Testimony time!!🎤The holy Spirit touched me so I decided to make a double update😂😂 I also can't believe it lol.

Moving on, I'd like to erase the part where Philips has a younger sister. I actually totally forgot that Philips was supposed to have a younger sister. I made reference to Philips' younger sister in like two chapters. I think her name was Olivia and then I totally forgot about her. I would therefore be removing her entire existence from this book. From here on out,Philips is an only child. Thank you for your understanding 😚

•••
Amy's Pov

I feel tears start to sting at the corners of my eyes. It always is one problem with me. Anytime I see someone crying, anybody at all, I start to feel really emotional.

Especially when the tears hold so much pain and frustration.

I don't understand much of what he's saying but the heaviness in his words make me feel sorry for him. I watch Philips, a boy of at least eighteen years, sniff into his palms, muttering obscenities under his breath. What could he really be going through? A small voice in my head gives me an answer to the question but I suppress it, not willing to believe that could be it. Boys don't get sexually harassed.

And why would you think that?, The small voice asks.

No. It just doesn't happen. Not by their own aunties at least. That's just... unfathomable.

A knock on my door startles me a little. "Amy, open the door. Is everything alright in there?" Nonso's voice says.

Philips head snaps up. "Don't let him come in, please. Don't let him in. I don't want him to see me like this, please." He says, his teared up, coffee brown eyes, penetrating deep into mine.

I nod, standing up from the bed. "Hey, cuz. What's up?" I ask, opening the door a little, sliding through the small space and closing it behind me immediately.

He eyes me skeptically before speaking, "I thought I heard shouting coming from your room. Was Philips shouting just now?"

"No." I reply a little too quickly. "I mean, yes. Yes, he was but it's nothing you should be concerned about."

"Why was he shouting? Was he shouting at you?"

"No, no of course not." I reply, scoffing nervously. "He was just uh–" I rack my brain for what to say. "He was just... re–rehearsing. Yeah, he was rehearsing his lines for a drama he is supposed to act...in his church."

His church?

"His church?" Nonso asks, forehead creased in confusion.

"Yes, Nonso. His church. Turns out Philips is a church boy that likes to act church drama. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Do you?"

"No, I don't but why–"

"Enough questions o, Nonso. Bye bye." I interrupt him, shoving him a little towards the staircase.

"I can walk by myself abeg. Continue lying sha. Only God knows what two of you are doing there." He says, muttering the last part. He however continues walking down the stairs. Once he's completely out of sight, I sigh in satisfaction.

"You don't even know how to lie." Philips says, causing me to jump in fright.

I hold my chest, trying to calm my rapid beating heart. "You scared me."

"I don't even go to church." He continues to say thoughtfully. "And I know for a fact that I'd never in my life take part in any type of drama."

Is this not the boy that was just crying?

"Even if I was, why would I rehearse in your roo–"

"It's okay na. At least I was able to send him away. You're welcome." I say, rolling me eyes. I turn towards my room, hearing Philips chuckle behind me. A small smile forms on my face.

I wonder for a second if Philips is going to follow me in again. Something inside me prays he does. It's probably just my curiosity... wanting to know what's up with his aunt. It could also just be me wanting to cheer him up after seeing him cry.

When I enter completely into the room, another smile forms on my face when I hear him follow after me. I return to where I'd been sitting and Philips joins me.

A little silence lingers before Philips decides to speak. "So you probably want to understand why I broke down in your room."

I blink at him not knowing how to reply. Of course I want to know. At the same time, I don't want to appear nosy. Well, you've been doing a very good job at that, haven't you?, My subconscious teases.

I clear my throat before speaking, "Yeah, I do but you don't have to tell me if you don't feel comfortable doing so."

"Yeah, I definitely won't feel comfortable but I feel like," he pauses and sighs, "I feel like you deserve an explanation, you know, after seeing all...of that." He says, using his index finger to gesture over his phone.

