The walk from the bus stop to her house felt different this time.
Not lighter.
Not easier.
But steadier.
As the evening breeze brushed against her skin, Arriella reflected on everything she had experienced—not to punish herself, but to appreciate how far she had come.
She used to crumble under guilt.
She used to wear shame like a second skin.
But that was in the past.
She paused and took a deep breath.
Who was to blame?
She had pondered this question countless times.
Jordan?
Her parents?
Life?
Herself?
Perhaps all of them.
Perhaps none.
But one truth stood clear:
It was all behind her.
She was no longer that girl who made decisions with her heart instead of her future…
the girl who missed her scholarship exam because she let young love lead her astray…
the girl who thought pleasing Jordan was more important than pleasing herself.
She had outgrown that naive girl.
Heartbreak had been her teacher.
Hardship had been her lesson.
Loneliness had been her mirror.
And now?
Now she was someone new.
Someone who could look at her past mistakes and declare:
"They don't define me."
She had truly worked to improve herself.
Taking extra shifts.
Saving every naira.
Learning, contemplating, planning differently.
She didn't party anymore.
She didn't seek validation.
She didn't live to impress anyone.
She was evolving into the woman she wished she had become two years ago—
the woman who valued herself, her intellect, her dreams.
The gate of her family house came into view.
Her heart raced, but she didn't hesitate.
Whatever chaos awaited her on the other side, she knew one thing:
She was ready.
Maybe not ready for their reactions…
but ready for herself.
She whispered, almost as a promise:
"I've changed. And I will live better."
Her fingers tightened around her bag strap.
It wasn't courage that propelled her forward—
it was growth.
Because for the first time in a long while…
She wasn't entering the house as a girl who had failed.
She was stepping inside as a woman
who had finally decided to rise.
And she was going to make that one phone call that would break her free.