Bonita came, and they left together.
Star didn't say much on the way, her thoughts a whirlwind of guilt, fear, and decisions clawing at the edges of her sanity. As soon as they arrived, she headed straight for Mandume's room.
He was asleep.
The soft rise and fall of his chest brought her a strange calm. She placed her bag gently on the table and sat down next to him. Quietly, carefully, she examined his injured ankle, then his bruised hand. Her fingers brushed away a strand of her own hair before drifting toward his cheek.
"Gosh… you're too cute to be injured," Star whispered with a bittersweet smile.
Then, to the silence, she murmured like a prayer, "God, I don't know which path I should follow now. Maybe I should just leave… If I stay, Mendu's life is in danger. But if I leave, I'll carry the guilt forever. And my own life… it's hanging by a thread. What do I do, Father? Do I face this or run?"
Tears rolled down her cheeks as her voice broke into muted sobs.
Mandume stirred, smiling in his sleep.
As she leaned forward to wipe her tears, one drop fell onto his face—and just like that, his eyes opened.
Star jerked upright, startled, quickly wiping her face. Mandume stared at her as though he'd seen a ghost.
"What happened? Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.
He blinked, still disoriented. Star stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder, which made him flinch.
"Why are you behaving like that? What's wrong?" she asked again, concern growing.
"When did you come in here?" he asked, sitting up slowly.
"Like… five to eight minutes ago. Why?"
"So it was a dream…"
"And that's how you wake up from dreams?" Star teased.
"No, I'm asking because in my dream… you said I'm too cute to be injured."
Star froze. Her eyes widened.
"Nope," she said, turning her back to him. "That must've been my doppelgänger."
Mandume smirked. "Your body's telling a different story. It's like… you really said it."
"Definitely a dream. Let's move on."
She pivoted quickly. "How's your ankle? Wait—did you spend the whole day lying in bed?"
"Mmm… yeah, why?"
"Come on. Let's do some light exercises. I know it's not that bad."
Reluctantly, Mandume let her help him out of bed. She made him walk, slow and cautious, limping through the movements. He fell a couple of times, but she was right there—catching him, guiding him, refusing to give up. By the end, he was stronger.
They descended the stairs laughing and chatting like old friends. Bonita was lounging on the couch, eyes glued to her phone.
"Your ankle got better. I thought you'd need crutches," Bonita said without looking up.
"Nah… I'm fine. Grandma massaged it, and Star helped me exercise. It was really twisted," Mandume replied.
"Star was really worried. She couldn't focus," Bonita added.
"Ah—no, I wasn't," Star said, cheeks pink.
"You didn't even change or have lunch," Bonita pressed.
"I'll do that later. Where's Grandma?" Star asked.
"She went out," Mandume replied.
Star disappeared to her room to change. Mandume stayed behind, pacing slowly to test his recovering ankle.
"Boni… why did you break up with Tiffanie?" Mandume asked.
Bonita's smile vanished. "Mmm… we just don't want to be friends anymore."
"But why? You've been close since childhood."
"It's a girl thing. You don't need to know," Bonita said sharply.
Mandume narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure? You haven't been the same since she and I broke up."
"It's nothing, Mandume. Star's my new friend now… even if she's still doubting me."
"She has every reason to be cautious."
"I know…"
Upstairs, Star's phone vibrated with a call from a private number. She hesitated, hand hovering above the screen, but the call ended before she could answer.
"Private number?" she muttered. Her heart fluttered uneasily.
She dialed Leila.
"Leila, I'm so caught in between... Today, Mendu fell from the stairs and sprained his ankle—all because of me."
"What do you mean? You trapped him?" Leila asked.
"No, Madam did. I was about to tell Grandma the truth about her. If I tell, Mendu's in danger. If I don't, Madam wins. I'm scared. And Mendu has no idea what's happening…"
"Star… Mom isn't even in Windhoek this semester. She's gone until August or September. Just come stay with me."
"Leila, what about Mandume? I can't leave him in the dark."
"You can't protect him either! What is wrong with you? You're pregnant, endangered, and still prioritizing him?"
"That's not the point. If he finds out I knew his mother's secrets and said nothing, how could he ever trust me again?"
"Let him think what he wants. Tell him the truth. Let him deal with it. You come here tomorrow, okay?"
Silence.
Star's breath caught in her throat.
"Madam is watching me. She always knows when I'm about to expose her… and I have no evidence."
"Then go to his grandma. She'll believe you."
"She will… but how? I tried today—and Mendu paid for it."
"Star, listen to me. You're worried about everyone but yourself. You're not married to Mandume. And Madam will turn him against you the moment she wants—especially now that you're carrying someone else's child. Love won't win this battle."
Star froze.
"I didn't want to say this, but Mandume might not even love you. He pities you. Just wait until Madam challenges that. You'll see. Your stars will dim, Star!"
"No!!" Star shouted, her voice trembling.
"Then do what's right!" Leila snapped, and the call cut.
Star stared at the ceiling, fighting her emotions. She picked up the photo of her mother and clutched it like a lifeline.
"Mom… what do I do? My stars don't dim… right? Then what path do I take?"
Her phone buzzed again. The private number. She didn't move.
This time, the fear paralyzed her.