EVELYN

Kasarani was already alive with the rhythm of the city when I arrived—cars honking, street vendors shouting, the crisp morning air thick with the scent of frying mandazis and freshly brewed chai. The clock read nine sharp. I had an hour before I needed to clock in, enough time to gather my wits, process last night’s madness, and maybe—just maybe—convince myself this was all just a fever dream.

I exhaled deeply as Federick,  stepped out and opened the car door. The warmth of the Nairobi sun kissed my skin as I moved to leave, my mind still weighed down with the events of the night before.

"Thank you, miss," Fedreck's voice pulled me back to reality.

I paused mid-step, turning to him with a frown. "For what?"

He offered a small, almost sheepish smile. "You see if you hadn’t agreed to marry the boss, he would have fired me—and I really need this job." His chuckle was nervous, the kind of laugh that carried both relief and remnants of past anxiety.

I blinked, stunned. Fired him?

"Wait, what?" My brows knitted together. "Why would he do that? It’s not like this is even a real marriage or something."

Frederick let out a knowing chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, you see… something came up, and he really needed a bride. Fast. And I was in charge of making it happen. I actually found a girl, but the moment she heard about his, uh, conditions, she bailed at the last minute." He let out a dramatic sigh. "If you hadn’t stepped in, my job would have been poof—gone!"

I stared at him, mouth slightly open.

He really would have fired him?

What kind of man was I dealing with?

I shook my head, inhaling sharply. "Well, don’t worry," I muttered. "I have my own reasons for marrying him."

"Ah, I see." Fedreck nodded with a knowing look, as if my reasons were some grand mystery he wouldn't dare question. "Nonetheless, I’m still grateful."

With that, he tipped his head in appreciation and slipped back into the driver’s seat, pulling away from the curb.

I released another deep sigh, rolling my shoulders as I turned to my phone.

It was an absolute wreckage.

Ten missed calls from Genny. Five from Grace. And just as I was about to process that, my stomach twisted at the sight of another name.

Daniel.

The audacity.

Before I could call Genny back, the front gate swung open, and there she was—Genny, standing with her hands on her hips, looking every bit like an exasperated mother ready to scold her runaway child.

"What gives, girl?!" she cried out the moment I stepped in. "I’ve been calling you all night, and you weren’t picking!"

I barely had time to process her words before Grace emerged from the house, toothbrush still in her mouth, a glass of water in one hand. Her disheveled sweatshirt and shorts combo told me she had only just rolled out of bed.

"What the hell happened?" she demanded, her voice muffled by the toothbrush. "You weren’t clear on the phone last night!"

I opened my mouth to respond—then froze.

Oh no.

My jaw slackened as bits and pieces of last night’s phone conversation played in my mind. Drunken ramblings, incoherent slurs, something about Daniel cheating, something about marriage—oh, God.

A laugh bubbled out of me before I could stop it, followed by another nervous chuckle as more embarrassing memories resurfaced.

"I called you guys?" I blurted out, running a hand through my hair. "Oh, I’m screwed."

***

Grace yanked the toothbrush from her mouth, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. "What?!"

"Oh, girl!" Genny groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "I always knew you were crazy, but this—this is next-level insanity!"

The two of them stared at me, waiting for an explanation—one that I wasn’t even sure I could give because what the hell was I supposed to say?

Genny, my partner in crime since high school, worked in the same company as me. Grace, on the other hand, was a skincare consultant for Lush and Beauty Cosmetics, the same company that gave me the contract to help that cheating bastard!

I let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "Yeah, I know. But just thinking about those two… I couldn’t think straight."

Grace shook her head. "Yeah, that’s crazy. From catching your boyfriend cheating to—" She paused mid-sentence, her gaze flickering to the coffee table.

I followed her stare. Newspapers were scattered across the surface, headlines in bold print, but it was the image in the Standard that made my breath hitch.

I stiffened.

My hands shot forward, snatching the newspaper as my heart slammed against my ribs.

"Oh. My. God."

Genny and Grace’s heads snapped toward me.

"What now?!" Grace asked, eyes wide.

I pointed at the newspaper, my mouth moving, but no sound came out. My throat was dry, my brain struggling to form words.

Genny frowned. "Girl, speak! What is it?"

I swallowed thickly, my finger trembling as I tapped the face of the man plastered across the front page.

"It’s him," I rasped. "He’s the one I just married."

Silence.

Then—

"WHAT?!"

Both girls screamed, Grace nearly choking on her water, while Genny clutched her chest like she was about to have a heart attack.

"You—" Grace pointed at me, eyes impossibly wide. "You fucking married Kurtis Otias?!"

