TomiRoyal's Book and Story
Lemonade Dreams
"When life handed me lemons, I learned to survive bitterness. Now I'm learning to build groves." Tiara Gold's world shatters at age eight when her parents die in a tragic accident. What follows is a calculated theft-her father's relatives strip her of inheritance, education, and dignity, forcing her into menial labor in the very home that was supposed to be her safe haven. Beaten down but unbroken, Tiara flees to the streets of Ibadan, where survival becomes her education and resilience her means of living. Through the mentorship of Aunty Bisi-a fierce market woman with her own scars-and friendships forged in hardship, Tiara rebuilds herself word by word, meal by meal, dream by dream. When she earns a scholarship to a University in Lagos, she meets Deba, a gentle medical student whose love challenges everything she's learned about trust and vulnerability. As her success grows, so does the threat from her past. Tiara must face her relatives in court, reclaim her stolen legacy, and decide whether opening her heart to love is worth the risk of being shattered again. This is a story about the alchemy of pain-how bitterness, when refused dominion, becomes the foundation for extraordinary sweetness.
