Mimi stared at the door for the umpteenth time. Just where on earth was Tife? She already told her to go to Christian's place that she was on her way and now she was with Christian yet there was no sign of Tife.

"She isn't coming," Christian announced and Mimi swung her gaze towards him.

"Tife just tested me now, she said something came up and she won't be able to make it," he told her and she nodded while cursing Tife internally.

"So, I guess we should start right?"

Mimi gazed at him for a second before nodding then she joined him, he pulled out a chair for her which she sat on instantly.

He pointed a paper at her and she looked at him before collecting it.

"That's the timetable Tife made," he explained and Mimi nodded before studying the paper.

"So, we are studying Government today? Did you understand what the teacher taught us last Thursday?"

She nodded without giving it any thought and he smiled before passing a textbook to her, "There, solve the questions under that topic."

Mimi's eyes widened.

"You understand it right? So, answering fifteen questions should be a piece of cake," he concluded before turning to his PC, she saw him click on a game and she wondered if he wasn't going to study, as if he read her mind, he talked

"I understand the topic and I already read it that Thursday, so, go ahead and do yours," he said and she eyed him before picking up the pen.

She answering the questions while he was playing game, the room was in dead silence, the door creaked opened and they both swung their gaze to the door with Mimi hoping it was Tife but it ended up being Christian's mom.

"I brought you guys snacks," Lisha announced as she smiled widely at Mimi who gave her a smile that wasn't wide at all in return.

Christian lifted his brows, he knew his mother was only there to check what was going on, she probably wanted to feed her eyes.

"Why are you looking at me?" Lisha queried as she dropped the tray on the table.

"Nothing," he replied succinctly and his mother smiled, she wriggled her brows at him and muttered 'Hmm' before inching her way out of the room but not without winking at Christian.

"Aren't you done?" He turned to Mimi who quickly gave him her book, he glanced at her before proceeding to mark it. At the end, she scored zero.

"Mimi, you failed all the questions," he told her and she gave him a blank expression.

"But you claimed to understand it," he continued while she looked away, he closed the book and turned to her squarely.

"There's something bothering you right?"

She looked at him and then shook her head.

"It's apparent something is bothering you, is it Alex?"

The last statement caught her off guard and she puckered her brows at him.

"I know he has been trying to abuse you," he started and Mimi's eyes widened.

Then he continued, "Me interrupting him always shows I see everything going on, I know he's been trying to force himself on you but why didn't you tell anyone? Not even Tife or Dera? Why are you keeping it to yourself? Did he threaten you with something?"

Mimi swallowed her saliva as she shook her head.

"If he didn't threaten you, then why are you hiding it? See, Mimi you don't have to keep such things to yourself, you need people to help you, Lola told me you weren't yourself throughout the break, you visited the hospital several times and came out moody, you cried always and scream at night due to bad dreams, is Alex responsible?"

Mimi's eyes almost popped out of her socket. When did Lola tell him all this?

"You know your cousin is always bugging me so, I asked about you and she willingly filled me in on your details, your muteness is due to a trauma, the traumatic experience that no one knows about, not even your mother," he stopped briefly for a second before continuing.

"Mimi, the way you bottle things up is not good at all, the main reason you're now mute, do you love being referred to as a mute person? You really have to fill your family in on everything going on in your life, why are you so secretive? She told me everything started three years back? What went down then?"

She stared at him for a long time without any attempt to reply. Why did he think she would bring out her pen and jotter and start explaining it to him? Who was he? Someone that kept it from her family and friends, why would she tell him?

"You're not going to tell me right? Let's go back to why we are here but I want you to know that if you continue keeping things to yourself, it won't do you any good, there's no way anyone would help you, no one knows what's happening and there's no way they can share the burden with you, maybe you don't know that at this rate, your condition will keep getting worse, I'm stating the fact, there's no way the therapist can help you when you push her way, no way anyone would understand your pain when you don't let them in, keeping things to yourself is toxic, so toxic, with the way you're doing, there's likely no way you'll improve," he concluded and Mimi gazed at him.

"Let's get back to work," he picked the textbook and went on explaining it to her but hardly did she hear a single word, her mind was plagued with all that he had said, was he right? But she didn't want to be a burden to other people? How would she even tell them? Different thoughts raced through her mind until his voice interrupted her.

"Will you go home to rest? You aren't listening at all and I don't think you'll listen today at all, just go home," he said and she blinked twice.

"Go home and rest," he said before standing up, walking into the bathroom, he sighed and ran his hand through his hair, when did he start advising someone?

Mimi picked up her things and walked out of the room, immediately Christian heard the bang of the door he walked back to the room and slumped on his bed.

On the way home, Christian's words kept on echoing to her. Was she wrong in keeping everything to herself? Will telling them do her any good?

She got into the house and went straight to her room ignoring Lara's greetings. Slumping on her bed, his words kept on coming back? If she did consider his words, how would she tell them what happened and what is still happening and what she'd done? How will she open up to anyone? Her issue was just so ugly.