The Dice #32

By lunchtime, Moses had signed the paperwork, officially committing to start with the American firm in two weeks. However, he was leaving the following evening, with plans to work from the US and return later to sort out his house and other belongings. The weight of this decision hung heavily on him, a bittersweet mix of anticipation and sorrow that gnawed at his insides.

He dropped by Ola’s office, trying to keep his composure. “All done, boss.”

“Who is your boss? You’re leaving me because of a woman.” Ola’s voice was tinged with a hint of playful reproach, but his eyes betrayed concern.

Moses managed a small smile, one that barely touched his eyes. “It’s for the best, and you know it.”

“That’s why I’m not making your life more miserable and going easy on you,” Ola replied, more concerned about betraying his features than he wanted to admit.

“I’m willing to offer my shares to you and Dunni,” Moses said, his voice tight with the strain of holding himself together. He could feel the weight of his decision pressing down on him, threatening to crush the fragile control he was desperately clinging to. “If we call in the lawyer, we can get that sorted.” He tried to sound businesslike, but the words came out uneven, the pain he was drowning in clawing at the edges of his resolve.

“Not so fast, bro,” Ola cut in sharply, his tone a mixture of firmness and concern. “You may not be working for us, but you’re still a part of us—and a shareholder too. Resignation, yes, but no selling of your stake in the company.”

Moses shrugged, his gaze drifting to the window. “You’re the boss,” he muttered, staring out at the sprawling city of Lagos. He had never imagined living outside the country, but it was either that or drowning in the despair and pain that threatened to consume him. This resulted from waiting too long for the perfect moment to propose to Dunni instead of seizing the moment many years ago.

A knock on the glass door startled him. Dunni peeked through, her face bright with a smile. “Can we come in? I have someone to introduce to you guys.”

The man with her was clearly visible through the glass. “Finally, we become worthy to meet the mystery man,” Ola commented dryly, his tone masking the underlying tension.

Moses shot Ola inquisitively, then walked over to Tade and extended his hand. “Moses Akale, soon to be ex-partner at the firm. Pleased to meet you.” His voice was steady, but inside, a storm raged.

Dunni glanced at Moses, puzzled by his introduction. The last she knew, he was simply a partner, nothing more. She tried to catch his gaze, but Moses refused to meet her eyes, focusing all his attention on Tade.

“Pleased to meet you,” Tade responded politely, unaware of the undercurrents in the room.

Ola stood up to greet Tade. “We finally meet the mystery man. Happy for someone to take her off our hands.”

Moses shot Ola a death glare, but Ola merely shrugged, unperturbed. “You must be used to all the publicity with the recent blog posts.”

Moses observed a shift in Tade’s demeanour, noticing the discomfort that flickered across his face when the blogs were mentioned. Moses made a mental note to find out more about this man.

“Don’t tell me you read those blogs,” Dunni interjected, her tone light as she tried to defuse the situation. “Miriam sent it to me—our girl moving in billionaire circles.”

“You wish,” Dunni teased. “If Tade is a billionaire, I’m a zillionaire, and you all are zillionaire-plus.”

“I’ll see you guys later. I’m off for lunch.” Dunni’s tone was casual, but inside, she was determined. She wasn’t about to let Ola and Moses have their way, not with Tade. She didn’t trust them—no guy who’d ever come near her had met their impossible standards. “Do you want me to get you anything?” she added, her eyes already on the door.

Both men declined, and without another word, Dunni grabbed Tade’s hand and led him out, leaving an uneasy silence in their wake.

“Pleased to meet you, Dr. Tade Braithwaite. We hope to see you around,” Ola called out, his voice echoing in the room as the door closed behind Tade and Dunni.

Once outside, Moses quickly googled Tade Braithwaite. What he found made his heart sink further: Son of the richest woman in Africa, Molade Thomas. Lost his wife early this year to cervical cancer. Rumoured to have been engaged to Made Brown, a family friend, but the engagement was broken off. Made is still unmarried, and they hope they’ll get back together. Tade is a doctor who works solely for Lekki Consultants Hospital and is not involved in the family business run by his mother.

“Wow, our girl snagged a billionaire,” Moses muttered to himself, the words laced with bitterness. “Maybe that’s why I never stood a chance. I don’t have that kind of money.”

“You’re being a dickhead now,” Ola snapped, cutting through Moses’s self-pity. “Dunni’s never been about money, and you know it.”

Moses chuckled, though the sound was hollow. “You better not repeat that nonsense to Dunni. You’ll never be forgiven.”

“Yes, boss,” Ola replied, his tone softening. “When are you telling her you’re leaving?”

“I don’t know,” Moses admitted, his voice thick with uncertainty. “Don’t we have the strategy meeting later today? We can announce it to the team.”

