Dear Nina

Nina smiled as she stood behind the counter. The sweet scent of vanilla and roses surrounded her, filling the little shop with a warmth she had never known before. Beautiful perfume bottles lined the shelves, each one arranged perfectly beneath the golden lights. She picked up a small glass bottle and sprayed it into the air. The fragrance floated around her. She closed her eyes and breathed it in. This was what she had always wanted. Her own perfume shop. She opened her eyes. Across the glass entrance were four beautiful words: NINA'S FRAGRANCE. Her heart filled with happiness. She had finally done it. No unpaid bills. No landlord knocking on her door. No school fees hanging over her head. No sleepless nights wondering how she would feed her siblings. Just peace. Just her dream. "Nina!" She turned around. Her younger siblings came running toward her. "Nina!" She laughed as they rushed into her arms. "Careful!" she cried. "We're proud of you!" She looked at their smiling faces. Leo. Amy. They looked happier than she had ever seen them. Nina hugged them tightly. Her heart felt warm. Then— "Ma'am?" Nina turned. A beautiful woman stood on the other side of the counter. "How much is this perfume?" Nina smiled. "Twenty dollars." "I'll take three." Nina reached for the bottles. Then— BANG! She froze. The perfume bottle slipped from her fingers. It crashed onto the floor, shattering into hundreds of pieces. Nina stared at the broken glass. Then another sound came. BANG! Her siblings screamed. Nina spun around. They were gone. The warm lights above her flickered. Once. Twice. Then everything went dark. "Nina..." She stopped breathing. A figure stood at the other end of the shop. Tall. Motionless. His face was hidden by darkness. Only his eyes were visible. Red. Glowing. Watching her. Nina took a step backward. "Who are you?" The figure didn't answer. He took one slow step toward her. "Nina..." She stumbled backward. "Stay away from me!" Another step. "Nina." His voice was calm. Almost gentle. But something about it terrified her. She tried to run. Her feet wouldn't move. She looked down. Something cold had wrapped itself around her ankles. She screamed. The figure finally stepped into the light. Nina's eyes widened. She couldn't see his face clearly. Only his broad shoulders. His tall frame. And those terrifying red eyes staring directly into hers. He smiled. A slow, chilling smile. "You really thought you could escape me?" Nina's body went cold. "Who are you?" The figure took another step. "Nina..." She screamed. "NO!" Nina jolted awake. She gasped for air, sitting upright as sweat covered her forehead. Her heart pounded violently against her chest. For several seconds, she didn't know where she was. Then reality returned. The cracked wall. The old fan turning slowly above her. The small room. The familiar sound of her siblings sleeping in the next room. Nina placed a trembling hand against her chest. "It was just a dream." She swallowed. Just a dream. But it had felt so real. She wiped her forehead and looked around the room. Nothing. Nobody. Yet she couldn't shake the strange feeling that someone was watching her. She quickly dismissed the thought. It was only a nightmare. Nina glanced at the small clock beside her bed. 6:17 a.m. She sighed. Another day. Another struggle. She climbed out of bed and walked toward the kitchen. "Nina?" She turned. Leo stood at the doorway, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "You're awake?" He nodded. "Is there food?" Nina's heart sank. She forced a smile. "Of course." "What are we eating?" Nina glanced toward the kitchen. "I'll bring it. Go wake Amy." "Okay." Leo disappeared. The moment he left, Nina's smile faded. She entered the kitchen. She opened the cupboard. Nothing. She opened another. Nothing. Her heart sank. She checked the refrigerator. Almost empty. A small bottle of water. Half an onion. That was all. Nina slowly closed the refrigerator. Her stomach growled. She placed her hand over it. She hadn't eaten properly the previous day. She looked at the small purse lying on the table. She opened it. Three thousand naira. That was all she had. Nina stared at the money. She needed food. She needed to pay the rent. Her siblings needed school fees. And she needed a job. A proper job. Something stable. Something that could help her keep her family together. She searched the kitchen again. Eventually, she found the last few pieces of bread. She placed them on a plate and poured water into two cups. "Leo! Amy! Come and eat!" The children rushed into the kitchen. Their faces brightened when they saw the food. "Wow!" Nina smiled. "Sit down." They sat and started eating. After a moment, Amy looked at Nina. "What about you?" "I'm not hungry." Amy frowned. "You haven't eaten." "I ate earlier." Nina smiled. Another lie. "Eat." The children continued eating. Nina watched them quietly. Her stomach hurt, but she ignored it. At least they were eating. That was what mattered. After they finished, Nina picked up her handbag. She checked the résumé inside. She had printed several copies. Today, she