AIDA Sometimes I wonder how I ended up with someone like him. We've been together for a year now, and he's always been like this. I kept lying to myself, thinking that with time, I'd prove to him that he could trust me. That he'd finally see the kind of love I have for him. But the truth is, an animal like him could never comprehend a love like mine,one that's patient, loyal, and far too forgiving. I sighed, gave him one last look of disgust and focused on the meeting. "You think I'm stupid?" he continued, his eyes darting toward the new guy, who was now being introduced by Mr. Biodun.  I felt the familiar burn of tears prickling behind my eyes, tears I had promised myself I wouldn't shed again over this. My mistake was ever trying to fix a man who saw suspicion in sunshine and betrayal in a simple shared hallway. "...everyone, please welcome Mike ikechukwu, who will be joining our team temporarily," Mr. Biodun announced. He paused, looking around the room with a strange, almost nervous energy. "Mike is here to undergo a new orientation process and learn from us, so please take care of him and teach him well." Mike gave a brief, polite nod to the room. He didn't look like someone thrilled to be there. His face was composed, but beneath the professional demeanor, I saw that same clueless, eager energy I'd noticed earlier, only now mixed with a visible tension, the strain of someone trying to swallow their pride. Mr. Biodun cleared his throat and brought the room to attention. "Alright, let's get started. I'll be blunt, but funding for the May-June documentation project has been slashed. The company is currently not at its best state now and would like us to endure and try to cope." The mood in the room dropped instantly. "What do you mean 'slashed'? We've been working on that project for months." Mercy snapped. She didn't even let Mr. Biodun finish his sentence. Typical Mercy, lion of the department. First to roar, last to back down. The rest of us might grumble,hiss and sign quietly to avoid being queried, but not her. She'd set the whole office on fire if something didn't sit right with her. And honestly? I thank God for the type of person she is, if not we'd probably be tiptoeing around a broken system and eating shit sandwiches with fake smiles in this office. People say she's sleeping with Mr. Biodun. Of course, no one dares say it out loud, but it's in the way they look at each other. In this way he always lets her talk over him and never checks her when she steps out of line. It's like she's the untouchable, like she had leverage over him. Some say she got transferred here not because of her skills, but because she got too close to someone in upper management,and Mr. Biodun just "happened" to request her specifically. All I know is, nobody else in this office would dare raise their voice at him and still walk out with a smile and zero consequences. But hey, who am I to judge? If that's what it takes to get your voice heard around here, maybe she's not the fool, we are. "I mean," Mr. Biodun said carefully, "the budget has been cut significantly. We're expected to scale down." I finally took a long, much-needed breath and decided to say my mind. If I die, I die. I had put so much into this project, late nights, skipped lunches, and weekends blurred into weekdays. This wasn't just another task for me. It was supposed to be my moment. My chance to finally show HQ what I was capable of. To prove that I wasn't just some pretty face stuck in the least-valued office in the company. This project was supposed to be my ladder to that promotion. My way out of being overlooked. And now they were just... cutting it? No. Not without hearing from me. She's right," someone else chimed in. "We already used our own funds for printing and transportation last time. They keep saying 'temporary,' but it's every single time." "I'm sorry but this isn't fair, and it isn't just frustrating, it's disrespectful," my voice was calm but my heart was beating like a drum. "We're not interns. This is a full team running a core department. How are we supposed to function like this?" I wasn't yelling, but every word came out sharp. I could feel Caleb staring at me, probably wondering where I got the balls from. Mercy even leaned back in her seat a little, raising her brows like she was impressed, or amused. Mr. Biodun raised both hands. "Look, I'm not disagreeing with any of you. I'll escalate this, but for now, we need to hold off on the rest of the project until further instruction and If anyone has complaints, feel free to take it up with them directly. Send an email. March