Chapter 18: Whispers of Revenge
Favour stared at Ariel, curiosity dancing in her eyes. Ariel had been unusually quiet since she returned from her walk with Divine, her face softer but her eyes holding an unreadable depth. Finally, Ariel noticed the way Favour was looking at her and let out a small laugh.
"What?" she asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"You've been smiling like someone who's hiding something," Favour teased, leaning closer. "Are you going to tell me, or should I just keep guessing?"
Ariel hesitated for a moment before her smile widened. "Fine… I'll tell you everything." She shifted on the bed, pulling her knees to her chest as though preparing for a long story.
Favour settled in, her eyes sharp with interest. Ariel went on to recount everything Divine had told her—the shocking truth about Joy being his cousin, the blackmail, and most of all, the story about his past mistake with his younger brother.
By the time she finished, Favour's mouth was slightly open. "Wait… Joy? Related to Divine? That doesn't even make sense!" she exclaimed. "How can such a… a reckless girl be in the same family as him?"
Ariel chuckled softly. "I thought the same thing. But it's true. And honestly, I feel bad for him. You should have seen the way he looked when he told me about his brother. He's been carrying that guilt for years."
Favour's expression softened. "Ariel, that's heavy. But you're still smiling, which means you don't see him differently, right?"
"No," Ariel said quickly. "If anything, I feel closer to him. But…" She trailed off, biting her lip.
"But what?" Favour pressed.
Ariel let out a long sigh. "I still can't shake the feeling that he didn't tell me the whole truth. Like… there's something he's still holding back. I don't know why, but it lingers."
Favour reached over and touched her hand gently. "Maybe you're overthinking. Trust takes time. If he already opened up about something so painful, then he probably just needs more space to share the rest. You shouldn't doubt him now."
Ariel nodded slowly, her voice soft. "You're right. I'll try harder to trust him."
---
Later that evening, Favour sat in her room when her phone buzzed with Samuel's name flashing across the screen. She picked up with a smile.
"Hey," she said softly.
His voice on the other end wasn't as cheerful. "So… you just left me in the library today, huh? No call, no message, nothing?"
Favour blinked, caught off guard. "What? Samuel, I didn't mean it like that. I thought you were busy with your notes. I didn't want to disturb you."
"Well, you could have at least said something," he replied, his tone slightly sharp. "Do you know how long I sat there waiting for you to come back?"
Favour bit her lip. "I'm sorry… I didn't realize you'd take it that way. I honestly thought you wouldn't mind."
There was silence for a moment before Samuel sighed. "I guess I overreacted. I just… I like having you around, Favour. Even the quiet moments matter."
Her heart softened at his words. "Then say that instead of sulking," she teased gently. "I don't want us to fight over small things."
His chuckle finally broke through the tension. "Alright, I hear you. Next time, no disappearing without notice. Deal?"
"Deal," she said with a small laugh. "And next time, if you miss me, just say it."
Samuel's voice lowered, almost shy. "I… missed you today."
Favour smiled, her chest warming. "Good. Because I missed you too."
---
Meanwhile, at Divine 's place, he sat at the edge of his bed, staring at his phone. His fingers hovered over the screen before he finally tapped a contact saved as Uncle Lawrence.
The call connected. "Hello, Uncle Lawrence?" Divine said, his tone low but steady.
"Divine," the older man's voice came warmly, though tinged with concern. "You sound troubled. What's wrong?"
Divine inhaled deeply before speaking. "I found out what Joy has been doing… the friends she keeps, the lies, the fact that she was rusticated for exam misconduct. I confronted her. And now she's trying to blackmail me with my past."
There was a silence on the other end before Uncle Lawrence spoke, his voice firm. "You did well to tell me. Her parents will not take this lightly. Thank you for being brave enough to speak up."
"Thank you for listening," Divine said quietly. "I just… I didn't want Ariel to get dragged into this mess. I've already told her the truth about me, and I won't let Joy use me anymore."
They exchanged a few more words before Divine ended the call. He immediately opened his messages and typed to Joy:
> I told your parents everything. Don't bother me or Ariel again. I've already told Ariel the truth about my past. You should have thought about the consequences before behaving the way you do.
He dropped the phone onto his desk and leaned back, closing his eyes with a weary sigh.
---
In her luxurious room across town, Joy sat comfortably on her velvet chair, scrolling through her phone lazily until Divine's message popped up.
As she read it, her eyes widened, and then narrowed in fury. "He… told them?" she muttered.
She stood abruptly, pacing her room. A few seconds later, her phone rang, flashing Dad across the screen. She froze, then picked it up hesitantly.
"Hello, Daddy," she said in her sweetest voice.
Her father's angry tone roared from the other end. "Don't play innocent with me, Joy! We know everything—about the misconduct, the lies, and now this nonsense of blackmailing Divine. You've embarrassed us enough!"
Joy tried to speak, but he cut her off. "Your mother and I have decided. You're leaving. You'll be sent abroad to live with your uncle and aunt. And this time, there will be no excuses. You'll study in the university there under strict supervision."
"W-what?" Joy stammered, panic rising in her chest. "You can't do this to me! This is my life—"
"It's our decision," her father snapped. "Pack your things. You leave in two days."
The line went dead.
Joy dropped the phone, her hands trembling as she began pacing again, this time faster. "No… no, no, no. I can't… I can't live like that. Not under those boring people."
Her breaths quickened, but after a few moments, anger replaced her panic. She grabbed her phone again and scrolled quickly to a contact saved as Babe. She pressed call.
The line connected after two rings. "Hey, babe," a cheerful voice said.
"Cut the sweet talk," Joy snapped. "I have something for you. How eager are you to earn money?"
The voice on the other side immediately perked up. "Very eager. You know I don't play with opportunities."
Joy smirked, her voice turning cold. "Good. I'll give you details later. Let's just say… I want my cousin Divine and his little lover to regret crossing me."
The voice chuckled lightly, almost sinister. "That sounds fun. I'm in."
Joy ended the call, gripping her phone tightly as a wicked grin spread across her face. "You think you've won, Divine?" she whispered to herself. "This is just the beginning. I might not be around but I'll still make you regret crossing me."