was going to find a job. She had to. By noon, Nina had already visited four companies. The first receptionist barely looked at her résumé. "We aren't hiring." The second company told her they needed someone with more experience. The third collected her résumé and promised to call. The fourth didn't even collect it. "Sorry. We're looking for someone more qualified." Nina forced a smile. "I understand." She walked outside. The moment the glass doors closed behind her, her shoulders dropped. She looked at the résumés remaining inside her folder. She had been searching for weeks. Everywhere she went, it was the same thing. No vacancy. Not qualified. We'll call you. She looked up at the sky. "Please, God." Her voice was barely audible. "Just give me one chance." She wasn't asking for luxury. She wasn't asking for an easy life. She just needed something that would allow her to take care of her family. Nina wiped the corner of her eye. Then she continued walking. By late afternoon, Nina returned home exhausted. She dropped her handbag beside the bed and sat down. Her feet hurt. Her head hurt. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. No job. No money. No solution. A few minutes later— Knock. Knock. Knock. Nina opened her eyes. Three quick knocks. Then one loud one. She smiled. She knew exactly who it was. "Come in!" The door opened. Favor walked inside carrying a plastic bag. "Nina!" Nina immediately stood up. "Favor!" They hugged. Favor pulled away and examined her face. "You look terrible." Nina frowned. "Thank you." "I'm being serious." "And I'm being offended." Favor laughed. "Have you eaten?" Nina looked away. Favor immediately narrowed her eyes. "Nina." "I'm fine." "That's your favorite lie." Nina laughed. "Stop." Favor placed the plastic bag on the table. "I brought food." Nina's eyes widened. "Favor!" "I know." "You are a lifesaver." "I know that too." Nina opened the bag. The smell of food filled the room. She smiled. For the first time that day, she felt slightly relieved. They sat together and began eating. Soon, their conversation became lighter. They gossiped. They laughed. Favor made jokes about Nina's serious face. Nina teased Favor about her reckless spending. For a while, everything felt normal. Like the problems outside didn't exist. Then Favor suddenly stopped eating. She looked at Nina. "You know what?" Nina looked at her. "What?" "Guess what." "Why are you smiling like that?" "Because I have something." "What?" "A job." Nina immediately sat up. "A job?" "Yes." "Where?" Favor smiled. "You won't believe it." "Tell me." Favor leaned closer. "One hundred dollars." Nina almost choked. "One hundred dollars?" Favor laughed. "Per night." Nina stared at her. "Per night?" "Yes." Nina's eyes widened. One hundred dollars every night. That was a lot of money. She looked at Favor. "Where is this place?" Favor's expression changed. "It's not somewhere ordinary." "What do you mean?" "It's exclusive." Nina frowned. "Exclusive?" "Yes. It's one of those places ordinary people don't just walk into." Nina put down her spoon. "What kind of job is it?" Favor hesitated. "It's connected to a very powerful company." "Which company?" Favor looked at her. "Miro Technologies." Nina's expression changed. She knew that name. Everyone did. Miro Technologies wasn't just another company. It was one of the biggest and most powerful companies in the city. And the man behind it was even more famous. Not for his kindness. Not for his generosity. People knew him for something else. Fear. Don Miro. His name was enough to make people lower their voices. There were countless rumors about him. People who worked for him. People who crossed him. People who supposedly disappeared after getting too close to his secrets. Nobody knew which stories were true. But nobody was brave enough to test them. Nina stared at Favor. "You know who owns that company, right?" Favor nodded. "I know." "And you're telling me they're offering us one hundred dollars every night?" "Yes." Nina's stomach tightened. "That's not a normal job." Favor looked down. "I know." "Then why would they pay that much?" Favor didn't answer immediately. Silence settled between them. Finally, she whispered, "Because it's Don Miro." A cold shiver ran down Nina's spine. The dream flashed through her mind. The dark figure. The red eyes. The voice calling her name. She quickly pushed the thought away. That was just a nightmare. Nothing more. Nina looked at Favor. "What's the job?" Favor took a breath. "We're supposed to work at an event for his company." Nina stared at her. "What kind of event?" "A month-long celebration." Nina remained silent. Favor reached for her hand. "It's easy money, Nina." Nina looked at her. "Easy money doesn't usually pay one hundred dollars a night." Favor didn't respond. For the first time since she arrived, neither of them laughed. Nina looked toward the window. Outside, the sky was slowly turning dark. She didn't know it yet, but the decision she was about to make would change her life forever. And somewhere far away, a pair of red eyes were already watching.