Chapter 5 A New Proposal

Olayemi sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the cracked ceiling of the one-room apartment she shared with her mother. The faint hum of generators from nearby homes buzzed outside, mixing with the dull ache in her chest. Her mind replayed the awful moment she walked out of Ovie's apartment after backing out of their arrangement. The shame still clung to her skin, thick as humidity.

She hadn't told her mother anything. The older woman was already dealing with enough-her husband gone, her life uprooted, and her health slowly declining. Olayemi had to be strong. But how?

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. It was Mariam, her closest friend. "Ovie wants to see you," she said, eyes wary. "He said it's urgent."

Olayemi followed Mariam without a word. By the time she reached Ovie's off-campus apartment, her nerves were frayed. He opened the door wearing a smirk that made her uneasy.

"I knew you'd come back," he said smugly, gesturing for her to sit.

"I didn't come to beg," she snapped. "You said it was urgent."

He chuckled, lighting a cigarette. "Always so fiery. Fine. I have a new deal for you. One that doesn't involve us sleeping together."

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "I'm listening."

Ovie pulled out a tablet and showed her a sleek dating app interface. On it, she saw a profile filled with pictures of her-pictures she didn't remember taking. "I created this for you," he said. "Jane Maya. She's your new identity."

She frowned. "What is this?"

"An online dating setup. Rich guys from overseas. One of them already bit. A billionaire from the US. Name's Albert."

Olayemi's heart stuttered. "What do you want me to do?"

"Talk to him. Flirt. Build a story. We'll tell him you need money for school or a family emergency. He sends money, we share it fifty-fifty."

Her gut twisted. This wasn't what she wanted. But it wasn't sex, and she was desperate.

"What if he finds out?" she asked.

"He won't. Trust me, this guy's already hooked. Just keep up the act."

Olayemi looked at the screen again. The man staring back at her from his polished profile was older, powerful-looking, with stormy grey eyes and a confident smile.

Albert.

Her hands trembled as she took the tablet. "Alright. I'll do it. But if anything feels off, I'm out."

Ovie's grin widened. "Good girl. Let the games begin."

And just like that, Olayemi stepped into a world she didn't understand, one where desire, deception, and desperation tangled in dangerous ways. All she could do now was survive it-and maybe, just maybe, make it out whole.