The Reckoning

Amanda’s POV

The mirror in front of me didn’t lie. I looked tired, worn, like someone fighting a battle I had no chance of winning. But giving up wasn’t in my DNA. Zaire was my endgame—he always had been.

Everything I’d done was to prove I deserved to be at his side, not Miyah or any of the other placeholders he’d been with. Still, I couldn’t shake the nagging thought: if Zaire had ever truly wanted me, why wasn’t I enough?

I stared at my phone, scrolling through the gallery of pictures I had of Zaire from years ago. Back then, things were simpler. Before Miyah, before the mess I’d made. I could hear Jada’s voice in my head, scolding me for obsessing over him again.

“Yuh need fi stop, Amanda,” she’d said just the other day. “Zaire done move on, an’ yuh need fi do di same.”

But moving on wasn’t an option for me. Or so I thought.

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The Confrontation

Later that night, I found myself outside Zaire’s gated mansion. His world had always seemed so far out of reach, even when I was closest to him. I knew this was a reckless move, but I couldn’t keep spinning in circles. I needed to face him.

The security guard looked at me warily. He clearly remembered me from all my antics. “Miss, yuh nuh welcome here. Yuh need fi leave.”

I rolled my eyes. “I just waan talk to him. One last time.”

The guard hesitated, then radioed inside. Moments later, the gates opened, and my heart raced as I walked up the path to the house.

Zaire met me at the front door, his expression unreadable. “Amanda, why yuh here?” His voice was calm but cold, like he had no more energy for my games.

“Zaire, I need fi talk to yuh,” I said, my voice trembling. “Please.”

He sighed and stepped aside, letting me in. I could feel Miyah’s eyes on me from somewhere in the house, but I wasn’t here for her.

We sat in the living room, the silence between us heavy.

“Zaire,” I started, my voice breaking, “why wasn’t I ever enough for you?”

His brows furrowed, and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Amanda, yuh nuh serious. After everyting yuh put mi through, yuh still nuh see di problem?”

Tears pricked at my eyes, but I pushed on. “I did everyting for yuh! I fought for yuh, I tried to make yuh see mi worth—”

“An’ in di process, yuh destroy yuhself,” he interrupted, his voice sharp. “Yuh sabotage friendships, betray people who care ’bout yuh, an’ manipulate di situation fi suit yuh own agenda. Dat’s not love, Amanda. Dat’s obsession.”

His words hit like a punch to the gut, but I couldn’t argue. He was right. Deep down, I knew it.

“Yuh need fi let go,” he continued, his tone softening. “Not fi me, but fi yuhself. Look at wah yuh become. Dis isn’t di girl mi used to know.”

I broke then, the weight of all my actions crashing down on me. “I don’t know who I am anymore, Zaire,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “All mi ever wanted was fi be enough.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “Yuh need fi figure dat out without me. Mi already find mi peace wid Miyah. Yuh need fi find yuh own.”

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Miyah’s POV

I watched from the shadows as Amanda broke down in front of Zaire. For a moment, I almost felt bad for her. Almost. But then I remembered everything she’d done, and any sympathy I had faded.

As Amanda finally left, Zaire turned to me, his expression softening. “Mi done wid her now. Mi cyaah keep entertaining dis foolishness.”

I nodded, stepping into his arms. “Good. Because I’m not sharing yuh with anyone.”

He kissed my forehead, holding me close. “Amanda’s chapter done. Now wi focus pon we future.”

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Amanda’s POV

As I walked away from Zaire’s house, I felt a strange sense of relief. For the first time, I realized that everything I’d been chasing wasn’t about him—it was about me.

I needed to heal, to find out who I was without Zaire. And maybe, just maybe, I could finally let go of the past and start over.

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