Chapter 2: Price Tag for Heartbreak

Around 2am, I hear the door open.

The house dark, generator hum low, only small bulb dey on for corridor. Na Ayo key I hear for lock—he dey tiptoe like thief. My mind calm. I dey wait like principal for stubborn student.

I curl for sofa dey read one CEO romance novel.

My wrapper tight for waist, hair net still dey my head. I balance well for chair, leg up, eye for book. Only my phone light dey shine.

The CEO and the babe wan start their own wahala.

The tension sweet me. My body dey hot, but my mind still dey vex about bar matter. The book just dey remind me of the rubbish drama.

The babe sweater dey make static, dey shine for the CEO face.

The description sweet, I dey imagine say na me be the babe. If to say my own CEO get sense now!

When the CEO dey tear her plenty trousers—

My mind just fly. I dey imagine, my body almost forget wahala. I dey feel small smile, but…

Ayo voice just scatter the moment.

His voice carry tiredness, like person wey run relay. I close my book with vex.

"Why you never sleep?"

He talk like say he care, but na guilt dey make am gentle. For Naija, man wey do wrong dey always calm.

I hiss, vex small. Na now the interesting part dey start.

My hiss loud, I no cover mouth. This man no sabi timing. As I drop my phone for table, vex still dey body, but I no wan show am finish.

"So? You get problem?" I answer am, lazy.

My voice low, eye no even look am. I dey act like say I no send am. For my mind, I remember say I get upper hand.

He pause, then waka come meet me.

I hear am breathe, slippers dey drag for rug. I no look up, but I know say him shadow dey cover my book.

"Sorry. I no know say she go find you."

He talk like person wey no get backbone. Na apology but e weak. I no move, just shift body small, let am feel the tension.

I turn face another side, back am.

I fling my wrapper, face wall. My mind dey boil—men wahala. I no give am chance.

"Control your small small girls. If e happen again, I no go take am easy."

My voice strong, sharp. My mind dey replay the bar drama, dey vex say he put me for this mess.

"And she spoil my cloth. You go pay."

I tap my wine-stained dress, eye am with side eye. Na designer, no be aba-made. He must pay.

"Two million."

I talk am with confidence, no blink. People fit say I dey overdo, but if you no bill your wahala, man go chop you anyhow.

He just quiet.

The silence choke for parlor, like NEPA just take light. Even cockroach no fit waka.

E shock am. I know say he dey reason, 'Two million for cloth?' My mind dey sweet me.

I sit up, look am straight.

I shift, face am well. My eye dey shine—make e know say I no dey play. If e try me, I go double the bill.

Na him first shift eye.

He look floor, clear throat. I know say e don lose this round. Men no fit handle when woman get sense pass dem.

"If e too much, I fit add more." My eye dey shine.

I use the chance press am more, let am know say I dey ready. I dey enjoy the power.

"No wahala. I go tell my secretary send am to your account tomorrow."

He surrender, voice low. I know say e dey plan how to reduce the pain, but my mind rest small.

He wan go, but come back.

He shift leg, act like say he forget something. He look me with tired face.

"Anything again?"

His tone gentle, but I know say na apology dey hide inside. I no talk, just dey look am.

I look up.

I let the silence hang, make am feel the tension. Women for compound fit dey peep, dey wonder why my husband dey beg me like this.

The light dey shine behind am, I just remember how e dey wait for me after class that year.

I still remember the heat for that small shop, how sweat dey drip for Ayo back as we dey count small change.

Memories rush me—the Ayo wey I first love, the one wey dey laugh, dey run for campus like small pikin. The pain come back small.

He talk soft, "Morayo, abeg no harm her."

His voice almost break. The way he call my name, e get as e be. I look am, my chest dey heavy.

"You love her reach that?" I hiss. "Na warning be this?"

I try form strong, but my voice no carry like before. Jealousy dey bite me, but pride still dey my face.

He frown small, eye deep.

He look me straight, his eye red, like say e dey beg with body and spirit. My heart dey do one kind.

"Morayo, she no be like you. She too innocent. I no wan make anything touch her."

His words sharp, the pain hit me. Na so Naija man go forget the woman wey build with am because of small girl innocence.

I think say my heart don strong, but as I hear 'innocent', e pain me.

E be like say dem pour cold water for my chest. I bite lip, look down. For my mind, I dey think, 'So na me be the wicked one now?'

I swallow am, look down. "Okay."

I gree, but my mind dey far. As he waka go, I close my book, tears dey threaten my eye. This life no balance.