For a brief moment, guilt tugged at her chest. Perhaps punching him earlier had not been entirely fair. He had honored their contract by refraining from carrying her up, even though it likely had not been comfortable for him, either.
But just as quickly, she brushed the guilt aside. He could have woken me up. It's not my fault he chose not to!
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice when Chibuzor abruptly stopped walking. She crashed into his broad shoulder with enough force to make her stumble.
Chibuzor recoiled, spinning and jumping away with lightning fast reflexes. "What are you doing?! Keep your distance!"
Olaedo winced as pain shot through her nose. Hissing, she shot back, "Who wants to be close to you? I didn't realize you had stopped walking! That's on you, not me."
His jaw tightened in frustration, and for a moment, it looked like he had a retort ready. But instead, he turned on his heel and stormed off, typing furiously on his phone. The surprise was ready, but does this infuriating woman deserve it?
Olaedo rubbed her sore nose and followed him, muttering under her breath.
As they continued walking, Olaedo noticed several residential buildings scattered across the estate before her eyes finally landed on a grand structure. Shielded by a low wall adorned with flowers and a small white gate in the middle, the sight of it left her momentarily distracted.
They passed through the gate, and after walking a little farther, Olaedo was greeted by a truly unexpected scene.
Lines of people, dressed in uniform, stood on either side of the path leading to the house. As one, they chorused, "Welcome, Young Madam!"
At their forefront stood the housekeeper, a look of proud leadership on his face.
Olaedo froze in shock. Chibuzor, on the other hand, looked undeniably pleased with himself. This is perfect. Everyone will know she's the new mistress of the house. No one will dare disrespect her now, he thought smugly.
Stealing a glance at her, he silently awaited her gratitude.
Instead
Smash!
Another punch landed squarely on his arm.
"How could you wake all these people up at 3 a.m. just to welcome me?! Do you even realize what you've done?!"
Chibuzor's pride began to crack under the force of her fury. "Of course, I know what I've done!" he shot back, rubbing his sore arm. "I've ensured your position as the Young Madam of the family is solidified!"
Smash!
The next punch hit harder than the first.
"You're such an idiot!" she snapped. "You've just made them hate me before they even know me! Who wants to be dragged out of bed at this hour to stand around for some ridiculous show of power? And since when did I need your help to establish anything? Do you think I got where I am today by relying on anyone? I built a multi billion local currency empire in five years, without the drama!"
Chibuzor's eyes widened as the truth of her words sank in. He sighed, finally admitting defeat. "Okay, okay. I deserved the first punch," he grumbled. "But the second one was unnecessary! It hurt more than you realize!"
Olaedo rolled her eyes, already shifting her attention to the people still lined up before her. The fatigue on their faces couldn't be ignored, and she felt a pang of regret for their situation, even though it wasn't her doing.
Stepping forward, she raised her voice with a warm smile. "Thank you, everyone. I know it must have been difficult to be woken up at such an odd hour, even for something like this. I really appreciate all of you being here. I can't wait to get to know each of you better. As a small token of thanks, your salaries for this month will be doubled, courtesy of me. You're all amazing!"
The grumbling that had lingered among the staff quickly turned into cheers. Their apprehension about the new Young Madam dissolved into admiration. She wasn't spoiled or detached, she cared and even rewarded them generously.
Chibuzor gawked at her, utterly baffled. "You're doubling their salaries? Just like that?!"
Olaedo turned to him with a knowing smile. "No, you are doubling their salaries."
Chibuzor blinked in disbelief. "What's that supposed to mean? That's not what you just said."
She raised an eyebrow, her expression cool and collected. "Are you mistaken about something? That is exactly what I just said."
Before he could argue, she continued in a single breath, her tone as sharp as a lawyer presenting an ironclad case. "Clause 14: Shared Expenses Clause in your so called loophole free contract, states: 'All financial expenses related to joint appearances, events, celebrations, or any project of Party B will be paid by Party A for the duration of the contract. Party A reserves the right to decline financing any project of Party B that he doesn't see value in supporting.'"
Chibuzor's jaw clenched. "And?"
Olaedo smirked triumphantly. "So, unless you're saying you don't see value in ensuring that your employees like your wife…" She trailed off, leaving the implication hanging in the air.
"Also, unless you would like to claim this isn't a joint appearance, which it obviously is, you're responsible for bearing all expenses tonight. Including the salaries I just doubled."
Chibuzor stared at her, utterly speechless. How had she memorized that entire contract after reading it just once? And worse, how had she managed to flip his so called loophole proof terms against him? He felt like he had just signed himself into a game where she held all the cards.
Chibuzor forced a stiff smile onto his face, trying to appear unfazed. "Of course," he said with mock enthusiasm. "Happy to support."
Olaedo's grin widened, and she turned to walk ahead of him. Chibuzor silently signaled the housekeeper to dismiss everyone back to their quarters, his thoughts spinning.
'Why does it feel like I shot myself in the foot with that clause?' he wondered. 'And why does this woman have the memory of a computer?'