Chapter 4

At 6 a.m. sharp, Farrah’s alarm rang, and she turned it off immediately. She’d been awake for most of the night despite all her efforts to try and get some sleep. She’d had a nearly 2-hour video call with Kessiana as soon as she got home. Her bestie had called to ask how her parents had received the bad news. Just like her dad did, Kessiana had suggested that Farrah take some time off from work, but she’d refused. Working was the only way to keep a grip on her sanity right now.

Less than thirty minutes later, she was ready for work in a perfectly tailored purple pantsuit. It wasn’t exactly a work outfit, but it was corporate, and she needed the bright color to lift her crappy mood. She wore a pair of black Louboutin stilettoes and opted for her black Chanel purse. After curling her long eyelashes with mascara, lining her eyes with black eyeliner, and dousing her lips in tomato red Ruby Woo lipstick, Farrah assessed herself in front of her full-length mirror and she liked what she saw. She’d pinned her long hair to one side, letting it fall over her left shoulder. Although she looked more like someone going to an evening party than to the office on a Monday morning, Farrah didn’t care at all.

I’ve worked my ass off to get to my position, so I’ll wear whatever the hell I feel like wearing to work today, she thought defiantly.

She sprayed a generous amount of her Bvlgari perfume before stepping out of her apartment. If Alex and Priye thought she would hide in her house and cry like a coward, then they’d be sorely disappointed. They were the ones who should be hiding, not her. She hadn’t done anything wrong, and she would not be made a fool of.

From the moment she stepped out of her car and walked into her office building, she started getting compliments from every angle. Her colleagues had never seen her look so glamorous, and they were all blown away by the unexpected transformation. Only Kessiana knew what was up and she immediately followed Farrah into her office.

“The ugly duckling has transformed into a beautiful swan, I see,” Kessiana said with a laugh.

“Good morning to you too, Kess. I was never an ugly duckling, by the way,” Farrah replied.

“Man, this color looks super dope on you!” Kessiana gushed.

Farrah nearly blushed. Who would have thought that ‘stingy' Kess could be this lavish with compliments?

“Thanks, babe,” she said with a smile. “I never thought I’d ever wear this suit. It was Nadia who made me buy it the last time we went shopping together. Now, I’m glad I did.”

“Nadia does have a good eye for fashion,” Kessiana agreed. “That’s why she is one of the most sought-after stylists in Lagos right now.”

“Perhaps I should hire her as my official stylist,” Farrah said, and they both laughed.

“Ok babes, I have to get back to my office right now. It’s going to be a busy Monday for me,” Kessiana said and breezed out of the office.

Alone in her office with her thoughts, Farrah felt hollow. This drama of dressing hot and sexy to cheer herself up didn’t seem to be working anymore. She turned on her computer and realized that her work for this week was mostly follow-ups on her last project, and even the new account she claimed to be pursuing was still pending until her boss gave her the go-ahead to proceed onto the next phase. Unlike Kess, Farrah was going to have a lazy Monday.

You should have stayed at home today, you stubborn dolt! her brain scolded. Now you’re going to sit here and just be miserable all day.

“Shut up!” she said out loud and proceeded to send the necessary emails to her clients. Once she was done with that task, she picked up her mobile phone and dialed her mother’s number, but her call wasn’t answered.

I can’t believe she’s still sulking, Farrah thought. Her mom could be such a drama queen at times. She then called her florist to order some flowers for her mom. She later called her dad and he promised to speak to her mom on Farrah’s behalf.

To keep herself busy, she started to do some research about another account her company was interested in bidding for. By 11 a.m. Farrah was already bored out of her mind, and it felt weird. She could never remember a time she’d ever felt this way at work. Why was there suddenly nothing to do? Her daily schedule was always filled up to the point that she was so busy from the moment she clocked into work in the morning till when she closed in the evening. Why was today different? What has changed?

Someone knocked on her door and Farrah were instantly grateful for the company even though she didn’t know who was on the other side of the door.

