Chapter Five – Shadows Behind the Screen
Zara's hands trembled as she clutched her phone under the table. The message glared back at her:
Unknown Number: I know your secret. Pay up, or I'll expose you.
Her breath caught in her throat. She read it again, praying it was some prank, but the words burned like fire. Whoever this was… they knew.
Her mind spiraled. Was it Kendra? She had always suspected her rival was digging for dirt. Or maybe one of the boutiques she borrowed from? Or worse—one of the loan apps she had been dodging?
"Babe, are you okay?" Tasha's voice snapped her back. She was watching Zara with narrowed eyes, noticing her sudden stillness.
Zara forced a smile, quickly slipping the phone back into her clutch. "I'm fine. Just a silly notification."
But she wasn't fine. Not even close.
The rest of the night passed in a blur. Zara posed for photos, laughed at conversations she barely heard, and smiled until her cheeks hurt. Inside, she was unraveling. Each flash of a camera felt like exposure, each whisper in the crowd sounded like gossip about her.
By the time she got home, she was exhausted. She locked the door, kicked off her heels, and sat on the floor, pulling the phone back out.
Another message had arrived.
Unknown Number: ₦500,000 by tomorrow. Or everyone will know you're living a lie.
Zara's chest squeezed. ₦500,000? She barely had ₦5,000 to her name.
She dropped the phone, pressing her palms against her face. Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Crying wouldn't fix anything. She had to think. She had to survive.
Her mind raced through options. Should she tell Tasha? No—Tasha had always been loyal, but this was bigger than friendship. Should she confess to Daniel? Absolutely not—he couldn't know. Not now. Not ever.
The only choice left was to find the money. Somehow.
Her phone buzzed again, but this time it was Daniel.
> Daniel: Hope you got home safe. I really enjoyed tonight. You mean a lot to me, Zara. Sleep well ❤️.
Her chest ached. He was so genuine, so real, and she was drowning in lies.
She typed back quickly, her fingers shaking.
> Zara: Got home safe. I enjoyed tonight too. Sweet dreams, love.
She locked the phone and stared at the ceiling.
Tomorrow, the blackmailer would come calling. Tomorrow, she would either pay or watch her world collapse.
As sleep dragged her under, one thought kept echoing in her mind—
Her expensive fake life was about to cost more than she could ever afford.