TAMING CHUKA EZE

If I were you, I'd leave before he breaks your heart." The words spread through the charity gala like wildfire. The woman standing beside Chuka Eze laughed nervously. "People say that about every rich man." The older woman shook her head. "No. They only say it about Chuka." Across the room, Chuka stood surrounded by business executives, celebrities, and socialites. At thirty-two years old, he was everything most men wanted to be. Handsome. Rich. Powerful. And completely unavailable. Women fell for him every day. But nobody ever stayed. Not because they didn't want to. Because Chuka never let them. Three months. That was usually the longest any relationship lasted. Sometimes less. Much less. Three months earlier... "Baby, we need to talk." The moment Jessica said those words, Chuka already knew what was coming. He sat back in his chair. "Go ahead." Jessica looked nervous. "Where is this relationship going?" There it was. The question he hated most. Chuka sighed. "Jessica..." "No, seriously." Her eyes filled with hope. "We've been together for months." "And?" "And I love you." The restaurant became silent. Jessica waited. She expected him to smile. To say it back. To tell her she was different. Instead, Chuka reached for his wallet. Jessica's face fell. "No." "Jessica—" "No." Tears gathered in her eyes. "You don't love me." Chuka looked away. "You're a wonderful woman." She laughed bitterly. "That's rich." "Jessica—" "Save it." She stood up. "When will you stop doing this?" He frowned. "Doing what?" "Hurting people." Then she walked away. Just like every woman before her. One week later... "Who's that?" Tobi nearly dropped his drink. "You cannot be serious." Chuka pointed toward a woman across the lounge. "The lady in red." Tobi groaned. "Didn't you just break up with Jessica?" "It ended." "It ended six days ago." Chuka smiled. "Seven." "That's not better." The woman in red glanced over. Their eyes met. She smiled. Chuka smiled back. Tobi shook his head. "You are hopeless." "Jealous?" "I'm exhausted." Months passed. One girlfriend became another. Another became another. And another. Every relationship ended the same way. The women wanted commitment. Chuka wanted freedom. Eventually, newspapers started writing about him. The Billionaire Playboy. The Man Who Would Never Settle Down. The Heartbreaker CEO. The headlines followed him everywhere. At first, he hated them. Then he stopped caring. Then he embraced them. If people already thought he was a playboy... Why prove them wrong? One Sunday afternoon, Chuka walked into his parents' mansion. Immediately, he knew something was wrong. His mother was sitting unusually quiet. His father was reading a newspaper. Neither greeted him. "Okay..." Chuka frowned. "What did I do now?" His father lowered the newspaper. "How many girlfriends have you had this year?" Chuka blinked. "What kind of question is that?" "A simple one." His mother spoke. "Answer your father." Chuka sat down. "I don't know." His father laughed. "Exactly." His mother slid a magazine across the table. The cover made him groan. There he was. Again. Beside another woman. The headline read: CHUKA EZE SPOTTED WITH NEW MYSTERY WOMAN. THIRD GIRLFRIEND THIS YEAR. "Seriously?" Chuka muttered. His mother folded her arms. "Your grandmother called." Uh-oh. That was never good. "What did she say?" His father smiled. "She asked if you're allergic to marriage." Chuka buried his face in his hands. His mother continued. "Your grandmother wants great-grandchildren." "My grandmother wants many things." "And we want you settled." "Not this again." His father stood. "No, this time we're serious." Chuka pointed toward the door. "I'm leaving." "Sit down." The authority in his father's voice stopped him instantly. For the first time, Chuka realized something. His parents weren't joking. Not this time. His mother reached into her handbag. Then she placed a photograph on the table. A photograph of a woman he had never seen before. "Who is she?" His mother smiled. "Her name is Amara Okafor." The moment Chuka picked up the picture... Everything changed.