Chapter six
762 Words
Rayna's POV
"Rayna! Rayna!!"
Rayna stirred from her sleep, slowly registering the familiar voice cutting through her dreams. She opened her eyes to find her younger sister Theresa perched on the edge of her bed, grinning.
Theresa was back from school. Her parents had enrolled her in a boarding school on a full scholarship — she had always been the brilliant one, quietly carrying the family's hopes alongside Rayna.
"Wake up sleepyhead," Theresa said, pushing her gently.
"What do you want?" Rayna yawned, stretching dramatically.
"I missed you. Isn't it obvious?"
"I didn't miss you joor," Rayna said, fighting a smile. "You've come back with your noise and disturbance. Leave me alone."
They both burst out laughing and hugged each other tightly.
Their parents had already left early to beat Lagos traffic, so the house was theirs for now. They spent the next few hours downstairs watching movies and catching up — Theresa filling Rayna in on every piece of school drama with the kind of energy only a teenager could sustain.
Rayna had quietly made peace with her situation. As long as her parents weren't pressuring her, she was managing. But deep down the hunger to work, to contribute, to finally prove that her first class degree meant something — it never really went away.
She sighed softly.
Then her phone lit up beside her.
She almost ignored it. She wasn't expecting anything from anyone. But something made her glance over.
An email.
She sat up slowly and read it.
"Dear Rayna Olaolu, you have been invited for an interview at Semilore Group for the position of Customer Relations Officer. Interview time: 1:00PM today. Please do well to attend so as not to miss this opportunity."
She read it twice.
It was 10AM. She had three hours.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to grab Theresa and jump around the living room. But she stopped herself.
What if they reject me again?
What if I'm not what they're looking for?
She had been here before — the excitement, the hope, the crash. She couldn't do it again.
She would go. She would try. And she would tell nobody until she had something worth telling.
"Everything okay?" Theresa asked, noticing her expression.
"Yes," Rayna said simply, already standing up. "I just need to get ready."
Rayna adjusted her clothes as she stepped out of the cab in Lekki.
She had told Theresa she was going to see someone and slipped out before her sister could ask questions.
She stopped at the entrance of the building. It was impressive — modern, tall, the kind that screamed power and old money. She wanted to admire it but stopped herself.
If I get the job, I'll admire it all I want.
She was ushered in by the security man and led silently to the interview area by a staff member who didn't spare her a single glance.
Four other candidates were already seated. One by one they went in. Most came out with tight expressions or red eyes. Only one smiled.
"Rayna Olaolu."
She stood immediately and followed the man inside.
The office was large with a long conference table and six people seated behind it. She greeted them warmly, smiled firmly in place, and handed over her credentials.
Then her eyes moved down the table.
And she saw him.
That face. The supermarket guy. Already looking at her — and smirking.
She held his gaze for one second, made the most subtle face she could manage and immediately composed herself.
Why is he here? she thought desperately.
"Can I see her file?" his voice cut through the room.
Her stomach dropped.
He flipped through it slowly, eyes drifting back to her like he was enjoying this too much.
She answered every question clearly and confidently. She refused to let him ruin this.
"Congratulations Rayna. You've been hired as a Customer Relations Officer. You'll be working closely with Mr. Trojan from time to time."
She thanked them genuinely and kept herself together until she was safely outside.
The Lagos sun hit her face and she exhaled.
She had done it.
She pushed his smirking face out of her mind and flagged down a bus.
Mr. Trojan or whatever his name was — just a colleague. Nothing more.
She didn't even know his full name.
Didn't need to.
As long as they kept things strictly professional she could handle working around him. He was just a rich, arrogant, annoyingly good looking — she stopped that thought immediately.
Just a colleague.
She smiled all the way home.
- Writer