I nodded repeatedly, my brain still struggling to comprehend it myself.

"Why?!" Genny demanded.

I blinked, forcing out a weak smile. "Uh… surprise?"

Grace grabbed her head. "Oh, no. No, no, no. Do you even know what you just did?!"

I opened my mouth to answer, but she wasn’t done.

"Kurtis freaking Otias! That’s the richest bachelor in Kenya—the only son of Martin L. Otias! One of the biggest tycoons in this country! Do you have any idea how rare this man is?!"

I could only nod.

Genny sucked in a deep breath, pacing the living room as if the weight of my marriage was too much for her to handle.

"Okay, girl," she exhaled sharply. "What have you done?"

I let out an awkward chuckle, scratching the back of my neck. "Uh… married him?"

Genny turned to me slowly, deadpan. "You just secured a rare gem."

Grace groaned, collapsing onto the couch. "Forget rare gem. That’s an entire freaking diamond mine!"

I sighed. "Well, technically, he married me—"

"Oh, girl, shut up," Genny interjected.

“Okay, let’s all calm down!” Grace exclaims, guiding me to the sofa and handing me a glass of water. “So, what’s the plan here?”

“Plan?” I echo, confusion knitting my brows as I take a sip.

“You just fucking married your boss. You do realize that, right?” she states flatly.

“Yeah, Eve. He’s the one who just bought Jade Jewelries,” Genny adds, her tone composed as both of them close in on me.

“And,” Grace sighs dramatically, “he’s technically my supervisor and also my team leader.” She shakes her head. “Of all the people, you had to pick him.”

“Why?” I frown, still not seeing the big deal.

“Come on, haven’t you heard the rumors?” Grace asks incredulously.

“What rumors?”

“Cold. Always annoyed. Doesn’t believe in second chances. Screw up once, and you’re out. People call him ‘The Devil Judge.’ Some say he’s not even human—just a nightmare in a tailored suit,” Genny explains, shuddering for effect.

“It’s not just rumors, Eve,” Grace cuts in. “He’s self-centered beyond belief. Everything has to go his way. I won’t deny he’s a genius, but—” she pauses, her expression darkening.

“But what?”

“His personality is absolute trash. I mean, if there was a contest for the worst human being alive, he’d win first, second, and third place. He really is a nightmare!”

I groan, collapsing into the cushions. “What the hell have I done?”

As if on cue, my phone blares to life. Dan. Of course, it had to be fucking Dan. I hit the speaker button with an eye roll.

“Where the hell are you, Evelyn?” he barks.

“What’s going on?” I feign innocence.

“Have you forgotten? We’re supposed to present the jewelry project today!” His voice is tight with anger.

“Ohhhh!” I gasp dramatically, pretending it had completely slipped my mind.

“Get here now! We’re meeting the supervisors. Including the new CEO. You need to be here!”

He hangs up before I can respond.

“Jeez, what a loser,” Genny mutters, shaking her head. “Damn, Eve, how could you just walk out like that?”

“I second that,” Grace says. “You should’ve kicked the door open and smashed the bottle of the wine over his head.”

I chuckle softly. Grace was fully capable of that. I had witnessed her single-handedly wreck her ex’s wedding. She was the firecracker of our trio.

Suddenly, an idea slams into me like a freight train. I shoot to my feet, palms slamming against the table.

“What is it?” they ask in unison.

A slow, wicked grin spreads across my face. “I’ve got it. This marriage might actually be the best decision I’ve ever made.”

“What?” Grace and Genny blink at me in confusion.

“Like you said, Kurtis doesn’t believe in second chances, right?” I ask, eyes glinting.

“Yeah,” Grace nods, “technically, he’s sponsoring the project.”

“Exactly! And if I do the presentation, initially, all the credit would go to Dan, since he’s the team leader. But we all know who actually did most of the work.”

“So?” Grace still looks puzzled.

I lean in, voice dripping with amusement. “Baby, this is Kurtis we’re talking about—the self-centered, control-freak Kurtis.”

Genny’s eyes widen, and suddenly, she claps, springing up. “I get it! If you answer most of the questions, he’ll know it was you who did all the work. By now, he would have already looked into your background.”

“Exactly,” I purr. “And once he realizes Dan is nothing but a fraud, his promotion will be as good as dead.”

“But Eve, the idea you created was already approved. His promotion is inevitable as the team leader,” Genny protests.

“Not if Kurtis sees him for the pathetic fake he is,” I counter, gripping a newspaper and crumpling it tightly in my fists. My pulse quickens with exhilaration. “I’m going to expose him. I’m going to rip his career apart, piece by piece, and show him exactly who the hell he messed with!”