💔 NEVER LET GO – Episode Sixteen: “Two Cities, One Broken Love Story”
Stanley did not wake up early the next morning. His sleep was heavy and uneven, most likely because of the amount of alcohol he had consumed the night before. The sun was already bright when Mrs Grace asked Nkechi to go and call him.
Nkechi pushed the door gently and stepped inside. The smell of alcohol still hung in the air. She walked closer and tapped him lightly. Stanley opened his eyes slowly, looking exhausted and drained. He yawned tiredly.
“Brother good morning.”
He rubbed his forehead. “For how long have I been sleeping?”
“I think you are one hour late from the time you normally wake up.”
The moment she said it, he jumped up from the bed. He took a few steps toward the door but suddenly stopped. A sharp memory rushed into his mind and he froze.
“Where is Ivy? Has she come back home?” Stanley asked quickly. His voice trembled.
Nkechi looked at him in a helpless manner. She tried to speak but no words came out. Her silence was enough to crush him. He rushed out of the room immediately. He searched the sitting room and called Ivy’s name repeatedly, but only Bianca came out of the bathroom.
“Bianca, I cannot find Ivy. Has she returned home yet?”
Bianca shook her head with a worried expression.
“We did not see her either. Everyone is confused and clueless.”
Stanley gasped deeply and sat heavily on the chair. His body felt weak. His mind felt emptier than the room itself. He pressed his fingers against his forehead as tears slowly filled his eyes. Bianca sat beside him gently because she could no longer hold her emotions either.
“Brother,” she said softly, “why do we not report this to the police? It is possible that Ivy could have been kidnapped, especially considering that we are a very wealthy family. Someone might have taken her to demand ransom.”
At that, Stanley lifted his head sharply. Her words hit him with a new spark of hope.
“You might be right. If she has been kidnapped for ransom, then I do not mind giving them everything in my bank account. I just do not know where else to look. I will report to the police. Ivy makes me complete. I have never felt this way for any woman before.”
Bianca held his arm.
“It is alright brother. I do not believe we have lost her. Ivy will come back home.”
Stanley could not eat breakfast. His nerves were too shaken. He dressed up immediately and left for the police station.
This was Port Harcourt, and Stanley was not just anybody. His family had deep influence. He was wealthy, well connected, and respected among the powerful. The moment he arrived at the police station, officers gathered quickly, recognizing him at once. He submitted Ivy’s photograph and every important detail. Calls were made. Messages were dispatched. Patrol vans were alerted. Orders were issued with urgency. The officers treated the matter like a case that must be solved immediately.
But despite all the connections, despite the money, despite the frantic search that covered almost every corner of the city, nothing came out of it. Not even a trace. Two days passed.
Stanley began to look like a shadow of his own body. His eyes were red from constant crying. He promised a huge amount of money to anyone who could help him find Ivy. The police continued their searches, but every day ended with the same disappointing report.
Nothing.
Days turned into weeks and nobody found her. His mother and sisters were devastated. They begged him to eat properly so that his health would not fail. But Stanley was sinking inside. Every breath felt heavy. Every hour felt endless.
Even his business suffered. He could no longer concentrate at the company. His mind was absent. His hands trembled during meetings. He spoke without structure. Eventually, he handed over the entire company operations to his competent cousin, Brad, who had experience handling their family affairs.
Stanley did not care anymore. All he wanted was Ivy. Sometimes he stayed with friends, especially Mark, who tried to comfort him. Sometimes he wandered into bars until morning. His friends pitied him deeply and advised him to move on, but moving on felt impossible. Ivy was everywhere in his memories. Every corner of the house reminded him of her smile. Every plate in the kitchen reminded him of her gentle footsteps. The wedding cards were already printed, and looking at them broke him completely.
Meanwhile, Ivy’s life had taken a cruel turn.
She had been driven all the way to the city of Lagos State. The woman who brought her there stopped abruptly on a lonely roadside. She dragged Ivy out of the car and pointed a finger in her face.
“If you ever return to that man, we will find you. And we will kill you.”
After saying that, she zoomed off without looking back.
Ivy watched the car disappear until it became a tiny dot in the distance. She stood still with trembling legs. The reality of everything hit her like a violent storm. She had been taken away from the only person who made her life feel meaningful. Her heart felt shattered and hollow.
Living without Stanley was like dying slowly. He was her first true love. Her happiness. Her sense of belonging. The only one who ever looked at her like she mattered.
She walked to a large stone near the roadside and sat down weakly. Tears poured freely down her cheeks.
“Stanley,” she whispered softly, “I will always love you for what you have made my life become. Ivy will forever love you. I will keep waiting because I cannot live without your gentle smiles. You loved me even when I had nobody. You loved me even when I was an orphan. You will always remain in my heart.”
