Chapter 3

• KELILAH’S POV
• I gripped my bag tightly as I walked down the bustling sidewalk, each step heavy with heartbreak.
• The day was still bright, but it felt like dusk in my mind. I could sense curious stares from people passing by, perhaps noticing my swollen eyes and tear-streaked face, but I kept my gaze fixed on the ground, unwilling to meet anyone’s eyes.
• My phone vibrated again, a persistent buzz from inside my bag, but I ignored it. I wasn’t ready to face anyone—not yet.
• Today, everything that once made sense had fallen apart in a single blow. My life, my happiness, my sense of peace—all of it shattered by a revelation I could never have prepared for.
• For two years, I’d believed I was living a fairytale. Although, in the last few months, doubts had begun to fester.
• The late-night phone calls, the excuses, the unexpected disappearances… my instincts had been screaming at me that something was wrong.
• But each time, I’d silenced them, convincing myself I was paranoid. I’d wanted so desperately to believe in Jackson, in us. Now, it felt like I’d been living in a fool’s paradise.
• I could feel the weight of strangers’ gazes on me, so I hurried into a nearby restaurant, scanning the tables until I spotted an empty one tucked into a quiet corner.
• I sank into the seat, resting my bag beside me, and pulled out my phone. Tyra’s name flashed on the screen. I hesitated, but finally pressed ‘accept.’
• “Hello?” I managed, my voice breaking as I spoke.
• “Oh my God, Kelilah! Where have you been? I’ve been calling you for hours!” Tyra’s voice was laced with worry, but all I could do was choke back another wave of tears.
• “I… I’m sorry,” I stammered. My throat tightened as tears threatened to spill again. How could I explain this nightmare to her? How could I even begin?
• “Are you okay?” Her tone softened instantly, but I couldn’t answer, so I nodded before realizing she couldn’t see me.
• “Yes,” I whispered, though we both knew it was a lie.
• “Kelilah, you know I can tell you’re not okay. Where are you? I’m coming to you right now.”
• “I’m… at La Brise, the café we like,” I replied, my voice barely a whisper.
• “Stay there. I’m on my way,” she said before hanging up.
• Another message from Jackson lit up the screen, and I couldn’t help but read it once more. He wanted to talk. Of course, he did—he probably realized I’d discovered everything.
• Sighing, I powered off my phone and pushed it back into my bag. No more distractions.
• All I needed right now was Tyra, and thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long. Not ten minutes later, she walked in, scanning the room before spotting me and rushing over.
• “Oh, honey,” she breathed, pulling me into a hug the moment she reached me. “You look terrible.”
• Despite everything, I let out a bitter laugh. “Trust me, I feel worse than I look.”
• “What went wrong?” she asked, settling into the seat across me, her eyes filled with worry.
• I took a deep, shaking breath.
• “I turned out to be right all this while, Tyra. Jac.. Jackson has been lying to me all along. He has another woman”
• Her expression shifted from surprise to anger in an instant.
• “I knew it!!!. That bastard! I constantly had a bad feeling about him. How did you find out?”
• I swallowed, feeling the sting of fresh tears as I expand the whole incident to her
• My voice broke, and Tyra reached across the table to squeeze my hand, her touch grounding me. “Take it slow,” she advised.
• I took a shaky breath, seeking to constant myself.
• “I had once found women’s apparel… make-up, things that weren’t mine. I forced myself to believe that there had to be some clarification, something that made sense. But deep down, I knew.”
• Tyra’s eyes flashed with fury. “Kelilah, I’m so sorry. And you by no means thought to inform me what you have been feeling earlier than now?”
• “I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. I thought I was just being insecure. I didn’t want to seem paranoid.” The words tumbled out, each one bringing with it another pang of regret.
• “But you had every right to question it! You already had enough evidence,” she insisted.
• My tears were flowing freely now.
• “I didn’t want to believe it, Tyra. I loved him too much. I thought maybe if I ignored it, it would go away.”
• She shook her head, exasperated yet gentle. “Kelilah, love should never make you feel like you have to turn a blind eye to the truth.”
• I took a long sip of water, trying to compose myself.
• “Last week, I found a message on his phone—from a gynecologist. I think he was… he was trying to have a baby with her.” I choked on the last word, my entire body trembling as the weight of that betrayal sank in.
• Tyra’s jaw clenched. “Wait, so he was planning a family… with someone else?”
• I nodded slowly, wiping away a tear. “And I was still holding onto some shred of hope that it wasn’t what it looked like.”
• “Kelilah, you should have confronted him the moment you saw those messages,” she said, her voice low with anger.
• “I know. But I didn’t want to see the truth.”
• She let out a sigh, her grip on my hand tightening. “So, what finally made you believe he had another woman?”
• I hesitated, feeling my stomach churn as I remembered. “A woman called me Five days ago. She said she wanted to meet. I almost didn’t go, thinking it might be dangerous. But… I was curious.”
