Chapter 2: Rewrite My Own Ending

I struggle get up from ground, my two cheeks dey burn, e sure say e don swell anyhow. Na so e dey be if you no mind your business.

But no wahala—Obinna don hit me worse before. For this marriage, na by fire by force we dey.

As long as e no cripple me, I fit allow am do anything. After all, na Naija we dey—marriage dey hard, but na who remain dey chop rice together.

I arrange myself, gather Obinna cloths put for one side. I fit smell small am, but I no let my mind run wild.

I dive inside the cloths, video call my guy, Musa. Na my padi since secondary school—if wahala too much, na Musa dey hear am first.

“Guy, maybe your papa no really be Enigma. If not, why I go dey lose for Alpha hand every time?”

I curl under shirt, dey jab inhibitor for my thigh with heavy mind. The thing pain, but no be pass wetin Obinna dey do me.

After one minute, the heat for my body begin cool small. I sigh, for Naija heat no dey ever really finish, na only slow down.

“Your man don beat you again?”

Musa voice get that concern wey only true friend dey show. For this our side, friend wey go ask you twice dey rare.

“Tsk, I tell you that time wey you dey chase am—cold, sharp babes no dey hear word, talk less of Alpha.”

I just shake head, Musa get sense—him mouth sharp die.

“Guy, if you no fit handle Alpha, na to dey chop beans for canteen remain.”

“Abeg, which Alpha for this life go gree make another person mark am?”

E talk true. Even for animal kingdom, lion no dey take nonsense.

But e no suppose true. For my heart, I still believe say love fit work if both people try. Na hope I dey hope.

I really like Obinna—na the kind wey just to see him face dey do me. If no be true love, wetin I for dey here dey do?

If not, I for no propose to this kind Alpha that time when I hear say Obinna family wan bankrupt. For Naija, who dey settle millions for person wey e no send?

After I drop hundred million settle him debt, I never even touch him hand. Na respect I dey give am, but e no too reason me.

“Abeg leave matter. Every time na beating—this one bad pass. E even use leg press my face.”

I turn camera show am my battered face, dey pity myself. Na only for Musa I fit show soft side.

“Tsk tsk, no vex, Pei Xiaohuai, but you be Enigma—how you dey allow Alpha dey beat you anyhow?”

“If na me, I for just run am—once you do am finish, e no go fit throw you away.”

I sniff Obinna pheromones for him cloth, calm down, talk: Sometimes scent fit calm person more than paracetamol.

“I wan try, but e too strong—I no fit beat am.”

“Abeg, Enigma no fit beat Alpha? You dey whine me. Na because you no wan hurt am.”

“…Maybe.”

I dodge the matter, no wan enter deep. Musa sabi how to drag person secret come out, but today my heart heavy.

Truth be say, I no fit. Every time na just tease I dey tease am, then beating follow. If I do anyhow, I fit lose everything.

If I really fight back, Obinna fit no win. But I dey fear wahala, I no fit let am scatter the small balance wey still remain.

But fear dey catch me. If wahala burst, I fit no even get this small play wey we dey play. For this country, person wey no careful fit lose both money and marriage.

“Okay, I dey go, my man dey come back. Take care, no go die for there o.”

“If e no work, just divorce am. You be Pei family pikin—you fit get anybody.”

“Ehen, I hear. Bye.”

I wan drop phone when tracking app pop up warning. My phone dey vibrate like say devil wan send me message.

[Warning, warning: Target don enter dangerous area. Abeg act quick.]

Wetin that one mean? My heart skip beat—this kind warning no dey normal.

He just reject me now-now, na bar he go enter. You see Naija bars, na there gist and gobe dey start.

And no be any kind bar—na the kind wey anything dey happen. Na area boys, runs girls, sugar daddies, everybody dey inside.

My play mood just vanish. I rush come out from Obinna cloth, wear jacket, no even change, just burst commot. I no even send who dey see me—na my marriage dey on the line.

As I dey speed for night, my mind flash back to how I first jam Obinna—na for bar too. Na story wey fit make person laugh and cry.

That time, Obinna never be that big Chairman Obinna. Na just small pikin wey inherit family business, pressure everywhere. You go see am, e go dey frown like person wey chop bad eba.

That night, one Alpha grab Obinna yansh, he use bottle break the guy head. Blood splash, everybody shout. That bar scatter like fuel price for election season.

People wey dey that kind bar all get back up, so wahala start. For Naija, if you enter bar wey too quiet, just know say na set-up. The bouncer dey chew kolanut, eye red like say him never sleep.

More than ten big Alphas surround am, press am down, everywhere scatter. Men dey para, chairs dey fly, bouncer no even fit stop dem.

I just dey pass, see that cold, fine face, pity—or maybe na konji—catch me. Something move me, no fit explain.

I release my Enigma pheromones, all the Alphas freeze, Obinna free. My own scent na heavy—na only true Enigma dey carry this kind weight.

As Obinna still dey daze, I thief kiss am. No time to waste for this life.

The first time I kiss am, him body just stiff, him eye cold, like say e wan bite me. Na Naija guy I be, so shame no too dey me.