Meanwhile, Dunni and Tade made their way to the car park. “There’s a decent restaurant within walking distance. Let’s try that,” Dunni suggested, her tone light, though she was secretly relieved they wouldn’t have to deal with Lagos traffic.

“Not expecting us to drive somewhere due to traffic?” Tade teased, raising an eyebrow.

Dunni smiled, though her mind was elsewhere, weighed down by the workload she could barely manage. She also had a conference in Abuja where she was a speaker, and the preparation was looming over her. She hesitated to mention work as an excuse, feeling guilty knowing how often she’d chided Tade for working too hard and not taking enough time to rest. “It’ll be easier for you to get back to work quicker without having to bring me back and then find your way,” she said instead, which wasn’t a lie.

Tade raised his hands in surrender. “You drive a hard bargain, Miss Adesida. Warn me not to negotiate with you in the future. Any hope to win is dead on arrival.”

When they arrived at the restaurant, Dunni sank into the soft chair, savouring the cool air from the air conditioner and the soothing classical music playing in the background. The calming decor, with its mix of browns and greens and the lively presence of plants, made the space feel almost like an oasis. The wide windows let in natural light, softened by the draperies to avoid any harsh glare from the sun.

A waiter soon approached, and Dunni ordered a Chapman while Tade opted for water. The vibration of her phone pulled her attention away. “One second,” she said, her eyes pleading as she glanced at Tade, who excused himself, mouthing “gents” as he left the table.

It was Emma on the other end. “Hey, girl, not a good time to talk,” Dunni said, trying to keep her voice light.

“Check your phone,” Emma insisted. “You’re trending.”

“I know,” Emma responded drily, tired of people referring to the blog post. “Don’t pay attention to all the lies.”

“What lies? What are you talking about?” Emma asked, confused.

“Read the link I sent you. It makes sense now that you choosing Tade over Moses. The lie in being the son of the richest woman in Africa.”

Dunni’s heart pounded as confusion turned to dread. “I don’t know what you’re saying. I’ll get back to you,” she replied, her voice shaky. When the call ended, she opened the link Emma had sent.

Her eyes widened in shock as she saw a picture of herself taken from her company’s website, accompanied by a profile. “Latest love interest to Tade Braithwaite, son to Molade Thomas, the richest woman in Africa,” the headline blared. Hurt, anger, and disappointment twisted into a knot in her stomach. Betrayal sank deep, cold and heavy. Tade had hidden this from her. They’d been engaged for two weeks, and he hadn’t thought to tell her this crucial piece of his identity. She couldn’t understand why he had kept something so significant from her.

Tade returned, immediately noticing the change in Dunni’s expression. Her face was a mask, devoid of the warmth he was used to. “Who is Molade Thomas?” she asked, her voice cold, almost unrecognisable.

“My mother,” Tade answered without hesitation, though he felt his heart sink. There was no point in denying it or trying to downplay the situation. It was time to come clean.

“When was I going to be told?” Dunni’s voice trembled with restrained fury. “Did you enjoy fooling me? Why did you hide that important fact from me?”

“It’s complicated,” Tade began, but Dunni cut him off.

“Please, uncomplicate it for me.” She kept her voice low, not wanting to cause a scene but barely holding back her rising anger.

“I didn’t want to be judged by my family’s wealth. I’ve worked hard for everything I have today—my degree, the hospital, my career—without relying on my family’s wealth or influence.”

“You lied to me, Tade. By not telling me, you lied. You took me for a ride,” Dunni’s voice wavered, but her resolve remained firm. “I joked so many times in the last 24 hours about becoming a zillionaire if you were a billionaire, and not once did you set me straight. You had all the time in the world, Tade, but you chose to keep me in the dark.”

“I was going to tell you today.”

“Was that why you said I shouldn’t read anything online? You had no plan to tell me and were only doing so because the news was out there. Was our engagement a lie, too?”

Dunni grabbed her bag, standing abruptly. “I’ve lost my appetite. I can head back to the office. You don’t need to miss your lunch on my account.”

Tade reached for her hand, desperation seeping into his voice. “Dunni, please don’t go. Let’s talk.”

But Dunni was resolute. “I’m not in the mood right now to talk. There’s nothing to say. Your actions have said it all.”

Tade let his hand drop to his side, his heart heavy with regret. The laughter of two young girls passing by only deepened his misery. “You should run after her,” the shorter one offered sympathetically, trying hard to stifle her laughter. The other old back burst into merciless giggles and nodded in agreement.

He sat down, needing a moment to breathe and gather himself. The last thing he wanted was advice from anyone, let alone two young girls who knew nothing about the complexities of life. Dunni had never been one to mince words or speak in riddles. When she said yes, she meant it with every fibre of her being. He would give her the time she needed.