HE SAID I WAS JUST A BET

Chapter 24: Whispers In The Dark

Maria didn’t know when she had started holding her breath, but her chest felt tight, her heart pounding like a drum. She stood frozen by the corridor outside her hostel room, Daniel’s words from earlier echoing in her head: “Some people are only brave when it’s too late.”

What was that supposed to mean?

She tried to shake it off, blaming her restlessness on the intense Literature class earlier, where Mr. Tunde had dissected betrayal in Shakespeare’s Othello. But her gut told her this wasn’t just about literature anymore. Something was off — way off.

Her phone buzzed.

Emeka: “Babygirl, I saw Daniel sneaking around Block C... with Sheila. And guess what? They weren’t arguing.”

Maria’s stomach dropped.

She didn’t want to believe it. Daniel had promised her honesty. He’d looked her in the eyes and said he was done with the games. That she was different.

But why did it suddenly feel like she was the only one who believed in “different”?

She tightened her grip on the phone and slowly made her way to Block C, heart in her throat. Her slippers slapped softly against the floor, the night air heavy with silence.

As she approached the corner, voices drifted toward her.

Laughter.

Sheila’s laugh.

And Daniel’s voice — soft, familiar, and dangerous.

Maria didn’t step out. She stayed in the dark, hidden, listening.

And that’s when she heard it.

“She doesn’t mean anything. It was all part of the bet.”

Everything inside her shattered.