I didn't greet him the next morning.
I walked past him like he didn't exist. Not a glance. Not a word.
He noticed.
He slammed the front door louder than usual. Kicked a chair when it got in his path. Muttered insults loud enough for everyone to hear but not directly at anyone. Classic coward.
Mum?
She gave him the silent treatment too. Cooked but didn't serve him. Cleaned but didn't speak. She moved around the house like he was air.
And for the first time in a long while…
There was peace in our chaos.
No shouting. No snapping. No fake pleasantries. Just quiet.
That slap had reset something. Not in a good way. But maybe in a necessary one.
At school, I wasn't myself. I sat through classes like a ghost. Barely wrote notes. Barely heard anything.
Even when Tari passed me twice, I didn't look up.
It was Kosi who nudged me and whispered, "Are you blind or just pretending?"
"Huh?"
"Tari. He's been glancing at you like every five seconds. Man looks like he wants to write you a poem."
I shrugged.
Zinny giggled. "I swear, even his friends are teasing him. Kelechi literally asked him yesterday if he dreams about your eyebrows."
I stifled a laugh.
Truth is, I noticed.
I always noticed.
The way he looked at me like I was an unsolvable riddle wrapped in lip gloss.
Like he wanted to understand me — not just touch me.
But I didn't want his love.
I just wanted the attention. The control.
That's what made me feel alive.
Sometime during Civic Education, while staring at the whiteboard blankly, the thought landed like a whisper in my chest:
I want to be a lawyer.
Not because I liked books — Lord knows I didn't.
Not because I liked suits.
But because I was tired of seeing people like Mum get beaten down and silenced.
Tired of watching the weak get slapped and shouted into fear.
I wanted to fight. For others. For myself.
And somehow, after that incident, Law was the only path that made sense.
Tari tapped my shoulder during break.
"Hey. You good?"
I nodded, barely looking at him.
He frowned. "You've been… distant."
"I've been thinking," I said, coolly.
"About?"
"Justice."
He blinked, caught off guard. "Justice?"
I turned back to my book, hiding a small smile.
Let him wonder. That's the power I still had.
Two days later, Dad traveled to the village.
With money.
Money he swore he didn't have.
Money he couldn't spare for school fees or food or rent.
Money that magically appeared now that there was a funeral to attend and uncles to impress.
I should've been surprised. But I wasn't.
Instead, I sat in the kitchen, peeling oranges, thinking about marriage.
Was it even worth it?
Getting tied to someone who could turn into a stranger with a ring?
Maybe I'd just make money. Be powerful. Stay unattached.
Build a house full of plants and Wi-Fi and peace.
Love was too fragile.
Later that evening, I overheard Dara and Dayo, the twins, whispering on the balcony.
"Why do you always stammer when you talk to Ifeoluwa?" Dara asked bluntly.
"I don't stammer," Dayo replied too quickly.
"You do. Your 'Hi' sounds like 'H-h-h-h-i-i-i-I'."
"I don't!"
Dara burst out laughing. "So how will you marry her if you can't even say her name?"
"I'm not marrying anybody!" he snapped, cheeks red.
I bit my lip, chuckling quietly from the doorway.
These kids were ridiculous.
But before I could enjoy the peace too much…
Tari texted:
"Can we talk after school tomorrow? I have something to ask you."
I stared at the message.
My heart skipped a beat.
I knew what it meant.
I knew what was coming.
And for the first time in a long time…
I didn't know what I would say.