Chapter 35: "Oh No, Not Again"

The new year dawned bright over Lagos, but for Susan, it carried a quiet ache she couldn’t explain. The distance between her and Richard had grown wider. Their once frequent conversations had become occasional check-ins, polite and brief. She told herself it was for the best.

“Maybe that’s all it was meant to be,” she whispered one morning as she arranged fabrics in her small but elegant sewing studio. “Maybe he only came into my life to help me find who I truly am.”

She smiled sadly, convincing herself that this was the meaning behind the dreams she used to have. She no longer dreamt of wedding dresses or unseen faces. Those nights had stopped, replaced by the simple calm of everyday life. But in her heart, she knew, something between her and Richard still lived, even if it was buried beneath time and unspoken feelings.

“I’ll just pay him back,” she decided. “Once I do, that chapter will close. No more ties, no more confusion.”

Meanwhile, across town, Charles visited Richard in his new house. The tech company was booming, the ministry was thriving, and yet, there was something about Richard...a stillness that wasn’t peace but quiet unrest.

As they relaxed over drinks, Charles casually brought up, “Do you still talk to Susan?”

Richard looked up, caught off guard. “Once in a while,” he said. “Not so much lately.”

Charles grinned. “You know, I ran into her recently. She looks... different. Confident, beautiful, like a whole new person.”

Richard said nothing, just listening.

“I’ve been thinking,” Charles continued, “I might actually go after her. I know about her past, but I don’t care. At least she was honest about it. Most girls in Lagos pretend...she didn’t.”

Richard froze. His heartbeat quickened. Then, when Charles added, “We had a thing back then, but this time I want to approach her properly,” Richard’s composure shattered.

“Stay away from her!” he barked, louder than he intended.

Charles stared at him, stunned. “What? Why are you shouting? I’m not playing games. I’m serious about her.” He paused, then his eyes narrowed in curiosity. “Wait… are you interested in her, Richard? Have you fallen for her?”

Richard didn’t answer. He simply looked away, jaw tight, hands clenched. That silence was all the confirmation Charles needed.

He leaned back slowly, nodding. “I see. So it’s like that.”

The room fell into silence, heavy, charged, full of things neither man dared to say.

Later that evening, in a cozy apartment far away from that tension, laughter filled Susan’s home. She and her mother sat at their small dining table, eating the meal they had cooked together. The air conditioner hummed softly, one of the little luxuries they could now afford.

Her mother smiled warmly. “Susan, I thank God for Pastor Richard. That man was a blessing. See what you’ve become a strong, respectable woman.”

Susan chuckled lightly, sipping her drink. “Yes, Mama. God used him to change my life.”

“Do you still talk to him?”

“Not like before,” she said softly. “I think his mission in my life is complete.”

Her mother nodded, satisfied, and continued eating. But Susan’s smile faded slightly as she stared into her cup, her thoughts wandering back to Richard, his calm voice, his steady eyes, the way he made her feel safe without saying much.

That night, as Susan got ready for bed, she glanced at her mother already fast asleep on the new, comfortable mattress. Their room looked different now, soft curtains, cool air, quiet peace.

She lay down beside her and drifted off.

Then it happened.

The dream.

She was standing in a beautiful living room, dressed simply but gracefully. The walls glowed softly with warm light. In her arms, she held a baby girl, chubby and smiling.

Suddenly, footsteps approached. She looked up. Richard. He was smiling as he walked toward her, looking relaxed, joyful, completely different from the Richard she knew in real life.

He stopped in front of her and gently touched the baby’s cheek. “How’s our baby girl doing?” he said with that familiar calm tone.

He mentioned the baby’s name _ but she couldn’t hear it. The sound faded like wind.

Susan gasped and woke up, her heart pounding.

She sat up, breathing hard, looking around her dimly lit room. Her mother was still asleep beside her. She held her chest and whispered with a nervous laugh,

“Oh no… not again.”

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Dear readers, this marks the end of Part One. Part Two is coming soon… stay tuned.