Chapter 1
My name is Tokunbo Adebowale. I'm 34 years old, the only son of my late father and my widowed mother, Mrs. Adebowale.
I was born into wealth and now serve as the CEO of my late father's company. People call me arrogant, spoiled, and ruthless. Honestly, I don't care. In my company, everyone fears me. The moment anyone crosses the line, they're fired without a second thought.
I'm single.
Who has time for relationships? All I care about is making money, traveling around the world, partying in clubs, and spending time with beautiful women without any strings attached.
The only person who constantly disturbs my peace is my mother.
"Tokunbo," she would say almost every day, "when are you going to get married? At least introduce me to the woman you're dating."
I always had an excuse ready.
"Mom, I'm busy."
Then I'd disappear into my room before she could continue.
One sunny afternoon, I was being driven to the office when my driver accidentally hit a cat while trying to avoid another vehicle.
He immediately stopped, came down, and gently carried the injured cat to the side of the road. Just as he was about to get back into the car, a young woman suddenly stood right in front of us with her arms folded.
"You're not moving an inch until you pay for the damage you've done!" she said boldly.
She was dressed in a neat white blouse, a black skirt, and held a brown envelope tightly against her chest.
My driver sighed.
"I'm very sorry, ma'am."
"Sorry won't fix the poor cat's broken leg," she replied.
"Alright... how much do you want?"
"Two million naira."
My driver's eyes widened in shock.
This woman can't be serious, I thought.
"But ma'am..."
She interrupted him immediately.
"If it were your leg that got crushed by a car, would 'sorry' be enough?"
My driver had no answer.
I finally stepped out of the car.
The moment she saw me, she frowned.
"So you're the rude boss who wanted to abandon the poor cat? Birds of a feather really do flock together."
I couldn't help but smile.
"Are you the owner of the cat?" I asked calmly.
She blinked.
"No."
"Then the case is closed. Driver, let's go."
She stood there speechless as our car drove away.
Her name was Mary Ann.
She was 26 years old, a university graduate with a kind and gentle heart. Life, however, had never been kind to her.
---
Mary Ann's POV
I glanced at the time on my wristwatch.
"Oh my God! I'm late!"
Without wasting another second, I grabbed my envelope and ran as fast as I could.
By the time I arrived at the company, they were just about to call my name.
"Thank God... I made it."
I entered the interview room.
There were four of us seated, all dressed in black and white, waiting nervously.
The interview began.
One after another, the interview panel praised each candidate's performance.
Finally, one of the interviewers turned to the last judge.
"Mr. Adebowale, what do you think?"
He had been looking down at his phone the whole time.
Slowly, he lifted his head.
The moment our eyes met...
My heart nearly stopped.
"Oh no..."
It was him.
The arrogant man from earlier.
