Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Alex's point of view (POV)

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Monday morning in Lagos and I already feel like a mess. I had a petty quarrel with my folks who wouldn't stop pestering me about marriage. I'm only twenty-five years old so why should I just rush into marriage with someone when I'm not sure I have found the right person for me yet.

My head banged in a slight hangover from yesterday night and I had to stop at Starbucks on my way to work. The only thing that currently excites me is coming to the office to meet my personal assistant, Tife.

I know I don't do black girls with a thick body but Tife is an exception. She's got this thick banging body that drives me crazy any time I see her in fitted the gowns. She has this melanin popping skin that reminds me of cocoa butter. She has this cute face that mesmerizes me any time I stared at it. She has an exceptional beauty that I have always admired right from the very first day I saw her at the traffic.

The moment she banged my car, she knocked my skull off with her banging fury. I wrote her off that day and assumed she was just some clout chaser seeking for attention, but to be honest, I couldn't get her image of my head for days. I tried everything I could to forget her, including sleeping with other girls but my brain processed the sex workers as Tife.

I had to hire some private investigators to help me search for her and when I knew her plight, I plotted on how to get her in my office. I didn't know if it will work because she never applied to this bank, I only sent an invite to an interview utilizing her desperation to my advantage.

The other day she almost walked out on me in my office, I didn't want it to happen so I had to offer her a whooping sum of money I have never offered my past personal assistants and it worked. She is a gentle and easy-going woman, a sensible one at that but can be quite aggressive when people try to trample upon her.

"Sir, we are in front of your office," Louis announced as he peered back from the rearview mirror.

"Sure." my bodyguards came over to help me with my suitcase and opened the door.

I took a last sip from the iced espresso drink to keep me awake before tossing it into the trash bin. I walked into the elevator leading to my office.

"Good morning, Mr Alex." A lousy voice greeted as I walked towards my office.

I stopped to take a look at her, she is short and petite with a red skin, a strand of beard hung loosely on her rashes filled chin and she sat at Tife's table. From the beard in her chin, I easily concluded that she is Igbo.

"I am Mrs Tseju Alakada, sir." She corrected me like she could read my mind.

She is definitely a full-blooded Yoruba. By the way, who bears Alakada as a surname?

"Why are you here?" I snapped, making her flinch.

"I am from the human resources department and I'm the reliever of Miss Coker, she can't report today.

"And what are you? A pain reliever?" I frowned at her while she shook her head in fear.

"No sir, she is not feeling quite well so she won't be able to report today." She dropped the bombshell the same time my heart skipped a bit.

"What the hell happened to her?" I hollered with eyes as wide as a saucepan.

"She is suffering from a heart disease." She knotted her hands together.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I slammed my fist on her table, making her panic.

"Her boyfriend broke her heart so she is mentally unstable and she is nursing her heartache." She looked at the floor, fear evidently written on her.

"Heartache? Boyfriend? Mrs Akupa or whatever your name is when she be able to resume back?"

"It's Alakada sir, she might return in two weeks sir, depending on how fas-"

"Two weeks?" I yelled, cutting her off.

"It could even be up to a month, two months or even six months," she showed me six fingers.

"Wow!" I exclaimed wondering how Tife was doing.

"I spent six years getting over my heartache sir," she nodded.

"That's because you are not normal," I hissed.

"You know what? Pack your things and leave this minute, I know just what to do." I looked around, wondering where my car key was.

"Excuse me, sir?" She had a nervous look on.

"Go back to your alien resource department, Mrs Akotie, you are not needed here." I hissed and went back downstairs.

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Tife's point of view (POV)

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Life is a scheming bitch. Sometimes, I feel like karma just sits somewhere and shuffle my life like a card without caring what impact it would serve in my life.

The red chamber, my heart changed overnight-- and it is not the same anymore-- not at all-- it has locked its door giving no room for ventilation.

All I feel is grief that comes in a massive wave, it is gruelling, it steals my appetite and sleep alike. It is a huge shard in my guts, a thorn in my skin and it doesn't plan on leaving me-- not now-- not soon. It feels like death, just the same as bereavement and in quiet moments, it chokes my breath.

Only Marvis whom I loved so much could be my assassin. It takes an inside job to attack one so resilient to emotional injury. That is my heartbreak. My heart has been shattered to millions of pieces that I don't even know how to pick and gather them so I can mend it.

Guilt creeps into my skin any time I think of it. Did someone tell Marvis I cheated on him? Did Marvis send spies after me and gave him the bad reports? Even if he had to do it, why did he break my heart on a fine Sunday dinner night? Questions like this and even more swirled in my brain with no response.

