I returned home exhausted, my heart weighed down with loneliness. I wished my roommate had never traveled—I needed her presence now more than ever. I wept bitterly, realizing that friendships and relationships had brought me nothing but pain. I decided that from now on, I would keep to myself. But old habits die hard, and the kindness in me resisted turning cold.
A few days later, we had new neighbors. I ignored everyone at first, determined to avoid new friendships. But then, one day, a neighbor's phone went missing. The girl, Anita, was around my age, and though we had lived near each other for a while, we had never spoken. I had always felt an unexplainable discomfort around her, as if my spirit rejected her presence.
That evening, she knocked on my door, her swollen, tear-filled eyes burning into mine.
"Did you take my phone?" she accused, her voice sharp with desperation.
I was stunned. Me? How could she even think that? I had never spoken to her, let alone entered her space. Before I could respond, she raised her voice, drawing the attention of the other neighbors.
What started as a missing phone quickly escalated into a full-blown argument. Anita soon turned her anger toward a guy in the building, accusing him of theft. The situation became messy, but from that incident, a strange bond formed between Anita and me. Alongside our new neighbors, Olivia and Mercy, we began talking, laughing, and spending time together.
Faith, Theresa, and Beauty took notice. They seemed disturbed by my happiness, almost as if my loneliness had been their source of joy. I avoided them, focusing on my newfound friendships.
Months passed, and I grew even closer to Olivia and Mercy. But just as I began to trust them, betrayal struck again.
One day, Mercy received a call from Faith. Faith warned her to stay away from me, calling me a bad friend, a dirty girl with a disease, and someone constantly chased away by men—too worthless to be loved.
Mercy, shocked and disgusted, shared the conversation with Olivia but decided not to tell me. They continued treating me the same, never showing any change in behavior. But secrets have a way of revealing themselves.
One fateful day, I overheard whispers about Olivia, and when I asked her about it, she snapped. In her frustration, she spilled the truth about Faith's lies.
I stood there, frozen, disbelief washing over me like a cold wave. Faith? The one I had trusted? The one I had sacrificed for? I could barely comprehend her betrayal.
Tears burned my eyes as I took a silent oath. May every evil she spoke against me return to her tenfold.
That night, I cried myself to sleep. Mercy comforted me, but the damage was done. My friendship with Faith was over. Forever.
Time passed, and I slowly healed from the wounds of betrayal. But then, Anita came to me with a secret.
"Please," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I need you to take me to the hospital inside your school."
I hesitated. "Why?"
She looked away, then exhaled sharply. "I think I'm pregnant. I need to confirm."
I was stunned but said nothing. It wasn't my business. I simply agreed to accompany her.
At the hospital, the test confirmed her fears—she was pregnant.
Without a moment's hesitation, she dialed her doctor. "I need abortion pills," she demanded.
I watched in silence. Something about the situation felt heavy, dangerous. But I didn't protest. She handed me transport money, and I left.
Two days later, Anita called again. She pleaded with me to come over to her friend's place, where she was staying to complete the abortion process. Soft-hearted and foolish, I agreed.
On my way, I used my last money to buy her food. When I arrived, I found her in a miserable state—weak, wrapped in a cloth like a woman in labor, her body trembling from pain.
"I need more pills," she begged, her eyes desperate.
And like a fool, I obeyed. I used my mother's money to buy the drugs and handed them over to her.
I stayed for two days, watching her go through the pain, the bleeding, the suffering. Then, realizing the weight of what I had been part of, I vanished.
Days later, I found myself reflecting on it all. I had helped commit murder. The thought haunted me.
Meanwhile, life didn't pause for my guilt. I was struggling—no food, no support, no real friends. I had no choice but to survive.
Olivia and Mercy remained by my side, but deep down, I knew—I was all alone in this world.