JUNE 22
Chapter 17
"So you mean they broke up?" a male voice asked, leaning forward as though the news had just shaken the ground beneath him. His brows knitted in disbelief, his tone carrying the weight of someone robbed of a happy ending.
"Yes, they did," a female voice replied, calm but tinged with the faint satisfaction of someone who had seen it coming all along. She folded her arms, her lips curving in the smallest hint of a knowing smile.
"Wow," he muttered, throwing himself back into his seat, eyes widening. "That's a plot twist I never saw coming."
"It happens," the first voice said, his shoulders lifting in a slow shrug, the words heavy with reluctant acceptance, as though he was already halfway through convincing himself it wasn't the end of the world.
"But I could have sworn they would make man and wife."
"I still believe they would," another voice cut in—calm, assured, the kind of tone that drew attention without effort. The first speaker turned in his seat, curiosity flaring as he sized up the newcomer.
"You watch Feelings and Yearning too?" he asked, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Of course. It's the top series at the moment."
"I'm surprised you watch it, Daniel," the female voice teased, tilting her head with a look of amusement that made it clear she hadn't pictured him as the sentimental type.
"Are you kidding? Come on, Ann—" Daniel's brows shot up, his tone dripping with mock disappointment, "—don't tell me I don't look like the movie type."
"First of all, it's Annabel, not Anni," she corrected, her voice sharp but playful, "and second, I'm only surprised because you don't exactly come off as the emotionally intelligent type."
"Damn!" the first male voice exclaimed, clutching his chest dramatically, and the room erupted in laughter.
"That's tough to digest," Crystal added, his deep chuckle cutting through the noise. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a sly grin, his sarcasm sharp enough to salt Daniel's already bruised ego.
"You're here already?" Annabel asked, her eyes lighting up the moment she spotted Crystal. A spark of warmth flickered across her face, subtle but unmistakable.
"I've been around since seven a.m., Anni," Crystal replied casually, leaning back in his chair as if he had all the time in the world.
"Really?" She tilted her head, feigning surprise, though she distinctly remembered seeing both Crystal and Daniel walk in that morning. Her act was almost too deliberate.
"Yes, Anni. I just had a meeting with HR," he said, his voice steady, hands resting calmly on the edge of his laptop.
"Hope all is good?" Annabel asked, genuine concern softening her expression as she dragged her chair a little closer to him, her focus narrowing in on Crystal alone.
"But he just called you Anni," Daniel interjected, his tone sharp, his brows drawing together as though he had just witnessed some unspoken betrayal.
"You're not Crystal, Daniel," Akeem chimed in, his voice smooth but edged with amusement, fueling the tension without lifting a finger.
"What's that supposed to mean, Akeem?" Daniel snapped, irritation flickering across his face. His shoulders stiffened, but when Akeem offered no response, Daniel's frustration only deepened. He turned toward Crystal, hoping for acknowledgment, only to find him absorbed in his laptop screen. The dismissal stung. Finally, Daniel shifted his gaze to Annabel, silently demanding a reason, a defense—anything.
"Like I said… emotionally intelligent," Annabel remarked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. The words cut sharper than she intended, but the effect was immediate. Crystal and Akeem erupted into laughter, their amusement loud enough to echo through the room, leaving Daniel sitting in the sting of his wounded pride.
Crystal leaned back in his chair and turned his gaze upward. Even after two months at Green Earth Foods, the sight of the company's emblem—boldly illuminated in LED light—never failed to stir something in him. It was more than a logo; it was a reminder of purpose, of how far he had come. The job wasn't exactly his field of choice, not the kind of work he had once dreamed of, but the salary had a way of silencing his doubts.
"I'll be right back, let me take this call," Akeem said, pushing himself up from his seat. His phone already pressed to his ear, his voice carried that deep, unmistakable African accent. No matter how hard he tried to smooth it out, to tuck it away in polished English, it always slipped through—sometimes betraying him, sometimes making him unforgettable.
"No yawa," Crystal replied in easy Pidgin, a grin tugging at his lips.
"See am oo! You don dey sabi wella," Akeem exclaimed, his face lighting up with genuine pride at Crystal's flawless accent.
"Na small small," Crystal added, laying it thicker on purpose. Akeem beamed, shaking his head in admiration.
"Omo!" Akeem shouted with laughter as he made his way toward the door. "Bad guy!" His voice trailed off as he disappeared through the entrance of the sales room.
Green Earth Foods—known across the country simply as GEF—stood at the forefront of food production and genetic crop farming. In an era where engineered crops were the backbone of survival, no company did it better than GEF.
