"Welcome to our home, Young Master Onuh. I'm Mrs. Arinze Olaedo, Chibuzor's wife. Hubby says you're one of his closest friends and speaks highly of you. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"..."
Hubby? Olisa's thoughts screeched to a halt. So it's real, then.
Instead of responding, he assessed her silently, his gaze scrutinizing. Why does she look so familiar? And that bit about Chibuzor speaking highly of him? Highly unlikely.
"So," he began, his tone laced with sarcasm, "you're the one who made him abandon our Association of Single Men? What's so special about you? Honestly, you don't seem like much."
He stepped closer, his stern face unyielding.
Olaedo raised an eyebrow, momentarily taken aback. What kind of friends does Chibuzor keep? Association of Single Men? And his behavior, this wasn't just childish; it was absurd.
Choosing not to dignify his remarks with a response, she turned on her heel and began walking back inside. But before she could take more than a few steps, Olisa's voice rang out, his tone suddenly playful.
"Hey, hey, wait! Don't take it personally, Sister-in-law. I was just joking. If Chibuzor accepts you, then I accept you too. We're sworn brothers, after all."
Turning back, she found his entire demeanor transformed. The stern, almost condescending aura was gone, replaced by a friendly, almost boyish grin. As expected, none of Chibuzor's friends are simple.
Deliberately, she continued walking inside, her pace calm and unhurried. Behind her, Olisa scratched his head, looking sheepish.
"Sister-in-law, don't be mad, okay? I went too far with the teasing. How about this? I'll compensate you with a gift. After all, it's our first meeting."
At the mention of a gift, Olaedo stopped in her tracks, though she didn't turn around. Before she could respond, a sharp voice thundered from the stairs.
"What did you say to my wife?! It seems you don't need me to invest in your new project anymore."
Hearing Chibuzor's voice, Olisa froze, his face pale. He turned slowly, meeting his best friend's fiery glare.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" he stammered. "What could I possibly have said? Sister-in-law and I are getting along just fine, right?"
His pleading eyes darted to Olaedo, silently begging for her forgiveness and support. "Please back me up," he mouthed, I'll make sure the gift is worth it.
Olaedo, knowing when not to take things too far, decided to let him off the hook. She beamed graciously and walked over to Chibuzor, slipping her arm around his waist. Placing her other hand on his chest, though hesitant in her heart, she smiled.
"It's nothing, honey. We were just joking around."
Seeing that she wasn't upset, Chibuzor relaxed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Maintaining their act, he led her to the sofa, waving Olisa over.
Relieved, Olisa approached with exaggerated care, muttering thanks under his breath. He took her pulse gently, as he hadn't brought any instruments with him. Chibuzor, watching the scene unfold, rolled his eyes and called for the servants to bring proper medical equipment.
Olisa carefully assessed Olaedo after the emergency use of the epinephrine autoinjector, his eyes scanning for any signs of ongoing symptoms or complications. "Your breathing sounds much better now," he said, checking the patient's oxygen levels and heart rate.
"However, the epinephrine can sometimes cause temporary side effects like a rapid heartbeat, anxiety, or a headache." He gestured and walked Chibuzor through preparing a saline drip to keep Olaedo hydrated while explaining, "I will monitor you here for a few hours to ensure there's no rebound reaction, which is a second wave of the allergy symptoms."
He added reassuringly, "This is standard procedure after severe allergic reactions. He would have referred you to an allergist to identify triggers and discuss preventive measures, including carrying extra epinephrine in case this happens again, but something tells me you have already gone through this process."
At this point, Olisa's curiosity got the better of him, and he asked a question no one else had thought to. "What exactly triggered your allergy?"
Hearing this, Chibuzor silently facepalmed. I can't believe I forgot to ask her that! I should've asked about her medical history and other details sooner.
Olaedo thought back to what she had eaten, her mind narrowing down the possibilities. Eventually, she made a guess that grew more certain as she thought it through. "I'm allergic to certain brands of beverages. Today's tea must have contained one of them."
