Hello people
This is my first time writing A/n first but there are some things that we need to know before reading this chapter
1. This isn't a real chapter, kind of like a flashback. We really need to know Yemisi's past, one she's been hiding for the past 11 chapters.
2. If you didn't know or can't remember
Yemisi's full name is Oluwayemisi Tricia Adekunle.
I hereby present Chapter 12: Flashback
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Yemisi

I didn't want to wake up. I had hoped that, somehow, I wouldn't have to face the day. That maybe, if I was lucky, I'd drift away in my sleep.

"Yemisi!" my mother's voice called from downstairs.

She couldn't know. Not about any of this.

"Coming!" I shouted back, dragging myself out of bed.

I went through the motions of getting ready for school, but my heart wasn't in it. With Kayode away helping Uncle in the States, I felt alone. How was I supposed to survive this day?

At least I had my friends. They'd stand by me-wouldn't they?

As I walked through the school halls, I could feel the weight of eyes on me. People were whispering, their glances quick and judgmental. I was the center of attention, but for all the wrong reasons.

I hurried to class, hoping to find some solace in my best friend, Jessica.

"Hey, Jess," I said with a hopeful smile.

She sighed, her eyes avoiding mine. Then, she turned and walked away.

Confused, I followed her. "Jess, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice trembling.

She stopped, finally facing me, but her expression was cold. "Look, Tricia... I don't think we can be friends anymore."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. "What? Why?"

She hesitated, but then shrugged. "You've got the wrong kind of popularity now. I don't want to be part of that."

And with that, she was gone, leaving me standing there, my world crumbling. I had thought she was my best friend.

Tears blurred my vision as I yanked off the BFF bracelet we used to wear and tossed it into the trash. The pain was unbearable, and I couldn't stop crying.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Every class felt like a prison, with all eyes on me, whispers filling the silence. I kept my head down, hoping to disappear, but there was no escaping the humiliation.

By lunch, I was starving, but the thought of going to the cafeteria terrified me. I didn't want to face them-any of them. But my hunger won the battle, so I dragged myself there, planning to eat quickly and leave.

The moment I stepped in, the noise died. Conversations ceased, replaced by the quiet sound of people whispering about me. Even those who hadn't known before were quickly filled in.

I ordered my food, trying to block it all out, and sat at the loneliest table I could find. Maybe if I just ate, they'd lose interest.

"Tricia," a soft voice called out.

I looked up. It was him-Brian Adenola Ajibade. My crush. He had always been kind to me, and in this mess, he was the only one who hadn't abandoned me. My heart fluttered at the sight of him.

He sat next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders. His touch was gentle, comforting.

"You know," he began, his voice soft, "you really are a lot like her."

My stomach twisted. "What do you mean?" I asked, pulling away from him slightly.

He gave me a knowing smile, one that sent chills down my spine. "Like mother, like daughter, right?"

The cafeteria erupted in laughter, and the heat rose in my face. I felt as though I'd been slapped. I pushed him away, but his smirk only grew.

"Tricia, don't be like that," he said, pretending to be innocent. "I'm just saying... children often become like their parents."

Tears filled my eyes as more laughter echoed around us. I couldn't take it anymore. I bolted from the cafeteria and locked myself in a bathroom stall, sobbing uncontrollably.

The video. That stupid video. Someone had posted a clip of my mother's past, a life she had left behind-a life I thought was long buried. Now, the whole school knew. My mother had once done things she wasn't proud of, things she had only confessed to me in whispers. But now, everyone saw it, and they judged me for it.

By the time I got home, my mother was watching the video. I saw the pain etched on her face as she watched the version of herself she had tried to forget.

"Hey," she said when she noticed me. Her voice was soft, her eyes tired. "It's viral now, I hear. Have you seen it?"

I forced a smile and lied. "No. The school hasn't really talked about it."

"If they do, let me know," she said, her tone resigned. "I don't want you getting bullied because of my mistakes."

"I'll be fine, Mom," I assured her, even though my insides were churning.

I hugged her, trying to keep the truth hidden. She didn't need to know what my life had become.

The days dragged on, and the bullying continued. Whispering, laughing-it was all the same. And the worst of it came from Brian, the boy I had once foolishly liked. Every day, he found a new way to humiliate me, a new way to remind me of my mother's past.

But one day, he pushed too far.

"Tricia!" His voice rang out across the hallway, full of mockery. "You're so beautiful, you'd make a perfect prostitute."

Something inside me snapped. I lunged at him, my fists flying before I even knew what I was doing. The last thing I saw was his swollen face, blood streaming from his nose and lips as the teachers dragged him to the nurse's office.

Three things I learned that day:

1. Brian is a coward.

2. Beating someone up is considered assault.

3. Assault gets you expelled.

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Hey lovelies
Let's make a deal 🤝
Let your thoughts and comments on this chapter be the A/n.
If you comment, I'd put it under this
Vote and share 🧡❤️💛🧡❤️💛🧡❤️💛
DammyOludare Damn if na me ehn , I would have made sure he got ENOUGH beating since they want to expel me
miche38_me Jessica ain't worth you
MicahMacmatthew Which one be wrong kind of popularity