Feire finished work for the day with her mind completely unsettled.
Desmond still hadn’t returned any of her calls.
No text.
Nothing.
She had called him again earlier that day and he still ignored it.
At that point, her mind refused to rest. Part of her feared something terrible had happened to him. Maybe he was trapped in some serious situation and genuinely needed help.
Eventually, she convinced herself to visit him that evening before going to see her mother.
Honestly, she didn’t think he would turn it into an issue if she appeared at his house unannounced. After all, he had refused to answer his calls and she was only worried about him.
As she got to his gate, she dialed his number again.
This time, he picked immediately.
“I’ve been calling your number since—”
“If someone hasn’t been picking your calls,” he interrupted coldly, “shouldn’t you assume the person has been busy?”
Feire froze.
Then irritation rose immediately.
“Please come and open the gate. I’m outside.”
She ended the call before he could respond.
For a moment, she honestly considered turning back and leaving. She hated the fact that she had spent hours worrying over somebody who deliberately ignored her calls and still had the audacity to sound irritated.
Still, he was already opening the gate by the time she reconsidered.
Leaving at that point would only create another issue.
So she followed him inside quietly.
Neither of them spoke until they entered the apartment.
“What exactly have you been busy with?” she asked finally.
“Work.”
She stared at him in disbelief.
“Work?” she repeated. “So serious that you couldn’t spare one minute to send a text message?”
Desmond sat down tiredly.
“Please sit.”
“And we agreed you wouldn’t come here again,” he added casually.
She shrugged.
“I came because I was worried about you.”
That was the real problem.
Desmond genuinely didn’t know what to say to her anymore.
He didn’t want to continue pretending.
At the same time, he didn’t know how to suddenly dump the truth on her without destroying everything.
He wished he could simply open his mouth and explain all the madness currently swallowing his life.
But she wouldn’t understand.
Or at least that was what he kept telling himself.
She would see him as another terrible man.
Another liar.
Another manipulator.
And honestly?
Maybe she would be right.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered eventually, lowering his head while rolling a toothpick slowly between his fingers.
Feire’s irritation softened slightly.
Maybe he truly had been busy after all.
Maybe she had overreacted because she cared too much.
“So how has work been?” she asked quietly. “How’s Kike too?”
He nodded immediately.
“Work has been fine. Kike too.”
Then he forced himself to ask:
“What about you?”
Feire instantly brightened and began explaining everything — how the new station welcomed her warmly, how she officially accepted the offer, and how excited she felt about the opportunity.
Those were exactly the things she had desperately wanted to tell him on the phone.
Then suddenly, Desmond asked:
“What if this guy eventually asks you out?”
She narrowed her eyes immediately.
“After everything I just said, that’s the question you came up with?”
“I’m serious, Feire.” His tone remained flat. “You’ve already left your former job. What if tomorrow he gives conditions before allowing you continue working there?”
She shook her head slowly.
“I’d rather become jobless than cheat on you.”
Desmond chuckled quietly.
“It’s easy to talk outside the kitchen. Different thing entirely when you finally enter.”
Her expression hardened instantly.
“What exactly is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. I’m just wondering if it’ll really be as easy as you’re making it sound.”
“I’m not desperate for anybody’s money, Desmond.” Her voice became firmer. “I want loyalty. Complete loyalty. I can’t stay with someone I don’t genuinely love.”
Then she stood up abruptly.
“I should leave.”
Some minutes after Feire left, Desmond drove out too.
He was heading to Kike’s parents’ house.
Both of them had already agreed the previous day that they needed to officially inform her parents about the wedding date.
Even now, he still couldn’t understand why he remained incapable of telling Feire the truth.
As he stepped out of the car, Kike approached immediately.
“Are they inside?” he asked.
“Yes. So when exactly should your parents come?”
He shrugged.
“When do you think?”
“Maybe next week,” she replied thoughtfully. “Especially since we already want to tell them we’ve settled for October 21.”
“Okay. That’s fine.”
Then they walked inside together.
Meanwhile, Feire sat beside her mother with a bowl of sliced fruits resting between them.
Honestly, the entire setup surprised her.
Her mother wasn’t exactly the type to prepare special snacks simply because somebody visited.
Maybe she genuinely had something important to discuss.
“So how’s work?” her mother asked.
Feire instantly decided not to mention the new job.
If she did, the conversation would stretch endlessly into salary discussions and life advice.
“It’s fine.”
“And your boyfriend?”
Feire almost laughed.
Hearing the word boyfriend from her mother sounded strangely unnatural.
“He’s fine too.”
Her mother’s eyes widened immediately.
“Really? So there’s actually a he?”
Feire laughed softly.
“There has always been a he. You just never calm down enough to notice.”
“How would I know when you never tell me anything?” her mother replied. “Every time I asked, you always said there was nobody.”
Then she leaned closer.
“So when exactly am I meeting him?”
“Not yet, Mum.”
“Why?”