to their office. Scream at their doors, break down the walls of their offices if you want, I really don't care. But I'm not the one you should be pointing fingers at." Silence settled in the room, but it wasn't peaceful, it was the kind of silence that comes when everyone's biting back the urge to scream. "The meeting adjourned," he said finally. Chairs scraped. Files snapped shut. Everyone started filing out slowly, mumbling their frustrations. Caleb didn't move. He was still staring at me, lips tight and arms crossed. Yup. Definitely in for a long week. I grabbed my small handbag and moved to leave, but Caleb's voice low, menacing, stopped me. "So, that's your strategy now? Throwing a tantrum in a meeting?" he hissed. "Trying to play the hero for the new guy to notice you? Did you do all that just so Mike could see you fight for the team?" I stopped, turning back to face him fully. My previous calm had vanished, replaced by a cold, searing anger. "Are you hearing yourself? We just had our project budget butchered, and your biggest concern is what Mike thinks? Or what I think of him?" "I know what you're thinking," he sneered, finally rising from his seat. "The moment a new guy walks in who might actually have some money, you suddenly grow a spine for attention. You're predictable, Aida." I took a sharp step toward him, throwing caution completely out the window. "Predictable? You know what's predictable, Caleb ? You are. You're predictable in your relentless suspicion, predictable in your baseless jealousy, and predictable in always finding a way to make every professional crisis about your own insecure ego. Get over yourself." The silence in the room was now absolute. Several colleagues, including Mercy and a couple of others who had lingered, froze, pretending to adjust papers but clearly listening. Caleb's face went from sneering confidence to utter shock, then to a dangerous, low-burning fury. Before he could respond, a third voice broke the tension,a voice that was quiet, professional, and slightly weary. "Excuse me," Mike said, stepping away from the corner where he'd been quietly observing the spectacle.

AIDA I could see the disgust in Caleb's face as he turned to face Mike. "This has nothing to do with you" he said dragging me to a different corner in the room I didn't fight him when he dragged me toward the deserted corner near the seldom-used storage units after the meeting. The AC hummed softly above us, a dull contrast to his loud frustration. A few heads turned, pretending not to listen. They better not listen. I saw Mercy frown at me,I knew she was tired of him doing this to me but couldn't tell me. I knew the others were, too. The disappointment wasn't just mine; it was reflected on every averted face. This tantrum, fueled by jealousy, was a predictable choreography I had mastered. I used to believe this intensity was the measure of his love, a protective instinct he couldn't control. Now, I simply understood it as his lack of control, his refusal to seek a better way to treat the woman he claimed to cherish. I couldn't recall the last time we had shared intimacy that didn't feel like a territorial skirmish. He used to write love notes on napkins. Now he throws tantrums in public like a child. It used to be me smiling at his passion. Now my skin crawls at the sound of his voice. It was me and him against the world. Now it is him against me. We were the IT couple. In my head though but regardless still. When did it get this bad? I watched the muscles around his mouth tense and release, forming rapid, soundless words. I had long ago learned how to shut down my ears and brain whenever he starts behaving like he doesn't have home training.  It helps a lot with the pain and anger I usually felt when I listen to him  So I watched him. After a few moments of zoning out I realized I didn't have the time for this no more. "Babe please, we're at the office, this isn't the right place to do all these" I said while gently rubbing his arm, feeling how strong the biceps are, The hardness of the muscle was immediately transporting, flashing me back to a time when that strength had been a source of comfort, not intimidation. Even now, in the middle of this mess, a confusing, unwelcome wave of residual physical hunger hit me, a painful reminder of what we used to be. He snatched his arm away, the rejection sharp and deliberate. I pulled my hand back and gave him one last look, not of anger, but of utter, final resignation, the kind that says I'm done trying without a single word. He can keep ranting. I've got reports to turn in, peace