Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Brenda stared at me in shock as I finished telling her about everything. I expected such a reaction from her anyway. Anyone would find it unbelievable.

“Are you being serious or are you just pulling my legs, Akeyla?” She asked me with widened her eyes in shock.

I sighed and placed my hand against my head while she continued to stare at me with her mouth wide opened.

“Wait… who on earth would offer such an amount of money and…” She sighed and I could see a confused and frustrated look on her face. “and why on earth does his daughter look like you?!” She yelled as she hit her hands on the table.

“I don’t know Brenda, I was just as shocked as you.”

She paused for a while and sighed. “This is crazy, Akeyla. You can’t agree to this, I… I have never seen a thing like this before and it’s really not normal.”

“I know, Brenda, trust me, I know. I…but I have no choice.”

She narrowed her eyes, “What do you mean you have no choice? You could have simply told him that you were not interested.”

Oh yes, I didn’t tell her that my mother was sick from cancer so, she definitely would wonder why I agreed to the offer. If I told her about it, she would offer to pay for the surgery and everything. I was not going allow her spend so much money for me again. Since I had an opportunity to get the money, I would try to get it. If at the end of the day, I happened to need her help, I could ask her.

“I cannot just reject the offer, Brenda. I did quite a lot of thinking and I saw it’s advantages. If I could make 2million a month, that would do a lot for me. I could even start up my own business later…” I reached for her hand. “I just wanted you to know because you’re my friend and I don’t want to keep things from you.”

She stared at me with an expression that showed she still did not support my decision and after a moment, she sighed.

“Well, since you have already decided, I can’t stop you. I just find the whole thing weird and new and I hope it’s trusted. What did you say the man’s name is, again?” She asked me.

“His name is Martins Bolaji.”

“Martins Bolaji, Martins Bolaji Martins Bolaji…” She kept chanting the name trying to see if she knew him. “The name doesn’t really sound familiar but we can look it up online.” She said before she brought out her phone and started typing on it.

“Ohh!” She exclaimed as she stared at her screen and I looked at her curiously.

“What is it? Is his name on the internet?”

She looked up from the phone and shook her head at me. “Why didn’t you look up the man’s name on the internet to confirm his identity?” She questioned.

I shrugged. “I figured he wouldn’t come to me with a card and so much confidence if his name was not online.”

She stared at me for a moment before she nodded, “True, well…” She moved her eyes back to the phone before she raised up her head again to look at me. “He is the owner of the Bolaji companies and he actually has a daughter called Gabriella Aniyah Bolaji. The media says his company was supposed to have a partnership with Goldstone group since his daughter was engaged to owner of Goldstone group, Richard Abiola’s son, Jayson.”

“Oh, I see.”

“ 'Oh I see?' That’s all you have to say? Didn’t you hear the name of the group I called? It’s the second richest company in the country and that means the family is filthy rich. How…How…” She trailed off and sighed. “How are you going to cope with such high people, Akeyla? Who knows how these people are? What if they treat you badly?”

I smiled at my best friend who was adorably worried about me. “Don’t worry, Brenda, that would not happen . We are more like business partners and it would be over soon.”

She sighed, “Well, if you say so but I'm still worried. You mustn’t forget about me because of this business, okay? Don’t allow him cheat you if you’re to sign a contract and never…”

I caressed her hand and smiled at her. “Just because I’m doing this isn’t going to make me stop hanging out with you. My family is still my family and my friend remains my friend, I will make him understand that or we won’t have a deal.”

Brenda smiled and sighed. “It’s crazy how this world works. Who knew you had an unrelated twin?” She laughed.

I chuckled. I actually found it funny too. How could two people look so alike when they were not even related?

“Have a drink, Akeyla, you won’t die if you do.” Brenda said as she moved the glass over the table to me. “Here, drink.”

I stared at the drink again and shook my head, “No, I’m not drinking. I don’t want to…” I turned to the bartender. “Can you mix me a non alcoholic drink?”

The bartender nodded and smiled at me. “Right away, miss.”

Brenda shook her head at me, “You’re hopeless.”

*****

THE NEXT DAY.

I went over to the location that he had sent me. It was actually a coffee house with no much people and it was quiet but not too quiet so I didn’t feel too uncomfortable.

“Do you want coffee?” He asked me

I shook my head, “No, I don’t um… I don’t drink coffee.”

He nodded, “Alright then. Um..” He brought out a file before pulling out a paper from it. “I um… I brought a contract for it, please read through it.”

Was a contract really necessary? I pulled a strand of my hair behind my hair and stared at the paper on the table before I took a look at it.

I sighed, “Well, I also have my own conditions.”

He nodded, “Go ahead.”

“I would be visiting my mother every weekend and I will not cut ties with my best friend.”

He paused for a moment and ran his hand over his lips. “I don’t have a problem with you seeing your mother or your friends but the thing is… if you start working for me, there might be a few eyes on you since you would be with Jayson.”

“So are you saying I cannot see my mom then?”

He shook his head, “No, no. I’m not saying that. I mean, you would have to be careful about that. I do not have a problem with when you pay her a visit just ensure it doesn’t jeopardize our agreement.”

I took a look at the paper again before I looked up from it. “Alright, it's a deal."

He smiled at her, “I hope you not mind wearing my daughter's clothes? I’m not trying to say that you don’t have good clothes but if you’re going to do this, you have to do it well to make people more convinced. You would be convincing Ella’s fiancé and his parents and trust me, you will need to appear..."

I sighed and nodded my head making him pause. “Fine, fine, that’s enough, I have heard you. As long as I can see my loved ones without any problems, I’m okay.”

He nodded, “That’s okay by me. I will pay you 2milliom a month and 500,000 for an advance for this month. What do you say?” He offered.

500,000 for an advance? Was this man that serious? 500,000 a month was... Was really a lot to me.

“500…500,000? Are you serious?”

“Yes, so you will understand that I’m being serious.”

I nodded, “Alright, it’s a deal then.”

“Please sign here.” He pointed to the space below the terms and handed me a pen.

I took the pen from him before I signed on the paper and then handed it back to him.

“Shouldn’t you sign too?” I asked him.

He nodded and signed as well before putting the paper back into the file.

“I will come and get you in three days from now and we would go to the hospital so um… so I can switch you with my daughter.”

“Where would you take your daughter to?”

“Don’t worry about that, I will take care of it. You just play your part while I play mine, okay?”

I sighed and nodded. Was he going to place me on the hospital bed and hide his daughter somewhere else? I had no idea what he was trying to do but I guessed I would just watch and see.

“Be ready that day in the morning, I will come and get you.” He added.

I nodded my head, “Alright.”

Xoxo