I shift on the bed, suddenly feeling nervous. "Alright then, go...ahead."

"Yeah, so..." He sighs and swallows, his Adam's apple following the motion. "So...uh." he sighs again, looking thoughtful. "I actually don't know how to explain anything so how about you just ask what you want to know." He says after a little while.

"Oh." There's a lot I know I want to ask but it's sort of a hard task putting them to words.

"Okay...uh is your aunt really your aunt? Are you related by blood?" I ask carefully while hoping he replies in the negative. I know he already said she was his father's sister before but I just want to confirm.

"Yes...she is. She's my father's sister. I already told you." He replies quietly. My insides squeeze.

"Okay."

"Yeah. Another?"

"Yeah. How old is she?" I ask.

"Uh... she's twenty-five years." He replies.

Oh.

"Okay." I sigh as I think of how to ask the next question. "What relationship exactly do you have with her? Asides her being your father's sister, of course." I ask, sounding like I'm counting my words.

He raises his head from the former position it was before looking me directly in the eye. I blink, feeling a little uncomfortable at the eye contact. He adjusts himself on the bed before clearing his throat, an action I notice he only does when he's nervous.

"Maybe I should just tell you the whole story so you understand." He mutters. My heart skips a beat at the intensity of his voice. "But please promise me one thing." He says and I nod slowly. "Don't tell anyone anything I tell you. Please promise me."

"Yeah, I definitely won't. I promise." I assure him.

"Not even your best friends." He says and my mind goes to Joy and Enny. I certainly wasn't going to say anything to them before but him pointing it out kind of makes me a little hesitant. Will I be able to keep something like whatever Philips tells me to myself?

"Please promise you won't." Philips says, his voice still thick with emotion.

I gaze back at him and I'm assured at once that I can make the promise. "Yes, I promise. I won't tell anybody."

He nods and is quiet for a while before he eventually speaks,

"I was fourteen and...and my mum had just recently passed..."

I take in a breath as I watch Philips talk while staring at his fingers.

"My dad was broken. He was completely shattered. He couldn't do anything properly, even the littlest things as making breakfast for us. We didn't have people working for us then 'cos my mum was never really fond of having strangers in our house so when she passed, it was just my dad and I..."

Philips' POV

"...I recall that there were several family meetings and in one of them, they asked my dad to either get another wife to take care of him or hire a maid or something. Anybody at all that would be able to take care of his home." I shake my head as I recall how pissed I had been when I found out my father's family was planning on bringing another wife into the house.

"Anyway, my dad told them he'd think about it and after a while he suggested that his sister come live with us instead. She was after all a woman that could take care of him. They agreed, of course and then that was when I met Janet." I clear my throat and lean back before turning to look at Amaka. She has a very neutral expression on her face so I can barely gauge her thoughts.

"Go on." She says and I nod.

"Well, she was really nice. Really nice." I say when I remember how she made my dad and I laugh. We barely laughed at home since my mum died so when Janet came cheering us up, I was excited to have her in my life. "She was really funny and she'd buy the good stuff for me,you know, like insane outfits, sneakers and all. She'd also always comment on how handsome I was growing up to be and I'd take so much...so much pride in it." I scoff at how naïve I had been. I had been so so naïve.

"So one day," I sigh and rub my temples, already feeling a headache coming on. "One day, dad was out. It was a Saturday and Janet invited her friends over. They were two girls like this. I didn't like them at all because first of all they looked kinda disgusting to me. They had the longest eyelashes and their outfits barely covered anything. I was wondering what Janet was doing hanging out with people like them but it wasn't any of my business so I shrugged and went up to my room. I was typing away on my phone when I heard Janet call out to me..."

A/n

Alas! chapter 35 is just a swipe away😂😂. Don't get used to this double update thing sha.

I would love to read what you think about this chapter so make sure to comment.
Those are literally the only things that inspire me to write.

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