Chapter 7 The breaking point

Time, relentless and uncaring, swept through the final semester like a hurricane.

Exams came. Results rolled in.

And before she could even breathe it in Iris Dean was a graduate.

With distinction.

A standing ovation followed her name during convocation. The professors she once feared now clapped the loudest. The school dean called her "a bright flame in a dim world." But inside, she felt... cold.

Because in the weeks leading up to graduation, everything else had fallen apart.

The day she found Eden was still a haunting echo in her memory.

The rain had returned again, just like the first time they cuddled on his couch. But this time, it wasn't tender. It was heavy. Ominous.

She had gone to drop off a thank you package homemade cookies her mum insisted she take to him as gratitude for all the help he'd given them over the years.

The door was open.

Music was playing.

She stepped in.

And there he was.

On top of another woman.

She couldn't remember much of what happened next. Just the scream. The way Eden looked up, startled but not ashamed. Just annoyed.

"Iris... damn it, can you not just barge in like that?"

She had stood frozen.

"Are you... seriously doing this?" Her voice cracked.

He rolled off the woman, who was now fumbling to wrap herself up. "Iris, listen, I'm a man. I waited. I've been patient, respectful, loyal but there's only so much restraint I have. You keep saying wait and not yet what did you think was going to happen?"

Her heart didn't just break. It imploded.

She left without another word.

She buried herself in school after that. Yea she knows that she hadn't loved Eden at first but as time went on she has developed feelings for him and now he did this.

Pain became fuel. She poured every drop of heartbreak into her final project, into study nights, into community volunteering. She couldn't afford to drown. Not now. Not with her mum's life hanging on the balance of monthly medications.

Eden had been the one sponsoring those meds, after the scandal she didn't want him to continue she wanted to cut everything off, she started hunting for job immediately she left school so she could foot the bills. On Eden's part after a while he called. Texted. Left voicemails, he regretted his actions

But Iris never responded.

Each time she saw his name flash across her screen, something inside her twisted.

He said he was sorry. Said he was foolish. Said it was just one night, that he had snapped under pressure. But she couldn't unsee what she saw. Couldn't undo what was done.

She owed him nothing anymore.

Now, a fresh graduate in a city where jobs were rare and competition was fierce, she was fighting for her future again.

That morning, she had rushed out in a plain white blouse and a black corporate trousers, her CV freshly printed and sealed. The interview was long. Stressful. They'd smiled politely and told her, "We'll get back to you."

She hated that phrase.

By the time she returned home, the sun had baked her skin a deeper brown, and her shoes had made her ankles sore. Iris collapsed onto the couch, breathing hard.

"Welcome, baby," her mum called softly from the kitchen.

The smell of okra soup floated through the air her mother's comfort meal on tough days.

After eating, Iris laid her head on the armrest, eyes closed, trying to summon strength.

That's when Mrs. Leah came and sat beside her.

"I have something to tell you," her voice calm.

"Hm?" Iris didn't open her eyes.

"Eden was here."

Her eyes snapped open.

Her body stiffened like a pulled wire. "What is he looking for?" she barked.

"Calm down," her mum said quickly, placing a hand on her arm. "He just came to check on us... to say sorry. He seemed genuinely sorry this time, Iris."

"I'm sorry, Mum. I can't accept him back."

Her voice was sharp but trembling at the edges.

Mrs. Leah's brows creased. "Iris, this young man has really tried for us. If not for him, I might not even be alive today. You've been able to focus on school because he took care of all my medications. Sometimes your school fees too. He never asked for anything in return."

"I know, Mum. I'm not ungrateful," Iris said, her voice cracking. "But gratitude isn't love. And what he did what I saw how do I look past that?"

"I'm not asking you to love him back instantly," her mum said gently. "Just to see him. To hear him."

Iris stood, walking to the window. The street was quiet outside, little boys chasing a football barefoot, a hawker singing about roasted corn.

Her eyes welled up, but she blinked fast.

"It feels like God used him to help us. Maybe that was all he was meant to do," she whispered. "Help us survive."

Mrs. Leah sighed behind her.

"I'll find a job, Mum," Iris continued. "I'll pay for your meds. I'll take care of you. Just... please don't ask me to go back to someone who made me feel worthless." he was not even sorry at first so I don't know what changed

She turned and smiled softly, eyes shimmering.

"I love you. But I'm done with Eden."

And with that, she stomped inside, gently closing the door behind her.