• Tyra’s eyes widened. “And? Did you meet her?”
• I nodded.
• “She told me everything. She said Jackson belonged to her, Tyra. I was sharing Jackson with another woman.” The word left a bitter taste in my mouth. “I was so blind, Tyra. I convinced myself he was my future, my happily ever after. When I met with her, she kept saying things that seemed unreal to me, so I concluded that she must be one of the ladies that has a crush on Jackson”,
• Tears streamed down my face again. My whole world had crumbled this morning.
• “Are you serious?!” Tyra’s voice was laced with fury.
• “So if you didn’t believe all the signs and evidences that was presented to you. What now suddenly made you believe that he had another side chick by his corner?”
• Hearing the word side chick, I couldn’t help the mirth laughter that escaped my lips.
• “Theirs no side Chick, Tyra. But there is a mistress. I, princess Kelilah was the mistress flirting with a married man”, I said in a whisper and let the oceans build up in my eyes all over again.
• Her eyes went wide.
• “Jackson is married!!?”, She asked and I nodded weakly, already tired of crying.
• She pulled me into another hug, her voice choked as she whispered,
• “I’m so sorry, Kelilah. You are not to blame. He deceived you. He’s the one at fault.”
• I finally let the tears come, no longer fighting them.
• I bit my lip, fighting to keep silent as Tyra’s expression morphed from surprise to unfiltered rage.
• “I’m going to kill that bastard,” she said, pushing herself out of her seat. I quickly reached out, gripping her arm.
• “Don’t.”
• “Don’t ask me to sit here and do nothing, Kelilah.” She yanked her arm free, glaring.
• “Why are you still defending him? After everything he’s done? The lies, the deceit! He’s married, and he’s trying for a child! You were just his other woman!” Her voice rose, and I felt eyes turning our way.
• I cast a quick, embarrassed glance around, suddenly all too aware of our surroundings.
• “I know, Tyra. I don’t need the reminders.” My voice was barely a whisper.
• “Reminders? That man deserves a beating for what he’s done,” she spat, once again rising from her seat. I held her wrist, forcing her back down.
• “Maybe he does. But he doesn’t even know I’ve found out,” I lied, knowing it was the only thing that might keep her from confronting Jackson head-on.
• “Wait, you haven’t told him?” Her voice softened, her eyes widening in shock.
• I nodded, looking down, the weight of humiliation pressing on me.
• “I’m too ashamed, Tyra. Too embarrassed to face him. It feels like everyone knows and is silently judging me for being with a married man.”
• “Oh, Kelilah. Don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault. He’s the one who broke his vows.”
• I nodded, brushing a stray tear away. As a princess, the thought of scandal haunted me. People here would label me as the one at fault, and the shame would fall on me far more than on him.
• “I know, Tyra, but… I just don’t know what to do.”
• “You need to call him, confront him, and end it.”
• “It’s not that simple.”
• Tyra scoffed. “Kelilah, it’s as simple as it gets. He lied. You have every right to walk away.”
• “But I love him, Tyra. I’ve loved him for two years. My whole life was built around him. We were planning to get married by the end of the year. How do I just walk away?”
• Tyra leaned in, her voice softer.
• “I know it’s hard. But staying will only hurt you more. If he truly loved you, he’d have left his wife by now. Instead, he’s kept you as his mistress. Don’t drag yourself through this, Kelilah.”
• Deep down, I knew she was right.
• Ending things was the only way, but I couldn’t shake the fear of facing my family with this failure. They already knew about Jackson, and my mother had started referring to him as her “only son.” Worse, Loveth had taken the position of the king’s bride because I was involved with him.
• How could I face my parents and explain this humiliation?
• “Try calling him. Arrange a meeting, or at the very least, break it off over the phone.”
• I shook my head.
• “It’s already over, Tyra. He just doesn’t know it yet. When I’m ready, I’ll tell him.”
• She sighed but let the matter drop. Our food arrived just as she ordered an Uber for me, sending me to my old apartment instead of home.
• I couldn’t bear to face my parents. The shame was overwhelming. I thought about going to Tyra’s, but solitude was what I needed. Tyra offered to come along, but I refused. I needed to be alone, to think and, perhaps, to cry. She promised to cover for me with my family.
• The quiet greeted me at my old apartment. I dropped my bag, stripped out of my clothes, and stepped into a long, hot shower. I let the tears fall, mingling with the water. By the time I finished, I felt a bit lighter. Wrapping myself in soft pajamas, I crawled into bed, exhausted despite the early hour. My head throbbed, the weight of heartbreak and betrayal making me crave sleep.
• When I woke, my phone screen was flooded with notifications. Messages from my mom, Tyra, Loveth, and Caleb. Two from unknown numbers, which I deleted unread. Then came the messages from Jackson—gone with a swipe of my finger.
• I opened my mother’s text, noting her request to call her, and dialed her number. She picked up on the first ring.