“Come in,” she called out a little too cheerfully with an inviting smile on her face. The moment the door swung open and her visitor stepped into the office, Farrah’s smile dissolved.

“What are you doing here?” Farrah asked.

“Hello to you too, Farrah,” Priye replied with a friendly smile. “I thought I should just drop in and say hello.”

He was dressed in a grey Italian suit, looking all clean and well put together. His present appearance was a sharp contrast to the feminine man she’d seen a few days ago wearing a wig and having sex with her fiancé. The humiliating memory made Farrah’s head hurt.

“Well, you’ve said it. Now leave my office and shut the door behind you.”

Priye chuckled. “Come on, Farrah, don’t be like that. You know we need to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you or Alex, so please leave now before I call security.”

“Ok, please. Just give me a few minutes of your time and I’ll be out of your hair. And speaking of hair, boy do you look gorgeous today! Alex would be blown away if he could see you right now.”

Farrah felt like bolting out of her chair and punching Priye in the face, but she held back her temper and remained on her seat.

“I don’t know what made you think that you can just waltz into my office and say whatever nonsense you like. You think I get paid to chitchat with any random clown that drops into my office unannounced?”

Priye sighed. “Farrah, I understand that you are angry, and trust me, I know it’s justified. But please just give me a few minutes and just hear me out, and I’ll leave. Please.”

“Did Alex send you?” Farrah wanted to know.

“Not really. You weren’t responding to his calls or texts, so…”

“He sent you to be his mouthpiece?”

In response, Priye settled down on one of the chairs in front of Farrah’s desk. “First of all, let me begin by saying that I am truly and deeply sorry, Farrah. It was not mine or Alex’s intention to hurt you at all.”

Farrah scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

“As I said before, I am very sorry for the role I played in all this. It was all my idea. Alex and I have been a couple since our school days.”

Farrah winced at the word couple. And she’d thought she knew Alex.

“After we graduated and started working, many of our friends, some of whom were close family friends that our parents knew started getting married, Alex’s parents started to put pressure on him to settle down too. Mind you, over the years, he’d had to engage in romantic relationships with women to hide his true sexuality. You know how religious his parents are and their status in society, so coming out of the closet was never an option for him. I never dated women because I am comfortable with who I have always been, and fortunately for me, my parents accepted me just the way I am, so I’ve never had to lie about being gay, but because of Alex, I had to pretend to date Sophia, who happens to be my childhood friend and gets a monthly stipend from me for playing along as my girlfriend.”

“Whoa! Wait a minute. You’re saying Sophia was in on it too?” Farrah was shocked.

Priye looked uncomfortable as he nodded his head twice in response to Farrah’s question.

“Oh, my goodness! I must have looked like a fool to you guys all this while. Three of you acting like normal friends around me while having a good laugh behind my back. You guys are sick!”

“Farrah, please calm down. I know you’re upset right now, but I need you to listen and allow me to explain how you got into the mix.”

Farrah was beyond upset; she was boiling inside like a raging volcano, ready to explode. She took a few calming breaths and leaned back in her chair. The temptation to sucker punch Priye in the face was becoming too strong to resist, so she needed to put enough space between them to avoid any accident. She wasn’t a violent person by nature, but this appalling turn of events was bringing out the beast in her and she didn’t like it one bit.

“I’m listening,” she said calmly.

“Three years ago, after Alex’s sister got married, his parents intensified the pressure on him and gave him an ultimatum that if by his next birthday he wasn’t still in a committed relationship that would lead him down the aisle, they would write him out of their wills and rescind every privilege he had as a member of the Olaniyi family. It felt ridiculous to me that his parents had that much control over him even though he was a grown-ass man, but to my dismay, Alex was ready to give in to their demands. He was terrified. It didn’t matter that he was a successful businessman and a multimillionaire outside of his parent's wealth, but Alex didn’t want to be cut off from his family. I even suggested to him that we elope to Canada or Australia and start a life together, but he wouldn’t hear of it. All he wanted was his family’s approval and the power that came with their name.

