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"Should My Pain Be Mine Alone?"
—Short Spoken Word

Should my pain be mine alone?
Wounds wrapped in silence,
Bruises hidden behind fake smiles.

I was a child—
Hurt by the hands of family,
Not afraid to tell my mom,
Just afraid to break her heart.

Torn between her dreams for me
And the dream I barely hold inside.
Fighting battles no one sees,
Smiling when I wanted to scream.

Yes, I’ve thought of ending it.
But I chose to stay.
Because my story isn’t over.
Because pain doesn’t get the final say.

I am still here.
Still breathing.
Still rising.
😓😓😓😓

Title: Spear of Vengeance (Ọfà Ìdájọ́)
Setting: A remote village in Osun State, near a sacred grove.
Characters:

Iya Agba – Elderly seer of the village

Nneka – Brave young woman from the east

Baale Oyin – Village chief

Ajani – Guard of the sacred spear

[Scene 1 – Village square, early morning. The sky is grey. Drums are beating softly in the background.]

Iya Agba: (chanting)
Òrun ń ro, ilẹ̀ ń ta. Ọfà àtàrí ń sunkún. Ta ní yó gbà wa?

Baale Oyin:
Iya Agba, the gods are angry. The sacred spear is missing, and Ajani was found unconscious in the grove.

Iya Agba: (looking into a calabash)
A stranger will come. A daughter not born of our land, but sent by the winds of justice.

[Enter Nneka, walking into the square, bold and calm.]

Nneka:
Good morning, elders. I seek the Spear of Vengeance.

Baale Oyin: (suspicious)
And who are you to seek what even our warriors dare not touch?

Nneka:
I am Nneka, daughter of Ikenna. My brother was killed by the same hand that now corrupts this land. The spear called to me in my dream.

Iya Agba: (nods slowly)
She is the one. Èmí àtẹ̀rí wá lórí rẹ. The spirit of justice rests upon her.

[Scene 2 – Sacred Grove, misty and silent. Nneka walks in, alone.]

Ajani: (appears weakly from behind a tree)
The spear lies beyond the river of blood. Beware... it tests the heart.

Nneka: (quietly)
I come not for revenge... but for justice.

[She steps forward. A soft glow appears. The sacred spear hovers in midair before her.]

Voice of the Grove :
Only the pure-hearted may wield the spear. What is your truth?

Nneka:
That pain must end. That no child should lose a brother to greed and power.

[The spear lands in her hand. Thunder claps.]

Iya Agba :
Ìdájọ́ ti dé. Vengeance is not rage—it is balance.

Scene 2: Welcome to the Jungle

Mabel

“Third floor, left corridor, office marked PA to the CEO,” the secretary said, already walking away. “Don’t get lost.”

I didn’t answer. My heart was still catching up with the fact that I had a job. A real job. His job.

The elevator dinged open and I stepped inside, gripping the employment packet like it might vanish if I blinked. The doors slid shut, sealing me inside a mirror box where I could finally let go—just for a second.

I leaned against the wall and exhaled, my breath fogging the polished metal. This was it. I could afford Eli’s meds. Maybe even pay a fraction of the rent. Maybe I wouldn’t have to sell my last pair of decent shoes.

But then I remembered Damon Blackwood’s eyes—how they lingered just a second too long. Like he’d almost seen something behind my mask.

I straightened just as the elevator opened.

The third floor was nothing like the sterile elegance upstairs. It was buzzing. Phones ringing. People walking fast, papers flying, coffee being sloshed. This was the real heartbeat of Blackwood International.

“Mabel?” a voice called from the corner.

I turned to see a woman with bright red braids, gold-rimmed glasses, and an expression that said she’d seen things—and wasn’t impressed.

“That’s me,” I said cautiously.

She extended a hand. “Latoya Bell. Executive Assistant to the CFO. Also your future lifeline when you want to scream into the void.”

I smiled. She was the first warm thing in this place.

“You must be brave,” she added, eyeing my folder. “The last PA quit by lunchtime.”

“Lunch is a luxury,” I muttered.

Latoya snorted. “You’ll fit in just fine.”

She gave me a quick tour—breakroom, bathrooms, panic spots for mental breakdowns—then stopped at a sleek office with a glass wall and minimal furniture. It was empty except for a desk, a desktop computer, and a stack of pre-signed NDA agreements.

“Your kingdom,” she announced.

“Do I get a crown?”

“Only if you survive the first week.”

I stepped inside, suddenly aware that every step brought me closer to a man who, unknowingly, had turned my life upside down four years ago.

“Do you like working here?” I asked.

Latoya considered. “I like the paycheck. I like my team. The CEO? Let’s just say... he’s an acquired taste.”

“Like expired wine or frozen sushi?”

She grinned. “Exactly.”

