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Chapter 5: Broken Hearts and Shattered Trust
Zackary watched Nifemi storm out of the party, her heels clicking on the marble floor as the sounds of chatter and music faded. His heart was hammering in his chest. He called out to her, his voice tight with desperation.
"Nifemi!" He rushed after her, his voice strained. "Nifemi, please wait!"
She didn't stop. She didn't even turn around.
"Leave me alone, Zackary," she said, her voice quiet but firm. She didn't want to look at him, afraid if she did, the tears would betray her.
Zackary reached her, standing in front of her, his face filled with regret. "I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. I didn't want you to feel this way. I thought… I thought you could handle it. I thought we could handle it."
Nifemi closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Zackary, you don't get it. I don't belong in that world. I'm not like them. I'm not like you. You're from a world I can't even dream of entering. I don't fit in. I should've listened to my mom. I should've never come."
Her words cut through him like a blade. He stepped closer, reaching for her hand. "Please, don't say that. You're everything. You're more than this world. You've got a strength I can't even imagine."
But she pulled away, her eyes wet with unshed tears. "No, Zackary. I can't do this. I need to find myself. And right now, it's clear I'm not ready for any of this."
Zackary stood there, his world falling apart, watching her walk away.
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Zackary entered the party again, but his heart wasn't in it. He felt like a part of him had just shattered. He found Amelia standing with a group, and as soon as she saw him, she walked over, her expression unreadable.
"Zackary," Amelia said softly, but there was a sharpness in her tone. "I don't know why you're so upset. She's just… she's not made for our world. You've got to let it go."
Zackary shook his head, his voice tight with pain. "No, Amelia. She's different. She's not like the others. She matters. I want to fix this. I want to make her understand, but I think I ruined it. I forced her into something she wasn't ready for. I thought she could handle it, but I was wrong."
Amelia's eyes narrowed, and she placed a hand on his arm, almost as if trying to console him. "You can't change who she is. She's just... a local girl. I hate to say it, but that's the truth. You deserve better than this."
Zackary stared at her in disbelief. "No. No, Amelia. I don't care about that. I care about her. This is real. And I'm not giving up on her."
Amelia's expression softened, but there was something cold behind her eyes. "I just don't want you to get hurt."
Zackary felt a chill in his chest, but he didn't reply. He turned away and left the party before it ended. His heart was heavy, and all he could think about was how he'd messed things up with Nifemi.
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Meanwhile, Amelia had other plans. She had already made a deal with one of the reporters at the event. The picture of Nifemi falling—her humiliation—was going to go viral. She'd make sure it was the number one topic on social media. She'd make sure Nifemi never had the chance to recover from this.
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The next day, Nifemi walked into her college like any other day. But today, something felt off. People were staring at her. Whispers followed her wherever she went. She didn't understand why.
As she walked into class, one of her friends, Priscilla, rushed over to her, eyes wide with shock.
"Nifemi!" Priscilla said breathlessly. "Girl, have you seen the news? You're everywhere!"
Nifemi's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
Priscilla quickly pulled out her phone and showed Nifemi the headlines. "Look at this. It's all over the internet. You… you're trending."
Nifemi took the phone from her, her breath catching in her throat. There, on the screen, was a picture of her—falling at the party. The caption underneath read: "Another low-class girl trying to make her way into high society. How long before she crashes and burns?"
Tears immediately stung her eyes as she read the hurtful comments. "She's trying too hard." "She doesn't belong there." "A girl from the gutter, thinking she's a star."
Her heart broke in a way she never knew was possible. She'd never asked for this. She didn't want the spotlight, and she didn't want to be humiliated.
Tears streamed down her face as she handed the phone back to Chika, her hands shaking. "I didn't… I didn't ask for this. Priscilla wrapped her arms around Nifemi, holding her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Nifemi. This isn't fair. You don't deserve this."
Zackary, on the other hand, had seen the news too. His stomach churned as he watched the image of Nifemi fall again and again on social media. He immediately contacted his PR team, trying to remove the photo, trying to make things right. But the damage was already done.
He tried calling her. No answer.
Day after day, he tried to reach her, but she wouldn't pick up. He left messages, but her phone stayed silent. Nifemi had shut him out, and he couldn't blame her.
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Two days passed. Three days. Zackary couldn't stand it anymore. He couldn't let her go. He couldn't let this be the end.
He knew what he had to do.
He had to see her. He had to tell her the truth.
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