“What was I to do? I didn’t want Alex out of my life, and I very much wanted him to be happy. So, I took it upon myself to help him out by finding him a suitable partner that his parents would approve of.”

“Me,” Farrah said flatly.

“Yes, you,” Priye agreed.

So, this bastard cherry-picked me like a piece of ornament for his lover. Wow!

“And how did you decide that I was suitable for Alex?” she asked.

He sighed. He could sense her disgust and it made him feel bad. “When I met you the first time we worked together, I knew you were the sort of lady that Alex would find attractive, and coupled with your intelligence, you were pure perfection—still are. So, I started to do some digging to find out about your background and I was even more impressed. Knowing that you come from a wealthy family where both parents are still happily married to each other was a huge plus because that was a major criterion to earn the approval of Alex’s parents. It didn’t take much to convince him and the rest they say is history.”

“I see. So now that you have informed me of your undying love for Alex and how you are willing to move mountains for him, what do you want me to do?”

“I want to ask your forgiveness on behalf of Alex and me and to also apologize for what you saw on Friday. That was my fault too. Alex’s flight got changed, and I begged him not to inform you, so that we could spend some time together before you showed up, if at all. That was a terrible mistake, and I am sorry you had to see that.”

“You didn’t look sorry to me on Friday,” she said.

He bowed his head slightly, looking embarrassed. “I know, but I am sorry nonetheless.”

“Ok, Priye, what am I supposed to do with all of these apologies? What difference does your story make?”

“I told you all of that so you could see things from our perspective. We were in a tight corner and needed a way out. You were the way ou,t and I have messed everything up because of my selfishness.”

Farrah already knew where this ridiculous conversation was heading, but she needed him to say it.

“So what do you want from me?” she asked innocently.

A look of relief crossed Priye's face. “Please forgive Alex and come back home. We will all sit down and iron this out properly.”

Farrah couldn’t help herself; she threw her head back and laughed heartily. This clown expected her to return to that circus she’d once called a relationship? No way!

Priye was taken aback by her reaction. He’d thought that he had succeeded in winning her over, but her mirth didn’t seem like a good sign.

“I know you guys have believed that I was a fool for not realizing in time that I was being conned, but for you to think that I am stupid enough to get involved in that fiasco again is very insulting. Please get out of my office.”

Priye looked crestfallen. “Farrah, please…”

“Oh, and by the way, the wedding is canceled. I informed my parents yesterday and they approved my decision. Tell your boyfriend that I’ll send the engagement ring to his house tomorrow by courier.”

“Oh my god, Farrah, don’t do this. Please!” Priye pleaded desperately.

Farrah picked up her phone and her purse and stood up to leave the office. “I’m going out for lunch. Please be out of my office before I return, or else I’ll have you thrown out by security,” she said with relish and left him sitting there, looking gobsmacked.

******

Nadia joined her at a nearby bistro for lunch, and although she didn’t go into full details, she did let her pal know that she was no longer getting married to Alex.

“I’m so sorry to hear that, Farrah,” Nadia said. “I can’t believe Alex could ever cheat on you. He seemed so madly in love with you. I mean, both of you seemed to be really into each other. This is so sad.”

“It is my dear,” Farrah agreed and took a sip of her drink.

Nadia studied her friend for a few minutes before saying, “You look quite calm for someone who’s going through a heartbreak. I’d be a complete mess if it was me.”

Farrah chuckled. “I spent the entire weekend crying. I have no more tears left in me, and I figured that the sooner I came to terms with my new reality, the sooner I can get over it and move on with my life. Alex betrayed me in the worst way possible, but I refuse to mope around and cry while he simply dusts himself off and keeps it moving. I’ve got to pick myself up and keep moving as well.”

“Wow, you’re a strong woman,” Nadia said in obvious admiration.

“Thanks, Nadie,” Farrah accepted the compliment graciously.

“Meanwhile, have I told you how stunning you look in that pantsuit?”

