The room become eerily silent after Daniel narrated what happened to Jake. He needed advice before he do anything

"Are you sure about what you're saying?"Jake asked his mouth widely open like a fish taken out of the water

"Hundred percent"Daniel replied tapping his finger on the sofa he is sitting on. He's trying to use the means to control the anger he's feeling

"Damn! I never thought such men still exist"Jake said and Daniel swallowed nodding in agreement. His mind wandered back to the last conversation he had with Monica

"You're going to judge me"Monica said and Daniel furrowed his brows

"We have all done something wrong Monica. What happened?"Daniel asked and Monica sniffed blinking twice

"This happened when I was nineteen years. Seven years ago"Monica said and Daniel did some maths in his head

"You're twenty six?"Daniel asked

"Yes I will be twenty seven years in the next four months"Monica replied and Daniel nodded urging her to continue

"I was dating Michael then. We were chatting one day,heated conversation though and he asked me to send my nudes to him. I didn't want to but he plead with me that he will delete it after using it  to masturbate. I said okay,I trusted him so much. I never thought he could hurt me and I send four of my nude pictures to him. I saw him a week later and asked him if he had deleted it and he said yes. We never mentioned about it again after that day. We broke up three years ago and now I saw him again, blackmailing me to give him three million naira. I told him I don't have such money and he said he still have my nudes that he is going to leak the pictures,he gave me a week ultimatum"Monica ended sniffing her mood going array again

"This is..."Daniel was short of words

"You're doing it"Monica said groaning rubbing her hand on her eyes

"Doing what?"Daniel asked looking confused

"You're judging me"Monica said pouting

"I'm not no! I'm just short of words seriously, I can't believe such men still exist. Are you sure he still have the photos? Have you seen them?"Daniel asked

"No I haven't but I can't risk it"Monica said and Daniel nodded pulling her into a big hug. Monica rested her head on his chest feeling at home,she felt safe

"Monica don't worry. Nothing will happen"Daniel said and Monica snorted

"I don't have three million naira. I don't even have up to one hundred thousand naira in my account,how are you going to help me,pay the money?"Monica asked and Daniel squeeze her closer to himself

"Who said I'm going to give you money to give the idiot. I swear to you if you give him any money right now he will look for another excuse to blackmail you"Daniel said and Monica sighed

"What am I going to do now?"Monica said feeling helpless

"All I need is some little information about him and I promise you everything is going to end"Daniel said and Monica sat up immediately

"What do you want to do? Don't tell me you want to set him up?"Monica asked and Daniel chuckled lightly

"I'm not going to set him up. I'm just going to do everything in the legal way,just trust me"Daniel said and Monica swallowed

"Okay"she replied and Daniel smiled drawing her closer and kissing her forehead. Monica sighed relaxing

"I had to control the anger I felt when she narrated the whole story. I couldn't show her how angry I am"Daniel said and Jake frowned, he hates it when people try blackmailing others especially something like this can't go unpunished

"This is unbelievable,what kind of man is he?!"Jake said and Daniel shrugged

"What about we meet officer Dremo for this?"Jake suggested

"Are you sure he will help us? I don't have any concrete evidence"Daniel said

"You once helped him remember? It's time to pay that help back. We will go and meet him"Jake said and Daniel nodded. He was grateful to his friend for his support

"Okay. I have to call him first"Daniel said and Jake nodded

******

Going inside her office to drop some files Lola saw the last person she expected to seat on her desk

"Fred?"she said frowning and Fred smiled at her

She's really getting tired of his persistent,he had been texting and calling her to get back to him but she had ignored all the messages and now he have to come to his office to taunt her. Who allowed him into her office she thought. She felt the firm security is weak

"Omolola!"Fred said standing up from her rolling chair. Her anger slowly building up

"What are you doing sitting on my seat? Who allowed you here? How dare you enter my office without my permission!"Lola throwed at him at once. Fred chuckled going closer to her

"One question at a time Lola, you were the one ignoring my messages"Fred said and Lola rolled her eyes

"Isn't it obvious? It shows I have nothing to talk to you"Lola replied wrapping her hand beneath her breast

"Calm down Omolola"Fred said sighing "I know everything I did is bad and now I'm here to clear it up, I want to show you I'm a changed man"Lola snorted "remember we planned building our own law firm together?"