to protect and sanity to maintain. When I was just about to turn and leave, I heard footsteps. Without turning my head I could see the new guy's gaze on us - first on Caleb, then on me, his gaze lingered a little longer than it should have, then he walked past. "See what I'm saying!" Caleb finally spat out. I just walked away, leaving him standing there in the corner, muttering to the humming AC. Entering my tiny cubicle,a flimsy barrier against the day's events and rested my forehead on the cool, hard surface of my desk. Today is going to be a long day. And it was - but at least it eventually came to an end. At around 4pm before leaving i decided to text Caleb "..................I'm really sorry for what happened today, it wasn't my intention to make you feel that way". I couldn't come up with what to write cause I did nothing wrong, but for peace to reign I just had to send it . I stood up and left the office. I was standing in front of the building, battling the rush hour crowd and trying desperately to flag down a keke, when a nice, flashy white car, a vehicle that screamed generational wealth pulled up silently beside me. It was Mike. How the hell can an 'orientation trainee' afford that? I instantly dismissed the thought; clearly, his parents were wealthy, and this was just his playground. "Do you mind if I drop you off"  His voice was soothing, Too soothing. The kind that makes you want to say yes to anything. For a second, I forgot Caleb was supposed to be coming out to meet me. "Naaa, I'm good. Maybe next time. Thanks for offering," I said, trying to seem cool and casual, but the smile I flashed was probably too wide and definitely strained. What is wrong with me? I'm sure he found my smile creepy. "Okay then, if you insist." He paused, his expression serious now, his composure slipping slightly. "Sorry to ask, but who was the guy I saw you with earlier". Fair question. "He's my boyfriend," I said, the words barely audible, just as Caleb's heavy presence materialized beside me. "Yeah, she's my girlfriend," Caleb cut in, his voice sharp and possessive. "So if you'd kindly move your car, we'd like to stop keke and be on our way, you're blocking the road." That was rude, unnecessary, and guaranteed to cost me my peace later, but I decided I'd talk to him when we got back to his place. I couldn't afford another public shouting match. "I didn't get your name," Mike said, completely ignoring Caleb's existence. His gaze was fixed solely on mine. "Mine's Mike." "Aida," I managed quietly, avoiding Caleb's eyes, the heat of his anger now radiating off him like a furnace. Mike gave us a small wave, honked once, and finally drove off. I could practically feel the heat radiating off Caleb. He was boiling in anger. This night won't be funny. Again. MIKE As Mike pulled the heavy door shut and merged into traffic, his eyes narrowed, the smooth white car serving as a shield. I walked into my apartment, kicked off my shoes, and collapsed onto the bed. The day had been long and that little scene outside the office didn't help. I couldn't stop thinking about her. Was that guy hurting her? She didn't exactly look scared, but still something felt off. I really hoped she was safe. Why am I this concerned? I shook off the thoughts, took off my clothes, and headed to the enormous marble bathroom. I turned on the tap to fill the deep, wide tub and admired the space while I waited. This bathroom, with its cool blue and white tones, felt like floating under a serene, private sky. Serene. Clean. Mine. Mine again. I eased into the jacuzzi, letting the cold water wrap around my body, seeking the mental reset I desperately needed. Knock. Knock. Ugh. Grace. I stepped out, wrapped a towel around my waist, and opened the door. "Oga, good evening. What would you like for dinner?" she asked, as polite as ever. With her usual smile.  She had this two tribal marks on both cheeks that made her look like a bush cat, whoever did that to her face will not live well. "Egusi soup," I said, without thinking. "The one you brought me yesterday. Thank you." She nodded and headed off. The house was so quiet I could hear her soft footsteps echoing down the hallway. Ten minutes later, she returned, balancing a tray of food on her arms. "Your food, sir," she said, placing it gently on the glass side table. Just as she was about to leave, she paused at the door. "Oga... Big Oga say make you come down when you don chop finish. He dey wait for you," she added in pidgin. I smiled to myself. I loved how she switched from English to pidgin, Like family. "Okay. Tell him I'll be down shortly."

