CI didn't sleep well that night. Not because of the contract — but because of how heavy reality suddenly felt again after Damian left.The paper was sitting on my reading table like a silent judge. Marriage agreement. One year. Tuition paid. Allowance included. It sounded simple when he said it. It sounded terrifying when the room was quiet.I kept asking myself the same thing: Is this really the only way out?The next morning, I went to school like a zombie. My friend Zara noticed immediately."You look like you fought with NEPA transformer last night," she said, dropping her bag beside mine.I forced a smile. "Just thinking too much.""Thinking doesn't usually remove your sleep like this. Spill," she pushed, eyebrows raised.I shook my head. "It's complicated."Zara sighed and sat properly. "Everything is complicated until you talk it out, babe."But I wasn't ready to talk. Not yet. Because even I didn't understand the situation myself.Lectures were flying over my head. Accounting balance sheets I used to enjoy now looked like foreign language. My mind was somewhere else — in that café, hearing his voice again:"Sometimes help looks unusual. Doesn't mean it isn't real."After school, I didn't go home immediately. I stopped at a quiet bus stop, plugged my earphones, and watched cars move like everyone else already had a destination figured out.My family group chat was buzzing. My younger brother needed textbooks. My mom needed shop restock. And my own fees deadline was 2 weeks away.My chest tightened again.I opened the note app on my phone and typed:Plan A: Ask family again — No resultsPlan B: Loan apps? High interest + wahalaPlan C: Online work? I need money now, not laterThen I stared at Plan D… the one I didnualy didn't want to write:Plan D: Damian's contractTears blurred my screen before I could stop them. I cleaned my face fast when I heard footsteps.A woman selling zobo walked past me, calling for customers. A normal Lagos evening. Normal hustle. Normal survival mode.That was when it hit me — the deal wasn't strange because it was unrealistic. It was strange because it came at a time I was most vulnerable.But vulnerability doesn't mean stupidity.So I made a decision:I will meet him again.I will ask questions.I will protect myself.And I will decide with my brain, not desperation.Not because I was ready to marry anyone.But because I owed it to myself to at least explore the door that opened — no matter how unusual the handle looked.I folded the paper back into my bag and finally stood up.48 hours was ticking.And this time, I was going to tick back.
