Drowning In His Lies

Chapter 6: The Choice

10am. Boardroom.

Everyone is seated. My staff. His staff. Lawyers. The 200 million naira contract is on the table.

Jaden walks in. He looks straight at me. His eyes are still red.

He sits opposite me.

Tola whispers to me, "Madam, should we start?"

I look at the contract. Page 15. The clause I added last night at 2am.

"Clause 9b: In the event of partnership, Mr. Jaden Cole will transfer 50% shares of Cole Energy to Ms. M.C. Jones as penalty for past defamation."

If he signs this, he loses half his company. If he doesn't sign, I post everything and he loses everything.

"Mr. Cole," my lawyer says, "We have added a new clause. Please review Clause 9b."

Jaden reads it. His face is calm. Too calm.

He looks up at me. He smiles small. "You really want to destroy me, Mimi?"

The whole boardroom goes silent. MIMI? Who is Mimi?

My staff looks at me. His staff looks at him.

I stand up. "Everyone, please excuse us for 5 minutes."

Everyone rushes out. Tola closes the door.

Now it's just me and him. In this cold boardroom.

"Jaden, just sign it and get out of my life," I say, my voice tired.

He stands up and walks to me. He holds my hand. This time I don't pull away.

"Mimi, I will sign it," he says. "I will sign 50%, I will sign 100%, I will sign my life away if that's what it takes for you to forgive me. But before I sign, I need you to know one thing."

"What?"

He brings out his phone. He shows me a video.

It's me. One year ago. In the hospital. I was unconscious. He was there, holding my hand, crying, begging the doctor to save me.

"I found you that night," he whispers. "After my friends... after what happened... I came back. You had taken something. You tried to... you know. I took you to the hospital. I stayed there for three days until you woke up. But you ran away before I could talk to you."

My legs go weak.

What? He saved me? The person who broke me also saved me?

"You're lying," I whisper.

"Check the hospital. St. Jude's, Diobu. February 14th last year. My name is in the visitor's log."

I can't breathe.

Everything I planned for one year... was based on a half story?

I look at the contract. I look at him.

And I realize... I don't want his money. I don't want his company.

I just want the truth.

"Jaden..."

He kneels again. "Don't sign the contract with Cole Energy. Sign a new one. With me. A contract of us. Marry me, Mimi. Let me spend the rest of my life fixing what I broke."

The door is locked. The board is waiting outside. The contract is on the table.

50% of his company... or 100% of his heart.

What should Mimi choose?