Jidenna's career was slipping through his fingers like sand, no matter how hard he tried to hold onto it. The once-bright future he had worked so tirelessly to build now seemed like a distant memory. His reputation had taken a hit from baseless rumors, his social media accounts were losing followers daily, and opportunities that had once come knocking were now slipping through the cracks.
For weeks, he tried to make sense of the chaos, but nothing added up. Who would want to ruin him? He wasn't a man of scandal—he treated people with kindness, avoided unnecessary conflicts, and poured his heart into his music. Yet, someone was determined to see him fall.
Determined to regain control of his life, Jidenna started investigating. He spoke to his manager, his bandmates, and even his fans, trying to find the source of the rumors and sabotage. He spent nights combing through emails, reviewing his social media accounts, and retracing his steps in search of anything that could lead him to the culprit.
It was during one of these late nights, while Amaka was asleep, that he noticed something strange. His official email account showed several sent messages that he didn't remember writing. Curious, he clicked on one. It was a message to a festival organizer—one that had canceled his performance at the last minute.
The message read:
"I'm sorry to inform you, but due to unforeseen personal issues, I will not be able to perform at your event. Thank you for understanding."
Jidenna frowned. He hadn't sent this email. Why would he sabotage his own career?
His stomach churned as he realized that someone else had access to his account. But who?
One afternoon, as Jidenna continued piecing together the puzzle, Amaka left her phone on the couch while she went to the kitchen. Jidenna, sitting nearby, noticed the screen light up with a notification. It was an email, and the subject line caught his eye:
"Regarding Jidenna's Radio Appearance."
Curiosity and suspicion got the better of him. He picked up the phone, intending only to glance at the message. But as he unlocked the device—a habit he knew Amaka's password for—he was met with a shocking sight.
The email thread revealed that Amaka had been corresponding with several media outlets, spreading false rumors about him. Attached were screenshots of messages she had fabricated, claiming he was arrogant and unprofessional.
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Jidenna's heart pounded in his chest. His hands trembled as he scrolled further, uncovering more evidence of her betrayal. Anonymous social media accounts traced back to her, messages sent to his contacts discouraging them from working with him, and even a call log showing repeated attempts to disrupt his gigs.
The woman he loved, the woman he had promised to marry, was the one tearing his life apart.
Amaka returned from the kitchen, a tray of snacks in her hands. She froze when she saw Jidenna holding her phone, his face a mix of fury and heartbreak.
"What are you doing with my phone?" she asked, her voice shaky.
Jidenna stood, his eyes blazing. "You've been sabotaging me," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Why, Amaka? Why would you do this to me?"
Amaka's face turned pale. She set the tray down, her hands trembling. "I... I can explain," she stammered, but her voice betrayed her guilt.
"Explain?" Jidenna laughed bitterly, holding up the phone. "Explain how you've been spreading lies about me? How you've been destroying everything I've worked for? The emails, the fake accounts—it's all here, Amaka!"
Tears welled up in Amaka's eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt you," she said, her voice cracking. "I just... I didn't want to lose you. You were slipping away, Jidenna. The fame, the attention—it was changing you. I was scared."
"Scared?" Jidenna's voice rose. "So you decided to ruin me? To destroy my career? The career I built for us, for our future?"
Amaka took a step toward him, her hands outstretched. "I did it for us, Jidenna. I thought if I could bring you back down, we could be happy again, like before."
Jidenna stepped back, his face contorted with pain. "You didn't do this for us. You did this for yourself. You didn't trust me, Amaka. You didn't believe in me."
The room fell silent, the weight of the moment pressing down on both of them. Amaka sobbed, her shoulders shaking as she tried to reach for him again. But Jidenna turned away, his heart shattered.
"I can't do this," he said quietly. "I can't be with someone who would go to such lengths to control me. This... this isn't love, Amaka."
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the couch, her cries echoing through the room. Jidenna grabbed his jacket and walked out the door, leaving her alone with the weight of her actions.
Jidenna drove aimlessly through the city, his mind racing. The betrayal cut deeper than any wound he had ever experienced. The woman he had loved, the one he had planned to spend his life with, had been his greatest enemy.
But as the initial shock subsided, a new resolve began to take shape. He wouldn't let this break him. He had fought too hard to get to where he was, and he wouldn't let anyone—not even Amaka—take it all away.
He pulled over to the side of the road and made a call to his manager. "We need to talk," he said, his voice firm. "It's time to set things right."
As he hung up, Jidenna stared out at the city lights, a fire burning in his chest. He didn't know what the future held, but one thing was certain: he wouldn't let this betrayal define him.