Fate

Episode 12

CLAIRE

It was three months gone and she was becoming pissed to hell with the whole body guards around her. She used to be a simple girl living a simple life but suddenly everything came crumbling as she can’t wait to have it back.

After the attempt on her life, she’d taken one month of work to recover and mourn Anthony.

She’d not spared anything in making sure that Anthony had a befitting burial. She’d also set up Anthony’s wife and taken sponsorship of his only daughter who Anthony had named Claire; she believed she owed that much to her friend.

After one month, she had resumed work but mostly worked from the comfort of her house, though she disliked the whole security issue but her uncle had insisted that until everything was settled, he wouldn’t withdraw them.
Her little hope of getting rid of the security around her dashed when she’d decided to show him the note the guy on hood gave to her. Bob had gone ahead to secure three more body guards who took charge of the house while the other three followed her around.
Within the first two months, she’d thought of running away back to the States but decided against it; that would be disappointing her father. She had always reminded herself that she has come far enough to run away; that it was only a matter of time and everything will return to normalcy.
Throughout that period, she almost delegated every function to Bob;both company and contract meetings and he had run everything effectively. At times, she hated her uncle for being so stubborn to her liken but, most other times she couldn’t stop loving him. She knew he meant well for her.

She could never be grateful enough to him for his care and support. From her young age when he came back to Nigeria they had shared a bond and when her father died, he’d single handedly ran the company, even when majority wanted to take over the company.
It had always been the wish of her late father to have her assume the position of CEO in the company when she graduates from high school but he died before actualizing that and Bob had taken it upon himself to see that dream come true.

After her graduation, Bob had coached her through the rudiments of the company and never failed to tell her how proud she made him. Bob had told her that her late father wished for her to run the company at twenty five and when that time comes he was going to hand over the title of CEO to her.

To her, she preferred that Bob keeps the position of the CEO while she assumes a managerial role but that hadn’t gone down well with him. He had insisted that it was to be done as her father had wanted it to be. He’d instead offered to be her adviser as well as taking a managerial role under her. Claire had taken his decision with open and appreciative heart.

The only consolation she had that period was her only best friend Lizzy. Lizzy had been her friend from their time in high school. They had clicked when they realized that they were both from Nigeria. Their friendship had blossomed beyond description.

Lizzy is an extrovert while Claire is on the reserved side. They had both affected each other’s life positively. Lizzy had been her backbone when she lost her dad. She had flown down to Nigeria, putting a break on her academics to mourn with her. Whenever it was like the world was crashing down on her, Lizzy was always there to help her stand firm.
When she’d informed her of the attempt on her life, Lizzy who had been on a business trip to Dubai had hurried everything just to come back and be with her. For the first month that she was with her, she had enjoyed her company but not the nagging it came with. Lizzy never ceased to drum it into her ears to take a time out from work and devote some time to build a relationship with a guy. Truth to that fact, she has loads of highly placed guys gunning for her love but, she always waved them off believing that they would be nothing but distraction to her purpose of fulfilling her father’s dream.

Away from that, the little relationship she had back in high school had ended miserably after she refused to give into the S#xual demands of her boyfriend; a Latino. To her it had been good riddance to bad rubbish. She’d moved on like it never happened even when the guy tried to ridicule her by flaunting his new girlfriend everywhere. She had learnt a lesson from it that love is overly exaggerated, it is always about interest. She had vowed that no man was ever going to subdue her against her wishes. The few she’d given chances of friendship had all been control freaks and that had made her close her mind entirely towards dating until God knows when.

Lizzy never ceased to taunt her that she was going to die a virgin, frustrated and miserable which she always accepted without a fight.
After the third month, she’d fought her uncle, screamed and threatened to run away or commit suicide if the guards weren’t withdrawn. She had been so serious that Bob didn’t blink an eye before withdrawing them. He had pleaded with her to allow one guard follow her around while another watches over the house but she had bluntly refused threatening that should she as little as notice anybody following her from a thousand miles radius in the name of protection she will run away and never come back. She needed her life back. Bob had no option but to relieve the guards and escorts around her.
Her happiness had known no bounds when everything returned to normalcy. Nothing beats the new feeling of being herself and going about her normal business without some mean looking men walking beside and behind her.