But the guy too fine, him scent dey burst my head—I kiss am again and again. I no fit help myself.

Last last, Obinna kick me far. For Naija, even when you dey chop slap, you go still collect your own share.

As I dey hold my belle, dey pain me, I still dey smile. Na love na im dey worry me.

Na that day I know say I don enter. You see as e dey be, when person heart don hook.

Later, as I hear say Obinna Group wan fall, I contact Obinna, propose business marriage. Na Naija way be that, hustle no dey finish.

The deal: I go pay all him debt, he go marry me. During my heat, he go cooperate anyhow I want. For this Lagos, everything na negotiation.

Obinna gree, but e no even try. If na another Alpha, e for use me shine, but this one just bone.

“Heh, see ‘unconditional cooperation’.”

I hiss, press accelerator, car fly for night. For Lekki road, only mad people dey speed like this.

Obinna, make you no fall my hand. I dey warn myself, my heart dey beat.

For this Lagos, person fit do something wey go shock everybody.

The bar na confusion—light dey flash, music dey loud die. Na so everywhere dey shake, even my own heart dey vibrate.

Everywhere choke with Alpha and Omega scent, wahala full ground. I wan faint for the smell—scent full my nose, even my body dey respond small.

I frown, cover nose, push pass crowd dey find Obinna. I no send anybody, my own wahala pass their own.

Tracker show say he dey one private room for upstairs. Na there big men dey hide do their own.

As I reach stairs, I hear laugh wey get meaning for inside room. That kind fake laugh wey dey hide sharp teeth.

Door no lock well, so I fit see wetin dey happen. My eye sharp, I peep.

Obinna still dey wear that him sharp black suit, but tie loose, shirt button open. If you see as e look—e resemble those Ajebo boys wey dey flex for Instagram.

He sit for sofa, leg cross, dey form boss, like say na auction e dey. E get one swag wey dey turn people head.

If no be for the small fine Omega wey dey lie for him lap. That one just dey show yansh, dey do as if dem dey shoot music video.

My hand grip doorframe so till e creak. I wan rush enter, but I need confirm if Obinna really like only Omegas. My heart dey shake like fowl wey see knife.

Finally, I shift my eye from Obinna face, look the Omega. Na temptation, e sure.

Na correct fine Omega, scent dey everywhere, dey tempt people. If not say I get sense, I for don misbehave.

All the Alphas for there dey lose guard; dem dey enter heat. I fit see say dem no get control at all.

Except Obinna… My mind calm small. I know say e no easy to move am.

Chai, I just dey scare myself for nothing. E be like say my wahala too much.

I forget say Obinna cold like freezer. That one no dey warm for anybody, except maybe him pillow.

Who know where the Omega touch as e dey massage Obinna leg, but Obinna just grab him hair, drag am back, click tongue, cold voice. As e drag am, people dey look—nobody fit talk.

“I get husband.”

My body sweet me die. Na my type be this, claim your own for public!

People for bar just dey look, some dey whisper, "Na wa o, see as dem dey do love for here."

Before I fit even happy finish, strange memory just rush my head. E be like say spirit touch me, my whole body shiver.

Na that time I realise—the world wey I dey na novel. E mean say all this wahala na story wey person dey read for inside bus.

And I just be cannon-fodder villain wey use family power force marry main character oga. All my gra gra, na just for background.

Obinna na protagonist oga, the Omega for him lap na the main shou, Kamsi. For this book, na dem get the real story.

For the book, I dey craze for Obinna, dey disturb am, even use force. Na wahala I dey cause, no be love.

Obinna hate me no be small—not only keep side chicks, e still dey do romance with Kamsi. Last last, na me lose.

Last last, I lose everything: my family scatter, dem lock me for mental hospital, Obinna and Kamsi arrange make Alphas finish me for cold hospital bed. E no even reach normal ending—na wickedness full ground.

Obinna and Kamsi, after all, live happily ever after. Na me dem use do example for bad belle.

As I digest am finish, my body just numb. I no fit move for like one minute, my mind dey run up and down.

No wonder my matter with Obinna always dey somehow—now I sabi why. E get as e be when you dey live inside person story.

So na me be plot device. Wetin remain for me?

As I remember my fate for the book, my body shake. Na Naija I dey—me, I go rewrite my own script.

God abeg, make my story no end like this.

God forbid bad thing! Never.

I fit don craze for Obinna before, but that Pei Huai don die. Now, na new Pei Huai dey here. No be only oyinbo fit do self-love.

I no fit leave whole forest because of one tree. For Naija, if you lose one, you fit get another.

And I no go ever allow myself suffer for person wey no send me. I dey learn how to survive, even for story wey no be my own.

“See am? My husband don show.”

Obinna don notice me since, raise eyebrow, voice get as e be. E no dey ever gree lose guard, even for public.

To call me husband no dey work for me again. Na today I don wise up, I no be mumu.

As I don wise up, I take deep breath, push door, waka enter with smile. Na true Naija smile—full teeth, no fear, no shame. Make this world see me as I be.

Musa voice still dey ring for my head: "No go let Alpha use you shine, abeg. Remember who you be."