MARRIED TO THE MONSTER

CHAPTER3

Brian was on the phone, his voice steady, when he heard a knock at the door. "I’m coming," he called out, hurriedly ending his call and rushing to the door. He was in the middle of tidying up the living room, making sure everything was in place. When he opened the door, Eva stood there with her mother, a striking woman in her early fifties, with rich chocolate-toned skin and a petite, five-foot-tall frame. Despite the long, exhausting journey from Ekiti to Lagos, which took around five hours, her mother managed to greet them with a warm smile.

Brian, ever the gentleman, immediately grabbed the luggage and helped Eva’s mother settle on the couch.

"Welcome to our humble abode, mummy," Brian said, grinning as he set the bags down and gestured for them to sit.

Eva’s mother gave him an appreciative smile. "Thank you, my son. You must be Brian?" she asked, studying him with a mother’s keen eyes.

"Yes, ma’am. That’s me," Brian responded with a respectful nod.

She laughed softly, a kind sound, and said, "Oh, so you’re the charming young man my daughter has been talking about all this time."

Brian flushed slightly but smiled at the compliment. "Yes, ma, I’m glad to finally meet you, mummy," he said, feeling a bit flustered under her praise.

With that, the conversation shifted as Eva’s mother began to recount the details of her journey. She told them how she had woken up at the crack of dawn to catch the bus to Lagos, and how she’d nearly been robbed by a street hoodlum. The three of them shared a laugh as she animatedly told the story, but despite her lightheartedness, it was clear she was tired from the long trip.

Noticing this, Brian suggested to Eva, "Why don’t you take your mum inside to freshen up while I prepare something for her to eat?"

Eva’s mother, impressed by his manners, said warmly, "I can tell you’re a well-cultured young man, Brian."

Brian smiled at her compliment, feeling a sense of pride. "Thank you, mummy," he replied, watching as Eva helped her mother to her room to clean up.

Later that evening, after dinner, the three of them gathered in the living room, relaxing as they watched a movie together. The room was comfortable, filled with the sounds of light chatter and laughter. But then, suddenly, Eva’s mother broke the relaxed atmosphere with a question neither Brian nor Eva had anticipated.

"Please, can you both tell me how you met and fell in love?" she asked, her voice gentle but filled with curiosity.

The question immediately sent a jolt of panic through both Brian and Eva. Their fake relationship was supposed to be kept simple, but they hadn’t rehearsed this particular detail. In their anxiety, they both blurted out completely different answers at the same time.

Eva said, "We met at the bank."

Brian, on the other hand, answered, "We met at the NYSC camp."

Eva’s mother looked at them, her brow furrowed in confusion. The different stories didn’t add up, and her expression made it clear she was starting to have doubts. Sensing the need to fix the situation, Brian quickly stepped in to clarify.

"Mummy, please don’t be confused," Brian said, thinking fast. "It was my mistake. Actually, we first met at the bank, but then, two weeks later, we ran into each other again at the NYSC camp. That’s when we became friends, and things just progressed from there," he explained smoothly, hoping to dispel her suspicions.

Eva’s mother seemed to relax at this explanation, nodding thoughtfully. "I see," she said. But before they could breathe a sigh of relief, she dropped another bombshell. "So, when are you two planning to get married?"

Brian and Eva exchanged a startled glance, both caught off guard by the directness of the question. "Soon," they answered in unison, though their voices were strained.

But Eva’s mother wasn’t satisfied with that vague answer. Her expression grew more serious as she pressed on, her voice full of concern. "How long have you two been together?"

Brian, thinking quickly, replied, "Four years, ma."

Her mother’s eyes widened slightly, and she looked even more perplexed. "Four years? What are you two waiting for, then?" she demanded, her tone growing firmer. "After courting for that long, you should be getting married by now. In fact, I think it’s high time you both picked a date and made it official."

Eva’s heart sank. Her mother was becoming more insistent, and the pressure to maintain their facade was mounting. Before she could intervene, Brian, ever the smooth talker, jumped in with a bold promise.

"Mummy, don’t worry," Brian said with confidence. "We’ll be getting married in a month."

Eva’s stomach twisted at his words. *A month? A wedding?* She could barely believe what she was hearing. How could he promise something so significant, knowing full well that their relationship was nothing more than an act? Anger simmered beneath her calm exterior, but she knew she had to keep up the ruse, at least for now. She forced herself to smile and nod, even though inside she was seething.

Her mother, however, was thrilled. "Oh, that’s wonderful news!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy. "I’ll start preparing right away. We need to make sure everything is perfect."

As the conversation continued, Eva’s mind raced with frustration. She couldn't believe Brian had made such a promise. *Why is he giving my mother false hope?* she wondered, feeling her temper flare up. She understood that he was just playing his role, but this was going too far. A wedding was not part of the plan, and it made her stomach churn with the weight of the lie they were building.

Eventually, after a long day and an even longer conversation, Eva’s mother began to yawn, clearly exhausted from both the journey and the emotional excitement.

"I think I’ll leave you two to finish your conversation," she said, stretching as she stood up. "I need to sleep—I’m feeling quite lightheaded."

Brian, always the gentleman, stood up to help. "Of course, mummy. You need your rest. Goodnight, and sweet dreams."

As her mother made her way toward the bedroom, Brian moved to follow, but Eva, still fuming from his earlier declaration, grabbed his hand and pulled him back into the living room.

"Wait," she said sharply, her voice low but filled with barely restrained anger.

Brian turned to face her, and in an instant, their proximity became electric. He moved closer, his muscular frame towering over her, and for a moment, the tension between them shifted into something else entirely. His dark eyes locked onto hers, and Eva could feel her pulse quicken. His chest brushed against hers, and despite her frustration, she felt an unexpected flutter in her stomach. Brian, with his firm build, dark eyes, and curly hair, was exactly the kind of man she had always been attracted to. For a fleeting second, she felt a pull toward him—a magnetic attraction she hadn’t felt in years.

But she quickly snapped out of it, stepping back to regain her composure. Anger washed over her again, pushing away the strange feelings that had briefly surfaced.

"Why did you tell my mother we’re getting married?" she hissed, her voice shaking with frustration. "This is supposed to be a fake relationship! Why are you giving her false hope?"

Brian’s face hardened, his own irritation flaring up. "First of all," he began, his voice sharp, "you hired me to play your fiancé, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m playing the role. If you didn’t want me to give her hope, maybe you should have set clearer boundaries."

Eva opened her mouth to argue, but Brian cut her off. "And stop trying to control everything, Eva. You wanted me to play along, so let me play along. If you keep pushing me, I swear I’ll walk out of this deal. And then what are you going to do?"

His words hit her like a slap. The threat of him walking out was real, and it terrified her. Without him, the entire plan would crumble, and she’d be left with no way to explain the truth to her mother. Her anger deflated, and she sank onto the couch, staring up at the ceiling in defeat.

Brian, seeing that she wasn’t going to continue the argument, shook his head and walked away, leaving her alone in the living room.

Eva lay there for a long time, her mind swirling with a mix of emotions—anger, fear, and a strange, lingering attraction she couldn’t quite shake. Eventually, her exhaustion caught up with her, and she drifted off to sleep, her thoughts still tangled in the complicated web they had woven.