Joy walked off grinning, her steps slow and deliberate like she'd just won a secret game. Ariel, who had been staring at Divine in confusion, suddenly stood up. Her chest felt tight as her voice cut through the hushed silence of the library.
"What was that about?" she asked, her tone sharper than she intended.
Favour and Samuel exchanged glances, both just as shocked. Samuel's brows knitted together, while Favour bit her lip nervously, waiting for Divine's response.
Divine stood too, avoiding Ariel's gaze. His face was pale, his voice breaking as he tried to explain.
"I—I don't know what she wants," he stammered, his hands tightening into a fist.
Ariel didn't believe him she looked around at the curious students staring their way. She didn't want to make a scene.
She bent down to pack her books into her bag, her hands trembling though she tried to hide it. She turned to Favour, her voice clipped but firm. "Do you want to head home now?"
Favour glanced at Samuel apologetically. "I… yeah. Let's go."
Samuel caught her wrist lightly before she moved away. "Favour—"
"I'll explain later," she whispered, then followed Ariel.
Divine remained frozen, his throat dry, watching helplessly as they walked out of the library together. He didn't even try to stop them—fear rooted him in place.
---
That night, Divine sat on his bed, staring blankly at his phone screen. A new message notification glowed at the top. It was from Joy.
"Do what I want or I'll tell Ariel everything about your past. Don't test me."
He replayed her whispered words in his head, the way she leaned close to his ear earlier that day. "If you tell them the truth, I'll just tell her about you. It'll be easy."
His stomach churned. He typed back slowly, fingers heavy.
"I won't lie for you."
He dropped the phone on the bed and stood, running his hands through his hair. His chest ached with frustration. He couldn't let Joy control him. But the thought of Ariel finding out from her… terrified him.
---
Meanwhile, Ariel sat on her bed, staring at the floor. Her bag lay untouched in the corner, her books still inside. Favour sat across from her, watching quietly before finally speaking.
"What are you thinking?" she asked softly.
Ariel exhaled shakily. "I don't understand what's going on. Joy shows up, acts like she owns him, whispers something, and he just… freezes." She rubbed her temples. "It's suspicious. But I can't think straight. I'm going to ask Divine one more time. I don't want to jump to conclusions… not yet."
Favour leaned forward. "That's fair. But Ariel… don't let your feelings blind you. If he's hiding something—"
"I know," Ariel cut in quickly, her voice firm but shaky. "I just… I don't want to think too much until I hear it from him."
Before Favour could reply, a knock echoed from the door.
Favour got up and opened it—only to find Joy standing there, her smile sharp and smug.
"What are you doing here?" Favour asked, her voice cold.
Without waiting for an invitation, Joy pushed her way inside. Favour tried to block her, but Joy shoved her aside with ease.
"Excuse you," Joy sneered. "I'm here for Ariel."
Ariel blinked, startled, as Joy plopped herself down on the bed beside her.
"Joy—" Favour began angrily, stepping forward.
"Quiet," Joy snapped, glaring at her. "This isn't about you."
Favour clenched her fists, but stayed near.
Joy turned to Ariel, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "I'm sorry, Ariel… sorry for stealing your boyfriend. But you know, I'm just used to getting what I want." She smirked. "To be fair, I even did you a favor. I mean, David was boring. And now—well—you have Divine. Isn't life full of surprises?"
Ariel's eyes narrowed, her chest tightening with a storm of emotions. "Joy… what exactly do you want barging into my house like this?"
Joy leaned back, crossing her arms smugly. "Just wanted to clear the air. You see, you should probably know Divine isn't the guy you think he is. People have secrets. Ugly ones. And when the truth comes out—" she tilted her head, smiling cruelly— "don't say I didn't warn you."
Ariel clenched her jaw. Her hands curled into fists on her lap, but her voice came out steady. "If you have something to say, say it. Don't dance around it."
Joy's lips parted, ready to speak—
But another knock interrupted the tension.
Favour shot Joy a warning glare before going to open the door again.
This time, it was Divine.
He stood in the doorway, breathless like he'd rushed over. His eyes widened when he saw Joy sitting on Ariel's bed.
"Joy." His voice was low, almost a growl. "Get out."
Joy smiled, rising slowly from the bed, completely unbothered. "Perfect timing, Divine. We were just talking about you."
She brushed past Favour with a smirk, pausing at the door to glance back at Ariel. "See you soon, darling. Don't forget what I said."
With that, she was gone.
The room fell into tense silence.
Ariel's eyes locked on Divine, sharp with both hurt and confusion. "What. Was. That?"
Divine swallowed hard, stepping inside. His voice trembled as he finally spoke. "Ariel… there's something I need to tell you."