It's been three days. Three days since Zadkiel decided we should take a week off from our sessions and life had suddenly seemed a little more boring. I find myself subconsciously waiting for 5 pm but once it's time, a surge of disappointment floods my being.

A lot of questions had piled up in my head over the last three days and it makes the break even much worse because I couldn't bring myself to ask anyone else. I'd tried answering the questions myself but I was always biased, last night I had tried asking Ruth but before I could even voice out the question I gave up.

I slowly placed my head on the desk and shut my eyes. Thinking about it makes my head hurt. I heaved a breath and massaged my temples softly.

I can't tell if I'm so bothered by the break because I have a lot of questions or because he was avoiding me. I'd bumped into him last night but he didn't offer me a second glance before he turned on his heels and walked away. Thinking about it makes my chest hurt.

Releasing another deep breath, I forced myself to push the thoughts to the back of my mind. It was pointless thinking so much about it.

"Jophiel" someone called out but I pretended not to hear, I wasn't in the mood to interact or chat with anyone and hopefully the person takes the hint and leaves me alone. "Jophiel" the same voice called out again and I groaned internally before raising my head to identify the owner of the voice.

"Hey" I mumbled when I saw the slender girl that stood before me with a blank look on her face. I hadn't seen her face before so I believe that she wasn't one of my coursemates, "I'm Jophiel" I said and she arched one of her brows.

"Miss Gloria wants to see you" My face immediately scrunched up in confusion. Why would the principal want to see me now?

"What have you done now, Jophiel?" One of my many acquaintances teased and I playfully rolled my eyes at her.

"Do you have any idea why she wants to see me?" The girl shrugged her shoulders and I took a deep breath before I stood up from my chair, "okay, let's go" She gave me a curt nod and led the way out. An annoying silence loomed over the room as I walked out with her and I could feel everyone's eyes on me and I cringed internally.

Couldn't Miss Gloria have asked for me at another time? I was fitting in perfectly as the background character that everyone notices once in a while but now, I'll be the centre of attention because of this. I sighed and slumped my shoulders as I walked to her office with the girl.

"Alright I'm going to go now," the girl said the moment we got to the doorstep of the principal's office and without even waiting another moment, she walked off and that was when the anxiety and heavy feeling of angst settled in my stomach.

I'd been too worried about my coursemates' reaction to me leaving that I wasn't able to think about why Miss Gloria called for me, but now that I stood before her door I couldn't help the thousands of questions and reasons she could have asked for me. My heart rate slowly rose and my armpits suddenly got sweaty. What if she planned on retracting my scholarship?

I gulped heavily at the thought and immediately grabbed the doorknob to support myself. "Think positive thoughts, Jophiel" I mumbled and took a deep breath before I knocked lightly on the door.

Almost instantly, I heard Miss Gloria say "Come in" and I walked in with a smile on my face, but all that disappeared the moment I saw the people seated in the visitor's seat.

A cold sweat immediately broke out on my forehead and I took a step back. There is no way they found me. I must be dreaming. I closed my eyes and slowly opened them in hopes that they'd disappear but they were still there.

"No" I whispered and vehemently shook my head as I continuously took a step back, there was no way they found me. There's no way they could have found me, I was meant to be safe here, I was protected here so how could they...

"Miss Jophiel are you okay?" I heard Miss Gloria ask and I looked up at her, ready to tell her no. But a smirk graced my mother's face and I froze. My mouth instantly ran dry at the look, I know what always comes next after that smirk and even though I knew she couldn't do anything to hurt me now, I couldn't help the fear and nostalgia that kept me rooted to the spot.

Tears pooled in my eyes and I bit down on my lower lip as I bobbed my head to Miss Gloria's question. She stared at me sceptically for a while before she turned back to them with a small smile on her face, "I believe you know who these people are"

"Of course, she does" Shivers ran down my spine and I felt a bile rise to my throat at the sound of his voice, "Wouldn't you like to greet your parents, Isadora?" He stared at me expectantly as he said that and I gulped. I wanted to refute him and stand exactly where I was, but my mind has been conditioned to have a mind of its own in their presence and without meaning to, I found myself walking over to them.

And once I was directly before him, he stood up and engulfed me in a hug, cutting off my airflow at the contact. "We found you" he whispered and grabbed my bum for a split second before he released me and sat back down, while I stood there struggling to catch my breath.