Both men nodded in realization.
Olaedo paused, suddenly aware they hadn't properly thanked Olisa for rushing over to help. Waiting for Chibuzor to say anything was pointless; considering how he had abruptly hung up the phone earlier, she took it upon herself. After all, she was the patient.
"Thank you for coming over so quickly, Young Master Onuh," she said sincerely.
Olisa nodded, flashing a cheeky smile as he packed up his things. He made a move toward the second floor to settle in but didn't forget to curry favor with Olaedo before leaving.
"Sister-in-law, I'll be your knight in shining armor anytime," he declared dramatically. "I bring all the fun and coolness to our ASM club, unlike a certain someone sitting beside you. Here's my personal phone number." Without waiting for permission, he grabbed her phone and punched in his number, smirking the whole time.
"Call me anytime, anytime at all, okay? If you ever decide to divorce this block of wood, your big brother here will support you. Don't be scared to run for your dear life if you need to, and I'll have your back."
Olaedo had been nodding in amused agreement until that last part. Her expression turned serious as she wondered, 'Does Olisa know about the nature of this marriage?' She glanced at Chibuzor out of the corner of her eye, but his calm demeanor and obvious disdain for Olisa told her it was just another one of his friend's jokes. Her smile returned, warmer and more genuine this time.
"Sure," she replied with playful sincerity. "I'll run immediately if I have to, since Big Brother Olisa will protect me." It was her first time having a big brother so she was really happy about this.
Hearing her call him "big brother," Olisa's grin widened until it practically reached his ears. What had started as a joke carried a hint of truth, but now he was fully serious. Having a little sister is so different from having a brother! I'll protect her no matter what!
Chibuzor, on the other hand, felt slightly threatened by their growing camaraderie. Turning his cold gaze on Olisa, he glared pointedly, saving his ire for his friend rather than his wife.
"You dare to encourage my wife to leave me? It seems your project isn't that important to you after all," he said icily.
In a flash, Olisa darted upstairs, sulking like a scolded child. Meanwhile, Olaedo burst out laughing, unable to contain herself.
The sound stunned Chibuzor. It was the first time he had heard her laugh so freely and genuinely. It was… nice. His gaze lingered on her for several moments, an unfamiliar warmth spreading through him. When she noticed his expression and looked up curiously, he quickly turned away, feigning calmness.
Olaedo shook her head, bemused. 'I must have imagined that.'
She picked up her phone and saw that Olisa had saved his number as "Your escape plan, coolest big brother Olisa"
Once again, she burst out laughing, a sound so free and genuine that it left Chibuzor feeling a twinge of frustration. Twice now, she had laughed like this, and both times, it was thanks to Olisa. What did he have that drew such reactions from her?
---
The Next Day
Olisa had left the previous night but not without saying goodbye. He had even encouraged her to call him anytime, his cheeky grin still fresh in her mind.
In the early hours of the morning, sitting in her quiet study, Olaedo put her meticulously crafted plan into motion.
Her company was in desperate need of financial support, and she needed to regain control. Buying shares was the way forward, both to stabilize her company and to reassert her authority. She had decided to dip into her personal savings and combine them with the 10 million naira salary she had been receiving from her current "job."
This move would allow her to purchase a substantial number of shares in the company she built. It was a strategy with dual benefits: the infusion of cash would help cover some of the gaps in the company's finances, and slowly amassing shares would solidify her position over time.
Her plan was simple but effective. She would reinvest the dividends paid biannually and continue purchasing shares incrementally. Over the years, as her shareholding increased, she would be able to buy back shares from current board members, regaining full control piece by piece.
To maintain the secrecy of her strategy, Olaedo decided not to disclose her identity as one of the new shareholders to the board, at least not yet. She would wait until she had a significant holding before revealing the truth.
The plan was almost flawless, but she couldn't help but still be worried since even one percent flaw was more than enough to ruin everything. 'I wonder if this will be enough to hold those sharks off....'