CHAPTER TWO
CAROLINE
My phone rang. I glanced at the screen — Lovett.
Lovett was the only friend who had stayed with me after Daniel ruined me.
Sometimes, I still can't believe how easily he broke up with me — a cold phone call and then a flight out of the country the next day. Just like that, he vanished.
If I could turn back time, I'd wish I had never met Safarat. She was the one who introduced me to Queenlet — and that meeting changed everything. Queenlet was the one who forced Daniel into my life.
I still remember the first day I met Safarat — like it happened yesterday.
---
Past
I looked down at my left hand. It had grown noticeably darker than the right — a price paid for using it to shield my face from the scorching sun.
I wasn't about to let sunburn spoil my face, not today.
We'd been standing in the blazing heat for what felt like forever. You'd think we were being punished. But no — the "crime" was simply wanting a hostel room.
I had just gained admission into one of the most prestigious universities in the country. When I first saw my name — the fourth on the merit list — I screamed until my mother thought something was wrong. Banking and Finance. My dream course.
I've always had a thing for numbers — seeing patterns, fixing financial messes for friends, finding order in chaos. Numbers made sense; people didn't.
But here I was, roasting in the sun with other new students, hoping to get a bed space. Getting a hostel room meant survival. Only the first four to get allocated a space could choose their corners and wardrobes — and that meant control.
Then, out of nowhere, someone shoved me hard from behind.
The crowd surged like a wild wave. I stumbled forward, my chest colliding with someone's back.
There was barely space to breathe — we rocked together like bodies on an angry sea. Whoever caused this madness had to be a sadist.
A tap on my shoulder pulled me from my irritation.
I turned — and my breath hitched.
She was… beautiful. Not the ordinary kind.
Her skin looked like poured milk — smooth, spotless. She had delicate features, soft lips, and this quiet grace that made me instantly envious.
"Please, can I stand in front of you?" she asked, voice gentle but firm.
I wanted to say yes, but something inside me resisted. People like her always get what they want. So I said no.
Then she stepped closer — right into my personal space.
Her perfume wrapped around me, sweet and dizzying. My pulse stumbled.
"Please," she whispered, her breath brushing my ear, "I'm not feeling too fine."
Before I could think, I found myself nodding. She smiled weakly and stood beside me.
When the next wave of bodies came, I pushed back harder to make space. She slid in front of me, earning herself a chorus of angry murmurs.
"She's with me," I said quickly, shielding her. "We came together."
It wasn't true — but the words came easily.
After some time, the crowd began to thin, or maybe I just stopped noticing them. All I could see was her. She looked fragile, like she might crumble if the sun pressed harder.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
She nodded faintly. "Just tired."
But a few minutes later, she looked ready to faint. I reached out to steady her, scanning around for somewhere she could sit. A tall tree stood nearby, its shade like a promise.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Safarat," she answered softly. "Yours?"
"Caroline."
"Can I rest over there?" she asked, pointing to the tree.
"Go ahead," I said. "I'll call you when the line starts moving."
She hesitated. "How will you call me without my number?"
I smiled despite myself. "Good point."
I handed her my phone, and she saved her number — her hands trembling slightly. She dialed her number from my phone and smiled faintly as her own rang.
I watched her walk toward the tree, every movement slow and careful.
"What's wrong with your friend?" a girl behind me asked.
"She's not feeling well," I replied.
The girl nodded sympathetically.
Then my phone beeped — a message from Mum. She wanted to know when I'd be home. I sighed. Not anytime soon.
A few minutes later, another tap on my shoulder. The girl in front pointed toward the tree.
Safarat was waving at me to come.
I hurried over — and froze.
She wasn't alone.
A man stood beside her, arm wrapped around her waist like he owned her. She leaned into him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Caroline, meet Luke," she said, smiling faintly. "One of the lecturers in Theatre Arts."
He extended his hand — big, rough, intimidating. "Nice to meet you, Caroline," he said with a half-smile.
"Nice to meet you too, sir."
"Luke," he corrected. "Professor makes me feel old."
Old? He was old — late forties at least, built like he could wrestle a lion.
"Luke promised to get us accommodation," Safarat said quickly.
He chuckled. "No, I promised to get you a bed space since you're not feeling well. But since you refuse to leave without your friend, I suppose I'll help both of you."
He led the way, one hand still brushing her arm. I followed, uneasy.
When she winced and stumbled, I rushed to support her.
"You did that for me?" she murmured.
"Of course," I said.
"You fought for me," she whispered. I didn't know it then, but those words would haunt me for years.
---
Present
The sound of my phone pulled me out of the memory.
"Hello, babe, what's up?" I said.
"Fine, babe. You dey house? I wan come see you," Lovett's voice came through, bright as always.
"I dey, girl. I dey expect you," I said and hung up.
I quickly tidied the room before her knock came.
"Hi babe!" Lovett said, stepping in.
"I dey o. You?"
"Doing good," she said, looking around. "But babe, you need to leave this dump. You should sue that stupid Daniel and get your money back."
I let out a dry laugh. "Sue him with what money? The bank job's gone. I only work now to eat and pay this rent — barely."
Lovett sighed. "He's back in the country, you know. And rumor has it he's with another woman. Richer than you."
"Really?" I screamed. "That bastard!"
Lovett shook her head. "He gets away with everything. You think your money meant nothing to him, but it did. He came for it."
I sank onto the bed. She joined me, running her fingers through my hair gently.
"Didn't you go to the police?" she asked softly.
"They said I was slandering him," I said bitterly.
Lovett clicked her tongue. "Unbelievable."
For a moment, the silence stretched. The tiny ticking of my wall clock filled the room like a reminder that time kept moving — even when I couldn't.
"Let's stop talking about him," she said finally, forcing a smile. "I met this guy, and he has a super-rich friend. Let's go on a double date this weekend."
I frowned. "You know I'm not into—"
"Daniel has been gone for over a year," she interrupted. "You need to live again."
I sighed. "Fine. Saturday?"
"Perfect!" she grinned.
"But I have nothing decent to wear."
"Leave that to me," she said, standing.
She picked two cups, poured us wine, and handed me one.
"To a new beginning," she said, raising her glass.
"To a new beginning," I echoed, and we drank until the bottle ran dry.
"Come on, let's eat out," she said suddenly.
"I was about to cook—"
"Please, not today. Get dressed. And don't tell me you're going out in that ancient underwear." She laughed.
"You're crazy," I said, throwing a pillow at her.
She laughed harder. "At least I don't wear torn pants!"
"Na you sabi," I said, smiling as I dressed quickly.
We walked out together, locking the door behind us — not knowing that tonight would be the start of another chapter neither of us was ready for.
The air outside smelled like wet earth and exhaust fumes — the city's heartbeat pulsing beneath our feet. Somewhere in that rhythm, I felt something shift inside me. A warning. A whisper. Or maybe just hope