For a long moment, she didn't move. The air felt heavier, her lungs too aware of every breath. So the investor was indeed CEO Arinze, just not in the way she had imagined.
The perfect image she had built of him, mentor, role model, unshakable professional, shattered with a sharp crash inside her chest.
Getting married, huh?
Marriage had been the last thing on her mind since the day Maduabuchi disappeared. The word itself felt foreign now, like something that belonged in another lifetime.
And yet, here it was… written across a contract.
She placed the papers down slowly, the crisp sound echoing through the room, and looked up at Chibuzor. He was still watching her, his calm unreadable gaze following her every move.
When she finally spoke, her voice carried that familiar blend of composure and sharp sarcasm.
"So, let me get this straight. You want us to play husband and wife? Should I start practicing my 'good morning, honey' voice now, or are we sticking to 'strictly business' from nine to five?"
He didn't flinch. Instead, he leaned back slightly, as if measuring her tone.
"Only if you think it'll make the contract more convincing," he said. "and if that's what it takes, we'll schedule rehearsals."
Her jaw twitched. Yep, that's the CEO Arinze I know. Always direct.
Inside, her thoughts raced. So he isn't joking. The top bachelor in the country actually wants to marry me? No, pretend to marry me.
She needed the money. Every bit of it. But to give up five years of her life? Five years of pretending, smiling, posing, lying, just for a deal?
Her chest tightened. Is this really what my life has come to?
She sat there, torn between reason and instinct, until one clear thought broke through the noise.
I need someone to tell me what to do. Only one person can help me with this.
"CEO Chibuzor," she said, forcing her voice steady, "may I use the washroom? I'll be back soon."
He gave a slow nod. "Of course."
As she left, her heels clicked softly against the marble floor, steady, deliberate, but her heartbeat betrayed her calm.
Behind her, Chibuzor watched in silence.
Impressive. She's calmer than I expected, he thought, his gaze still fixed on the door she had disappeared through.
Then his expression shifted slightly, thoughtful, curious.
Who exactly is this woman?
He dialed his house line. The call barely rang twice before a familiar voice answered.
"Young Master?"
Chibuzor leaned against his car, one hand slipping into his pocket. "I just met the first lady you picked," he said, voice low but steady. "She looks oddly familiar, but I don't remember seeing her in the list I gave you. Who is she?"
There was a pause, a hesitant kind. He could practically hear the housekeeper swallow.
"Uhm, sir, she's indeed not on the list you gave me," the older man admitted carefully. "All the ladies on the list thought I was a scammer, so they refused to meet you. I… saw her biography online, and she met every other requirement."
Chibuzor's brows furrowed. "Every other requirement?"
"Yes, sir. Also, she recently suffered a huge loss at the hands of her fiancé, so the 'anti love and marriage' part was also checked. She was the only one I could find." The man's tone softened. "I'm sorry if she didn't meet your expectations, sir."
Huge loss at the hands of her fiancé?
His grip on the phone tightened slightly.
No… don't tell me he picked—
The housekeeper's next words cut through his thoughts. "Her name is CEO Anozie Olaedo."
Silence.
A long, heavy silence.
Chibuzor blinked once, expression unreadable.
"..."
He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled sharply.
Great. Just great. I'm about to marry the one woman who wasn't even on the broad list, let alone the shortlist.
A bitter chuckle escaped before he could stop it. He couldn't even blame the old man. His criteria had been ridiculous from the start: no emotional baggage, no romantic tendencies, no interest in marriage, and no public scandals. Finding someone who checked all those boxes was basically asking for a ghost.
Still, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "This is going to be… interesting."
For a moment, he let the silence sit between them before finally saying, "Okay. Prepare the room opposite mine and add everything I asked for earlier. There's a high chance I'll be bringing home your young mistress."
The line went dead.
Back at the mansion, the housekeeper stood frozen, the receiver still pressed to his ear.
"Young… mistress?" he repeated faintly, eyes wide.
He slowly turned toward the staff bustling about and whispered to no one in particular, "How on earth did he manage to find himself a wife in just one day?"
In the washroom, Olaedo dialed her mom, fingers hovering over the call button as her mind raced.
How exactly was she supposed to phrase this without sounding like she was about to do something… reckless?
Her reflection in the mirror stared back at her, eyes uncertain. For a moment, she saw her younger self, small, scared, and helpless.
---
Seven years ago
The time had come to register for her high school final exams, an event she'd dreaded since middle school.
The government had made public schools affordable. Tuition, uniforms, and even textbooks were covered. Parents only had to pay a small fee, somewhere between 2,000 and 4,500 local currency, depending on the class level.
But final exam fees were a different story.
One exam cost 19,500, the other 22,250, a grand total of 41,750.
It might as well have been a million. The Anozie family had never seen that kind of money, not even close.
Olaedo sat at her old wooden desk, her head bowed. Her heart felt heavy. She wanted to cry, but there were no tears left, she had already shed them all.
Beside her, Nnenna sat in quiet understanding.