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Shadow of Love

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THE PROMISE HE BROKE

Tok. Tok. Tok.

Three knocks. Slow. Like they knew I was listening.

My room in Surulere was dark. NEPA had taken the light 2 minutes ago. My phone was dead.

And outside my door were footsteps.

I didn’t breathe. I didn’t move.

The doorknob jiggled. Once.

Then stopped.

“Ada?”

A man’s voice. Low. Not Damien’s.

“Open the door. We just want to talk.”

My heart was in my throat. ₦12,400 was under my mattress. My wrapper was the only thing on me.

I crawled to the window. It wouldn’t open. It hadn’t opened in 6 months.

The knocking stopped.

For 10 seconds the whole compound was quiet.

Then I heard them walking away. Heavy boots on wet cement.

I exhaled. And cried.

2 HOURS LATER: 3AM

My phone buzzed. 1%.

Unknown number.

"Ada. Are you okay? Don’t go home. Go to The Haven Hotel. Room 214. I paid for it. -D"*

Damien.

My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped it.

I packed one bag. Clothes. The book he gave me. ₦12,400.

I didn’t go to the hotel.

I went to Tolu’s house in Yaba. If I was going to die, I’d die with my friend.

Tolu opened the door in her nightie, eyes red.

“Ada? What’s wrong?”

I told her everything. The Range Rover. The fees. The EFCC news. The knocks.

She listened. Then she slapped me.

“Are you stupid?! That man is engaged! And a fraudster! Run!”

I nodded. But I was already in too deep.

The next day

I went to The Haven Hotel at 10 AM. Room 214.

It smelled like air freshener and money.

There was food. Clothes in my size. A new phone on the bed. And a note.

_“I’m sorry I put you in danger. Stay here for 3 days. Don’t answer unknown calls. I’ll fix this. -D”_

Fix what?

I charged the new phone. 12 missed calls. All unknown.

1 voicemail. I played it.

Damien’s voice. Tired. Broken.

“Ada, listen to me. I lied. Not about how I feel about you. About everything else. My name isn’t Damien Okoro. It’s Damien Adeyemi. Senator Adeyemi’s son. Amara is my sister, not my fiancée. The EFCC case... it’s my father. I took the blame. Please don’t hate me. Meet me tonight. 9pm. Lekki Bridge. Come alone.”

I stared at the phone until the screen went black.

He lied about his name.

He lied about being engaged.

But he didn’t lie when he said _“I won’t hurt you.”_

Right?

DAY 8: 8:30 PM - LEKKI BRIDGE

Lagos at night is a different animal. Danfo drivers shouting. Bike men weaving. The water below was black.

He was there. Same black Range. No suit. Jeans and a black T-shirt. He looked smaller. Tired.

“Ada.”

“Don’t,” I said. “Just talk.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “My father embezzled ₦4.2 billion from the state. EFCC came for him. I told them it was me. Because if they take him, my sister Amara and my mum will have nothing. My name is Adeyemi.”

“So why Damien?”

“Because Okoro was my mother’s maiden name. I used it to hide. From him. From them.”

“Who are ‘them’?”

“The people he stole from. Politicians. They think I have the money. They’ve been looking for me for 2 weeks.”

That’s why they knocked.

He stepped closer. “I promised I wouldn’t hurt you. And I meant it. But I did. By bringing you into this.”

I wanted to slap him. I wanted to hug him.

“Why me, Damien? Why did you pick me?”

“Because you were the only person in Bella’s who didn’t look at me like I was money. You looked tired. Like me.”

The bridge was empty except for us and the wind.

“I can’t stay in Lagos,” he said. “They’ll find me. Come with me. To Ghana. We start over. New names. I have money. Not stolen. My own.”

My chest hurt.