“Yes, Nadia. You’ve said it a billion times already in the space of fifteen minutes.”

“Ok, make it a billion and one right now because damn girl! You killed it!”

Farrah laughed. “Thanks, girlfriend. And thank you for convincing me to buy it.”

When lunch was over, Farrah returned to her office feeling much better than she did earlier. That was Nadia’s superpower; the ability to turn your shitty mood around within a few minutes of hanging around her. Her Lebanese friend had such positive energy radiating from her, it was no wonder that people loved hanging out with her.

To her relief, Priye had vacated her office by the time she returned. Before she could even sit down and do a replay of her conversation with her ex’s lover, she got invited to the boardroom for an impromptu strategy meeting with the boss and few people from the media department. The meeting lasted until closing time, and Farrah couldn’t believe how happy she was to finally clock out and go home. The buzz she usually felt at work was seriously missing today.

I should probably take some time off from work as Daddy said, she thought. I need a moment to process everything that’s happened.

Or you’re just looking for an excuse to sit at home and feel sorry for yourself, her brain told her.

She shook her head as if to clear off the conflicting thoughts. The drive home took longer than normal because of the heavy traffic caused by an accident a few meters away from the Lekki Peninsula entrance. A Maserati had collided with a BMW and traffic officials were trying to mediate between the two angry victims while also creating a passage for other motorists. As soon as she reached her apartment building, she parked quickly and hurried into the elevator. She couldn’t wait to get into her house and take off her snug outfit. She needed a warm bath and a chilled glass of wine to relax her nerves.

Her little daydream vanished the moment she stepped out of the elevator and saw Alex standing by her front door, obviously waiting for her. He was dressed in a black body-fitting T-shirt that showed off his toned torso, a pair of navy blue jeans, and black sneakers. Their eyes met, and for a split second, Farrah felt like running into his arms and staying there for the remainder of the evening, but she snapped out of it quickly. This wasn’t the time to be silly.

“You came to pick up the ring by yourself?” Farrah asked sarcastically as she approached her ex. “That saves me the stress and expense of sending it to you by courier.”

Alex smiled. “Hi, Farrah. It’s good to see you again.”

He leaned in to hug her, but she halted him by lifting her hand towards him to form the ‘stop' sign. He straightened up his posture immediately. and his smile faltered a little.

“Can we go inside and talk?” he asked.

“There’s nothing to say, Alex,” Farrah said. “I’m sure Priye has given you a rundown of our conversation earlier today, so there’s nothing left to add. I’ll just go in grab the ring for you.”

“Farrah, please. At least hear me out. I hurt your feelings, and you deserve an explanation for that.”

She knew he was right. He did owe her an explanation—not that it would change anything right now, but she had to know if he ever truly had any feelings for her or if all his display of affection was just for show.

“Alright, come on in. I have a few minutes to spare.”

“A few minutes is fine,” he said and followed her in.

She turned on the lights and led him to the kitchen where they sat opposite each other at the island. On a normal day, she would make him a cup of coffee with two cubes of sugar and a little bit of milk, just the way he liked it. But this wasn’t a normal day, and she wasn’t in the mood to entertain, so no coffee.

“You look stunning, by the way,” Alex said. “I’ve never seen you in this outfit before.”

“I’ve never worn it before,” she replied promptly. “Ok, Alex, just cut to the chase. I’m very tired, and I need to get out of these clothes. So shoot.”

Alex sighed. “Right. Um, first of all, I’d like to apologize for everything that has happened. I am deeply, deeply sorry, Farrah.”

“Noted,” she said curtly.

“I shouldn’t have lied to you and deceived you like that for two years. To be honest, I didn’t want to do it, but there was so much at stake.”

“Yeah, your inheritance and family name.”

He bowed his head. “I know to you, these aren’t important, but to me, they are everything. I was raised for one major goal—to continue my father’s legacy and to do that, there are certain protocols that I must follow. My parents would be devastated if this relationship between us doesn’t work out. They have invested so much into my life that getting married and having a family to carry on the Olaniyi name shouldn’t be too much for me to do for them.”