"I don't need to marry you to build my law firm Fred. I'm done with you and when I mean done I meant it. I have moved on and I advice you do too, it's too late"Lola said and Fred started getting angry. He pushed Lola to the wall snarling,Lola huffed at the impact with the wall

"Who is he?"Fred asked menacingly

"Who is who?"Lola asked looking confused

"The man you're dating"Fred said and Lola chuckled

"Who told you there's he? Just because I told you I had move on doesn't mean I moved on with another person and please take a step back you're intruding in my personal space"Lola said shooing him away with her hand

"You have to think about this"Fred said and Lola chuckled

"Think about what? What part of I have moved on you don't understand?"Lola said and Fred groan

"I went to Lagos yesterday"Fred said taking few steps back. Lola felt she can breathe again

"So?"Lola asked

"I went over to meet your mom. I apologized for what I did and I asked her to talk to you, I really want to show you I'm a changed man"Fred said and Lola sat down on the nearest chair to her rubbing her temples

"Why do you have to add my family into this?"Lola asked controlling herself from strangling Fred

"I really wanted to show you how serious I am"Fred said and Lola sighed

"Can you excuse me? I have work to do"Lola said dismissing him

Fred look at her warily before stepping closer to her, he tried kissing her but Lola turned,shoving him away

"My personal space!"Lola said sternly and Fred adjusted his shirt before walking out of her office.

Lola grabbed the telephone in her table dialling some numbers

"In my office right now!"she said angrily ending the call.

She started pacing around when the door to her office opened revealing one of the firm securities

"Who gave you the permission to allow someone into my office?!"Lola roared and the poor man become tongue tied

"I thought he... He... Was...."the security man couldn't form a whole sentence

"You thought he is what?"Lola yelled before breathing in and out trying to control her anger "next time don't allow anyone in my office without my permission,get out!"This time around she used calm voice. The security man nodded before running out of the office. Lola sighed and slumped on one of the chairs in her office

She took her phone dialling her mom's number immediately,she's surprised her mom didn't call her to tell her Fred came over to Lagos.

"Maami!"she says as soon as her mom picked the call

"Oko mi(my husband) how are you?"Her mom asked. Her mother usually call her her husband because she looks exactly like her dead father

"Modupe, I'm fine"Lola replied calming down,her mother's voice always have effect of calming her down

"Fred came here yesterday"Her mom said

"Why didn't you tell me since yesterday"Lola asked rubbing her hand over her face

"I was busy and I planned calling today in the evening when you're out of work"Her mom replied

"What did he come and do?"Lola asked

"I was inside the room when I heard Boluwatife shouting jeep as enter the compound o, me, Victoria and Korede came out of the house immediately when we heard her voice"Boluwatife is Lola's cousin sister from Aunt Victoria's side. She's nine years old

"We came out of the house to meet Fred coming out of the car, I was shocked seeing him Korede got angry immediately and threaten him to leave the compound. It was now Victoria and Shola that begged him to let him say whatever he wants to say"Shola is Monica's mom name

"They left us alone and to my surprise Fred knelt on the floor begging me to talk to you to come back to him that he already realise his mistake, that it's the devil's work. I asked him to go away but he insisted and I have to tell him I will talk to you. Omolola! He looks sincere though"Her mother ended and Lola groan

"I can't believe Fred will do that"Lola said

"He's trying to prove he is a changed man. As a mother to daughter talk I will advise you to forgive him,Oko mi you're not a kid anymore by  twenty fifth of next month you will be twenty seven and I'm already getting scared my dear. In three years time you will be thirty and now Christian will be getting married soon, I never believed Christian will get married before you" her mother said and she groan again

"Maami! I'm not accepting Fred anymore,I'm done with him"Lola said and silence ensured.

"Are you seeing someone?"Her mom asked breaking the silence

"Yes maami! He treats me better"Lola said

"You should introduce him to us"her mom said and Lola chuckled

"It's too early mom but don't worry I promise you maami,before the end of next year I'm getting married and I will also be carrying your grand child"

"Arghh with the mouth you use it to say this this afternoon arrghhh my lord will guide you. Oko mi make me a happy woman o, I'm sad. Your father is not here and I want you and Tolani to make him proud"Her mom said and Lola nodded a tear escaping her eyes

"Yes Maami!"she tried replied calmly,she didn't want to give away she's crying

"We will talk later more about this man. I know you're at work now"

"Yes Maami! I love you"

"I love you more Oko mi"her mother said and the call ended. She bursted into tears as soon as the call ended. She missed her dad so much, she could still remember how sweet and caring her father was before the tragedy happened. She was eleven years when her dad died, Tolani was a new born baby then and her mother didn't give her much attention,she always cried and her dad decided to take her out. They met with an accident that day and her dad died that's how she started living with Monica. She blamed herself for her dad's death but Monica was there to help her through it and that's how they became best of friends