do you.

She looked down.

I know.

That answer stopped me.

Then tell me.

She shook her head.

I can't.

Why?

Because I'm scared.

I stared at her.

Nia was many things.

Stubborn.

Protective.

Difficult.

But scared?

I had almost never seen her afraid.

What happened three years ago?

She looked at me.

The night Damian left?

Yes.

She swallowed.

Your father had been dead for three years already.

I know.

Then why did he suddenly become part of everything?

I don't know.

Nia.

She looked away.

There was a man at the funeral.

I frowned.

What man?

I don't remember his name.

You just said there was a man.

Yes.

What did he look like?

Older. Tall. Quiet.

Was it Victor?

She looked at me sharply.

You know that name?

Damian told me.

Her face changed.

Damian told you about Victor?

Yes.

She looked terrified.

What?

He wasn't supposed to.

Why?

She didn't answer.

I stepped closer.

Nia.

She took a breath.

Because Victor wasn't just a businessman.

What was he?

I don't know.

You keep saying that.

Because I don't know.

Then what do you know?

She looked toward the street.

I know Dad was afraid of him.

Why?

I don't know.

Did Dad owe him money?

No.

Did he work with him?

No.

Then why was he afraid?

Nia's voice dropped.

Because he knew what Victor was capable of.

I swallowed.

And Damian?

He was already involved with him.

How involved?

I don't know.

I stared at her.

Was Damian responsible for Dad's death?

Her eyes widened.

No.

The answer came immediately.

Too quickly.

I noticed.

You sound very sure.

Because I am.

How?

She went quiet.

How do you know Damian didn't have anything to do with Dad's death?

Nia's eyes filled with tears.

Because your father told me.

When?

The night before he died.

My heart tightened.

What exactly did he say?

She looked at me.

He said Damian wasn't the person we should fear.

The room seemed to tilt.

Then who?

She shook her head.

I don't know.

But Dad knew.

Yes.

Did he tell you?

No.

Why?

Because he said if I knew, I would become a target too.

I stared at her.

Then why did he tell you anything?

Because he needed someone to protect you.

From who?

I don't know.

I covered my face with my hands.

This is insane.

I know.

No. This isn't just some family secret anymore.

I lowered my hands.

Someone is watching me.

She nodded.

Someone knows about the letter.

Yes.

Someone knows about Damian.

Yes.

Someone knows about Dad.

Yes.

And you still want me to stop asking questions?

She looked at me.

No.

I paused.

What?

For the first time...

She took a shaky breath.

I think you need to know everything.

My heart pounded.

Everything?

Yes.

Then tell me.