•°•°•Anita's POV•°•°•

I couldn't explain what was going on with me. Torrents of tears just kept rolling down my cheek. I wasn't heartbroken– lies. I didn't lose anyone– lies. In fact, my day was going well except for my raging stomach– more lies. However, I couldn't just stop my own tears. It felt like a waste to me. Why cry? I guess my brutality was the cause of my sudden tears. Who on Earth slaughters bunch of onions just for a simple Nigerian Stew? The onions just wanted to teach me a lesson and I was learning it the hard way. The stings in my eyes were too much for me. However, I was never the kind to give up. I diced every single onions with me. My cloth was soaked with my tears but I had a good news to share. My stew was delicious and I loved it.

However, my heart was aching. Prince broke up with me; he slapped me. I had just finished eating my delicious white rice and stew. I promised myself I won't cry because of a man. I promised myself I won't cry about the breakup. I have cried enough. For two days, I haven't been able to leave my house neither have I gone to work. It's stupid. I disliked how I was letting my emotions control me.

There was a slight knock on the door and my heart raced. It always did whenever I heard a knock. I was always expecting Prince to knock and tell me all he said to me was a lie and that he was sorry. I sighed, something told me that it won't happen. What I didn't understand was how the Prince I knew changed in days. How did he change? How did he stop loving me? I could remember how he told me he loved me and left Abuja for a family emergency. How did he change?

Deep down, I could hear a voice telling me he hadn't change and maybe he was hiding something from me. But I was scared. I was fearful of another harsh heartbreak.

I rose to open the door and my flatmates strolled in. Josie moaned and smiled at me. "What's that smell? Did you cook?"

I nodded my head weakly.

"I love you," she shrieked and ran to the kitchen.

Titi and Chi-girl sauntered in and they both landed on the couch with a great flop.

"We have good news," Titi squealed.

"Wow," I replied lowly. I was down and I wasn't going to hide it. They all knew about my breakup. It was funny to see them, absurdly, cursing Prince, their anger flaring up as I narrated the painful moment. My brain refused to believe my Prince was a jerk and a selfish bastard.

"Don't you want to hear the good news?" Titi quizzed.

"Please share.." I intoned, my voice, drawling, since every words were just forced out.

"Our Instagram followers just reached twenty thousand. 20k, my sister! Our fashion company is growing," Titi exclaimed and hopped to her feet, a large smile on her face.

"Oh...wow....so nice," I responded and faltered towards my room.

"Hey, come back here. This is not the Anita we know. You never cry this much for a man na," Chi-girl called out.

I heaved a sigh. "I know".

"Just move on," Josie said as she walked in with a plate of food in her hand, the white and topped with a sauced chicken.

"Easy for you to say," I snapped at her and she flung her free hand up in mock surrender.

"When will you finish crying and go to work? You know that the bills don't pay themselves?" Chi-girl asked. It annoyed me that she was so blunt. I narrowed my eyes at her. She wasn't the one to blame. It was Prince's fault. He came to my life and left me with pain. My emotions were in a tangled mess, as though someone decided to mix the seven colours on a rainbow in one bowl. The red mixed with the green, the yellow with the blue. Should I be sad or angry? I was hugely perplexed, his memories, an encumbrance to my heart. I sighed again.

"As I was saying..." Titi continued. "We are getting famous in Instagram. Soon, we will be among the famous Fashion designers in Nigeria".

"Congratulations," I replied.

"How is your Instagram na? You still dey post for am?" Josie asked. I turned my fiery gaze at her and she waved me off, dropping to the couch.

"Wait! Is it me you are asking, Josie?" I quizzed.

"Yes! Do you still post pics there?" She asked.

"Not really. Why are you asking?"

"Post na. Keep yourself busy. No dey cry for man wey no get your time," she said and sent an apologetic look at me. "I love you that's why I want you to move on".

"Maybe we should kidnap Prince and bring him here. You can slap him to your satisfaction. Will that be better?" Titi said and burst into a fit of laughter.

"Are you serious? I like that idea," I replied with a frown.

"You like the idea?" She asked.

"Before nko," I hissed. "I am angry with Prince right now. I let him into my heart and he chose to make me regret that decision".

"Anita, have you bath?" Chi-girl asked.

"No!"

"Are you mad ni? So because of that mumu Prince you want to be dirty?"

I heaved another sigh.

"Go and bath," she instructed.

I nodded and went to my room. Just when I was about to shut the door, a rapping sound echoed from the door. We all eyed it suspiciously.

"Is anyone expecting a visitor?" Titi asked.

"Maybe my boyfriend came to see me," Chi-girl suggested and rose to open the door. Her statement reminded me that I was single and lonely, and it hurt everywhere.

As soon as the door opened, a figure I didn't expect to see, walked in. His eyes searched the room and fell on me. He rushed to me and pulled me into a warm hug.

