Woke up his wife

Chapter Seven

Cake, Couture and Chaos

The room was too quiet.

Tammy sat alone in Jeremy's study, the rich scent of leather and old books lingering in the air. A file lay open before her—company reports she didn't understand, documents about projects she didn't care about.

But she needed the distraction.

Her conversation with Kunle earlier still sat on her shoulders like a weight she couldn't shake. She wasn't in love with him. Not anymore. But grief had a funny way of trickling in even when you thought you'd moved on.

She shut the folder, stood up, and walked to the window.

The view was ridiculous—wide stretches of the city blinking under the dusk sky. Skyscrapers in the distance, rich men's towers of pride. Somewhere below, real people were living lives untouched by press, politics, or pressure.

People like who she used to be.

A knock came at the door.

She turned. "Come in."

Jeremy entered, shirt sleeves rolled up, eyes faintly tired.

"I didn't think you were still home," she said.

He shrugged. "Board meeting was moved to tomorrow. You okay?"

She hesitated. "Yeah."

"You sure?"

She nodded, but not convincingly. He noticed.

"Was it Kunle?" he asked.

Her head jerked toward him. "How did you—?"

"You were out longer than planned. You didn't say much after."

Tammy exhaled. "He wanted to talk. Closure, or something like it."

Jeremy said nothing for a while. Then: "Did it help?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "It felt… strange. Like mourning someone who's still alive."

He didn't respond, but his expression softened.

Tammy cleared her throat. "Why are you being nice?"

"Because I'm not the villain everyone thinks I am."

She tilted her head. "Could've fooled me. Especially with that prenup and one-year timer."

He gave a dry laugh. "It's business."

"So is your entire life, apparently."

He looked at her for a beat. "And what about yours? CyraCode isn't exactly a hobby."

Her breath caught.

"How—?"

"I have eyes, Tammy. You're careful, but I'm not stupid."

She swallowed. "So you've been spying?"

"No. Observing. There's a difference. I figured it out last week. Your late nights, your encrypted backups, the fact that Anjii keeps showing up 'just to hang out' but leaves with USB drives."

Tammy said nothing.

Jeremy stepped closer, his tone not mocking but curious. "You're a hacker. A pretty damn good one, if what I saw is accurate."

"I'm not trying to embarrass you," she said carefully.

He looked at her, really looked. "You're not. I'm impressed."

Tammy blinked.

He leaned on the edge of the desk. "I've been surrounded by parasites. You? You're building something real."

"I didn't want to rely on you."

"I didn't want you to."

They shared a silence that felt less hostile than usual.

"Does anyone else know?" she asked.

"Just Zion. But he won't talk."

"Good."

Jeremy straightened. "You might want to prep for the next onslaught, though."

"What now?"

"My mother's throwing a charity dinner next week. High society, cameras, fake smiles. She wants us to host."

Tammy groaned. "Can I wear a suit of armor?"

"She might approve, if it's couture."

Meanwhile…

In a posh salon uptown, Tayo Coker sat under a hairdryer, scrolling through a burner phone. Her manicured nails tapped quickly.

Tony Balogun had been quieter lately. Smart move. The last thing either of them needed was attention.

She opened the gallery app and stared at the photos.

Tammy and Jeremy on the red carpet. Tammy on a magazine cover. Tammy smiling with Rita and Anjii, as if she hadn't been a nobody just months ago.

Tayo clenched her jaw.

"Envy doesn't look good on you, babe," came a voice.

She turned—Kendra, her childhood friend, walked over with a smirk and too much highlight.

"Don't flatter yourself," Tayo replied.

Kendra peeked at her phone. "Still obsessed with your sister?"

"She's not better than me."

"She's married to Jeremy Adebayo. That's not small."

"It wasn't supposed to be her."

Kendra sipped her smoothie. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Tayo didn't answer. But her expression said everything.

Later that night, Tammy lay in bed scrolling through code when her phone lit up.

Rita: "Heads up. You and Jeremy just made Page Six. Again."

She clicked the link.

JEREMIAH ADEBAYO'S WIFE WALKS INTO SOCIETY LIKE SHE OWNS IT — AND MAYBE SHE DOES

The article was half-sarcastic praise, half-backhanded mockery.

She handed the phone to Jeremy, who had just stepped out of the bathroom.

He read it, then shrugged. "They hate everyone until they don't."

Tammy frowned. "This says I 'carried myself with the air of someone who just discovered indoor plumbing.'"

He gave a small grin. "You did kind of snatch that reporter's mic when she asked about your 'humble beginnings.'"

"She said it like I crawled out of a drainage pipe!"

"Well," Jeremy said, "you dragged her with class."

Tammy snorted. "You're insufferable."

"I try."

She set the phone aside. "So. Your mom's charity dinner."

He looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Let's go all out. Hair, makeup, outfit. Full transformation."

He blinked. "You sure?" He was surprised she took the initiative. His fake little wife was showing her claws. He inwardly smirked.

"If the rich want a show," she said, "I'll give them fireworks." She said while pouting like a bunny. God knows it took him everything not to go there and squeeze the life outta them. Then he shook his head at his own thoughts. Really?

Jeremy smiled faintly. "You're more dangerous than I thought."

She met his gaze. "You have no idea." Then she smiled. Her smile is beautiful he thought.

------

Back in her apartment, Tayo sat at her desk, thinking for a moment then writing a name in red lipstick across her mirror. In bold letters.

Tammy.

Then, below it:

Mistake, Curse, Hated.

She smeared the word out with her palm.

Her eyes were wild and unfocused.

The game had only just begun.

And she was more than ready to be a player. Game on big sis. She thought in her mind.