ENGFA'S POV
Charlotte sighed as she put her phone down. I knew she was stressed about the situation we were in, so I tried to comfort her.
"Hey baby, it's okay, stop stressing about it."
"What do you mean stop stressing about it? She literally just said to bring whoever I was with."
"So what?"
"Arghhh, you don't understand. I can't let her know that I was with you last night."
"Wait, are you embarrassed?"
"No, I didn't mean it like that."
"Then what?"
She looked at me with a mix of frustration and concern, clearly struggling to find the right words. "It's complicated. She just... she wouldn't understand. It's not about being embarrassed, it's about... other things."
"Like what?"
Charlotte shook her head, biting her lip. "It's just... my family, they have certain expectations. If they knew we spent the night together, they might jump to conclusions or make things difficult for us."
I took her hand gently, hoping to ease her worries. "We’ll figure it out together. I’m here for you, no matter what."
She looked at me, her eyes softening a bit. "I know, and that means a lot to me. I just need to figure out how to handle this without causing more trouble."
"We'll take it one step at a time. We'll get through this."
Charlotte nodded, still looking uncertain but slightly reassured. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."
I pulled her into a hug, hoping to convey just how much I cared and how committed I was to supporting her through this. "You're not alone in this. We'll face whatever comes our way together."
CHARLOTTE'S POV
I knew I had made Engfa feel like I was embarrassed that she was my girlfriend. But in reality, I was just worried about our complicated situation. I didn't want my mom to know, which is why I wanted to keep everything private for a while. If my mom found out, I knew she would take advantage of Engfa. I could trust Aoom and Auntie with this, but I couldn't shake the fear that was growing inside my head.
Engfa’s presence brought me so much happiness, yet the thought of my mom meddling filled me with dread. Keeping our relationship a secret felt like the only way to protect what we had. My mom had a way of manipulating situations to her advantage, and the last thing I wanted was for Engfa to become a pawn in her games.
I sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. The fear was real and palpable, a constant presence that I couldn’t ignore. I wanted to be open about my relationship with Engfa, but the risks felt too great right now. I had to find a way to manage this fear and protect the person I loved without alienating her in the process.
For now, all I could do was take it one day at a time and hope that eventually, we could reveal our relationship on our own terms, without the looming threat of my mom’s interference.
"Hey, look, baby, you don't have to be afraid. I'm here beside you," she said softly, her voice filled with reassurance.
"You don't know anything, P'fa," I replied, my voice tinged with frustration and fear.