"How are you?" Freddy asked and rubbed my back. "I heard about you and Prince".

I sighed again. I have just been sighing since the breakup. Naomi was next. She pulled me into a tight hug and kept rubbing my back. For a moment, it felt my back would catch fire. She leaned away, stared into my eyes and hugged me again. "I have missed you so much"

"It's not up to a week oo since we last saw. What happened?" I chuckled.

"I heard that you have been crying. How can I not come to comfort you?" She pouted. "Also, mum and dad said that I must visit them".

"Oh!" I gasped, my eyes wide open. "So you didn't even tell me you were coming?"

"Surprise!" She explained and pecked my cheek.

I shook my head and pinched her arm. "Welcome!"

"Ouch!" She flinched from my grip. "Don't pinch me jor".

"Anita," Freddy spoke. "About this breakup thing...".

I glanced at him.

"I feel it's fake"

"What?" My flatmates exclaimed.

"What's wrong with you?" Chi-girl snarled. "It's not fake. She was hurt for real. He slapped her. I saw the mark on her face".

Freddy shrugged. "I still don't believe Prince doesn't love you. We had a man to man talk before he left Abuja. He really loves you".

I rose a brow, throwing a questioning look at him. "What are you trying to say?"

"That something might have happened to Prince. If you know Prince well, you will know that the guy can sacrifice his life and happiness for someone he loves. He loves his family and they are against his relationship with you. Something is telling me that he broke up with you for his family. Maybe his crazy dad threatened him or his mum attempted suicide because of his interest in you or who knows...maybe the obsessive woman in his life did something to him. Who knows whether she met a native doctor to control his head. Anything could have happened. It's up to us to find out".

A chill ran down my spine as I saw hope in what Freddy had said. It sounded true to me. Prince was capable of doing such a thing.

"Freddy," I walked to him and hugged him. "You have sense".

He chuckled. "I'm a guy filled with wisdom".

"Shut up jor," Naomi laughed.

"Freddy is right though. What if," Titi exclaimed.

"How can we find out?" Josie asked with her mouth filled with food.

"Is there still food?" Freddy asked out of the blue.

"Yeah! Enough. Anita is a great cook," she praised.

Freddy gave her a thumbs up and dashed to the Kitchen. This was Freddy's first time in my apartment and I was shocked to see he easily found the kitchen. It's not like the kitchen was hidden but he was too swift. He literally ran in like his life depended on it. It was amusing and we all chuckled at that.

"Sometimes, I feel Freddy loves food more than me," Naomi joked.

"Duh!" I teased. "Why else would he give you cupcake as a pet name?"

They all gasped and burst into fresh, hearty laughter. Sadly, my laughter ended quick. "I need to find out Prince's whereabouts and what he is hiding from me," I mumbled to myself.

"You are not finding out anything," Chi-girl scolded. "Rather, you are going to work".

"But..."

"Anita, don't forget your dream of being a surgeon. I beg you," she clasped her hands and pressed it to her chest.

"You're right. But who will help me? We need to spy on Prince and know what he is hiding from me," I explained.

"I will," Freddy announced, a fried chicken leg in hand. He bit out of it and chewed.

"You will?"

"Yes," he smiled. "Oh my gosh! There is a lot of pepper in the stew. Anita, were you angry while cooking?"

I shook my head as laughter bubbled out of me. "I like my food spicy".

"Wow," he chuckled and bobbed his head. "Anita, I will spy on Prince tomorrow and return feedback".

"Then, it is decided" Chi-girl exclaimed. "Now, Anita go and shower".

I glanced at Freddy who nodded with a calm smile. "Everything will be fine. Be rest assured".

I smiled back. "Thanks, brother-in-law". He replied with a wink.

"The time is just half past six," Naomi yawped. "We shall eat dinner at 7pm together. Freddy, you are not allowed into the kitchen".

"Why not?"

"Because I want us to eat as a family"

"But..." he pointed at Josie. "She was eating".

Josie sent a quirky smile.

"No, Freddy. You have to wait. At least, let's eat with Anita"

"But I am hungry," he pouted.

Naomi chuckled and said, "You bought burger an hour ago".

"I think that food would have digested by now," he shrugged with a goofy smile on his face.

"Didn't you buy things to give Anita? Are we just going to leave it in the car?" she queried, standing akimbo. "Let's get our gift out of the car, shall we?"

Freddy's eyes lit up. "Yeah! That reminds me. I bought cupcakes".

Josie cheered and the trios dashed out of my flat.

I stared down at my fingers as my thoughts went back to Prince. Whatever he was facing, he was doing it alone. I felt worried about that. I pondered on what could have led him to break up with me. What was truly the family emergency that made him leave Abuja?

      ------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading. What do you think of this chapter?

Will Freddy find our what Prince is hiding? Can they help him?

Will Anita give up on him or will she move on?

Sorry for the late update😘

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That's right,
Itz Mabel.❤️❤️