15~Dinner invite
Honk! Honk! Honk!
The blaring horns jolted Hanan awake.
She groaned, pulling the pillow over her ears.
"Gosh... it's morning already?"
"Can't people drive quietly for once?"
The horns continued.
With an annoyed sigh, she dragged herself out of bed and staggered toward the window.
The moment she pulled the curtains aside, her eyes widened.
"No..."
Her gaze darted to the wall clock.
"No, no, no!"
She froze.
"It's past eleven?"
She grabbed her phone in disbelief, hoping the clock was wrong.
It wasn't.
"Oh, God."
"What happened to my alarm?"
She stared blankly at the untouched alarm before last night's memories came flooding back.
She had cried herself to sleep...
...and forgotten to set it.
"Great."
She let out a frustrated groan.
"Thanks to my ex best friend I forgot to set the alarm."
Running a hand through her messy hair, she looked down at herself.
Still in her pajamas.
Still standing inside her apartment.
On her very first day of work.
"Oh, God."
She buried her face in her hands.
"I was supposed to be at the office hours ago."
She glanced outside again.
The sun was already blazing.
By now it was almost noon.
"There is no way I'm showing up this late on my first day."
"They'll think I'm irresponsible."
She sighed deeply.
"No..."
"I'll just make an excuse."
Picking up her phone, she saw several missed calls from Faruk.
Her heart skipped.
"I should call back."
The phone barely rang once before he answered.
"Hanan?"
"Where are you?"
She closed her eyes guiltily.
"I'm sorry, Faruk..."
"I won't be able to come to the office today."
There was a brief pause.
"Why?"
"You don't sound like yourself."
"Are you okay?"
His concern made her guilt even worse.
"I think I came down with a slight fever."
She deliberately kept her voice weak.
"It's probably nothing serious."
"I've taken some medicine."
"I just need to rest."
Faruk sounded worried. "I'm coming over."
"I'll bring a doctor."
"No!" The word escaped more sharply than she intended.
She quickly softened her tone.
"I mean... please don't."
"I've already taken medication."
"It's just the weather."
"I'll be fine after some sleep."
Faruk remained silent for a moment.
"You promise?"
"I promise."
"Alright."
"But make sure you eat something before taking the medicine."
"I will. Thank you."
"Oh... I almost forgot." Faruk sighed.
"My dad wants to meet you tonight."
Hanan frowned. "Tonight?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"He wants to have dinner with you."
"Nothing formal."
"He likes getting to know the people who work for him."
He paused.
"But since you're sick, we will postpone it."
"No."
Faruk blinked. "No?"
"I want to come."
"But you said you're ill."
"I'll be better by then."
She forced confidence into her voice.
"I don't want to disappoint him."
He hesitated. "Are you sure?"
"Very sure." She smiled to herself.
"I'll be fine before evening."
"Alright then."
"I'll pick you up at five."
"Get some rest until then."
"I will."
"Thank you, Faruk."
"See you later."
"Take care."
"You too."
The call ended.
Hanan slowly lowered the phone and released a long breath.
"I can't believe I just lied..."
She murmured.
"But showing up at work by noon would have been even worse."
"It's just a little white lie." She murmured to herself. "Everyone tells one now and then. Besides, I can't show up at the office halfway through my first day. It will forever give me a bad impression..."
She was still trying to convince herself when her phone buzzed.
I want to see you, Ma'am Habiba.
She frowned.
"Emma?" She muttered.
Before she could reply, another message appeared.
Please... it's important. Let's meet at the usual spot, the mall. I really need to talk to you.
Hanan sighed, rubbing her temple.
"Why did I have to run into her of all people? Now she won't let me breathe."
She stared at the messages for a moment before locking her phone.
"It had better be something useful."
As much as Emma annoyed her, she couldn't deny one thing, without her help, pulling off the replica look of Amina's bridal dress would've been impossible. Emma had unknowingly become the reason Hanan succeeded in stealing the spotlight and throwing the entire reception into chaos.
"I should get ready."
A short while later, Hanan stepped out of her apartment dressed exactly how she liked, simple but stylish.
A pair of fitted black jeans, an oversized pink T shirt, a matching pink veil, and her favorite sneakers.
Comfort over everything.
She hailed a cab and settled into the back seat.
As the car pulled away, her thoughts drifted to the office.
I should've been there right now... meeting everyone... settling into my new job.
Instead, she was heading to the mall for a conversation she wasn't even sure would benefit her.
Still...
Anything was better than sitting at home replaying last night's events.
She lowered the window slightly, letting the cool breeze brush against her face.
