Chapter Four: Michael

—Michael

Ever since my father passed away, I have been the one handling Melanie Company. My father left it under my care because he trusted me with it. My stepbrother has had his eyes on this company. In fact, he wasn't happy with the whole thing. There was a time he sent robbers to attack me, but I managed to escape that day. He wants to own the company, but his character isn't good at all. Albert smokes, drinks, womanizes, and at the same time leads a gang in Lagos. He didn't even graduate from Lagos State University peacefully. He was the leader of a cult group called "Killing Machine," and their activities involve killing and assassination.

I returned home from work that day, feeling exhausted. As I entered the house, I noticed a change in the room arrangement. It seemed that someone had been there. I became skeptical and decided to tread carefully. When I entered the bedroom, I saw a gangster with a gun waiting for me. He pointed the gun at me and commanded me to kneel, which I did.

"Where are the company's documents?" the gangster asked, pointing his gun at me. The moment he mentioned the Melanie Company documents, I knew there was a connection between him and my brother. I quietly told him to check the wardrobe. He turned to check the wardrobe, and I took the opportunity to escape. He pursued me, but he couldn't catch me, and he couldn't shoot me because my stepbrother hadn't instructed him to.

That day, after the police searched the house and ensured that no one was inside, I returned. I was still worried that my stepbrother might send someone to assassinate me over worldly things. He wouldn't even be able to manage Melanie Company if given the chance. He smokes and even does drugs. How could a cultist be the CEO of Melanie Company and do well? These thoughts kept swirling in my mind.

Even when my father was alive, I had been a quiet son. He appreciated that about me, but he still made life miserable for me. He forced me to do things against my will, things I didn't like at all. He would make sure I ate what he ate or studied what he studied. My mother would get tired, but he would stop her from interfering in such matters. I got used to that treatment from my father, even though it went against my wishes.

My father never married Albert's mother. He actually met her when he traveled to Rivers State, Nigeria, for a business deal. He spent three weeks there, and what actually happened that day was a story for another time. All I was told was that Regina, Albert's mother, was a full-time prostitute who lived in Cross River State.

"Hello! Good morning, son," my mother's voice brought me back to reality. I smiled and rushed to her, giving her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. My mother had come to check on me because she hadn't heard from me for a few days. I had been very busy and couldn't make our weekly routine of visiting her, so she was worried and decided to come over. My mother looked beautiful, and anyone who saw her would think she was 30, even though she was 49. Her skin was smooth, and my eyes resembled hers.

I told my mother the story of the gangster who came to steal Melanie Company's documents and how I managed to escape. She was worried and requested that I tighten the security in my house and be very careful.

"I've prepared some delicious food, mother. Should I bring it for you to eat?" I asked. She laughed and asked me to bring the food. I went to the kitchen and brought the food. She ate, and we began another discussion.

"I met this beautiful girl while I was relaxing at Lagos Beach. Her beauty and physique were unmatched. Mother, I think I love this girl," I opened up to my mother, and she laughed. "Are you sure you're not just carried away by obsession? Why would you see a woman for the first time and start loving her? That's strange!" My mother understood the kind of person I was. I was the kind of billionaire who didn't care about flaunting my wealth to people. Even when I dated Loretta, I never made her aware that I was a billionaire.

I only told Loretta, who was now my ex-girlfriend, that I was a driver at Melanie Company. Among the drivers, I was the lowest paid. She initially rejected my love but later accepted it. However, the story of how we separated is a tale for another day. There were times when I would ask my driver to dress up nicely for work. Sometimes, I would get him new clothes that made him look like a CEO, and I would be the one to drive him to Loretta's place. When Loretta saw me driving at the front, she would think I was actually the driver of Melanie Company.

I searched all over Lagos Beach and the island to see if I could find Gina again, but it was fruitless. I couldn't meet her. There was a time I saw a lady who looked like her in the market, and I mistakenly touched her. In response, she slapped me hard. I wasn't worried at all. The kiss from Gina was much sweeter than anything I could think of. Every day and night, I would see her in my dreams, and the memories of the beach would come to me like a flash. However, I still wondered why she almost fell that day.