Beautifully Broken

First Pay, First Heartbreak Again

Chapter 6:

First drop SOLD OUT in 2 days.

R8,400 in their Capitec. For broke res girls, that was millions.

Khethelo was screaming in Shoprite, "We are rich! Siyaceba! No more noodles!"

Lindokuhle was already calculating, "If we save 60%, we can order bigger stock. Zamo, we are actually doing this."

Ayabongwa was drawing new designs, Khocy was on calls with real clients, and Zamo? Zamo was glowing. No more checking Lwandle's stories.

Then — problem.

A big beauty page on i********: posted their gloss without credit. Stole their video. Caption: _"New fave from overseas."_

Comments: _"This is from Shein."_

Zamo's heart sank. "They are calling us fake. After all our work?"

That night, orders stopped. One girl even asked for refund.

Zamo sat on the floor again, same spot where she cried over Lwandle. Old habits.

Bandile found her there. He didn't say "don't cry." He just sat next to her.

"Zamo, remember when you said that broken girl died?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"She didn't. She learned to make gloss. So let her be angry today, but tomorrow she makes better gloss."

He pulled out his phone and showed her — he had reported the page, commented with proof, and got his cousin who has 50k followers to repost them with credit.

By morning, the stealing page apologized and tagged them. Orders tripled.

"Bandile..." Zamo whispered, looking at him, "Why are you so good to me?"

He looked away, nervous. "Because from first year, I always liked you. Not the way Lwandle liked you — fast. I liked you slowly. And I waited."

Silence. The res kitchen smelled like strawberry gloss.

"Don't wait anymore then," Zamo said softly, in Zulu, "Ngikhathele ukulinda abantu abangifuni. If you want me... show me."

He leaned in. Not to kiss — to hug. Long, safe hug.

And for the first time since being beautifully broken, Zamo felt like maybe she could be beautifully whole again.

End of Chapter 6