Valentine’s Day arrived. Krystal College was decorated in red and white, music filling every corner. Our class and SS1 had organized a cooking competition too, we were all prepared for today’s event, and don’t think it stopped students from exchanging gifts, it didn’t. Everywhere I turned, people were exchanging gifts, chocolates, love sweet. 

Then I saw something that caught me off guard. Daniel from SS1 handing Chioma a Valentine’s gift and she blushed.

Were they were dating? Of course they were, because recently they’ve been close.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Simi walked up to Olamide in front of everyone and handed him a gift, deliberately making sure Nafisa saw everything. She held his hand afterward, followed him around like she owned him, and Olamide didn’t stop her.

Nafisa said nothing all day. Her silence was heavy, her expression distant, but the cooking competition distracted her. And yes! We won.

It was in that moment her face softened but the chaos didn’t end there.

Somehow, Jerry and Amira had grown too close. They claimed it wasn’t a relationship, but some SS3 students and George had caught them several times making out. 

And just then, George winked and waved happily at me, we couldn’t stay close because he was busy being the DJ. I smiled and thought that I had seen enough, but some minutes later, I overheard some SS1 girls behind me saying that George had asked one of their new students out but she refused.

And Saheed had tried another girl but she rejected him too.

I stood there, uncontrollable anger rose inside me. What exactly was wrong with George? What else did he want? I had given him everything, all my time, my love, my trust, my body, even something as extreme as a blood oath and still, it wasn’t enough.

This had end because I was tired of crying, and feeling like I was never enough. I shut my eyes and drew in a shaky breath, trying to steady the storm inside me till Desire’s hand tapped my shoulder, pulling me back.

“Come and help us arrange this place,” she said,.

I followed her quietly, picking some dirts but my mind was somewhere else. After a few minutes, I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Desire…” My voice came out soft. “What do you think about my relationship with George?”

She paused, turning to look at me properly this time. “I don’t know o,” she said slowly. “Because I know you won’t like the truth.”

“Please,” I whispered, my throat tightening. “I want to leave him. I’m tired.”

Something in my voice must have convinced her, because she sighed and leaned against a desk, folding her arms.

“He doesn’t respect you,” she said plainly. “And it’s because you keep forcing yourself on him.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected and she didn’t stop talking, 

“Look at me,” she continued. “I know Bashir genuinely loves me. Everybody can see it. But sometimes, his friends disrespect me, and he acts like it’s nothing or he ignores it. That alone is enough reason for me not to date him. Because if he truly values me, he won’t allow that kind of nonsense.”

I swallowed hard, my chest tightening.

“But you,” she went on, her tone was softer now, “you’re so obsessed with being with George that you’ve allowed yourself to be disrespected over and over again. You don’t even set boundaries. You just keep accepting everything he does.”

Tears burned at the back of my eyes, but I forced myself to listen.

“Let me tell you something,” Desire said quietly. “Once George leaves this school, you’ll be the one left to deal with everything. Don’t let anyone be the reason for your happiness. And honestly…” She hesitated briefly. “I don’t even think you love him like that. I think you’re just scared of being alone because you feel like no one truly loves you at home.”

That night, the tears I had been holding back slipped out before I could stop them. Because deep down, I knew she was right. I hated being alone. I hated that empty feeling, like I didn’t belong anywhere. And George filled that space but the next day, I ended the relationship.

By Monday, the whole school knew. Gossip followed me till the real blow came when George sent screenshot messages to me that he already had a new girlfriend and had changed my name in his phone to “Ex.”

I continued my classes without hearing a single thing. The teacher’s voice faded into meaningless noise as my thoughts spiraled. Although, I tried to act like I didn’t care but inside, I was breaking painfully.

The moment school closed, I rushed home. I didn’t think, I just grabbed my phone and typed.

4:25pm

I was only joking, we haven’t broken up.

I sent it and his reply came almost immediately.

4:26pm

You weren’t joking. You broke my heart even though we took an oath, you still said it was over.

I stared at his message in disbelief. I broke his heart? How was that even possible when mine felt like it had been shattered into pieces?

4:28pm

I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I love you.

4:28pm

You don’t love me. Go away.

My chest tightened and I panicked.

4:32pm

I swear I love you. Have you forgotten about the oath? I was only joking when I said we should break up.

He didn’t reply immediately and my fingers were trembling.

4:58pm

The blood oath meant nothing.

My heart was about to explode. No, I had to fix my relationship so I typed desperately.

4:58pm

The blood oath meant something o. We can’t break up.

4:59pm

Ok. We can continue the relationship but I have a girlfriend already.

Tears filled my eyes again.

4:59pm

Am I now the side chick?

4:59pm

No. But she is. And you must not go and disturb her or tell anyone in school that we are back together. It has to be a secret. Extra lesson has started, we will talk later.

I stared at the screen. Everything in me screamed that I deserved better than this but that consuming fear of losing him completely, swallowed every bit of sense I had left.

5:01pm

I don’t even know the girl. Yes, it will be our secret.

I dropped my phone slowly, exhaling as if a heavy weight had been lifted off my chest, even though nothing had truly been fixed.

We were back together and that was all that mattered.

A simple question 

Do you think Zara truly chose love here, or is she falling back into a cycle she already knows will hurt her again?

Thank you for reading this chapter