Chapter 10 Exposed
1988 Words
Yoseph got home and immediately headed for the shower. Standing beneath the cold water, he ran a hand through his hair and smiled to himself.
She had agreed to be his.
The feeling was unreal.
For years, business deals, contracts, and achievements had brought him satisfaction, but none of them came close to the happiness he felt whenever he thought about Rose.
As he stepped out of the bathroom, his smile faded slightly.
He still hadn't told her the truth.
Sooner or later, she would find out.
Maybe this weekend.
Yes, this weekend he would tell her everything himself.
He only hoped hiding his identity wouldn't come back to haunt him.
Rose slept better that night than she had in months.
She woke up smiling.
The moment she checked her phone, she saw a message from Yoseph.
[Wait for me. I'll drop you off at work.]
Her smile widened.
She hurried through her morning routine before realizing there was absolutely nothing to eat in the house.
The last of the porridge had been sacrificed to a certain hungry boyfriend.
She was debating whether to survive on water until lunch when the doorbell rang.
Opening the door, she found Yoseph standing there holding takeaway packs.
"You looked like someone who wouldn't have breakfast."
Rose's face lit up.
"Oh thank God."
Yoseph laughed.
"I knew it."
She ushered him inside immediately.
"You're a lifesaver."
"That's quite the title."
"It suits you."
After breakfast, they headed to work together.
Yoseph carried her handbag despite her protests and held her hand as they walked downstairs.
Rose shook her head.
"At this rate everybody will know I have a boyfriend."
"Good."
She blinked.
"Good?"
"Then other men will stay away from you."
Rose laughed.
"You sound possessive."
"I am."
The answer came so quickly that she nearly missed a step.
When they arrived near Dekan Tech, Yoseph parked a short distance away from the company entrance.
Rose frowned.
"Why are we stopping here?"
Instead of answering, Yoseph rolled up the windows.
Before she could process what was happening, he leaned over and captured her lips.
Rose's eyes widened.
This man!
The kiss deepened almost immediately.
By the time he finally released her, she was breathless.
Her lipstick was completely ruined.
Yoseph looked entirely too pleased with himself.
"If you keep staring at me like that, we can continue."
Rose glared at him.
"Shameless."
She grabbed her bag and got out, slamming the door behind her.
Yoseph watched her walk away and chuckled.
His girlfriend definitely had a temper.
The rest of the week passed peacefully.
Every morning Yoseph dropped her off.
Every evening he picked her up.
And somehow every goodbye kiss ended with Rose either slamming the car door or forgetting to close it entirely.
One evening she threatened him.
"If you kiss me without warning again, I'll scream."
Yoseph kissed her anyway.
She forgot all about screaming.
Saturday arrived quickly.
Rose stood in front of the mirror admiring the dress Yoseph had sent over earlier.
It fit perfectly.
Almost suspiciously perfectly.
How did he know her size?
Before she could think too much about it, the doorbell rang.
She opened the door and found Yoseph standing there.
"You look beautiful."
A blush crept onto her cheeks.
"You look handsome too."
He smiled and offered his hand.
"Ready?"
Rose placed her hand in his.
"Ready."
The restaurant sat along Victoria Island overlooking the lagoon.
The evening lights reflected across the water while soft music drifted through the air.
Rose slowed to a stop.
"Wow."
Yoseph smiled.
"You like it?"
"I've only seen places like this online."
"Then tonight you'll see it in person."
A waiter led them to their table beside the glass windows.
Rose tried not to look overwhelmed.
Everything looked expensive.
Very expensive.
Yoseph noticed.
"Relax."
"I'm relaxed."
"You've read the menu upside down twice."
Rose nearly choked.
Yoseph burst out laughing.
"Order whatever you want."
Eventually she settled on seafood coconut rice with grilled prawns while Yoseph ordered peppered grilled fish.
They both chose Chapman.
As they waited for their food, Rose leaned forward.
