Chapter 10
858 Words
Tracy’s POV
I didn’t expect to love it this much.
The necklace.
At first, I thought it was just a kind gesture—maybe even a moment of guilt or pity from Richard. But the more I looked at it, the more it felt… intentional. Thoughtful. Personal.
The rose-gold chain sat daintily on my neck, holding a tiny heart-shaped pendant with a single glistening stone in the center. Simple, yet elegant. And it matched my skin tone perfectly.
When I stepped into the dining room that morning, Mrs. Ada’s eyes immediately zeroed in on it.
“Ewoo!” she exclaimed, placing a hand on her chest. “Who dash you this one? My daughter, this necklace is giving soft life! Omo, money dey speak for here.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “It’s just a gift.”
“Ahn ahn! From who? The way e dey shine ehn, this one no be ordinary gift o.”
“I didn’t ask for it. It was given to me,” I replied vaguely.
Mrs. Ada narrowed her eyes in playful suspicion. “Hmm… I dey watch o.”
Later that afternoon, I ran into Mrs. Regina in the hallway as she returned from her spa appointment.
“My dear,” she said, pausing. “That necklace is beautiful. It suits you so well. You have such an elegant neck—very graceful.”
“Thank you, ma,” I said, fiddling with the pendant.
She smiled warmly and continued walking. No further questions. No suspicions.
But someone else noticed—and said nothing.
Richard.
I caught him staring at it more than once during the day. His eyes would drop for a brief moment to the tiny pendant on my chest, then quickly lift back to my face. There was something smug, something satisfied about his gaze. As though he’d marked me without saying a word.
But that evening, just when my heart felt too full to hold in any more confusion, my phone buzzed.
Ray.
I answered immediately, smiling. “Hey, baby.”
“Hey, sunshine. I missed you today.”
I curled into the couch in my room, cradling the phone like it could hold me. “I missed you too. How was work?”
He exhaled. “Long. But Tessa dragged me out with a few colleagues—she said I needed to loosen up.”
I blinked. “Tessa again?”
“Yeah… just to a lounge down the street. Nothing serious.”
I didn’t say anything. But the silence was loud.
“She’s just a friend, Tracy.”
“I didn’t say she wasn’t.”
“But you’re thinking it.”
“I’m not jealous, Ray. I just—” I paused, biting my lip. “I didn’t realize you’d be hanging out with her this often.”
He sighed. “She’s the only one who really helped me settle here. The place, the bills, even getting my work permit sorted. She’s just been… supportive.”
“That’s great,” I replied quietly, though my heart felt heavy. “But you barely have time for me anymore.”
“That’s not true baby. We talk everyday, Don’t we?”
“Yeah we do but am not comfortable with you hanging out with her, I trust you. It’s her I don’t trust. You’re suddenly going out at night, you don’t do that before .”
“Tracy,” he said gently. “You’re overthinking this.”
“Am I? Or are you just trying to keep things light until you figure out if you still want this?”
He went silent.
And in that silence, a thousand insecurities screamed.
“I love you,” he said finally. “Nothing is happening between me and Tessa. But you have to trust me.”
“I do,” I whispered. “I just… miss how things used to be.”
“So do I. And when I come home, we’ll talk properly. Just… hang in there for me, okay?”
“Okay.”
We ended the call, but the ache didn’t go away.
I sat there for a long time, fingers brushing over the necklace. Somehow, it grounded me more than Ray’s words had.
A soft knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts.
“Come in,” I called out.
It was Richard.
His eyes moved from my face to the necklace, then back again. “You’re wearing it.”
I nodded. “I like it.”
He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “Good.”
There was a pause.
“Everything okay?” he asked, his tone casual but concerned.
“Yeah,” I lied.
“Boyfriend trouble?”
I stiffened. “Why do you ask?”
“You look like someone trying very hard not to cry.”
I let out a soft laugh. “I guess I’m not as good at pretending as I thought.”
He didn’t say anything else. Just gave a slow nod before walking away.
And just like that… I felt seen in a way I hadn’t in a long time.
By someone who wasn’t even trying.
- Writer
