CHAPTER ONE

    "Monday!" I squealed jumping out of bed, I checked myself in the mirror.

   "Do I look a bit fat today or....?" I muttered to myself and widened my big cute eyes with a smile on my pink small lips, admiring my smooth chocolate skin and long legs. I am quite tall but just the exact perfect height for a lady.

    I walked to my blue wardrobe and pulled down my black towel from the door. Then I walked out of my room, heading to the bathroom. I could smell the strong offensive stench from burnt eggs, I made my way to the kitchen first but I discovered that Rita must have burnt the eggs again and cleared the kitchen in a haste.

   "Rita!!!" I screamed her name and went to her room to check if she was still in bed again. Turning the door knob and peeping in, the room was very silent and Rita wasn't there either, I looked around the room and saw clothes on the floor and a rough bed spread.

   I closed the door and headed to the bathroom. The door was locked.

   "I'm inside here oh, don't break the door!" Rita shouted from inside, making me to frown.

   "Rita, you know today is my first day at work. I can't be late, please"

   "I'm not done na" Rita replied me and I became restless.

   "Did you burn eggs today again?"

   "I don't know how it got burnt"

    "You should learn how to cook seriously. I can teach you if you permit me"

    "Thank you, best roommate in the universe..." She hissed "... but my work needs lots of attention"

    I heard the tap running and the door opened. Rita came out and it looked like she had already taken her bath.

   I narrowed my eyes at her "Rita, you've taken your bath already?"

   She walked past me, with her towel around her wet body and another towel in her hands with she used to dry her face "You were sleeping"

   "You could have woken me up. You know today is my first day at work, I can't be late on my first day"

   "Sorry, I will remember next time" She turned and looked at me, I gave her a sad face "Hannah, fine. Tomorrow I will wake you up, you know I'm not yet used to you going to work in the morning. Since we became room mates I've been the one going to work and- "

   "I get it Rita, you forgot" I interrupted her and rolled my eyes.

   "Geez! I'm sorry" She chuckled

   "I've heard you" I entered into the bathroom, I heard Rita room door open and I sighed.

   Rita can be annoying sometimes but in actual fact we've been friends since ss1. She's got a really saucy attitude because she's from a rich family while I'm from an average family. Regardless of our different family standards, we still became friends and we're still friends even after our tertiary education.

    Unlike me, Rita got a job as a manager in one of her dad's supermarkets while I had to wait for seven months to finally secure a job. I was lucky enough to get a job as a secretary and today was my first day.

   After taking my bath, I went back to my room and got ready in a haste. I didn't want to check the time so I won't get distracted and forget anything. I wore a black trouser and purple shirt, then I wore a belt which was placed on my stomach and black heels. I brushed my curly weave on and applied oil on it, then I packed it to the back. I applied my make up and carried my black hand bag.

   Taking my perfume from the table, I sprayed it on my clothes and smiled at my reflection in the mirror. I knew I looked good, so I walked out of my room and peeped into Rita's room.

   She was taking her time to get ready. She was still in her undies as she applied her body cream on her body. She also had chocolate skin but it was lighter and well maintained than mine. She took care of her skin well.

   Na money be fine bobo. I no geh job to look good, but now I will take care of myself and my family. Being the first child of three children, the responsibilities were too much for me.

   "Rita..." I called out to her softly and she looked up at me.

   "...I'm going now"

   "Oh, okay" She went back to what she was doing.

   "Aren't you going to wish me luck?"

   "I'm praying for you in my mind, Hannah" She replied without looking up at me.

   She's been acting weird since I got this job. I don't want to think she's not happy for me because she seemed supportive when I was praying for a job.

   I walked out of the house, and walked to the BRT bus stand to wait for a bus. The queue was not long at all, so I bought my ticket and waited. A BRT bus came immediately and took us all. I got to the company and stood outside admiring the building. I was working for a quite popular company in Lagos, I heard the CEO was Eric Benjamin, a popular wealthy bachelor whom every Nigerian lady knew and wanted, well not me....I don't know what he looked like or how wealthy he was. All I knew was that I got a job as a secretary here, a secretary for one of the employees here.

  What I had in mind was either a secretary for a manager or director, but I had my doubts.

  I started walking towards the building when I saw a young man in black suit and white shirt, speaking rudely to a young lady about my age if possible.

   I frowned at the scene, I hate when men spoke rudely to ladies just because they are in a higher position or status to do so. I passed by the two of them and eyed the young man so strongly that he noticed me, then I hissed loudly, eyed him again and walked away. I knew he was angry as shock was vividly written on his ugly face.

  The worst was, those who passed by them didn't utter a single word. They passed like those two were invisible.

   When I got to the building, I went to the office of the lady who had interviewed me.

    I knocked and heard a response so I turned the door knob and entered "Good morning" I said with a smile and she gave me a warm smile while standing up in a haste and leading me out of the office.

   "Hannah, you're late"

   I widened my eyes and checked my wristwatch, I was relieved a bit to see the time "But, it's 7:13am"

   "I know, you're lucky your boss isn't in his office yet. You should be here at least before 7am"

   We took the elevator to the last floor and I began to wonder who my boss was. When we got out of the elevator, the environment was quite different than down floor and it was quiet. I saw some men of different age and they looked so wealthy. The older ones had pot belly but still looked rich and well fed in their suits, while the younger ones looked so hot.

   We walked past few offices until we got to the one which had glass walls surrounding it. Only the door was wooden and I could see how big the office was.

   The lady pushed in some codes to unlock the door and then turned the door knob. We entered the air conditioned office and I looked around with a smile on my face.

   "That's your desk over there..." She pointed at a desk at the corner of the room "...that's your boss desk..." She pointed at a larger desk a bit far from where my desk was "...your offices are in the same place because your boss can be quite demanding and hates delays and little sluggishness"

   I raised an eyebrow "Gosh, I hope he likes me. I have to work hard so as not to get on his bad side"

   The lady nodded at me "Yes, I will send all his schedules to your computer as soon as I get to my office. He will tell you if he needs any other thing"

   She then handed me a manual "This is everything you need to know about this company, the company WiFi password is also there, so you can use the computer. Make sure to set a password as soon as you get used to the computer..."

   I looked at her confused

   "...for security purposes" She finally said.

   "Thank you" I smiled and she smiled back at me.

   "Good luck!" She walked out of the office while I scrutinized my eyes around the well furnished office. It looked more like a hotel suite but the documents and computers made it an office.

   The door opened and I turned, I saw a young handsome guy pressing his phone and closing the door behind him. He looked up at me and I widened my eyes in shock.

   It was the guy I saw outside being rude to a lady and I had eyed him terribly.

   I bit my lower lip. I knew I was unlucky but I never knew that my village people were eagerly following me.

........

To be continued....