CHAPTER FIVE: THE WARNING
By the time Amara was invited to speak at the 'Women in Business Summit' in Victoria Island, she’d already tripled her client base and was hiring two part-time assistants. She was still working out of her friend’s living room, but the confidence in her emails and voice notes said CEO.
Malia was thriving too — happier, lighter. The shadows in her eyes from those early weeks had faded, replaced by giggles and school art projects that featured “Mommy the Business Lady.”
Amara was rising. Slowly. Quietly. Brilliantly.
But Jason had never liked anything he couldn’t control.
He reached out the day her face appeared on a local business blog, smiling in her signature white blazer under the headline:
“Divorced and Dominating: Amara Cole’s Quiet Empire”
The message came in at 9:43 PM.
Jason:
“So this is what you’ve been doing? Parading yourself on blogs like some motivational poster?”
“I hope Malia doesn’t start thinking attention is more important than humility.”
She stared at the message, fingers trembling — not out of fear, but rage. The same old tactics. Gaslighting. Shame. Diminish.
Amara:
“Malia sees her mother working, healing, and thriving. If that offends you, reflect on why.”
She didn’t wait for a reply.
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But the next blow came where it hurt more: through Malia.
That Friday, Jason showed up unannounced at school pickup. He hadn’t asked. Hadn’t cleared it with Amara. And when she confronted him, he simply smirked.
“I miss my daughter. And I have a right to see her.”
“Not without notice. And not when your idea of fatherhood is half a weekend and a guilt trip.”
He stepped closer. Too close. The old intimidation dance.
“You think building logos and IG pages makes you powerful? You're still just my ex-wife. A shadow of what we had.”
Amara didn’t flinch this time.
“No, Jason. I’m the light that outgrew your shadow.”
She walked away, heels clicking like a metronome of defiance, the echo of her power stretching longer than his presence.
That night, she got another message. This time from Darius.
Darius:
“Saw the blog feature. You’re on fire. If you ever need support — personal or professional — I’m here.”
She hesitated, then replied:
Amara:
“Thank you. Today was... harder than it looked.”
Darius:
“You're doing hard things like a queen. No rush. Just don’t forget — you’re not alone anymore.”
For the first time since her marriage ended, Amara let herself exhale. Maybe... she wasn’t alone.
And maybe being seen didn’t mean she had to hide anymore.
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