“He’s not running away,” Feire replied patiently. “You’ll meet him very soon.”
Her mother sighed knowingly.
“You know—”
“Mummy,” Feire interrupted immediately, “I already know I’m getting older. I know marriage is important. Please let’s not start.”
Her mother laughed softly.
“Actually, I just missed you. You never reply my WhatsApp messages and you hardly call.”
Feire rolled her eyes immediately.
“Mum, those things aren’t messages. They’re broadcasts. How am I supposed to reply broadcasts?”
“At least acknowledge them.”
“I’ve told you before not to send those things to me.”
Her mother smiled.
“Actually, the main reason I called is because Aunty Kemi was asking after you.”
Feire frowned immediately.
“What does she want again?”
“She said her children miss you and she wants you to come stay with them for some days before they resume school.”
“Some days?”
Her mother hesitated.
“Possibly a few weeks.”
Feire stared at her in disbelief.
“A few weeks? Who gives people that kind of leave just to play with cousins?”
“But honestly, you need rest,” her mother insisted. “You’re always working.”
Feire shrugged.
“That’s the price of not becoming poor.”
Her mother sighed deeply.
“I can’t travel anywhere anyway. My workload just increased.”
“That means salary increase too abi?”
Feire burst into laughter.
“Mummy, leave me alone.”
Meanwhile, Kike sat inside her office, typing away on her laptop when somebody knocked gently.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
“Good afternoon.”
Kike looked up immediately.
It was Susan — Uche’s sister.
“Good afternoon, Susan. Please sit.”
Susan sat down slowly.
“I’m sorry for coming without informing you first,” she began. “I felt you might refuse if I called beforehand.”
Kike smiled politely.
“How are you?”
Susan ignored the question completely.
“I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever met somebody with a heart like yours before, Kike.”
Kike blinked slowly.
Susan continued:
“You changed my brother’s life. Honestly, I’ve never seen him become better with anybody else the way he became with you.”
Then her voice softened.
“I really don’t want you to leave him.”
Kike smiled again.
“Thank you.”
“That’s not a compliment,” Susan insisted quickly. “I mean every word. Please… I want you both back together.”
Kike inhaled slowly.
“I don’t think I’ve met a sister like you either. Somebody willing to fight this hard for her brother.”
“He cares too,” Susan replied quickly. “He sent me here himself.”
Kike laughed quietly.
“I might have thrown him out if he came personally.”
“But why?” Susan asked helplessly.
“You should ask your brother first.”
Susan lowered her head immediately.
“I already did.”
Kike’s eyes sharpened.
“And what exactly did he tell you?”
“He said he broke your heart by sleeping with another woman.”
Kike laughed instantly.
“A bloody liar.”
Susan froze.
“He raped me.”
“What?”
Susan stood up immediately in shock.
At that exact moment, another knock sounded at the door.
“Come in.”
Mosun entered carrying some documents that required Kike’s signature.
As Kike signed them, her phone suddenly rang.
Mosun’s eyes casually shifted toward the screen.
Desmond.
“Hey dear,” Kike answered warmly while still signing papers.
Mosun froze.
Then she listened more carefully.
“Should we meet today and fix it then?” Kike asked into the phone.
A brief pause followed.
Then—
“Okay. I love you too.”
Mosun’s eyes widened instantly.
The moment she left the office, her mind started racing wildly.
She had already overheard enough before entering.
Now this?
So Kike left Uche…
…and was now involved with Desmond?
The entire thing suddenly felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Later that afternoon, Desmond adjusted his blazer carefully before entering Kike’s parents’ house.
Kike’s father had specifically summoned him earlier.
Strangely, Desmond no longer felt terrified whenever the man called him over.
He settled comfortably into the chair while a glass of chilled juice was placed before him.
“I called you here for a reason, Desmond,” the older man began.
“Yes sir.”
“In no time August will disappear and October will arrive.”
“Yes sir.”
“Good. This is Mark.”
He pointed toward a young man standing nearby in a black suit.
“He’ll take you to the house I bought for both of you.”
Desmond blinked.
“The house is currently under Kike’s name, but after the marriage, both of you can change it jointly.”
Desmond forced a smile.
“Thank you, sir.”
“And immediately after the wedding, you’ll begin taking over my company fully.”
Desmond almost choked.
“Sir?”
“I’m getting older. It’s time somebody else starts running things while I rest.”
He laughed.
“Don’t worry. By next month, you’ll be paying salaries instead of receiving one.”
Desmond smiled weakly.
“It’s all for my daughter and grandchild.”
“Yes sir.”
Then the older man leaned back slightly.
“One last thing. Personally, I think Kike should travel abroad until she gives birth. Less pressure. Less public attention.”
He shrugged.
“But I’ll allow both of you decide that together.”
Desmond scratched his head slowly.
“We’ll discuss it first, sir.”
“Good. Mark will take you around the property now.”
Desmond thanked him again and stood up quietly.
His life was slipping further away from him with every passing day.