“So basically, you’re getting married to me to make your parents happy, right?”

“For the most part, yes,” he replied honestly.

“What about your happiness or mine?”

He linked his fingers together and stared at them. “I’m truly sorry for lying to you, Farrah.”

“Please stop saying sorry; it makes no difference to me right now.”

“Please, Farrah. If you call off the wedding, my life would be ruined. My parents’ reputation would be destroyed. This wedding is bigger than the two of us now. This is about our families.”

“No, it’s about you and your family. That’s all you’ve been going on and on about since you started talking. You know what, instead of trying to convince me to marry you, you should use that energy to tell your parents the truth about you and Priye, and why I’m calling off the wedding.”

Alex looked horrified. “Are you kidding? My mother is a deaconess!”

“So?”

“So, telling her the truth is absolutely out of the question.”

“And you’d rather keep lying and living a double life instead?”

“It’s a small price to pay, Farrah.”

“Wow…”

“Believe me, my parents are ready to go to any length to protect their reputation. When I was 14, I went to spend the holiday with my mother’s older sister. She was a senior pastor in her church back then. They were the type that didn’t wear jewelry or makeup. One day, I found a small bag of makeup in my cousin’s wardrobe. She was 16 at the time, and I’d never seen her use makeup before, so I was surprised to see that she had them. Out of curiosity, I played around with the makeup and even applied some on my face and lips. At that point, my cousin walked in on me, and she was mad as hell. She ran off to tell her mother, who summoned me and demanded to know where I got the makeup from. I told her where I’d found them, but my cousin denied ever having any knowledge of the makeup bag being in her wardrobe. She said she’d never touched makeup before in her life and her mother believed her. I was sent back home that afternoon with the makeup still on my face.

“My parents were livid when they saw me. My dad called one of his boys in the army to come and pick me up. They took me to their barracks and beat me to an inch of my life. I was stripped naked and humiliated. I couldn’t believe that my parents could let them treat me that way. When they finally returned me home, my mother bathed me and told me that she had invited some pastors to the house to conduct a deliverance service for me. I asked her what I was being delivered from, and she simply said, ‘from the spirit of homosexuality.’ I didn’t even know what that word meant back then. Those were the worst days of my life.”

Farrah was speechless. She knew a lot of Nigerians were homophobic, but Alex’s parents took homophobia to a whole different level. Who would treat an innocent child like that for experimenting with makeup?

“As I grew up,” Alex continued, “I noticed that I was never attracted to girls like all the other boys were. I never had a crush on any girl, but I did hang out with a few because my dad started to wonder why I didn’t have a girlfriend yet by the time I was 21. I eventually got myself a girlfriend, but it didn’t last. She was a family friend, and we were cool, but the relationship lacked real romance. We had sex a few times, and each time, it was a struggle. She eventually got tired and broke up with me. It was in my university days that I fully understood who I was, and I started hooking up with guys on the downlow. And then I met Priye…” he trailed off and shrugged as if to say, ‘you know the rest of the story.’

“Why are you telling me all this?” Farrah asked.

“Because I want you to see how much I need you in my life, Farrah.”

“Need? Are you listening to yourself, Alex? You were using me. I was a pawn in your game with Priye. All that time I thought we had something real going on, but it turns out that you were just acting. And to think that I was actually in love with you…”

“Please forgive me, Farrah. I couldn’t tell you the truth because I was afraid to lose you.”

“Well, you have finally lost me, Alex, because I refuse to continue being a part of this charade,” Farrah said and walked out of the kitchen, heading straight to her bedroom.

“Farrah, please, listen,” Alex pleaded, following her. “You know what, when we get married, you can date whomever you want, travel the world, explore, do whatever you like, but please don’t leave me, Farrah. Please.”