I got my first salary on Saturday night and gave mom and Fridaous their share afterwards, I decided to take my boyfriend out to a fancy and insanely expensive restaurant I found on the island. I even ordered uber and paid a huge chunk of money for it. Marvis ordered all the expensive food on the menu while I pondered on if my salary could foot the bill or how I will borrow money to cover the debts.

Then Marvis told me that it was over between us because he found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. And he still proceeded to ask me if I will still foot the bill and I nodded my head stupidly. Had I known, I would have hissed and walked out on him so his broke ass could pay the bill of 900k meal he consumed.

My hair is like a bednest, I have not had my bathe in three days, neither have I eaten anything in the past twenty-three hours. I have a huge bowl of ice cream lying at my feet while I stared on like I had no soul in me. Well, maybe truly I had no soul because all I have is a body void of happiness.

I got a notification from my phone, a new post on Marcus' Instagram timeline and when I hurried to check what I assumed will be regrets post, I got the shocker of my life.

It is a picture of him and a very fat white woman with a box shape, she looked more like a sugar mommy to him and not a girlfriend because she is far too old for him. And the caption says, hashtag couple goals, hashtag chasing the bag, hashtag love, hashtag no monkey can separate us. Just what the fuck?

I threw my Samsung phone away and burst into another round of tears. So Marvis left me because he had a new money machine that will do his bid in exchange for sexual pleasures. How comforting indeed.

A knock on my door startled me and I tried to remain mute hoping the person leaves when there is no response, but boy? I was fucking wrong.

"Go away," I screamed and buried my head in my ice cream bowl, staining my hair with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavour. I thought they said icecream cured heartbreaks? This worsened it. As a matter of fact, my stomach churned at the ten huge bowls I have consumed in the last one hour.

The knock comes up again, "I know you are in there, Tife."

That voice, I know that voice, I heard it all through the week. It is my boss voice.

I walked towards the door and opened it. Alex stood there in all his glory as he stared at my nasty appearance.

"I called in sick," I yelled and opened the door for him to step into my messy house.

"I never denied that." He looked around my house with a scrunched up face.

"What do you want?" I licked my lips.

"How are you feeling?" He settled on a couch.

"I feel dead on the inside." I took a mouthful of ice cream.

"It is quite obvious." He chuckled, making me smile. His laughter was contagious.

"I'm sorry you had to see me this way, it is just a phase of my life and you know I'm not a dirty person and-"

"Relax," Alex shushed me. "I'm not here to judge you and it's kinda cute seeing you this way." He winked at me, making me flush.

"I understand how you feel, to be honest, and I want you to get a grip on yourself." Alex cocked a brow.

"Nonsense!" I spat. "You have always been a playboy so how can you understand what heartache feels like?" I glared at him.

"Lilly isn't my girlfriend." He nodded while my eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"What?" I gasped and my hand flew to cover my mouth.

"Lilly is a bloody gold digger, a scheming bitch and a seductress who will stop at nothing till she gets what she wants." He clasped his hands together.

"Wow, that's a lot to take in." I wiped my dried tears.

"She is my first love and she dumped me for a wealthy man who happens to be a trusted business client."

"How do you think I feel each time she comes over to seduce me and I fuck her senseless, yet the rich old man with a terminal disease pops up the next day to sign a contract?"

"Horrible," I answered.

"I feel like a snake, a poisonous one at that, yet I can't stop my body from yearning for her. I am as broken as you are." He pacified and crawled towards me, staining his suit in the process.

He wiped my wet nostrils with a handkerchief and stared into my face.

"Why will she leave you when you are filthy rich for another business tycoon, an old one at that?" I questioned, trying to connect the dots.

"Because wealth has class, no matter how wealthy you are, there will always be another person who is fucking wealthier than you?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"She claims he will die soon so she can amass his wealth and we can finally get married, Tife."

I gritted my teeth, "that good for nothing bitch, how dare her?" I spat.

"So can you see now that I can relate to what is happening to you?" He kissed my forehead.

I nodded my head. "It is perhaps the universe way of bringing two broken people together." I grinned and we both chuckled.

"Now you get it," he wiped a tear that slipped on to my cheek and tasted it.

"Get up now and prepare for a dinner date, we need to take things to the next level." He kissed my jaw.

"No, you are my boss. I can't possibly just go on a date with you?" I frowned.

"Very well then, as your boss, I command that you go with me on a date tonight. Tife."

"Now that makes a lot of sense." I chuckled and kissed the tip of his nose.