THE EMAIL AT 2AM
230 Words
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*Chapter 12: The Email at 2AM*
Anovia didn’t sleep.
She sat at her kitchen table with a cold cup of tea and the contract spread out in front of her. Pen in hand. Signature line empty.
Every time she looked at it, she heard his voice:
_“This is the first time in years the smart thing felt wrong.”_
Wrong.
She hated that word. Because it meant he felt something too.
Her phone buzzed. Work emails. Spam. Nothing from him.
Good. That’s what she wanted, right?
By midnight the city outside was quiet. By 1AM she gave up and went to bed.
By 2:03AM her phone lit up on the nightstand.
One new email.
*From: Damian Okoye*
*Subject: (no subject)*
Her heart did something stupid and hopeful before she even opened it.
She clicked.
> Did you eat dinner?
Four words.
No “Ms. Anovia.”
No “per our meeting.”
No signature.
Just... him. Tired. Human. Asking if she ate.
Anovia stared at the screen until it went dark. Her thumb hovered over reply.
_Yes. No. Why do you care. Don’t do this to me._
She locked her phone.
Put it face down.
And whispered to the empty room, “That’s not fair, Damian.”
Outside, Accra was sleeping.
Inside, two people were wide awake for the exact same reason.
*To be continued...*
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- Writer