MIKE After rinsing my mouth, fixing my hair a little, and throwing on something decent, I headed downstairs. The first thing I noticed was the faint scent of my mother's perfume. She's back? I walked into the main parlour, and there she was comfortably settled on the couch like she never left. My parents were in the middle of a light conversation. "Look who finally made it out of the shower," she teased. "Come give mommy a hug. Or are you too big for hugs now?" I laughed and rushed into her arms. "How was your trip back?" I asked  "The weather there is not nice these days, I said lemme come back home to the warmth here Biko" she seemed really happy to be back "So it wasn't because of me" I turned away from her playfully.  "At your age you're still acting like a child. If you're behaving like this, what will Amaka now do?" She paused, then relented, pulling him back: "Oya, I missed you." "It's fineeee" I laughed out loud. It was nice playing with her again. I left her and sat on the single-seater across from them, Her perfume still floating in the air and now on my body, the distant clinking of plates from the kitchen as Grace wrapped up for the night. My dad leaned back slightly in his chair, arms crossed, calm, but clearly prepared for me tonight, But I'll shock him. My mom, on the other hand, just looked proud to have both her Men in the same room. "So," my dad began, locking eyes with me, "how's the job treating you so far?" "It's only my first day but so far it's been good." He smirked. "That's part of the training." Mom rolled her eyes. "I don't know why you insist on stressing my baby like this" He ignored her, and turned fully to face me. "Listen, Mike. I know you're used to getting things handed to you, nice cars, a good life, opportunities. And I'm not blaming you. That's on us. We worked hard so you wouldn't have to start like we did." I stayed quiet. I knew this talk was coming. It was always about how he starved, trekked to school barefooted, fought lions on his way to school, killed a bear on his way back, licked palm oil for dinner. How did he survive all that? "But in this company," he continued, voice firm but not cold, "you don't get to waltz in and sit in a leather chair just because your surname matches mine. If you want that CEO title one day, you're going to earn it." I nodded again. "I understand sir." Mom raised a brow. "Do you really?" I smiled faintly. "Yeah. I do. That's why I'm okay with starting from the bottom. I want to learn every part of the business, how it runs, who keeps it running. I want the staff to see me and respect the work, not the name." My dad leaned back and gave a surprised look then a satisfied nod. "Good. You're already a step ahead. But don't expect it to be easy, no one knows who you are there, so you'll be treated like other staffs equally" "That's fair," I said. He reached out and placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "I'm proud of you, son and I believe you can do it." Mom beamed. "Now that's out of the way, will you finally bring your girlfriend home? I really hope you're taking your relationship matter seriously." I laughed, tension easing. "Mom, but you know I'm single and please don't try to hook me up again, the last one didn't go well" Just then, my little sister Amaka poked her head in from the hallway. "Did someone say girlfriend ?" Then she looked at me "I think we all should brace ourselves for the worst . He might die single" We all turned to look at her. "You're back too" I was pleasantly surprised  "Oh, look at you," Mom said, half-standing.  "I'm back now, so yes," she grinned. "Mike, I've missed you so much, I saw a brand new wrist watch on your desk, do you still wear it?, cause I already took it" Everyone laughed. I couldn't get angry at her, she can take whatever she wants. And for a moment, the world outside office chaos, secret relationships, ego battles faded into the background. Here, in this room, everything felt whole again. AIDA "BARRRRRRT!!!!!!!!!" My alarm clock jolted me from sleep God will punish the person that told me to get an alarm clock Even though I hate the sound of it in the morning, it's literally the only thing that keeps me alive each morning   It's a beautiful Saturday morning, Caleb was still lying down, knocked out. But me? I was wide awake and Pissed. I still couldn't get the outburst he had yesterday. All because of Mike. It all started when Mike drove off...  We flagged down a keke and eventually got to his place. I decided to sleep over at his place in a bid to make him forgive me for what happened at work. I didn't really notice how quiet he was on our way because I was too busy soaking in the chaos of the street,The noise, the music, sellers hawking all kinds of things on the road, and the warm evening breeze hitting my face as we sped down the road. It was almost perfect. So when we got to his apartment, ALL HELL LET LOOSE  At least I really appreciated the fact that he doesn't touch or hit a woman when he's angry , if not, i for don chop like three slaps as he was ranting. Turns out he's really really angry today. "You were smiling too much at him!" "You didn't even respect me enough to walk away!" "You're making me look like a fool!" He didn't even allow me to talk. "Babe, I'm sorry na," I finally cut in, exhausted. He was supposed to be my peace of mind. "Babe calm down,come and sit down let's talk" I gently dragged him to the room, made him sit down and then sat on his laps  "You know we've really come a long way" I paused, making sure he was listening "you can't keep getting jealous or angry anytime I talk to another guy, it doesn't work like that, by now you're supposed to trust me, have I ever given you a reason to doubt me?"  "That's because I don't give you the chance to think about it," he said, pushing me onto the bed. "Try anything funny with that guy, and you won't like what I'll become." Then he walked into the bathroom, like nothing happened. Conversation over. Again. He still didn't talk while we sat and ate dinner. Even after bathing and putting on his favorite lingerie hoping he'd want some, he didn't budge.  I went to my own side of the bed. Turned off the light, said a little prayer and slept off. I'll call Paula tomorrow. I need someone to tell me I'm not crazy.