Azariah - God Has Helped

Chapter 14

Kiara stood quietly in her dimly lit room, eyes fixed on the two suitcases sitting neatly by the door—silent reminders that tomorrow her life would split in two. College. A new beginning. A terrifying one. She wrapped her arms around herself as uncertainty swallowed her whole.

How could she leave her baby behind?
How could she walk away from the tiny soul who made her feel alive even on the days she wished she wasn't?

A sharp sting burned behind her eyelids as her breath hitched. She tried to blink the tears away, but they pushed forward, trembling on her lashes.

Leaving them... leaving him... it cracked something inside her.

But she knew she had to do this. She had to. She needed a career, a chance at stability, a chance to give Dantae the life she dreamed of. And the only way forward was this terrifying, lonely path.

Her heart softened a little when she remembered her boss—how she had offered to sponsor her entire degree. Kiara felt blessed, but beneath her gratitude sat a knot of confusion. Why so much secrecy? Why did she have to hide this from her boss's son and in-laws?

Would they take the opportunity away if they found out?

She didn't have answers—only questions that made her head spin.

Her gaze drifted to her left hand, and for the first time that evening, a small smile tugged gently at her lips. Her engagement ring shimmered under the dim bulb like a hopeful star. She turned it lightly, feeling the cool metal glide against her skin.

Twenty years old and engaged. Engaged to Davar—flawed, stubborn, infuriating, but still the man she chose. He wasn't the tall, broad-shouldered dream she once pictured for herself. He was shorter, quieter, complicated... yet something about him pulled her in years ago when they were just friends. Her heart had betrayed her logic, and now here she was—about to become the wife of the man she had fallen unexpectedly hard for.

The memory of his proposal washed over her. April seventh. The very same day her acceptance letter arrived. Strange... almost too perfectly timed. He had always fought the idea of marriage, brushed it off whenever she hinted at it—so why propose now?

Was he afraid of losing her once she left for college?
Did he think distance would pull her heart away?

The thought irritated her, so she shoved it aside. She loved him. That was enough. She didn't need college boys or new experiences. She had her family, her purpose, her reasons. Her heart already belonged somewhere.

She lay back against her pillow, trying to silence the storm in her chest. She needed sleep—college was hours away, across the island. Tomorrow marked the beginning of everything... and yet she felt like she was losing everything too.

Before the worry could drown her, her eyelids grew heavy, and exhaustion pulled her under. Sleep finally wrapped its arms around her.

The Next Morning

Kiara jolted upright as the alarm pierced the quiet room.

"Oh God..." she breathed, heart racing.
She had to move—she couldn't afford to be late.

Dragging herself up, she headed for the shower. She knew getting ready would take time. Her makeup had to be flawless. Not to impress anyone—but because it was her armor. The thing that hid her wounds, her fears, her anxieties. She learned the art of makeup when pregnancy left her skin scarred and uneven—ever since, it had become her mask, the barrier between the world and her broken places.

She dressed in fitted jeans and a soft light-brown blouse. After brushing out her curls, she leaned close to the mirror, applying each stroke of makeup with care. With every blend, every line, she rebuilt a version of herself that looked confident—strong—even if her heart trembled beneath.