A/N: Hey guys, I'm sorry this chapter might not hold the drama and excitement you require but just know that I'm working towards it.

Future chapters will be better, I promise.

Anyways, enjoy.

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Ijeoma's POV

"Yeah, absolutely" I said into the phone that was wedged between my ear and shoulder.

I placed an empty soup plate and a Golden morn cereal pack on the stool in front Zozo. I pulled the phone from between my ear and shoulder and placed it on the stool before putting it on speaker. I was trying to get Zozo ready for school before the school bus arrives.

"That's good" Noah replied.

"No-no!!!" Zozo exclaimed as soon as she heard his voice.

Her big brown eyes widened in excitement as she bounced in her seat.

When Zozo first started calling Noah by 'No-no'. We thought she was just yelling 'no' for no reason but after multiple times of referring to Noah with her newly formed nickname. We realized it was a name she had come up with in her head. I also thought she came up with the name because it rhymed with her own nickname.

Noah chuckled. "Hi baby. How are you?"

"Fine" she screamed in response.

I walked into the kitchen to grab the cans of milk and sugar, leaving them to chat with each other. There was no light so I had to use a torchlight to find my way around the house.

I could Zozo's voice from the kitchen. Talking in low tones was not in her dictionary right now, she was excited and so was her voice.

"Mummy!!" Zozo ran into the kitchen holding my phone. "Take"

I collected the phone from her and she ran back into the living room. The force and speed at which she charged back into the living room, especially with no lights on worried me.

"Zozo, be careful please!" I yelled after her.

I put the phone back on my ear. "Heyy"

"I can tell your busy" Noah said

"Yeah. I'm trying to get breakfast ready for Zozo" I said

"Okay. I'll talk to you later then"

"Kay. Bye, love you."

"Love you too"

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I arrived at the office at exactly 8am on the dot which was when work officially started. I had actually planned to get here at least thirty minutes before time but Zozo's school bus delayed me.

Zozo's school bus normally arrived at 7am in order to get the kids to school before 8 o'clock. Today was different because the school bus arrived at 7:32, making me wait with Zozo till they arrived. The school bus driver apologized for the delay saying it was because of the whole fuel scarcity thing.

Getting fuel at petrol stations during scarcities was a real hassle. There were long lines of cars and people trying to get fuel that you would get discouraged from even trying to buy. I could understand the stress he must have gone through to get fuel in the bus, so I just nodded my head.

The elevator doors were about to close so I picked up my pace and rushed towards the elevator. I tapped the elevator button and stuck my other hand in between the doors to prevent the doors from closing.

The doors reopened and I walked into the elevator to find Mr. Kachi standing at the back of the elevator.

He was dressed in a white dress shirt, black trousers and a matching tie. He had his suit jacket slung across his arms and it made think of those men who modelled office wears in magazines.

"Good morning, Sir" I said.

"Morning" he said with a slight head nod.

I stood to the side of the elevator, in front of him before running my hands across my surplice peach dress to smoothen the creases that formed while I was rushing to catch the elevator.

An uncomfortably awkward silence ensued and I fought the urge to tap my foot as we waited in the elevator. I resorted to crossing my arms in front of me and drumming my fingers on my arm.

God! What kind of slow elevator is this?

"You know you can talk around me right?" Mr. Kachi broke the silence.

"Sorry?"

"You don't have to be so quiet around me. I'm not those straight faced, notoriously moody bosses you see on TV" He said

I took a minute to process before I turned and replied. "Do other employees talk around you?"

"Some of them" he replied

I just nodded and turned back to face the elevator doors.

The elevator stopped at the second floor and three men and a lady joined us in the elevator. I had to move back in order to make room for them. I was now standing beside Mr. Kachi and his signature cologne filled my nostrils.

One of the men in front of me made a hand movement that made me move to the side and in the process I slightly brushed against Mr Kachi.

"Sorry" I muttered

I can't wait for this elevator ride to be over.

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I was going through some files on my desktop when Mr. Kachi walked into the office with another man.