"Tell me something."
"What?"
"What was your childhood like?"
Yoseph paused.
The question caught him off guard.
"Complicated."
Rose immediately looked apologetic.
"You don't have to answer."
"It's okay."
He leaned back.
"I grew up comfortable."
"Comfortable?"
"Financially."
Rose narrowed her eyes.
"That sounds suspiciously rich."
Yoseph laughed.
"You ask too many questions."
"You avoid too many answers."
Their food arrived before he could respond.
For a while they ate and talked about random things.
Rose told him stories about university.
Yoseph told her embarrassing stories from his teenage years.
By the end of dinner, both of them were laughing.
For the first time in years, Yoseph felt completely at peace.
When they finished eating, they took a slow walk outside.
The cool evening breeze brushed against their skin.
Rose folded her arms.
"This is officially the best date I've ever had."
Yoseph stopped walking.
"Officially?"
"Definitely."
He pulled her gently closer.
"Good."
For a moment neither spoke.
The city lights reflected in her eyes.
Yoseph swallowed.
This was it.
He couldn't keep hiding anymore.
"Rose."
"Hmm?"
"I need to tell you something."
She smiled.
"Okay."
Yoseph took a deep breath.
"Actually, my name isn't—"
"Mr. Dekan."
The voice froze him instantly.
Rose turned.
A man approached them wearing a smug smile.
The moment Yoseph saw him, his expression darkened.
"Felix."
Felix smiled wider.
"What a coincidence meeting the CEO of Dekan Tech here."
Rose felt the blood drain from her face.
CEO?
Dekan Tech?
Her eyes slowly moved from Felix to Yoseph.
No.No.No.
Yoseph immediately grabbed her hand.
"Rose, listen to me."
Her mind was ringing. "CEO?"
"Rose, let me explain."
Felix chuckled.
"Wait. She doesn't know?"
"Shut up, Felix."The warning in Yoseph's voice was deadly.
But Felix ignored him.
"Miss Rose, surely you know the famous Yoseph Dekan. Owner and CEO of Dekan Tech."
Rose stared at Yoseph.
Every puzzle piece suddenly clicked into place.
The interview.
The job.
Akin's constant help.
The monthly bonus.
The mysterious CEO she never met.
The rides.
Everything.
Her stomach dropped.
Yoseph tightened his grip on her hand. "Rose, let's leave. I'll explain everything."
She pulled her hand away.
His face immediately fell.
"So it's true?"
The question came out barely above a whisper.
Yoseph's heart clenched.
"I can explain."
"Answer me."
"Rose—"
"Answer me!"
The people nearby turned to look.
Neither of them cared.
Yoseph struggled for words.
For the first time in a very long time, he didn't know what to say.
Rose laughed.
A broken laugh.
The kind that hurt to hear.
"You lied."
"I didn't mean to—"
"You lied."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"You sat there while I talked about my boss."
"Rose—"
"You listened while I complained about work."
"Please—"
"You watched me talk about YOU and said nothing."
Each word hit harder than the last.
Yoseph felt helpless.
"Rose, I never wanted to hurt you."
"But you did."
Silence.
Heavy and painful.
Rose picked up her bag.
Tears blurred her vision.
Yoseph reached for her.
She stepped back.
The movement hurt more than he expected.
"Don't."
The single word shattered him.
Rose looked at him one last time.
Then she turned and ran.
Yoseph stood frozen.
Watching the woman he loved disappear.
For the first time since meeting her, he couldn't follow.
Rose ran blindly through the parking lot, her vision blurred by tears.
She didn't know where she was going.
She just needed to get away.
Away from the restaurant.
Away from Felix.
Away from Yoseph.
The man she had trusted.
The man she had fallen for.
The man who had lied to her.
A car horn sounded nearby, causing her to stop abruptly.
She wiped her eyes and hurried toward the roadside.
