Chapter 62

Ousmane’s POV

Knowing we wouldn’t reach an understanding, I decided to check on Oumou.

“I’ll be right back; I’m going to see if Oumou has started on your meatballs. Do you need anything else?”

“You can leave. I’ll manage,” she said, wiping her tears. “You don’t love me anymore, so why go to all this trouble? Go join her.”

“Did I say I was leaving?”

“You abandoned me all these months, didn’t you? I should have realized then that you no longer loved me. But I was stupid, hoping for your return, believing nothing and no one could take my place in your heart,” she said, crying again. “I thought it was just to punish me and that once the anger passed, you’d come back. Ousmane, you know that despite everything, I love you. If I did what I did, it was only because I was afraid of losing you. I saw you weren’t the same anymore, and it’s all her fault.”

“Zayate, since I asked for your forgiveness and you agreed, have I given you any reason to doubt