Farrah stopped in her tracks and turned around to face him. “I don’t want to be married to someone who is using me as a cover-up. I don’t want to be a married side chick. I don’t want to be married and still have to rely on strange men to make me happy. That has never been my dream, and it never will be. I want to be married to a man I love, who loves me back with the same intensity, and right now, that man is not you.”

She walked over to her bedside drawer and retrieved a white ring box that contained the expensive engagement ring that Alex had given her a couple of months ago.

“Please take back your ring, Alex. There’s nothing you or anyone else can say to change my mind. I can’t marry you. Find someone else to do that. I’m sure there are tons of ladies out there who would jump at this opportunity, so get one of them to be your bride.”

“Farrah, can’t you just forgive me?” he asked sadly.

“I have forgiven you, Alex, but I can’t marry you.”

He reluctantly accepted the ring box from her and stared at it for a while. As he turned around to leave, he paused briefly at the doorway to say, “I’ll break the news to my parents tonight, but I need to know if my secret is safe with you.”

She remembered that she’d told Kessiana the truth, but she wasn’t bothered because she knew her bestie would never tell another soul about it without Farrah’s consent.

“Don’t worry, Alex. Your secret is safe with me,” she assured him.

With a brief nod of his head, Alex acknowledged her statement, and then he was gone.

Farrah collapsed on her bed, still fully dressed, and let her tears flow freely.

******

The following morning, she got a call from Alex’s mother asking her if there was any way the ‘situation' between her and Alex could be resolved. Like Farrah’s mother, Deaconess Olaniyi suggested that the young couple should consider going to counseling first before making any final decisions.

Farrah didn’t want to seem rude by turning down the older woman’s request, so she said she’d think about it and then hung up.

Her father called her just before she stepped out of her house for work. He wanted to know how she was doing and also inform her that her mother loved the humongous bouquet she sent but she was still sulking. Farrah told her dad that Alex had stopped by at her place last night to apologize to her, although she didn’t go into detail about what they discussed. She also let him know that her ex-future mother-in-law had called earlier to ask Farrah to reconsider her decision.

She felt emotionally drained, and all she wanted to do was to curl up in bed and sleep till her life returned to normal minus Alex and Priye in it, but she still got dressed and showed up at work.

“You look like shit, babes,” Kessiana told her when she got to the office.

“Thanks, Kess,” Farrah drawled.

“No, for real. You don’t look good at all. Did you get any sleep last night?”

“Barely.”

“I think you need to go to HR right now and request to be granted leave from work. You haven’t taken a leave in years. This is the best time to take it.”

“Give it a rest, Kess. I don’t want to sink into depression, and I feel the best way to avoid it is to keep myself busy with work.”

“I don’t agree with you, Farrah. You need a break.”

“Whatever. Oh, Alex was at my place yesterday.”

Kessiana immediately grabbed a chair and sat down to hear all about it. Farrah gave her a summarised version of her conversation with her ex and used the opportunity to remind her best friend to keep Alex’s secret between them.

“Of course, darling. Nobody will hear it from me,” Kessiana promised.

Like the day before, work was slow for Farrah, and she caught herself having flashbacks of her happy moments with Alex. She didn’t even know she’d been crying until someone knocked on her door and it turned out to be her boss, Edna.

“Are you ok, Farrah?” Edna asked with a look of concern.

Farrah scrambled to look for a tissue to blow her nose and wipe her face. “Yes, yes I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not fine. What is the matter?”

That question opened the floodgates and Farrah dissolved into a fresh round of crying. She tearfully informed her boss that she’d called off her wedding and that she felt like her world had turned upside down. After calmly listening to Farrah while trying to console her, Edna strongly advised Farrah to take some time off from work so she could recover from the sudden shift in her life.

At that point, Farrah couldn’t object anymore because she knew she needed a break. Her heart was broken, and her mind was not focused anymore. She packed her things and left the office a few minutes past 2 p.m.

When she got home, she felt so alone, and she knew right there and then that she would become depressed if she remained there one more hour. Without thinking too much, she packed a bag and made her way to Banana Island.