When She Decides to Rise

 Lucy started buying herself clothes and good pomade to take care of herself. She now wore new clothes and paid attention to her appearance. Quietly, she provided for the home without a single complaint. With time, she began to glow—her beauty returning, her eyes brightening with a joy she had long buried.

Sam, her husband, noticed the change. Instead of being happy for her, he became suspicious. He started monitoring her every move, hoping to catch her in some wrongdoing. But day after day, he found nothing—no fault, no secret, no hidden life.

One afternoon, Lucy returned from work holding a small parcel. She greeted Sam softly and went straight to the bedroom. Curiosity pushed Sam to follow. He tiptoed behind her, stretching his neck to peep inside. He was so engulfed in his spying that he didn’t hear her turn.

“Sam… are you looking for something?”

Her voice froze him. Lost and embarrassed, he stuttered, unable to explain himself, and quietly went back to the living room.

Lucy walked calmly to the kitchen to prepare food—just a little, just enough for one. As she sat to eat, Sam, who had refused to eat her food for a long while, suddenly appeared, asking for his share.

Lucy, without lifting her eyes, replied, “I prepared for one.”

Her words hit him like a slap.

Sam flared up. “You must stop working! I won’t repeat myself!”

Lucy didn’t argue. She simply stood up, walked to her room, and picked up her phone.

“Mrs. Dwayne,” she said in a trembling voice, “my husband wants to stop me from working.”

Her boss’s voice came gentle and steady through the phone. “Lucy, love yourself first. And know this—your husband cannot force me to sack you.”

The next morning when Lucy got to work, her boss called her into the office and promoted her—just like that. The new position came with a salary that opened doors she had never imagined. Within four months, she bought her own house. She brought her poor mother from the village to live with her, and opened a small shop for her in front of the house.

Lucy even bought her own car. She no longer needed to beg Sam for his keys or depend on him for anything.

That was when Sam truly became afraid.

Each time he remembered how he had treated her—starving her, abandoning her, ignoring her—guilt squeezed his heart. The fear of losing her tormented him. He began acting differently. He would carry her to bed when she slept on the couch, linger beside her when she cooked, and try to show care in ways he never did before.

Lucy noticed the change, but she remained calm. She watched. She waited.

Then one evening, Lucy came home from work and found the living room decorated—balloons, flowers, soft lights. It was beautiful, almost painfully so. She ignored it and walked straight to her bedroom. But when she opened the door, she stopped.

Sam was kneeling in the middle of the room… crying.

Tears streamed down his face as he looked up at her. His voice broke as he spoke.

“My wife… I’m sorry. Sorry for treating you badly. Sorry for breaking your heart. Sorry for letting you go hungry. Sorry for not providing for you.” His voice cracked, and he burst into deeper tears, shaking.

Lucy’s heart tightened. Despite everything, she still loved him. She walked slowly toward him, helped him up gently, and whispered, “I forgive you.”

Sam wiped his tears with the back of his hand and said in a trembling voice, “Please… return to our bedroom. We’ve been married for only three years, and I have put you through too much. I’m sorry… truly sorry.”

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