THE 30-DAY WIFE

*THE 30-DAY WIFE - CHAPTER 1: FIRED* I poured coffee on a billionaire. Not on purpose. My hand slipped when he said, "Girls like you shouldn't work, you should be in the kitchen, married." His white shirt turned brown. The whole restaurant in Wuse 2 went silent. Ethan Cole looked at me with cold grey eyes. "Your name?" "Amara," I whispered. My manager rushed before Ethan could talk. "You are fired! Pack now!" By 4pm that same Tuesday, my landlord in Kubwa threw my Ghana-must-go bag outside. "6 months no rent, Amara!" I sat on the bag on the street, sweating, crying. I was 23, Business Admin graduate, now jobless and homeless same day. A black Bentley stopped. Ethan Cole came out, new shirt. "You again," I said. "My grandmother is dying. She won't do heart surgery unless she sees me married. I need a wife for 30 days. $10,000. Contract is ready. The other girl cancelled." He gave me paper: TEMPORARY MARRIAGE AGREEMENT. Rules: No love. No real kiss unless grandma watches. No s*x. After 30 days, strangers. $10,000 is 15 million naira. My mother in Suleja needed drugs. "Why me?" I asked. "Because you hate me. You won't fall in love." He was right. I took his pen from the dusty ground and signed.