Woke up his wife

Chapter Nine

Vibes and Vendettas

---

Tammy was not okay.

She'd just spent the past three hours getting fitted for a gown that cost more than her entire uni tuition (and probably three semesters of Anjii's), smiled through another passive-aggressive lunch with Jeremy's mother who insisted on calling her "our little Cinderella project," and now she was in Jeremy's Tesla—again—on the way to meet his childhood friend group.

As if she needed more judging eyes dissecting her like a lab frog.

"Remind me again why I'm being dragged into this?" she muttered, arms crossed, face tilted toward the window like she was auditioning for Rich Wife in Distress: Lagos Edition.

Jeremy didn't even look at her. "Because my friends want to meet my wife. And if I show up without you, they'll think I killed you."

"You say that like I should be flattered."

He glanced at her now, the corner of his mouth twitching. "You don't have to be flattered. You just have to be decent."

Tammy gasped. "Excuse you?"

"Not in general. Just for tonight."

She rolled her eyes. "You're lucky you're cute or I'd key this car."

He smirked. "You'd scratch your own ride. It's community property now."

"Ugh. I hate this marriage."

"Good. That makes two of us."

But his tone wasn't biting. It was almost… playful?

What was that supposed to mean?

---

They pulled up to a rooftop lounge—exclusive, elite, the kind of place where the menu didn't have prices because if you had to ask, you couldn't afford it. Jeremy walked ahead like he belonged there, which he did, and Tammy trailed behind, adjusting the sleeves of her cream silk shirt, hair pulled up into a curly bun that Rita had fluffed to perfection.

Inside, the vibes were loud and expensive. Think Afrobeat-meets-Bank-CEO.

Three men were already at the VIP section.

First: Zion Carter—dreadlocks, American accent, vibes like he hacked NASA for fun and smiled while doing it. Then: Tobi Bankole—dark skin, booming voice, energy like that one cousin who always had juice and never kept secrets. Finally: Wale Owolabi—glasses, chilled AF, walked like he could buy the building but didn't need to prove it.

"Ehen! Look who finally remembered us," Tobi called, standing and dapping Jeremy hard. "The married man himself!"

"Congrats, bro," Wale said smoothly, then turned to Tammy. "You must be the reason he's been tolerable lately."

Tammy gave a small smile. "Debatable, but hi."

Zion raised his brows. "She's got a mouth. I like her already."

"Don't encourage her," Jeremy muttered, sliding into a seat.

Tammy stayed standing for a second, unsure, until Zion gestured to the empty spot beside him. "Come jor, sit. We don't bite."

"Well, Jeremy does," she said before she could stop herself.

All three men froze, and then Tobi burst into laughter that shook the entire table.

Jeremy groaned. "That's not what she meant."

Tammy sipped her mocktail like it was tea. "Interpret it how you like."

"Yo," Zion said, wiping tears from his eyes, "this marriage? Unscripted. Netflix should be paying you two."

"So," Wale said, more curious now, "how's married life treating you?"

Tammy glanced at Jeremy. "It's a masterclass in patience."

"And pain," Jeremy added.

Zion smiled. "Aww. You hate each other. That's cute."

Tammy turned to him. "You're American, right?"

"Born in ATL. Raised in Lagos. Dual damage."

She grinned. "Makes sense. You talk like my YouTube algorithm."

They spent the next hour talking—really talking. The boys were sharp, hilarious, and somehow made her feel less like an outsider and more like a very tired guest on The Jeremy Show.

But under the jokes and shade, Tammy could feel something shifting. Wale asked about her interests. Tobi wanted to know if she cooked jollof or coded software (to which she said both, duh). Zion… Zion already knew about her side hustle. He didn't say it outright, but he hinted enough.

"I admire women who don't wait for permission to move," he said once, pointedly. "Especially in a world where everyone wants to box them in."

Tammy blinked. "Thanks?"

He gave a slight nod. "Don't stop building. It's working."

Jeremy gave Zion a long look, then quickly changed the topic.

---

Meanwhile...

Tayo Coker was doing what she did best: spying and sipping wine.

She sat across from a man in a dark suit, sunglasses on even though they were indoors.

"Her startup is gaining traction," the man said, sliding a flash drive across the table. "Not public yet. But in a few months, the world will know who's behind CyraCode."

Tayo's jaw tightened.

"She's building something real," he added. "Jeremy might even back it if he finds out."

"I don't need commentary. I need leverage."

"You want to ruin her, not just embarrass her."

"I want her name to vanish."

The man whistled low. "That'll cost you."

Tayo smirked. "Send me the invoice."

She tapped her nails on the glass, already picturing the headlines.

"Wife of Billionaire Exposed for Fraud"

"Jeremy Adebayo's Wife Linked to Underground Cyber Crimes"

Let Tammy have her pretty dresses and soft husband moments.

It was all temporary.

---

Later that night, Tammy was brushing her teeth when Jeremy came into the bathroom, shirtless again (of course), towel slung low (again), looking like someone who didn't know boundaries—or shirts.

"Your friends are insane," she said, mouth full of foam.

"They like you."

"They also asked if we were sleeping together."

Jeremy leaned against the sink, smirking. "What did you say?"

"I said you snore and I have standards."

He laughed, deep and real. "Fair."

They stood there in silence again, the kind that wasn't awkward anymore.

Then he asked, "Did you mean it? About patience and pain?"

Tammy spit, rinsed, looked at him. "You're not easy, Jeremiah. But maybe neither am I."

He held her gaze.

"You surprise me," he said simply.

She didn't say anything back.

Because for once… she wasn't sure if she wanted to fight it anymore.

---

Somewhere across the city, Zion typed in his secure files.

Tony Balogun. Tammy's sister, Tayo Coker. Hotel Incident Timeline.

He opened a private folder marked "ACTIVE DANGER."

The truth was closing in.

And when it finally landed, someone was going down.

Hard.