The Midnight Flight
336 Words
Teni didn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Vanessa’s diamond-crusted watch and the way Alexander had looked away.
By 3:00 AM, the decision was made. She began to pack her things into two "Ghana-Must-Go" bags. She didn't have much—just some clothes, Tobi’s favorite toys, and her laptop from her diploma days.
"Mummy, where are we going?" Tobi asked, his voice thick with sleep as she nudged him awake.
"We’re going on an adventure, Tobi. Remember I told you about your Auntie in Ibadan? We’re going to stay with her for a while."
She couldn't stay in Lagos. Alexander knew her address. He knew her street. If he sent his security team here, she wouldn't stand a chance. She needed to be somewhere his "Billionaire" influence couldn't reach her easily.
She crept out of the compound, the heavy bags straining her muscles. The morning air was damp and cold. She found a driver at the park who was heading toward Ibadan.
As the car pulled out of the garage, Teni’s phone buzzed one last time in her bag. It was a text message from a number she didn't recognize.
“Teniola, don’t do anything rash. Vanessa is a mistake I’m fixing. I’m outside your house. Open the gate.” — Alexander.
Teni looked out the back window of the moving car. In the distance, she saw the headlights of a black SUV idling in the dust of her street. Her heart broke into a million pieces.
"Too late, Alexander," she whispered to the empty air. "You chose your world. Now let me choose mine."
She took the SIM card out of her phone and dropped it out the window. It disappeared into the dark Nigerian night.
Does this feel right for the story? We’ve successfully moved her away from the "Soft Life" back into the "Hustle," which sets us up for the Time Skip
(moving the story forward a few years) or the Search (where Alexander spends months trying to find her).
- Writer
