𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚃𝚘 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛'𝚜 𝚂𝚘𝚗 ||ℭ𝔬𝔪𝔭𝔩𝔢𝔱𝔢✓||

Chapter 44

Chioma's POV.

I walked into the living room, heaving a sigh as I plopped on the couch right next to me and shut my eyes close; thinking about what Amanda had said to me. I knew she wasn't wrong, but I also didn't want to believe she was right either. All I cared about was just starting over, trying to pick up the pieces of my pitiful life, and just move on with it. Just forget about a lot of things that had happened in the past and act like it never happened in the first place.

Drumming my fingers on the couch, I slowly hummed incoherently, trying to calm my nerves. I thought about watching TV, but then I remembered that I  hadn't paid for my cable subscription, yet. The only darn thing available was the news channel and I certainly wasn't in the mood for that.

Living alone stinks!

I had absolutely no one to talk to, and that made me so eager to resume work immediately, just so I'd retain my sanity and not die of loneliness while I'm here. The entire neighborhood was so quiet; too quiet. Back at home, at least it used to be my home, Amara would never stay quiet. She'd always have something noisy or fun, and mostly crazy, to do or say. Something that she'd somehow manage to get me into doing with her. She knew I didn't have much friends, who am I kidding? The only friend I had was Amanda. Although, there's this other girl I speak to cause she's friends with Amanda and her name is Ola, but we don't even talk that much. We just exchange Hey's and Hi's every now and then. I don't even consider her a friend, an acquaintance would be the better definition of our relationship.

And I know Amanda has really put up with my nonsense for years, even when I constantly nagged at her and repeatedly fought with her for absolutely no reason. Sometimes, I'd fear she'd just get fed up with my attitude and... probably stop being friends with me. I don't want that, I'd rather die than have that. And of course, I can't even say that to her face cause my ego wouldn't even let me, even if I tried.

We've been friends since our senior secondary school days. She was being bullied, and I stood up for her and we just kinda clicked cause she was fun and crazy and I really needed that in my life cause I was so uptight and reserved.

I chuckled lightly the minute I remember the first thing she'd said to me after that I'd stood up for her while she was being bullied.

"Wow! So you do have a heart?"

Crazy girl!

The sound of my ringtone in the background, was enough to snap me out of my reverie. I reached for my phone in my purse and retrieved it. And without checking the caller's ID; I answered the call.

"Hello?" Came my voice.

I waited for a response for a while, yet I got none and wondered if the person calling must've called by mistake. Or probably wasn't sure who they'd called.

"Hello?!" I said once more, raising my voice a bit higher to get the attention of the caller.

Still no response.

I contemplated hanging up, but then came the one voice that was enough to make me gasp in both joy, shock, regret and sadness.

"Dad?" I mouthed, my hold on my phone getting a bit shaky and my breath hitched. I don't even know why, but the tears brimmed in my eyes effortlessly, my heart clenched and my head spun in confusion.