The man was on the large side with a big protruding beer paunch. He was also about six foot something making him look intimidating with his stature. He looked about the same age with my father and his peers, if not older.

The man was dressed in a native wear; a long sleeved cream colored top and matching trousers. He had a red chieftaincy cap on his head but I could see a couple of folds starting from the side of head and ending at the back of his head.

"Assuming Biafra had worked, all these will not be happening now" the man said in an immensely deep voice.

Mr. Kachi nodded in a way that made me think he just did it to make the man happy not because he agreed.

"Good Afternoon, sir" I greeted

The man stopped turned to my direction as if just noticing my presence.

"Ah ahn, who is this? This is not the girl I normally see when I come here" The man asked Mr. Kachi. "What's that her name again?.... Ehen Chioma"

"Oh yes. This is Ijeoma and she's my new secretary" Mr. Kachi explained

"Is Chioma no longer here?"

"She actually now my PA but she's not in right now" Mr. Kachi replied

"Really?! Where do you people find these girls?" the man said with a weird smile on his face and outstretched his hand. "I'm Chief Ernest Okwubido"

The name rang a bell in my head. It must have been part of the names on the list of VIPs assigned to Mr. Kachi.

The big clients who had dozens of containers coming in through the company were assigned to either the CEO or Mr. Kachi. The other small business owners who shipped only a couple of goods were attended to by the customer service representatives on the second or third floor.

I took the outstretched hand with a neutral smile. "Nice to meet you, sir"

"You too, my dear" he said as he took my hand in a tight hold. "What a pretty girl"

He ran his big prominent eyes over my body, sizing me up and it felt like worms were crawling all over me. I tried to pry my hand away from his coarse one without being rude but he kept a strong hold on it.

Mr. Kachi noticed my plight and placed a hand on Chief Ernest's shoulder. "Why don't we head into my office and talk about business"

"Oh yes" Chief Ernest said before finally releasing my hand.

Mr. Kachi mouthed an apology before heading into his office with Chief Ernest. At that exact moment, Chioma walked into the office. She had gone out on an errand for Mr. Kachi.

"Oh God. Chief Ernest is here" she said as soon as she heard the deep loud voice coming from behind Mr. Kachi's door.

I chuckled at her expression of disgust.

"Is he normally like that?" I voiced out.

"You mean that loud, disgusting, old man" she replied with a tone laced with venom.

I didn't expect that reaction from her. I just met the man a couple minutes ago and I already deducted that he wasn't a saint.

"Wow. Is he that bad? I mean he looked at me inappropriately but ..."

"That one is even small. There was one time he slapped my bumbum (bottom) as if I was one of his small small sugar babies"

My mouth fell open in surprise.

"Yes oo, that pig" she pointed towards the door. "He thinks because he has money he can act anyhow he likes"

"Didn't Mr. Kachi say anything when it happened?" I asked

"He wasn't in the office when it happened so..." She trailed off

"But like... how did you react after that?" I was really curious.

"I just let him know that I didn't like it" she replied

"That's all?" I asked astonished

"What did you want me to do? The man is one of the biggest clients we have in this company, it wouldn't be wise to get on his bad side"

"Hmmm. Nawa oo" I exclaimed in wonderment.

She let out a small hiss before settling down in her desk at the corner. "Na so I see am oo" (That's how it is)

"It's even his wife I pity the most. Imagine being married to someone like him... God forbid" she made a snapping sound with her fingers.

I don't think I noticed a wedding band on his fingers because of how grossed out I was by his hold on me but it was obvious that a man of his caliber and age would have a wife at home.

I couldn't even imagine how his wife must be feeling knowing the kind of man she was married too. Did she even know this was the type of man he was?

There was no way this type of man was discreet with his affairs. He looked like the type of person if caught would only shrug his shoulders as to say 'what can you do about it'.

Was she the type of wife who didn't give a damn as long as all her needs were being taken care of? Or was she the type that slowly died in silence due to the betrayal and disrespect?

I pondered on the whole thing for five minutes before snapping back to reality and delving back into the work I had in front of me. After all, it was none of my business.

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