Semua Bab Rich Love : Bab 21 - Bab 30

J.J – POVI’d never been second best at anything in my life.Not in this school. Not on any stage. Not even in my own damn house. My father made sure I had the best of everything, and I worked hard to stay ahead. Always one step above. Always the star. But ever since this stupid trip to Lagos started, Carolyn has somehow been stealing the spotlight.Carolyn.Of all people, her.I sat in the corner of the auditorium on the third day of the competition, gripping my pen so tightly it snapped in half. I didn’t even flinch. Just let the broken pieces fall into my lap. The room roared with applause again, this time louder than yesterday’s, and guess who was at the center of it?That quiet, pitiful girl who had begged for mercy under my shoe just a few weeks ago. That same girl who could barely meet my eye without flinching.Now she stood on stage, holding the microphone like she owned it, voice calm, confident, and persuasive. Judges nodded. Other schools whispered about her. One even calle

Carolyn’s POVI took my seat between J.J. and George.The air around us was ice.George muttered a low “Glad you made it,” without looking at me. I wasn’t sure if it was genuine or just for show. But J.J. didn’t say anything at all. He just leaned back in his chair, eyes on the panel of judges as they prepared their notes.I could feel his tension. Not the kind that came from nerves before a big competition—no, this was different. This was frustration. Spite. Bruised ego.And yet, I was too exhausted to let his silence shake me.Instead, I focused on the stage, where the final round was about to begin. Our school, Convent High, was facing two of the most competitive debate teams from Lagos and Port Harcourt. Both schools were infamous for grooming debate champions. Some of the best speakers in the country were sitting just meters away, sharpening their minds like blades.And here I was.A girl who had almost been locked away and forgotten.Our principal sat near the judges, smiling ne

Carolyn’s POV We were leaving Lagos in a few hours, but I had already packed. I didn’t have many things, and truth be told, I wanted to be done with this place. The hotel, the debate venue, the heavy applause I never asked for, the quiet side-eyes from students who didn’t believe I deserved the win—it all clung to my skin like smoke from a fire I didn’t set. I stood by the window in the lobby, watching the morning traffic move like a slow dance of chaos. Cars honked, vendors shouted, and buses groaned as they swerved in and out of lines. It reminded me of home—chaotic but familiar, safe in a weird way. My hand rubbed my arm absently, still feeling the bruise from where I slammed into the locked hotel room door yesterday. I could still see the cleaner’s shocked face as she opened the door, and I could see the dust floating in the light behind her. I’d smiled then, politely, hiding the mess inside me. I hadn’t said anything to the teachers. No one. Because what was the point? I knew

J.J’s POVMonday morning came too quickly.The same white walls, the same polished floors, the same students pretending to care about grades while scheming behind their designer backpacks. The school looked the same, but something had changed.Me.Or maybe not.Maybe I was just realizing that Carolyn Okoli—yes, Carolyn, the charity-case girl with the odd blue eyes—was still stuck in my head long after that final debate round ended.It made no sense.She defied me, embarrassed me, won... and then ignored me like I was irrelevant. She hadn’t even looked at me since we got off the plane from Lagos. And for someone who used to practically shake in my presence, that silence was louder than anything she could’ve said.I hated how much that bothered me.I hated that I noticed her absence in the lounge this morning.George did too. He looked at me over the rim of his smoothie, one brow raised.“She’s not coming today?” he asked casually.“Why wouldn't she?” I snapped.George gave me a look. “

Carolyn’s POVI didn’t sleep.Not really.All I could see when I closed my eyes was Tina’s face—her stunned silence, the way the food clung to her braids, the way her mouth opened in confusion and pain as everyone laughed.And J.J.Standing there.Watching.Doing nothing to stop it.Because he had ordered it.Because I had refused to serve him.I kept tossing in bed, twisting the bedsheet in my hands like it was the only thing keeping me grounded. I was furious. Not just at J.J—but at myself. For trusting him. For liking being around him. For confusing cruelty with something else. Something softer.Something I hoped was real.But what he did to Tina?That was a line.And he crossed it.The next morning, I didn’t wait for him to come to me. I wasn’t going to be the girl who stayed silent anymore.I stood at his usual parking spot, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the gate as the morning sun climbed over the buildings. I didn’t care if people stared. Let them. Let them whisper about the scho