My so-called mother stood up next and hugged me for a brief second before she broke down into tears, "I can't believe you could do this, Isadora! How could you-," her words were cut off by her strangled sobs, I could see Miss Gloria's face soften as she stared sympathetically at her and I wanted to yell at her to look past the facade.

But I couldn't.

My bottom lip quivered lightly as I stared at the woman I called a mother, how can one be so vile and so fake? I clenched my fists tightly and bit the insides of my cheek to keep myself from trembling so much.

"Please take a seat ma'am, I'm so sorry" Miss Gloria apologized and she sniffled as she bobbed her head before she walked back to her seat. Miss Gloria gave her a few seconds and once she was settled, she began talking, "The school administration would like to apologise for not doing what we were meant to do. We took your daughter's words at face value and didn't bother investigating and for that, we're really sorry"

"Please don't apologise, ma'am" David, my so-called father, immediately interrupted and clasped her hands. "We have nobody else but ourselves to blame, we had been too careless with her" He stared at me as he said that and I immediately shuffled back in fear.

"He's right, ma'am. Please don't apologise" Jezel affirmed, "can you please let us know how she's been faring in this school? That'll help us know what next to do"

"Of course" Miss Gloria immediately reached out to her drawer and brought out a file, "This is her school records, nothing much has been done yet but she's here on a scholarship and she's studying psychology"

"Psychology, huh?" Jezel breathed out and glanced at me as she opened my records and went through them with David before she heaved a breath and closed it. "This is a lot to take in, ma'am" She placed her hand on her forehead and tears instantly pooled in her eyes, "we don't know how to process this, can you please ensure she stays here till we think of something to do? We've been through a lot of emotional turmoil these past weeks looking for her."

"Of course ma'am, the school will patiently wait for your decision," Miss Gloria said as they stood up.

"We'd think about it and get back to you as fast as we can," David said and turned to me with a smile, "we'll be back, Isadora, definitely" he whispered and I momentarily forgot how to breathe.

"We'd see you later, Dora," she said so softly but I refused to meet eyes with her, they lingered for a few seconds after she said that before I felt a heavy pat on my shoulder as they walked away.

"Wait here, Jophiel." Miss Gloria said as she escorted them out and I bobbed my head. I stood patiently as they walked out and the moment the door closed, my knees gave away and I slumped to the floor.

I felt a heaviness in my body and my mind. I couldn't think of anything other than them, I couldn't feel anything except the feel of his hand on my body again, and my body felt too heavy for me to move. How could this have happened? Yeshua assured me I was safe here... So, how?

The door opened again after a few minutes and Miss Gloria walked in, "begging me really won't do anything now, Jophiel" she said as she walked over to her seat, and I couldn't even bring myself to tell her I wasn't on the floor to beg. "Lying about your family like that is very unacceptable, Miss Gwen" My eyes widened at the use of that accursed surname and I wanted to scream at her to never call me that, but I had no energy to move my lips.

"You lied about something so important to the school administration and now I can't help but feel everything you said that day was a lie" She paused and stared at me before she slowly let out a breath. "This would be discussed with the board this week and we'd see if we'd let you continue on a scholarship or not," she announced and my eyes instantly widened.

I frantically shook my head as tears pooled in my eyes, this can't be happening. Doesn't she also have the Holy Spirit in her? Why isn't he telling her that I had to lie because it was necessary? He saved me once he can do it again.

I felt the tears trickle down my face as I shook my head. I couldn't speak or I would have begged her. I couldn't find it in me to speak or I would have let her know why I lied.

Why won't God help me now? Why won't the selfless God help me now?

"You're dismissed, Miss Gwen," she said and I bit down hard on my bottom lips. I stared at her for a while and when I saw no iota of sympathy in her eyes, I forced myself to stand up from the floor, "you're expected to be on your best behaviour till a decision is made" I bobbed my head at her and with a tight-lipped smile, I turned on my heels and dragged myself out of her office.

Once I successfully made it out of there, I breathed out a laugh despite the tears trickling down my face. A lot of horrible things had happened to me, but this was the cruellest of it all. Why would a selfless God give me a glint of hope and then take it all away? Why?

I gripped the railing in the hallway and supported myself up with it, as I took deep breaths to calm down.

I don't care if Zadkiel said to take a break, I need him to defend his God this time. I need him to convince me again that God is good. I need him to answer my question, why has God decided to play a cruel prank on me? Was it fun for him to do that?

*****

I promise to start publishing again, and here it is! I hope you enjoyed it.
BodarkRainbow72 this chapter is dedicated to you🥺❤️ thank you so much for your support.

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