Chapter 257: It Did Hurt Chapter 257: It Did Hurt A sharp, amusedugh that made Chinwa’s smirk falter for a fraction of a second.
“Oh, Chinwa,” Nnenna said, shaking her head.
“See, I did not call you here to beg.” That made Chinwa blink.
Nnenna smiled, slow and deliberate.
“I called you here to tell you that you had better go back out there and give us back our jobs.” Chinwa stared at her, stunned for a moment before letting out a disbelieving scoff.
“What?” “You heard me,” Nnenna said, shrugging like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Go back, tell the manager the truth, and give us back our jobs.” Silence.
A tense, electric silence.
Then Chinwa let out a short, sharpugh.
“You are mad,” she said, her voice edged with irritation.
Nnenna tilted her head slightly.
“Am I?” Chinwa sneered.
“You really think you have a choice here?” She took a step closer, lowering her voice.
“You are nothing here, girl.
I could snap my fingers and make sure no store in this district hires you.
And yet, you stand here, trying to threaten me?” Nnenna only shrugged.
She had tried.
She was not expecting Chinwa to actually change her mind, but a small part of her had still wanted to give this onest shot.
Not for herself, but for Kosi and Lilian.
She sighed, rolling her shoulders before turning around and following Chinwa back out.
The moment they stepped into the main floor, all eyes turned to them.
The air was thick with curiosity.
Had something changed?
Had Nnenna’s ‘begging’ actually worked?
But then they saw Chinwa’s expression, the smug tilt of her lips, the victorious glint in her eyes.
And they knew.
Nothing had changed.
Kosi and Lilian met Nnenna’s gaze, searching her face for answers.
“I’m sorry, guys,” Nnenna said, her voice tight with guilt.
“I’m really sorry that you are losing your jobs because of me.
I tried, I really did, but it did not work.” Her words felt heavy, like lead pressing down on her chest.
She had hoped, even if it was just a little, that Chinwa would at least reconsider.
That maybe, somehow, their effort would not be wasted.
But the reality was clear.
It had not mattered.
She looked at Kosi and Lilian, who were still being held by security, ready to be shoved out of the store like they were nothing.
Her stomach twisted.
They had been here for years.
They had worked hard.
And now, just like that, they were being discarded.
Kosi let out a small sigh, shaking her head.
“It’s okay, Nnenna.” Lilian nodded, her lips pressed together.
“We wanted to tell you not to bother begging for that woman anyway.
It was useless.” They were trying tofort her.
She could hear it in their voices, the way they spoke like they were not upset, like it did not hurt to lose their jobs over something so unfair.
But she could see the way Kosi’s hands clenched into fists.
The way Lilian’s jaw tightened ever so slightly.
It did hurt.
It should hurt.
Yet, here they were, trying to reassure her.
The thought made something in Nnenna’s chest tighten.
These girls… they really were something else.
The other workers, the ones who had watched everything unfold, remained silent.
Some averted their gazes, pretending not to care, while others looked ufortable, shifting in ce.
Not one of them had spoken up for the three girls.
Not one of them had dared to stand against Chinwa.
Cowards.
Lilian turned then, her gaze sweeping over the manager, Chinwa, and the staff.
Her lips curled into a smirk.
“Well,” she said, voice clear and strong.
“I think I’m too good for this store anyway.
And so are they.” A small pause.
Then she lifted her chin, looking Chinwa dead in the eyes.
“I would rather leave than spend one more moment in this ce, even if you offered me the job back.” The staff let out a collective scoff.
Some evenughed outright.
What a joke.
The job paid well.
It was stable.
Kosi and Lilian had been there for years.
There was no way they weren’t attached to it in some way.
The idea that they wouldn’t regret leaving was almostughable.
But that was the thing.
Maybe they did regret it.
Maybe it did hurt.
But they had made their choice.
The manager, satisfied that she had handled the situation correctly, turned to head back inside.
She was already thinking about the next task on her agenda when A sound.
Loud.
Sharp.
Unmistakable.
It sliced through the morning air like a knife, bringing the entire store to a standstill.
Heads snapped up.
Conversations died mid sentence.
Employees, who had just been plotting how to secure the now vacant positions, froze.
Even Chinwa, who had been basking in her victory, went rigid.
It wasn’t just any sound.
It was augh.
A chilling, unexpectedugh, light, amused, and dripping with something that sent shivers down spines.
It hade from Nnenna.
The girl stood at the threshold of the store, shoulders shaking slightly, head tilted back asughter spilled from her lips.
But it wasn’t theughter of someone who had just lost her job.
No.
It was the kind ofugh that made people uneasy.
The kind that hinted at something dangerous.
The kind that made even the most arrogant feel like they had missed something important.
Chinwa’s face twisted in confusion.
“What… the hell are youughing at?” Nnenna wiped the corner of her eye, a smirk still ying at her lips.
Then, with terrifying ease, she looked Chinwa dead in the eye and said “Oh, you’ll find out soon enough.” Then Click.
A voice.
“Home?
Oh, I’ll forgive that because you are new and you don’t know the rules yet.” The store went dead silent.
The employees nced at each other, confused, searching for the source of the voice.
Then another voice, lower and dripping with authority, Chinwa’s voice.
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