Before I could sit, my phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number:

Report to my office. Ten minutes. Bring your schedule. – DB

I stared at the initials. It felt like someone just dropped a steel weight on my chest.

Latoya looked over my shoulder. “He texts like a Bond villain. You better go.”

I nodded and turned toward the elevator again.

New job. New boss. New lies.

And only one rule: Don’t get caught.

Episode 1: “The Interview”

POV: Mabel Donovan

---

Chapter One: The Tower

I had twenty-seven dollars left in my bank account. Twenty-seven.

Not enough to buy another bottle of Eli’s meds. Not enough to cover the overdue rent notice that had been slipped under our door like a death sentence. And certainly not enough to keep my son alive in a world that demanded everything and gave nothing back unless you clawed for it.

I tightened the knot of my ponytail in the mirror of the women’s bathroom on the forty-third floor of Blackwood International. My cheap blouse was ironed, but it still looked out of place against the luxury of polished marble and gold-accented sinks. My hands were shaking. Not from nerves—but from desperation.

This wasn’t just a job interview.

This was my last shot before I lost everything.

“Miss Donovan?” A woman’s voice called my name like it was an inconvenience. Cold. Sharp. Efficient.

I turned. The secretary was dressed in all black, eyes assessing me with the subtle judgment of someone who belonged in this world—and knew I didn’t.

“He’ll see you now. But don’t speak unless spoken to. Don’t sit unless invited. Don’t look him in the eye unless you’re told to.”

“Is he a king or a CEO?” I muttered before I could stop myself.

Her lips twitched—almost a smile—but it disappeared in a blink. “You’ll find out.”

She led me down a hallway that looked like it belonged in a dystopian movie—glass walls, chrome everything, and silence so thick it pressed on your eardrums. Then we stopped at a pair of black double doors.

She knocked once, then pushed them open.

And there he was.

Damon Blackwood.

The CEO. The Ice King. The man who could sign a paper and change the course of a thousand lives in one second—and never blink.

He didn’t look up from his laptop. His fingers moved like they were typing war strategies, not emails. A gold watch flashed at his wrist—probably worth more than my apartment.

“You’re late,” he said.

I wasn’t.

But I didn’t correct him.

“You have three minutes,” he added, finally looking at me. And when his eyes met mine, I forgot how to breathe.

Not because he was handsome—though he was, in that cruel, cinematic kind of way. Dark hair, razor-sharp jawline, suit tailored to perfection. No. I forgot how to breathe because something in his eyes recognized me. And I didn’t know why.

My stomach twisted.

“Name,” he demanded.

“Mabel Donovan.”

He stared. “Have we met before?”

“No,” I lied.

Because I remembered him.

One night. Four years ago. A blurred memory, a mistake… and my son, Eli.

My voice remained steady. “I applied for the position of your personal assistant.”

He folded his hands. “Give me one reason I should hire you. One.”

I didn’t pause. “Because I need this job more than anyone else you’ll interview today. And I won’t waste a second of it.”

His lips curled, the ghost of a smirk. “Desperation makes people bold.”

“It also makes them efficient.”

He leaned back. “You’re either incredibly smart… or incredibly stupid.”

“Can’t I be both?”

For the first time, something flickered in his eyes. Amusement? Interest? I couldn’t tell.

“You’re hired,” he said. “You start now.”

I swallowed hard. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. Welcome to hell, Miss Donovan.”

I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “I’ve already lived there, Mr. Blackwood.”

Book Blurb for "Tides of Fate"

In a world where secrets run deep and love can heal—or destroy—Mabel must navigate the stormy waters of an arranged marriage, a hidden family secret, and the mysterious powers of a man she never expected to love.

Mabel's life was turned upside down when she was thrust into an unwanted marriage with the ruthless CEO, Damon Blackwood. What began as a union of necessity—born from the pressure of his powerful family and her desperate need to save her son, Eli—soon becomes a tangled web of passion, danger, and dark family secrets.

As Mabel uncovers the truth about Damon’s power, the hidden legacy of their son, and the forces that threaten to tear them apart, she realizes that the tides of fate cannot be controlled. With her heart at risk, Mabel must choose between the man she’s come to love and the family she’s fought so hard to protect.

But in a world where everyone has their own hidden agendas, can love truly be enough to overcome the shadows of the past?

---

Interesting Note About Mabel

Mabel, the heart and soul of this story, is no stranger to struggle. A woman of resilience and quiet strength, her life was never meant to be glamorous. But the love for her son, Eli, and her unyielding determination to protect him lead her down paths she never expected. Intelligent, resourceful, and quick-witted, Mabel's ability to balance her emotions and the harsh demands of her world is nothing short of heroic. Through every challenge, she learns not just about the man she's bound to, but also about herself. As much as Damon’s presence in her life is a force of chaos, Mabel’s inner strength is the grounding force that holds everything together.