Love Found Me When I Wasn’t Looking (Episode 11)

Daniel’s POV

The next morning, I walked into school humming.

I didn’t even realize I was doing it until Mr. Ade laughed and said, “Daniel, you look like a man who won the lottery.”

Maybe I had.

My heart felt light. My steps were easy. For the first time in weeks, I wasn’t fighting my feelings I was floating in them. Every part of me was still wrapped around the memory of Victoria from the night before. Her surprise when she saw me. Her smile. The way she chose me out loud to her mother.

How could I not be happy?

Even my students noticed.

“Sir, why are you smiling like that?” one of them asked.

I cleared my throat, trying to look serious. “Face your books.”

But the smile stayed.

Then I saw her.

Victoria walked into the compound looking radiant in a simple patterned dress, her bag resting on her shoulder. She wasn’t dressed loudly, but something about her glowed—like joy had settled comfortably on her skin. When our eyes met, she smiled, quick and shy, then looked away.

I felt it in my chest.

She caught me staring at her more than once that morning. Each time, she’d smile to herself, like she was replaying the same memories I was. Once, while arranging her books in the staff room, she shook her head softly and smiled again, lost in her thoughts.

That smile…
It belonged to us.

I leaned back in my chair, watching her when I shouldn’t have, not caring who noticed. If anyone suspected, I didn’t mind. I was tired of pretending my heart wasn’t full.

Then her phone rang.

She glanced at the screen and hesitated.

“I’ll be back,” she said quietly, stepping outside.

I watched her go, my good mood still intact.

At first.

She returned a few minutes later.

And everything had changed.

Her shoulders were tense. The softness in her face was gone. The smile that had followed her all morning had completely disappeared, replaced by something heavy—conflicted. Her eyes didn’t search for mine immediately like before.

My chest tightened.

When she finally looked at me, there was pain there.

Fear.

I stood up instantly and walked toward her. “Victoria… are you okay?”

She shook her head slightly. “Can we talk later?”

That was when I knew.

Something had reached into our happiness and tried to pull it apart.

---

During break, she finally found me outside my classroom. Her voice was low.

“It was my mum,” she said.

I braced myself. “About yesterday?”

She nodded slowly. “She said I will marry the man in Abuja.”

My heart dropped.

“The rich one?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

“Yes,” she whispered. “She said I can’t marry a teacher. That teachers are not rich. That love doesn’t pay bills.”

I clenched my fists without realizing it.

“And what did you say?” I asked carefully.

Victoria swallowed. “I told her I’m already seeing someone.”

My chest lifted just slightly.

“But she didn’t listen,” Victoria continued. “She said I’m being foolish. That I should think of my future. That marrying a teacher is suffering.”

The words stung like they were meant for me directly.

I forced a calm smile. “And what do *you* think?”

She looked up at me then, eyes shining with emotion. “I think… I don’t want a future without you in it.”

That almost broke me.

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Victoria, I may not be rich. I may never be the Abuja man your mother wants. But I promise you I will never make you feel small for choosing me.”

Her lips trembled. “I know.”

“But this won’t be easy,” she said.

I nodded. “I didn’t fall in love because it was easy.”

For a moment, the noise of the school faded again. It was just us standing between duty and desire, reality and love.

As she walked away to her class, I watched her carefully.

I was still happy.

But now, I understood something important:

Love had announced itself.

And the world had started to answer back.

To continue....Episode 12