Chapter 5: Ghosted by Ghosting
Zara woke to the harsh buzz of her phone vibrating against the wooden nightstand like it was personally offended she'd slept past 7 a.m. Sunlight sliced through the half-open blinds of her Lekki Phase 1 flat, painting stripes across the rumpled bedsheet. Her head throbbed—not full hangover, but the dull ache that comes from three glasses of Chapman, one too many shots of whatever neon poison the bartender had poured, and the lingering echo of her own voice belting "Shallow" off-key in front of strangers.
She reached for the phone, squinting at the screen.
Temi's messages had started at 2:14 a.m. and kept coming like artillery fire.
**Temi (2:14 a.m.):** Babe!!!! You and Kian were giving main-character energy last night. The way he looked at you during the bridge? I'm deceased 😭🔥
**Temi (2:19 a.m.):** I recorded the whole duet. Should I post it on my close friends? Caption: "When your bestie accidentally manifests her upgrade"
**Temi (3:07 a.m.):** Okay fine I won't post. But you owe me gist. Full gist. Spill.
**Temi (6:45 a.m.):** You awake? Or still dreaming about Mr. Camera Man?
Zara groaned, typed a quick **Alive. Barely. Delete that video or I disown you** and dropped the phone again.
She lay there staring at the ceiling fan spinning its lazy circles, replaying fragments of the night. Kian's low laugh when she cracked on the high note. The way his hand brushed hers when they bowed to the cheering crowd. The electric second their eyes locked during "we're far from the shallow now." Stupid. Dangerous. Exactly the kind of spark she'd sworn off after Chidi.
Speaking of Chidi.
Her phone buzzed again—this time a notification from Instagram. She shouldn't have looked. She knew better. But muscle memory won.
Chidi had posted a story.
A short video clip: him and a girl at a rooftop bar in Ikoyi. The kind with fairy lights and overpriced cocktails. She was tall, skin glowing under golden hour, braids swept into a high pony that swung as she laughed. And she was wearing the red bodycon dress. The exact one Zara had bought for their would-be second anniversary dinner—the one Chidi had canceled last-minute because "work emergency." Zara had worn it once, felt beautiful, posted a selfie. Chidi had commented "🔥 too extra tho" with a laughing emoji.
Now the girl was twirling in it like she owned it.
Caption: New chapter 📖✨ No hard feelings, right? 😌
Zara's stomach twisted. She tapped through his profile—new highlights, new photos, new life that didn't include her. The girl's handle was tagged: @ada.theglow. Mutual followers. Of course.
She opened the story again, zoomed in. The dress fit her better. The laugh looked realer. Everything about the picture screamed upgrade.
Something hot and sharp burned behind Zara's eyes. Not tears—not yet. Rage. The kind that makes your hands shake.
She threw the phone across the bed, buried her face in the pillow, and let out a muffled scream that tasted like salt and stupidity.
By the time she dragged herself out of bed, showered, and threw on a simple black top and jeans, it was already 9:22 a.m. Late again. She skipped makeup except for concealer under her eyes and lip balm. No energy for contouring when your ex was parading your wardrobe on someone else.
At the office, the creative floor was alive with mid-morning chaos—phones ringing, keyboards clacking, someone blasting Davido from a speaker until Mrs. Adebayo hissed "volume down!" Zara dropped into her chair, opened her laptop, and stared blankly at the half-finished mood board for tomorrow's client redo.
Her phone buzzed. WhatsApp from Chidi himself.
Chidi:Saw you viewed my story. You good? Just checking in. No beef.
She stared at the message so long the screen dimmed.
Then she blocked him.
Not the soft block where you mute notifications. The full, nuclear, profile-gone-forever block.
Her thumb hovered over the dating app icon next. She'd sworn she deleted it after the last ghosting. Apparently she hadn't. The app was still there, mocking her with a little red notification dot.
She opened it.
New match.
KianOkoyeSnaps
Bio: "I shoot people for a living (with a camera, relax). Good light, better jollof, bad decisions. Looking for a duet partner who can handle off-key bridges."
Profile pics: him sighting through a lens, tongue peeking out in focus; him laughing at a buka with friends, spoon mid-air; one candid in golden hour, white shirt sleeves rolled, looking unfairly good.
Her thumb hovered.
She swiped right.
Instant: It's a Match!
Message popped up almost immediately.
KianOkoyeSnaps:Morning, superstar. Still recovering from our near-Grammy performance? Or did the crowd carry you straight to stardom?
Despite everything, a small laugh escaped her.
ZaraCreates:Recovering? My ego is in ICU. But the crowd loved us. You carried the harmony. I just screamed passionately.
KianOkoyeSnaps:Passionate screaming is a genre now. I'm here for it. You free this afternoon? Client wants location scout pics before tomorrow's shoot. Thought we could grab lunch, go over them. My treat. Jollof debate included.
Zara's heart did a stupid flutter.
Chidi's blocked profile still lingered in her mind like a bad aftertaste.
She typed before she could overthink.
ZaraCreates:Only if we settle fish vs turkey once and for all. And you're buying extra meat.
KianOkoyeSnaps:Fish gang till I die. Pick you up at 1 outside the office? Don't ghost me, duet queen.
ZaraCreates:Wouldn't dream of it, camera boy.
She locked the phone, leaned back in her chair, and let out a long, shaky breath.
Across the floor, Temi appeared like she'd been summoned by gossip telepathy. She leaned over the partition, eyes gleaming.
"Babe. Who's got you smiling like you just won 50 million lotto?"
Zara shrugged, cheeks warm. "Nobody."
"Liar. That's the smile of someone who just matched with trouble."
Zara didn't deny it.
For the first time since the voice note that ended everything, the disaster didn't feel quite so heavy.
It felt like the beginning of something reckless.
And maybe—just maybe—something better.
End of Chapter5