The city was alive.
Cars stretched endlessly across the road, horns blared from every direction, and people hurried about as though the entire city had agreed to wake up at once.
"Madam, you don tire ba?" The driver asked, glancing at her through the rear view mirror.
She smiled.
"No. I'm just surprised by how packed the roads are."
The man laughed.
"Today na Monday na. Everybody don comot hustle."
He looked at her again.
"But you be stranger for Lagos? You comot from oyibo land? Because this your English too sweet for ear o."
Hanan couldn't help but laugh.
"I've been abroad for a while, but I'm not new to Lagos."
"Oho... welcome back."
"Thank you."
The driver nodded with satisfaction before reaching for the radio.
"Make I hear small news."
Hanan was already pulling out her AirPods, intending to tune everything out, when a familiar name caught her attention.
"...AA Law Firm..."
She paused.
"That's my office."
The driver chuckled proudly.
"Na dem get one of the biggest law firms for Nigeria. You lucky say you get work there. No be everybody fit enter."
"It's thanks to a friend." She admitted with a smile. "Let's hear what they have to say."
The news continued.
The driver listened with excitement.
Hanan did too...
Until her smile slowly disappeared.
Moments later, she hurriedly searched the announcement on her phone.
Her heart sank.
FAJAB Pharmaceuticals and AA Law Firm announce Strategic Partnership...
She reread the headline twice.
"...How?"
Her brows knitted together.
"Why would AA partner with FAJAB Pharmaceuticals?"
She hoped she misheard the report, but every news article confirmed the same thing.
"This doesn't make sense."
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
Does Faruk even know about this?
Surely he didn't.
There was no way he would willingly agree to work alongside the very people she considered her enemies.
Or...
Was there?
A heavy feeling settled in her chest.
"No."
She shook her head firmly.
"Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever."
She would never work under the same roof as the people who had destroyed her life.
Never.
Even if it meant walking away from her dream job.
After nearly an hour trapped in Lagos famous Monday traffic, the cab finally pulled into the mall parking lot.
Hanan paid the driver, stepped out, and took a slow breath.
Whatever Emma wanted... She hoped it was worth an hour drive.
Hanan walked into the mall to find Emma already waiting, pacing anxiously. The moment Emma spotted her, relief washed over her face.
"Hi." Hanan said flatly. "What was so important that I had to spend an hour getting here?"
"Thank you for coming, Ma'am Habib..."
"Emma."
Hanan cut her off with a stern look.
"It's Hanan. Please don't call me Habiba anymore, and I'm no longer your ma'am. Just call me Hanan."
"I'm... sorry." Emma lowered her gaze.
"So." Hanan folded her arms. "Why am I here?"
Emma hesitated before speaking.
"I wanted to ask you for a favor."
"What favor?"
"I want you to visit Grandma."
Hanan's expression instantly hardened.
"Grandma has been crying again lately, she hasn't stopped crying. She wants to see you so badly, and I know no one else can make that happen. Please... even if it's just once, come with me."
"Really?" Hanan let out a dry laugh.
"First, I will never set foot in that hell you all call a mansion."
She stepped closer.
"And second... why exactly should I see her?"
"Ma'am... it's Grandma."
"And?!" Hanan's voice rose.
"When I came back three years ago begging to see her, what happened? I was thrown out like trash before I could even get through the gate."
Her breathing grew heavier.
"So don't stand here feeding me stories about tears and regrets. I won't buy them."
Every word dragged her back to that humiliating day.
The estate gate.
The security guards.
The rejection.
From that moment onward, every member of the Garba family became part of the nightmare that destroyed her life.
"Grandma wasn't involved." Emma pleaded. "She knew nothing. She searched everywhere for you after you disappeared."
"Searched for me?"
Hanan laughed bitterly.
"And that's supposed to comfort me?"
"It's true." Emma nodded desperately.
"There has to be some misunderstanding. Please... Grandma is so frail now. Seeing her cry every day breaks my heart."
"If that's all you brought me here to say..." Hanan sighed. "...then we're done."
She turned to leave.
"And don't ever call me again about this."
Emma clenched her fists. "I'm sorry if this sounds harsh..."
Hanan paused.
"...but why have you become so cold and bitter?"
Emma's eyes brimmed with tears.
"Why do you hate someone who did nothing but love you? I'm only asking for one meeting."
Hanan slowly faced her again.
"No need to apologize."
A faint smile curved her lips.
"You think I'm stone hearted?"
She shrugged. "Maybe I am."
"People change, Emma."
"So deal with it... and stop chasing me."
Emma's disappointment quickly turned into anger.