Beatrice double-checked the address, wondering if she had made a mistake. She approached the beautiful young lady who answered the door and asked apologetically, "Excuse me, I'm looking for a Youth Corper named Keith. He's tall and fair-skinned. Do you know anyone who matches that description?" Beatrice spoke politely, unaware of the girl's identity and relationship to Keith.
Amanda's calm demeanor contrasted with Beatrice's growing unease. "Where are you from?" Amanda asked. "I came in from Abuja," Beatrice replied politely. "I'm here to see Keith."
Amanda's expression remained serene. "Keith is my fiancé, but he's not here right now."
Beatrice's eyes widened in shock. "Fiancé? You mean, husband-to-be?" She stumbled over her words, her mind racing. "No, that can't be... my Keith?" She apologized hastily and turned to leave, but Amanda's voice stopped her.
Just then, Keith appeared, and Amanda's eyes locked onto him. "Speak of the devil," Amanda said, her voice dripping with subtle annoyance. "Here comes my fiancé now."
"That's my fiancé approaching," Amanda said, her eyes fixed on Keith. "Perhaps he can clarify who you're looking for."
As Keith drew near, Beatrice's eyes locked onto his, and she felt a mix of emotions. She grasped his hand, turning to Amanda with a trembling voice. "This is the Keith I've been searching for."
Amanda's expression transformed from calm to confusion. "That's impossible," she protested. "He's my fiancé, and we're getting married in two months."
Beatrice's eyes welled up with tears as she turned to Keith, her voice cracking. "My love, tell me the truth. Is this real? Who is she to you?" Keith's silence was deafening, his gaze avoiding Beatrice's pleading eyes. His unresponsiveness spoke volumes, confirming Beatrice's worst fears.
That day, Beatrice's world came crashing down. She had invested her entire being in Keith, making countless sacrifices along the way. She had turned down other proposals, remained faithful during her 10-month stint in Abuja, and even abandoned her dreams of pursuing music and acting during their university days to prioritize their relationship.
In their university days, Beatrice had tailored her life around Keith, ensuring she didn't stray too far or trigger his insecurities. Though they weren't formally married, their emotional and mental connection had been akin to a husband-and-wife bond. Now, the very foundation of their relationship lay shattered, leaving Beatrice's future and sense of identity in tatters.
Keith's rude departure left Beatrice shattered, her world reduced to a million jagged pieces. She was stunned by his heartless indifference, his complete lack of remorse or empathy. Without a word, he turned his back on her, abandoning her in a sea of despair. Beatrice crumpled to the floor, her body racked with anguished sobs, her tears falling like torrential rain as she mourned the loss of their love, her heart shattered into a million fragments. The silence that followed was deafening, a stark reminder that she was utterly alone in her agony.
Sixty agonizing minutes ticked by, each one a countdown to Beatrice's complete emotional unraveling. Some of Keith's friends, familiar faces from their university days, stumbled upon Beatrice's crumpled form, her body shuddering with heart-wrenching sobs. They rushed to her side, attempting to console her with gentle words and soothing gestures. Gently, they persuaded her to get on her feet and they led her to their lounge, a haven from the anguish that threatened to consume her.
With compassionate urging, One of these University friends who couldn't bear to watch Beatrice languish in pain, Stepped outside and persuaded Keith over the phone to call Beatrice, hoping his voice might offer some semblance of closure. But when Keith called Beatrice, and she quickly picked up, Keith's words, delivered with a detached calmness, cut deeper than any knife. "Be practical, Beatrice," he advised, his tone devoid of empathy. "I'm getting married in two months. My fiancée is pregnant, and your presence is upsetting her. Return to Abuja and start anew. I tried to break the news gently, but I suppose it's time for you to move on." His words dripped with a callous finality, leaving Beatrice's heart in tatters.
Beatrice's voice shattered like fragile glass as she spoke, her words trembling with anguish and despair. "Four years and ten months... our entire journey, reduced to this brutal farewell? You're discarding me like a worn-out dream, Keith? After all the cherished moments, the laughter-filled nights, and the whispered promises of forever? It's not just unfair, it's a devastating, heart-wrenching betrayal." Her voice fractured, and a sob caught in her throat as she struggled to comprehend the magnitude of Keith's rejection, her heart splintering into a million pieces.
When Beatrice asked Keith about his broken promises, he spoke with a cold, hard tone. "I was young and foolish," he said. "But now I'm thinking clearly." His words cut deep, making Beatrice feel like she meant nothing to him. It was as if their years together had been a mistake, a fleeting moment he wanted to erase. With a sudden, harsh finality, Keith ended the call, leaving Beatrice alone and heartbroken. She sobbed uncontrollably, her body shaking with grief, as the silence on the other end of the phone seemed to scream at her.
"Now I see the truth," Beatrice sobbed, her words pouring out like a river of pain. "He won't take my calls, he's blocked me everywhere, even on Facebook. He didn't even bother to wish me a happy birthday. He's erased me from his life like I never mattered. I thought we shared something real, something special. I thought we were meant to be together. But now I realize it was all a lie. He promised me forever, but it was just empty words. He told me we'd get married after our youth service, but it was all a deception." Keith's friends listened in shock and dismay, their faces etched with sympathy and outrage. They tried to comfort her, to ease her pain, but Beatrice was beyond consolation. Her heart was shattered, her trust broken, and nothing could ever put the pieces back together again.
The next day, Beatrice returned to Abuja, her heart heavy with the weight of Keith's betrayal, like an anchor dragging her down into the depths of despair. She poured out her story to Rachael, sharing every painful detail of her encounter in Lagos, every word a fresh cut in her already battered soul. Rachael's face darkened with anger and sympathy, her eyes blazing with indignation as she unleashed a torrent of curses and insults upon Keith as if trying to exorcise the pain he had inflicted on her friend, to purge the poison from Beatrice's wounded heart.
But despite Rachael's fierce loyalty, Beatrice's confidence had been irreparably shattered, like delicate glass dropped on an unforgiving stone. She felt like a fragile, broken thing, her sense of self-worth crumbling to dust, leaving her a hollow shell of her former self. She lost faith in love, in men, and most devastatingly, in herself. Her future, once bright with promise, now seemed bleak and hopeless, a desolate landscape devoid of joy or purpose, a barren wasteland stretching out before her like an endless grave. Beatrice's light had been extinguished, leaving her lost and alone in the darkness, a tiny, fragile flame snuffed out by the icy winds of heartbreak.
Two months dragged by, each day a relentless reminder of Beatrice's crushing heartache. Despite Rachael's tireless efforts to lift her friend's spirits, Beatrice remained shrouded in a deep, impenetrable gloom. Rachael's attempts to coax her into smiling, to tempt her with favorite foods, or to distract her with lively outings, all fell flat. Beatrice's sorrow had become a palpable, suffocating presence, threatening to consume her entirely.
Rachael's concern for her friend had grown from a gentle simmer to a frantic boil. One day, she turned to her brother Jared, desperation etched on her face. "Jared, I need your help," she implored, her voice laced with urgency. "Beatrice is drowning in her grief, and I don't know how to save her." Jared's expression softened, his eyes filled with compassion. "I think I can help," he said, his voice low and gentle. "You see, I've had feelings for Beatrice for a while now. If you tell her how I feel, maybe it can help her heal, help her see that there's still love and happiness out there for her." Rachael's eyes widened, a glimmer of hope flickering to life within her. She nodded, a resolute smile spreading across her face.