The sales room itself was modest in size but carried a touch of corporate polish. Four staff made up its daily heartbeat: Akeem, Annabel, Daniel, and Crystal. Positioned at the very front of the company, their desk served as both gate and filter before customers moved toward the main office block that stretched directly behind.
Despite its compact layout, the space radiated a sense of modern professionalism. A sleek water dispenser hummed in the corner. Two smart TVs hung on opposite sides—one facing customers, the other angled toward staff, each flashing updates, promos, and corporate pride. At the far end of the desk sat a red-cushioned couch reserved for the most patient of customers, though it was rarely used. The morning rush at GEF came fast and relentless, barely giving customers time to breathe, let alone sink into the comfort of idle conversation.
Yet, underneath the polished surface, tension often simmered. Crystal caught Annabel stealing a quick glance at him as she adjusted a file on her desk—small, but enough to make Daniel's jaw tighten. Daniel pretended to focus on his screen, his fingers drumming impatiently against the keyboard, but his sharp glances betrayed him. The room might have been designed for sales, but in moments like these, it felt more like an arena, where unspoken rivalries were quietly fought between smiles and professional courtesies.
"She?" Crystal repeated, his voice carrying more weight than he intended. The word hung in the air, charged with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
Annabel blinked rapidly, as though trying to piece together the image of a stranger walking into their already tight-knit team. "Wait… why a she? What's HR even thinking?"
"Na so dem talk," Akeem replied with a shrug, clearly enjoying the ripple of surprise he had stirred. "And from what I hear, she's not just some intern. HR brought her in for something… serious."
Crystal leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest. He tried to mask his interest behind a calm façade, but his mind was already racing. A new female staff, placed here of all places? Why sales? Why now?
Annabel scoffed, tossing her braids over her shoulder as if to shake off the uncertainty. "Well, whatever it is, she'll have to adjust quickly. This isn't the friendliest corner of GEF."
"Exactly," Crystal murmured, his gaze flicking toward Daniel.
But Daniel still hadn't moved. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the keyboard, eyes pinned to the numbers glowing on his screen. To anyone else, he looked focused—but to Akeem, who had worked beside him long enough, the silence was telling. Too telling.
The sales room, usually filled with chatter and the hum of office banter, seemed to shift. Even the TV screen flashing promotional ads couldn't break the weight of the moment. It was as if the air itself was holding its breath, waiting for the knock on the glass door that would signal the newcomer's arrival.
And though none of them said it out loud, each person at that desk knew—instinctively—that she wasn't just another staff member. She was about to tilt the balance of everything.
"What's he up to?" Akeem asked, nodding toward Daniel, who was hunched over his laptop as if the world beyond the screen no longer existed.
"Balancing sheets," Crystal replied flatly, not even bothering to glance Daniel's way. His focus was elsewhere, uninterested in whatever his colleague was obsessing over.
"That looks new," Akeem muttered, circling behind the desk to get a closer look. But before he could lean over, Daniel suddenly exclaimed, his voice triumphant.
"I knew it!" he shouted, slapping the desk for emphasis. The outburst made Annabel jolt in her seat.
"Knew what?" she asked, eyes narrowing at him.
"That he was just pretending!" Daniel grinned, pointing at the screen with childlike excitement. "See? He's going to her place right now."
"Who?" they all asked in unison, their confusion overlapping.
"Fab!" Daniel said, almost bouncing in his chair. "He's going to her house!"
Annabel stared at him, her mouth falling open in disgust. "Wait—are you seriously watching Feelings and Yearning right now? At work?"
"Yes," Daniel replied simply, his eyes glued to the screen as if nothing else mattered.
"Unbelievable," Annabel muttered, rolling her eyes. She shoved back her chair and leaned over his desk, practically pushing her way into his space. "Let me see."
Daniel tilted the laptop slightly away from her with a smirk, enjoying the little power play far too much.
Daniel leaned back with a smug grin, eyes glued to the screen. "You guys don't get it. In Feelings and Yearning, whenever a new character shows up out of nowhere, everything changes. Relationships get tested, secrets come out… and somebody always ends up heartbroken."
Annabel groaned. "Daniel, this is real life, not a soap opera."
Crystal smirked faintly, though his eyes didn't leave the GEF emblem glowing on the wall. "Still… he's not wrong. A new staff in sales will shake things up."
Akeem chuckled, waving dismissively. "Abeg, leave Daniel and his movie prophecies. This is work, not cinema."
But even as the laughter rolled around the desk, Annabel caught herself wondering if Daniel might have a point. The new hire hadn't even arrived yet, and already the room felt different—tense, expectant. Just like the buildup to an episode reveal.