08/08/2026
STAGED AFFECTION
(Episode 1)
That night, Nichelle introduced me to her mother. "Mom, meet Razi, my boyfriend. Razi, meet my mom," she said, pointing at her mom.
Her mom's face lit up with a warm smile. "Wow, Razi, Nichelle has told me so much about you. Nice to finally meet you."
I smiled back, feeling a bit nervous. "It's my pleasure, ma."
Nichelle's mom gestured for me to sit down in the living room. "Please, have a seat."
As I sat down, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful Nichelle's mom was. "Ma, permit me to say, you are beautiful," I said, trying to sound sincere.
She chuckled and smiled. "Thank you, Razi. That's very kind of you."
Nichelle asked me what I would like to drink. "Anything soft," I replied.
As Nichelle went to get me a drink, her mom asked me what I did for a living. "I'm an app developer," I said.
Her mom's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Hmm, that's good. But Nichelle didn't mention that to me."
I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Oh, really? I guess she forgot."
Just then, Nichelle returned with a glass of juice. "Nichelle, you never told me he was an app developer," she said, looking at her daughter with a hint of surprise.
Nichelle smiled. "I thought I told you mum, maybe if forgot.'
Nichelle looked at me with a dissatisfied expression. "I forgot, okay?"
Her mom stood up, her expression changing to one of urgency. "Nichelle, I got a call from the company. I have to go. I won't be back till next week."
Nichelle's face fell. "But mom, you just came to my house. You haven't even spent two days here, and you're already leaving. Is that how you want to spend your two weeks here?"
Her mom sighed. "Don't worry, my baby. I'll be back before you know it. And I promise, I won't leave till it's two weeks."
Nichelle looked unconvinced. "Okay, mom."
Her mom turned to me. "Alright, Razi, I would be going now, but I'll be back by next week. Please, I don't want to look for you when I get back."
I smiled, trying to reassure her. "No ma, I'll be here. Nichelle told me you want us all to spend time together. I'll make sure to be around."
She smiled, looking relieved. "Good. Take care, my children."
When her mother left, Nichelle's face changed instantly. Her expression turned cold, and her eyes narrowed. "Why would you tell my mom you're an app developer?" she asked, her voice laced with annoyance.
I shrugged, unsure of what I did wrong. "That's what I do," I replied simply.
Nichelle muttered under her breath, "You're so annoying."
I raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why?" I asked.
She glared at me. "Because you told my mom you're an app developer!"
I sighed, trying to reason with her. "I had to, Nichelle. None of you told me anything about this whole thing before coming here. I was just trying to help you."
Nichelle's expression turned sarcastic. "Oh, so because you're trying to help me, you should ruin the whole thing for me, right? After all, it's not like you're really helping me because I was going to pay you."
I felt a surge of frustration. "Is that why you have to make it look like my fault now?" I asked, trying to keep my cool.
Nichelle's eyes flashed with anger. "You know what? Just leave my house!"
I kept quiet, looking at her in shock. She pushed me, her hands firm on my chest. "Leave"
I didn't say anything as I turned to leave. I couldn't believe how quickly things had escalated. One minute we were fine, and the next, Nichelle was kicking me out of her house.
As I walked out the door, I couldn't help but wonder what had just happened. Had I really done something wrong, or was Nichelle just looking for someone to blame?
When I got home, KC, my roommate, tried to ask me how it went. He was the one who connected me to the contract, and I could tell he was curious about how things had played out.
"Men, at first, it was going well," I began, shaking my head. "But when her mother left, she immediately changed it for me."
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KC raised an eyebrow. "Ahh, why na?"
I sighed. "I don't know for her oh. She said why would I tell her mom I'm an app developer."
KC's eyes widened in surprise. "Ahh, guy, you fu**ed up na! Why would you tell her mom you are an app developer?"
I shrugged, feeling defensive. "Oh okay, what do you want me to say before? I asked."
KC chuckled. "You should have told her something big na, like you are working at an oil company or something."
I rolled my eyes. "You both didn't tell me na, and how do you expect me to lie to her mother?"
KC's expression turned serious. "Guy, this is a contract, do as you are told."
I was speechless, unsure of how to respond. KC's words hung in the air, a reminder that I was in this situation because I messed up the contract.
"KC, what did I get myself into?" I asked, feeling a sense of unease.
KC shrugged. "Just play along, guy. It's just for two weeks. You'll be fine."
But I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had made a mistake. But how am suppose to lie to her mother?
To be continued...
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