“Nothing,” her mother said.
But the answer came too fast.
Imani moved closer. “Mummy?”
Her father exhaled slowly. “Sit down.”
That was when fear entered her.
She sat.
Mr. Adeyemi was a strong man, the kind who always sounded sure of himself. Even when business was hard, he never let fear show. But that night, his face looked tired in a way she had never seen before.
“The business is in trouble,” he said.
Imani frowned. “What kind of trouble?”
He paused, then answered with difficulty. “Bad trouble.”
Her mother looked away and wiped her eyes. Imani’s heart began to beat faster.
“How bad?”
Mr. Adeyemi held her gaze. “We may lose almost everything.”
The room went quiet.
For a moment, Imani could not understand the words. They felt too big, too strange. Families like hers did not just lose everything. They had houses, cars, staff, a name that opened doors. Problems came, but they were solved.
But when she looked at her father again, she saw it clearly.
Fear.
Real fear.
Her mother finally spoke, her voice shaking. “We are trying to keep it quiet because if people hear now, it will get worse.”
That became the family’s new life. Outside, they acted normal. They dressed well. They answered calls carefully. They smiled when needed.
But inside the house, everything had changed.
Loans had piled up. Deals had failed. Accounts were under pressure. People who used to speak politely now sounded demanding. Strange calls started coming at odd hours. Her father became quieter. Her mother became restless. The news of the bankruptcy was kept hidden, but the fear was everywhere.
For the first time in her life, Imani saw what it meant for a family to be falling.
And in the middle of that fear, she began to understand Chidi better than ever.
She remembered the look on his face when people mocked him. She remembered his pain whenever money entered a conversation. She remembered how hard he fought to keep his dignity.
Now she was the one losing hers.
But instead of running to him, she pulled back.
At first, it was just silence. She missed his calls once or twice. She answered messages late. She avoided long conversations. Chidi noticed, of course, but each time he asked, she said she was fine.
She was not fine.
She was afraid. Afraid he would see her broken. Afraid she would become another burden in his life. Afraid his love would turn into pity.
And beneath all of it was one darker fear she hated even having. What if he only loved the version of her that looked strong, secure, and untouchable? What if, without her money, she became ordinary to him?
Fear made her think in ways she normally would not. Instead of trusting love, she began protecting herself from a loss that had not even happened.
Then things at home got worse. More pressure. More calls. More shame pressing against the door. Her father finally said they might need to leave quietly for a while.
That was when Imani made the worst decision of her life.
Chidi had asked to see her after class. His message was simple, but she knew what it meant. He had noticed the change and wanted the truth.
She stood under a quiet tree on campus and waited for him with a heart full of fear.
When he arrived, his face was serious.
“You have been avoiding me.”
Imani folded her arms so he would not see them shake. “I have been busy.”
Chidi looked at her for a moment. “That is not the truth.”
She said nothing.
He stepped closer, his voice calm. “What is wrong?”
Everything in her wanted to tell him, to say, My family is collapsing. I am scared. I do not know what tomorrow looks like. Please hold me through this.
But pride stopped her.
Fear finished the rest.
“I don’t think this is working anymore.”
Chidi’s expression changed at once. “What?”
She forced herself to stay cold. “I don’t want this anymore.”
The silence between them was heavy. He looked at her as if he was waiting for her to take it back.
Instead, she looked away.
When he finally spoke, his voice was lower.
“Did I do something?”
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
“I’m just tired.”
He kept staring at her, searching for something more honest in her face, but she gave him nothing.
After a long moment, he nodded once. “All right.”
That was all he said. No begging. No argument. No struggle. He was hurt, but his pride would not let him stand where he was no longer wanted.
Maybe part of him had always feared this day. Maybe the whispers had stayed in his head longer than he admitted. Maybe he had always known a girl like Imani might one day remember who he was—a poor, brilliant boy with nothing to offer but himself. And now even that had not been enough.
He stepped back.
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