Episode 3: The Woman From His Past
The air suddenly felt too thick to breathe properly.
I stood beside Daniel trying not to overreact, but the tension around us was impossible to ignore.
The woman folded her arms slowly, her eyes moving from him to me again.
She was beautiful in an effortless way.
Not the overly dramatic Instagram type.
Just polished. Mature. Expensive-looking.
And confident.
Too confident.
Daniel cleared his throat.
“Vanessa… what are you doing here?”
That question alone made my stomach tighten.
Not Who are you?
Not Can I help you?
Her name already sat comfortably in his mouth.
So they clearly had history.
Vanessa laughed softly.
“I could ask you the same thing.”
Her eyes landed on me again.
This time with open curiosity.
I suddenly became very aware of how simple I looked in my oversized sweatshirt and braids.
Daniel finally spoke.
“This is Ada.”
The woman nodded slowly.
“Ada,” she repeated calmly.
Then she stretched out her hand.
“Nice to meet you.”
I shook it politely even though my brain was already running wild.
“Likewise.”
Silence followed.
Awkward silence.
The kind where everybody knows something important is being avoided.
Then Vanessa looked at Daniel again.
“You stopped replying my messages.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened immediately.
“I told you I’ve been busy.”
Busy?
Messages?
My chest began heating up.
Vanessa smiled faintly.
“Clearly.”
I hated how calm she looked.
Meanwhile my own heart was already preparing for premium heartbreak.
Daniel looked uncomfortable now.
“Ada was just leaving.”
The moment he said that, irritation flashed through me immediately.
Was just leaving?
Like I was suddenly interrupting something?
Vanessa stepped aside politely.
“Oh, don’t let me chase her away.”
I forced a smile.
“No problem. I actually have to go.”
Daniel looked at me quickly.
“I’ll drive you.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“Ada—”
“I said it’s fine.”
I didn’t raise my voice.
But he heard the irritation inside it immediately.
Without another word, I turned and walked toward the gate before my emotions embarrassed me publicly.
I could feel Daniel watching me the entire time.
The worst part?
He didn’t follow me immediately.
And somehow that hurt more.
—
The taxi ride back to school was miserable.
My mind kept replaying every detail.
The familiarity between them.
The tension.
The messages.
The panic on his face.
By the time I reached the hostel, I was already angry enough to cry.
Unfortunately, Chioma was inside the room.
The moment she saw my face, she sat upright dramatically.
“What happened?”
I threw my bag on the bed.
“Nothing.”
“That’s the face of somebody whose ancestors have been disappointed.”
I hissed loudly.
“Please leave me alone.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Daniel issue?”
I stayed quiet.
That was enough confirmation for her.
“Aha!”
I glared at her.
“Don’t start.”
She moved closer immediately.
“What happened?”
I explained everything reluctantly.
From the parking lot…
To Vanessa…
To the weird tension.
Chioma listened with growing excitement like somebody watching Netflix.
Then the moment I finished, she slapped her thigh.
“I KNEW IT!”
I groaned loudly.
“Chioma abeg.”
“No seriously,” she continued. “Why do men always behave like season finales?”
“You’re not helping.”
She sat beside me.
“So who exactly is Vanessa?”
“I don’t know!”
“You didn’t ask him?”
“I was angry.”
Chioma stared at me like I was unserious.
“So instead of asking questions, you ran away dramatically.”
“I did not run away dramatically.”
“You basically exited like a Nollywood wife catching her husband with a side chick.”
Despite my annoyance, I almost laughed.
Almost.
Then my phone buzzed.
Daniel calling.
Chioma’s eyes widened instantly.
“Pick it!”
I hesitated.
The phone kept ringing.
Finally I answered quietly.
“Hello.”
“Ada.”
His voice sounded tired.
“You left angry.”
“What did you expect?”
He exhaled softly.
“Can we talk?”
“Talk about what exactly?”
There was a pause.
Then he said carefully:
“Vanessa is my ex.”
My heart dropped immediately even though part of me already suspected it.
“How long ago?”
“About a year.”
I swallowed hard.
“And she still comes to your house?”
“She wasn’t supposed to.”
That answer annoyed me immediately.
“What does that even mean?”
“She came to pick up something.”
“At night?”
“She texted earlier but I forgot.”
Forgot?
I laughed bitterly.
“Interesting.”
“Ada, please don’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“Assume the worst without listening to me.”
I became quiet.
Then he said softly:
“There’s nothing going on between us.”
I wanted to believe him.
God knows I wanted to.
But now all my friends’ warnings were echoing loudly in my head again.
What if I was becoming emotionally invested in a man who still had unfinished business with his ex?
Daniel continued speaking carefully.
“I should’ve explained better.”
“Yes, you should have.”
“I know.”
Silence again.
Then he said something unexpected.
“She hurt me badly.”
I frowned slightly.
“What happened?”
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Finally he answered quietly:
“We were together for four years.”
Four years.
My chest tightened instantly.
“She left when my business started having problems.”
I said nothing.
Daniel laughed faintly without humor.
“One month she was talking about forever. Next month she was engaged to somebody else.”
I sat slowly on the bed.
“She came back recently after hearing things improved for me financially,” he continued. “I’ve been trying to keep my distance.”
Suddenly the panic on his face earlier made more sense.
Still…
Something felt unfinished.
“Why didn’t you tell me about her before?”
“I didn’t think she mattered anymore.”
That sentence sounded genuine.
But pain has a way of making trust difficult.
Especially when you genuinely care about somebody.
After the call ended, I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling for hours.
Part of me felt guilty for reacting too fast.
Another part still felt unsettled.
Because no matter how calm Daniel sounded…
No matter how mature he acted…
One truth remained.
People don’t usually panic like that over someone who means absolutely nothing.
And deep down…
I was scared of becoming the woman standing outside someday while another girl held the apartment key.
