LOVE ACHE

Chapter One. The rain fell heavily on the streets of Lagos, turning the roads into shining ribbons beneath the streetlights. Amara Bello stood beneath the small shelter outside a closed pharmacy, hugging her handbag against her chest. Her white blouse was damp, and her sandals were beginning to hurt her feet. She had waited for almost forty minutes. Her phone vibrated. Daniel: I'm coming, baby. Don't leave without me. Amara smiled despite her discomfort. Daniel Hart had a way of making her forget every unpleasant thing in the world. He was ambitious, handsome, and confident. He spoke about his dreams as though the future were something he could reach out and touch. More importantly, he made her feel loved. When a black car finally stopped beside the shelter, Amara hurried toward it. Daniel stepped out holding a bouquet of red roses. "I'm sorry, sweetheart." She folded her arms. "Forty minutes, Daniel." "I know." "You promised to be here before seven." "And I deserve every angry word you're about to say." He held out the flowers. Amara tried to maintain her frown, but her lips betrayed her. "You're lucky I love you." Daniel smiled. "I'm the luckiest man alive because you do." He opened the passenger door for her and waited until she was comfortably seated before walking around the car. Inside, the vehicle smelled of leather and his familiar cologne. As they drove, Daniel reached for her hand. "There's something I want to tell you." Amara turned toward him. "What is it?" "I met with an investor today. If everything goes well, my company will finally receive the funding it needs." Her eyes brightened. "Daniel, that's wonderful!" "It gets better." He squeezed her fingers. "When I become successful, I want you beside me. Not as a visitor in my life. Not as someone I might lose. I want you as my wife." Amara's breath caught. "Are you proposing?" "Not officially." He laughed nervously. "I haven't even bought a ring. But I'm asking you to wait for me. Give me time to establish myself, and I promise I'll make you my wife." Tears gathered in her eyes. She had never needed expensive gifts or luxurious restaurants. All she wanted was a man who would choose her, even when life became difficult. "How long?" she whispered. "One year. Maybe less." "And if you become rich and discover that I'm not the kind of woman you want anymore?" Daniel pulled the car to the roadside. He turned toward her and held her face between his palms. "Listen to me, Amara. Money can change a man's house, his clothes, and the people who surround him. But it cannot change what I feel for you." He kissed her forehead. "You're my home." Amara leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She believed him. That evening, Daniel took her to a small restaurant where they shared a plate of fried rice and chicken. They talked about their future, the house they would buy, the children they might have, and the places they would visit together. When he walked her to her door, she kissed him beneath the fading rain. "Promise me something," she said. "Anything." "Never make me regret loving you." For a moment, Daniel's expression changed. It was so brief that Amara almost missed it. Then he smiled and kissed her again. "I promise." Across the street, a woman sat inside a parked silver car. She watched them embrace. Her fingers tightened around a phone displaying Daniel's photograph. "Enjoy your happiness while it lasts," she whispered. Then she dialed a number. "She's still with him," she said when someone answered. "We need to do something before he makes the mistake of marrying her." The woman ended the call and drove away. Amara never saw the car. She went to bed that night believing her life was finally falling into place. She had no idea that someone had already begun planning its destruction.