She touched her engagement ring gently and caressed it as if she could feel his warmth through it. But the more she remembered him, the harder she cried. She cried until her voice weakened. She cried until she fell asleep out of exhaustion.
Minutes later, someone tapped her shoulder.
She opened her eyes quickly and jumped up in fear. A man stood before her.
“Do not run,” he said quickly. “Trust me, I mean you no harm.”
Ivy froze. She was scared but she did not move.
“My name is Dave,” the man said calmly. “Like I said, I mean you no harm.”
She stared at him with confusion. She had never been comfortable talking to strangers, especially men.
“How may I help you sir?” she asked quietly.
“Actually the question is how I can help you,” Dave replied. “I passed here an hour ago and I saw you sitting here. I went for my errand and came back now and you are still here. You look stranded.”
“But you still have not answered my question,” Ivy said quickly. “How may I help you?”
Dave sighed.
“This road is dangerous. If you are stranded, I can give you a ride to wherever you are going.”
Ivy lowered her gaze.
“I do not know where I am going. I am just lost.”
Dave frowned.
“How do you not know? Were you brought here unconsciously?”
“I do not know,” Ivy replied sadly. “Please leave me alone. I need time to think about my life.”
Her voice sounded broken. Dave understood immediately that she was in deep distress.
“Listen,” he said gently. “I can take you to a safer place. This area is filled with thugs and kidnappers. I promise you I will not harm you.”
Ivy looked at him suspiciously and shook her head.
“Thank you. But I am fine on my own.”
After trying his best to convince her and failing, Dave finally walked back to his car and drove off.
Moments after he left, Ivy regretted not asking him for help. She was hungry and weak. She had nowhere to go. The road was empty. There were no houses, no shops, nothing. She walked a little but soon became tired and stopped. She sat under a mango tree and fell asleep again out of weakness and hunger. Four hours later, she heard the sound of an approaching car.
Dave had returned again.
To Be Continued ✍️ ✍️ ✍️ #NeverLetGo #EpisodeSixteen #IvyAndStanley #LoveAndLoss #MissingBrideToBe #WhereIsIvy #StanleysSearch #AfricanLoveStories #EmotionalFiction #TearsAndHope #LoveWithoutLimits #HeartbreakSeries #FictionSeriesNigeria #LagosAndPortharcourt #LoveInDanger #FindingIvy #StanleysPain #RomanceAndSuspense
Stanley did not wake up early the next morning. His sleep was heavy and uneven, most likely because of the amount of alcohol he had consumed the night before. The sun was already bright when Mrs Grace asked Nkechi to go and call him.
Nkechi pushed the door gently and stepped inside. The smell of alcohol still hung in the air. She walked closer and tapped him lightly. Stanley opened his eyes slowly, looking exhausted and drained. He yawned tiredly.
“Brother good morning.”
He rubbed his forehead. “For how long have I been sleeping?”
“I think you are one hour late from the time you normally wake up.”
The moment she said it, he jumped up from the bed. He took a few steps toward the door but suddenly stopped. A sharp memory rushed into his mind and he froze.
“Where is Ivy? Has she come back home?” Stanley asked quickly. His voice trembled.
Nkechi looked at him in a helpless manner. She tried to speak but no words came out. Her silence was enough to crush him. He rushed out of the room immediately. He searched the sitting room and called Ivy’s name repeatedly, but only Bianca came out of the bathroom.
“Bianca, I cannot find Ivy. Has she returned home yet?”
Bianca shook her head with a worried expression.
“We did not see her either. Everyone is confused and clueless.”
Stanley gasped deeply and sat heavily on the chair. His body felt weak. His mind felt emptier than the room itself. He pressed his fingers against his forehead as tears slowly filled his eyes. Bianca sat beside him gently because she could no longer hold her emotions either.
“Brother,” she said softly, “why do we not report this to the police? It is possible that Ivy could have been kidnapped, especially considering that we are a very wealthy family. Someone might have taken her to demand ransom.”
At that, Stanley lifted his head sharply. Her words hit him with a new spark of hope.
“You might be right. If she has been kidnapped for ransom, then I do not mind giving them everything in my bank account. I just do not know where else to look. I will report to the police. Ivy makes me complete. I have never felt this way for any woman before.”
Bianca held his arm.
“It is alright brother. I do not believe we have lost her. Ivy will come back home.”
Stanley could not eat breakfast. His nerves were too shaken. He dressed up immediately and left for the police station.
This was Port Harcourt, and Stanley was not just anybody. His family had deep influence. He was wealthy, well connected, and respected among the powerful. The moment he arrived at the police station, officers gathered quickly, recognizing him at once. He submitted Ivy’s photograph and every important detail. Calls were made. Messages were dispatched. Patrol vans were alerted. Orders were issued with urgency. The officers treated the matter like a case that must be solved immediately.
