Chapter 2 THE DAY THE SKY SPLIT OPEN

They say betrayal hurts most when it comes from the ones you trust with your heart. But no one ever warns you how deep it cuts when it comes from someone who knows your secrets, your fears, your dreams--and still plunges the knife without blinking.

I wasn't supposed to be back on campus that night.

It was a rainy Friday evening. The kind where the sky rumbled like an angry god, and everyone just wanted to curl under a blanket with a hot cup of something.

I had traveled to Garki to spend the weekend with my cousin, Faith, but halfway through the trip, I realized I'd forgotten my ID card.

Of all things-ID card.

Without it, I wouldn't be able to write Monday's departmental quiz, and Dr. Andrews was not the type of lecturer to forgive "I forgot."

The man once failed a student for submitting a paper three minutes late.

So, annoyed and drenched, I jumped into the next available bus heading back to campus.

Grumbling and cursing myself, I barely noticed the wind tugging at my scarf or the rain seeping

through the torn umbrella I held over my head.

I was tired, cold, irritated-but determined to grab my ID and return before 9 p.m.

I wish I had never turned back.

When I got to the hostel, the light was out. The power company had struck again. I sighed and pushed open the creaky metal gate.

The corridor was quiet. Too quiet.

Then I noticed something strange-our room door was slightly open. That wasn't normal.

Stella always locked it. Even if she just stepped out to fetch water, she made sure it was locked.

I paused, heart thumping. A chill unrelated to the rain crawled up my spine

Maybe she was inside and forgot.

Maybe.

I pushed gently.

At first, I wasn't sure what I was hearing. The thick curtains muffled the sound, but it was unmistakable.

Moaning.

A female voice. Breathless. Soft at first, then louder.

I froze.

My first instinct was denial. Maybe it was from the next room. But no, our walls were solid concrete. Sound didn't travel that clearly.

Then I heard my name.

Not shouted. Not called.

Mocked.

"She doesn't even let him kiss her properly. Virgin Mary."

That voice.

Familiar.

Stella. My best friend.

I pushed the door open fully.

Lightning flashed at that exact moment-dramatic, cruel, cinematic. And there they were.

On my bed

Our lamp glowed dimly from its backup battery, casting just enough light to expose everything.

The room looked like a scene from a nightmare.

Clothes on the floor-his boxers, her skirt, my blanket twisted beneath their bodies.

Chiamaka's legs wrapped around him, her back arched. Her hands clutched his shoulders. Her head was thrown back.

And him?

Jason.

The one I prayed with. The one who held my hand during vigil. The one who said I was his crown.

My boyfriend. The same boy who called me his Proverbs 31 woman.

His lips were on her neck. His hands were everywhere.

And then he looked up.

He saw me.

Time stopped.

Our eyes locked-his wide with something between guilt and boldness. But he didn't stop.

He didn't even move.

He just... continued.

My umbrella dropped from my hand.

I didn't feel the tears form. I didn't scream. I didn't shout. I just turned around and ran. Like my life depended on it.

Like fire was chasing me.

My slippers flew off somewhere along the stairs. I didn't care. The rain pelted my face like slaps, soaking me to the skin, but I couldn't stop. My chest burned.

My breath came in short, sharp gasps. I didn't know where I was going until I got there.

The faculty garden.

Empty. Thank God.

No one to see me crumble.

I collapsed on a wooden bench beneath a mango tree and let the tears come. At first, it was silent. Then it turned into shaking sobs. Then I was gasping, choking, hugging myself like that would stop the pain.

How?

How could they?

Stella was my closest friend. I gave her everything. My last biscuit during exam week. My ATM card when hers got swallowed. My secrets. My prayers. She knew everything-even things I hadn't told Tobi.

And Jason?

We were planning to attend camp together. We had made spiritual goals. Talked about our wedding. I said no to him so many times, but he always said, "Don't worry, babe. I'll wait."

I believed him.

I thought he understood.

That I wasn't trying to punish him by saving my virginity. That it wasn't just about religion-but

about purpose. About meaning. About preserving something sacred.

Something rare.

But clearly, I was the only one who believed in that. I clutched my chest. It hurt. Physically. Like someone had reached in and twisted my heart.

Then the whispers started.

Inside my head.

"Maybe you're the problem."

"Maybe if you had just let him touch you... just once."

"Maybe if you hadn't formed holy holy..."

I buried my face in my soaked palms.

The betrayal wasn't just about sex.

It was about identity.

Everything I thought I was... everything I believed in... suddenly felt stupid.

Was this what purity bought me?

Heartbreak?

Humiliation?

By the time the rain stopped, I was freezing. My dress clung to me like wet paper. My skin was

pale from the cold. But the ache inside was worse.

It was morning before I returned.

The sky was grey. My feet numb. Some girls were passing by the hostel gate when they saw me.

"She's the virgin girl."

"Her boyfriend slept well her roommate. What a pity."

I kept walking like I didn't hear. But each word was a bullet.

When I reached the room, it was empty. Stella was gone. Jason too.

Only the smell of betrayal remained.

The bed was a mess. The sheets rumpled. My blanket smelled like cheap perfume. A half-drunk bottle of coke sat on the table. Her lipstick was still on the rim.

I stared at the chaos. Then slowly, I grabbed my broom. And swept.

Like a mad woman.

As if sweeping could erase what happened.

As if dusting away crumbs could dust away the memory.

That day, I didn't talk to anyone. Not even Bella. I didn't pick calls. Didn't respond to texts. I stayed in the room. Curtains drawn. Lights off. Phone silent.

But that night-I had a dream.

A strange, vivid dream.

I was standing in white. Radiant. My hands glowed. My feet didn't touch the ground. People

bowed to me, not in worship, but in respect. A crown hovered just above my head. I felt powerful. Covered. Safe.

Then, behind me... something moved.

Dark. Crawling. Serpent-like.

It reached for me. Touched my back

And instantly-everything turned dark.

The light vanished. The people disappeared. The ground beneath me cracked. I fell to my knees, screaming. Not from fear.

But from loss. From agony.

From knowing something had been taken that I could never get back.

Then I heard a voice. Ancient. Strong. Echoing like thunder.

"You don't even know what you carry."

I woke up gasping. Covered in sweat.

Heart pounding like a war drum.

It didn't make sense.

But something inside me knew-

This wasn't just a heartbreak.

Something sacred had been tampered with.

And for the first time...

I began to wonder...

What if my virginity wasn't just personal?

What if it was prophetic?