Behind her, Yoseph finally snapped out of his daze and rushed after her.
"Rose!"
She ignored him.
"Rose, please stop!"
People were beginning to stare.
Rose felt humiliated.
Not because they were watching.
But because she suddenly realized how foolish she had been.
The signs had been there all along.
She just never saw them.
Or maybe she never wanted to.
Yoseph finally caught up with her and grabbed her wrist.
"Please."
Rose froze.
Not because of his touch.
But because of the desperation in his voice.
When she turned around, she saw something she had never seen before.
Fear.
Yoseph looked afraid.
Genuinely afraid.
"Please listen to me."
His voice was rough.
"I know you're angry."
"You know?"
Rose laughed bitterly.
"You think this is anger?"
"Rose—"
"I trusted you."
The words came out broken.
"I trusted you more than I've trusted anyone in years."
Yoseph closed his eyes briefly.
Every word felt like a knife.
"I know."
"No, you don't."
She pulled her hand free.
"If you knew, you wouldn't have done this."
"I never wanted to deceive you."
"Then why?"
Finally, the question Yoseph had been dreading.
Why?
Why didn't he tell her?
Why did he keep pretending?
Why did he hide behind a fake identity?
The answer sounded pathetic even to him.
"I was afraid."
Rose stared.
"What?"
"I was afraid."
His shoulders slumped.
"For the first time in my life, someone liked me before knowing who I was."
Rose's heart trembled despite herself.
"I didn't want that to change."
"So you lied."
"I hid the truth."
"That's still lying."
Yoseph couldn't argue with that.
Because she was right.
"I know."
The sincerity in his voice only made her angrier.
"If you knew, why continue?"
"I thought I would tell you."
"When?"
Silence.
"After a week?"
Nothing.
"A month?"
Still nothing.
Rose shook her head.
"Exactly."
Yoseph opened his mouth but couldn't find the words.
For someone who negotiated multimillion-naira deals daily, he had never felt this powerless.
Rose took a step back.
"Do you know what hurts the most?"
Yoseph looked at her.
"It's not even your identity."
He frowned. "What?"
"I could have accepted that."
Rose's eyes glistened.
"What hurts is that every memory feels different now."
Her voice cracked.
"The first ride."
"The interview."
"The job."
"The bonus."
"Everything."
Yoseph's chest tightened.
"Rose—"
"How do I know which moments were real?"
The question broke something inside him.
Because the answer was simple.
All of them.
Every single one.
The problem was that proving it would be almost impossible.
"They were real."
Rose looked away.
"I don't know that."
The distance in her voice terrified him.
For the first time, Yoseph realized that losing a company would hurt less than losing her.
A taxi stopped nearby.
Rose immediately moved toward it.
Yoseph's heartbeat spiked.
"Rose."
She paused.
For a brief second, hope appeared in his eyes.
But then she spoke.
"I need time."
The hope disappeared.
"Please."
It wasn't a request.
It was a plea.
Rose swallowed.
Because despite everything, seeing him like this hurt.
It would have been easier if he had acted arrogant.
Or dismissive.
Or entitled.
Instead, he looked devastated.
Just like she felt.
"I need time, Yoseph."
This time she used his real name.
Not Ade.
Not any nickname.
Yoseph noticed.
And somehow it hurt more.
Rose opened the taxi door.
Before getting in, she looked at him one final time.
"I don't regret meeting you."
Yoseph's eyes widened slightly.
"But right now..."
Her voice trembled.
"I don't know how to look at you."
The door closed.
The taxi drove away.
Yoseph stood motionless under the Lagos night sky.
Watching the taillights disappear into traffic.
For the first time in a very long while, he felt completely helpless.
Back at the restaurant entrance, Felix watched everything unfold from a distance.
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
Perfect.
Everything was going exactly according to plan.
But what Felix didn't know was that while Rose's trust had been broken, her feelings hadn't disappeared.
- Writer