But despite all the connections, despite the money, despite the frantic search that covered almost every corner of the city, nothing came out of it. Not even a trace. Two days passed.
Stanley began to look like a shadow of his own body. His eyes were red from constant crying. He promised a huge amount of money to anyone who could help him find Ivy. The police continued their searches, but every day ended with the same disappointing report.
Nothing.
Days turned into weeks and nobody found her. His mother and sisters were devastated. They begged him to eat properly so that his health would not fail. But Stanley was sinking inside. Every breath felt heavy. Every hour felt endless.
Even his business suffered. He could no longer concentrate at the company. His mind was absent. His hands trembled during meetings. He spoke without structure. Eventually, he handed over the entire company operations to his competent cousin, Brad, who had experience handling their family affairs.
Stanley did not care anymore. All he wanted was Ivy. Sometimes he stayed with friends, especially Mark, who tried to comfort him. Sometimes he wandered into bars until morning. His friends pitied him deeply and advised him to move on, but moving on felt impossible. Ivy was everywhere in his memories. Every corner of the house reminded him of her smile. Every plate in the kitchen reminded him of her gentle footsteps. The wedding cards were already printed, and looking at them broke him completely.
Meanwhile, Ivy’s life had taken a cruel turn.
She had been driven all the way to the city of Lagos State. The woman who brought her there stopped abruptly on a lonely roadside. She dragged Ivy out of the car and pointed a finger in her face.
“If you ever return to that man, we will find you. And we will kill you.”
After saying that, she zoomed off without looking back.
Ivy watched the car disappear until it became a tiny dot in the distance. She stood still with trembling legs. The reality of everything hit her like a violent storm. She had been taken away from the only person who made her life feel meaningful. Her heart felt shattered and hollow.
Living without Stanley was like dying slowly. He was her first true love. Her happiness. Her sense of belonging. The only one who ever looked at her like she mattered.
She walked to a large stone near the roadside and sat down weakly. Tears poured freely down her cheeks.
“Stanley,” she whispered softly, “I will always love you for what you have made my life become. Ivy will forever love you. I will keep waiting because I cannot live without your gentle smiles. You loved me even when I had nobody. You loved me even when I was an orphan. You will always remain in my heart.”
She touched her engagement ring gently and caressed it as if she could feel his warmth through it. But the more she remembered him, the harder she cried. She cried until her voice weakened. She cried until she fell asleep out of exhaustion.
Minutes later, someone tapped her shoulder.
She opened her eyes quickly and jumped up in fear. A man stood before her.
“Do not run,” he said quickly. “Trust me, I mean you no harm.”
Ivy froze. She was scared but she did not move.
“My name is Dave,” the man said calmly. “Like I said, I mean you no harm.”
She stared at him with confusion. She had never been comfortable talking to strangers, especially men.
“How may I help you sir?” she asked quietly.
“Actually the question is how I can help you,” Dave replied. “I passed here an hour ago and I saw you sitting here. I went for my errand and came back now and you are still here. You look stranded.”
“But you still have not answered my question,” Ivy said quickly. “How may I help you?”
Dave sighed.
“This road is dangerous. If you are stranded, I can give you a ride to wherever you are going.”
Ivy lowered her gaze.
“I do not know where I am going. I am just lost.”
Dave frowned.
“How do you not know? Were you brought here unconsciously?”
“I do not know,” Ivy replied sadly. “Please leave me alone. I need time to think about my life.”
Her voice sounded broken. Dave understood immediately that she was in deep distress.
“Listen,” he said gently. “I can take you to a safer place. This area is filled with thugs and kidnappers. I promise you I will not harm you.”
Ivy looked at him suspiciously and shook her head.
“Thank you. But I am fine on my own.”
After trying his best to convince her and failing, Dave finally walked back to his car and drove off.
Moments after he left, Ivy regretted not asking him for help. She was hungry and weak. She had nowhere to go. The road was empty. There were no houses, no shops, nothing. She walked a little but soon became tired and stopped. She sat under a mango tree and fell asleep again out of weakness and hunger. Four hours later, she heard the sound of an approaching car.
Dave had returned again.
To Be Continued ✍️ ✍️ ✍️ #NeverLetGo #EpisodeSixteen #IvyAndStanley #LoveAndLoss #MissingBrideToBe #WhereIsIvy #StanleysSearch #AfricanLoveStories #EmotionalFiction #TearsAndHope #LoveWithoutLimits #HeartbreakSeries #FictionSeriesNigeria #LagosAndPortharcourt #LoveInDanger #FindingIvy #StanleysPain #RomanceAndSuspense
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