The Flight to Lagos
Bernice sat on the edge of her bed, still dressed in yesterday's clothes. The weight of last night hadn't lifted it pressed on her chest like a wet blanket. Her eyes were swollen, her cheeks streaked with dried tears.
All she wanted was to forget.
To disappear.
Her phone buzzed for the fifth time in ten minutes.
Efe.
She stared at the screen, heart burning. The girl she trusted with her secrets. The same girl who had laughed about getting rid of her like she was trash. Just the sight of Efe's name made her stomach twist.
Without thinking, she flipped the phone to flight mode and tossed it aside.
Then she pulled the blanket over her head and curled into herself.
The pain was too loud.
The betrayal, too raw.
She didn't know when the tears stopped or when silence wrapped around her like a second skin. But sometime between rage and sorrow, she fell into a restless sleep.
The Next MorningSunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a pale glow across her room.
Bernice stirred.
Her body ached not from fatigue, but from emotional wreckage. She squinted at the clock on her wall.
10:02 AM.
Her eyes widened.
Work.
The trip.
The flight.
She snatched her phone and turned off flight mode. Messages flooded in but one caught her eye:
"Bernice, the car is waiting. Our flight is in one hour. Please be at the office ASAP. — HR"
Sent: 9:34 AM
"Crap!"
Adrenaline jolted her to life. She bolted to the bathroom, showered in record time, and threw on a black turtleneck and high-waisted trousers. Thankfully, her travel bag was already packed and waiting by the door.
By 10:15, she was in a ride to the office, heart thudding. Not just from lateness, but from uncertainty. Everything in her life had shifted in the past 24 hours, and she had no idea what she was walking into.
At the AirportThe company van was parked by the curb, engine running. Alexandra stood outside, dressed in a sharp grey suit, glancing at his watch.
He looked up as she rushed toward him.
"You're late," he said flatly.
"I know… I'm sorry, sir. I—"
"You made it. That's what counts."
His tone was unreadable as he held the van door open for her.
The rest of the team had flown out the previous day. This morning's flight was just the two of them.
In the van, they sat side by side. The silence was thick, but Alexandra didn't ask questions.
He didn't press.
He just...let her be.
Bernice stared out the window, her thoughts churning. Outside, the city moved on like nothing had happened. Like her life hadn't just been turned inside out.
On the Plane
Their business class seats were wide, comfortable. Too comfortable for how uneasy she felt.
Bernice sat stiffly, arms folded, her head pressed back against the seat.
"You look like someone who didn't sleep well," Alexandra said after a while.
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You didn't answer your calls. Your eyes are swollen."
She stared at him, heat creeping into her cheeks."I wasn't checking,"
he added quickly.
"Just observing. I wouldn't want our clients thinking I stress my staff to the point they forget to sleep."
She looked away. "I'm sorry, sir. It's been a rough 24 hours."
He didn't respond immediately. His tone shifted.
"I don't care. Just learn to separate your personal life from work."
The words landed sharp like a slap wrapped in silk.
Bernice lowered her head. "My apologies, sir. I'll fix my face before we land."
Alexandra nodded, almost dismissively. "Well, whatever it is… do it fast."
For the first time in hours, Bernice took a long, deep breath.
Not because anything had gotten better but because it had to. She had no choice.
She was here now.
In the air.
On the way to a to a place that may change her life for good, she thought of her late mom and dropped a tear
She didn't know what waited for her in Lagos. But she knew this:
She was done letting people walk over her.
She would bury the girl they tried to break.
And from those ashes, she would rebuild someone stronger. She stood up head to the rest room to fix her face.