"Are you... Are you sure he will be there?" I spare another look at Chi through the long mirror in my room, fingers hovering above my loop earring. "He might not show up."

Standing behind me with a blow dryer aimed at my messy curls and half-empty container of Eco gel opened on the vanity, she says, "He should be." Our eyes meet in the mirror, she sighs. "The party is for him."

My mouth clamps shut to stop from sharing my unsolicited opinion, I sit in silence as she parts my hair into sections and applies the gel diligently until I have my hair up in a bun. I sink my teeth into my lip, my fingers brush the surface of the vanity and my thoughts wander to Paul, the stubborn man I love. My heart flutters, I swallow.

The outcome of this evening meeting might influence my travel plans, I am willing to move my flight by a few hours, a day for his sake. I hope he still wants me, my eyelids flutter, I stare at my beautiful reflection in the mirror and smile, Chi did a great job on my face. The winged eyeliner accentuates my dull, brown eyes, making them pop the way Paul likes. Of course, he wants me, any sane man will. I wink at my twin image and wince when Chi flicks a finger over my ear.

It earns her a scowl, she sticks her tongue out and I roll my eyes. Miss troublemaker.

I am certain the idea to throw a mini dinner at Mr Adams's house in celebration of his restored win is Chi's. Paul hates parties and no one loves a good party more than his twin, I come close but not close enough to her. The stark differences between those two are almost laughable, their contrasting lifestyle too, the only things they have in common are their last name and love for giving. He should give me another chance.

A sensation spreads throughout my chest at the reason for the small party, I smoothen the imaginary creases on the gown Chi picked out for me. He won. A grin creeps up my face, my chest hammers in excitement which soon wanes when I remember I don't have a gift for him. The tiny voice in my head reminds me of the little effort I made, the not-so-innocent comment I left under an Instagram page showing pictures of Alfa and the chief judge. That incompetent duo.

Thinking of it now causes the initial guilt to stab me in the chest, I massage my temples and wonder if I did the right thing. A sigh escapes me, it is on them, not me. They are friends, close enough to be called family.

The final decision shouldn't have been left to a man with a candidate who is almost family to him. Stupid of the organisers, they should have done more research before selecting him. People like me will not shut up about their suspicions especially if it has to do with my boyfriend. We are still dating.

Scenes from the last few days since I tipped an Instagram influencer flash through my head in slow motion and a proud smile graces to my lips. One thing led to another, Paul's growing fanbase of pretty females I don't like took the harmless suggestion I made to obtain signatures of people in support of a new result. It barely lasted two days, the organisers yielded and the title of champion was given to the first runner up.

To him. He deserves it and all other good things on earth. Plus, the co-judges admitted they had nothing to do with the final result.

None of the participants have said anything since the announcement by the organisers apologising for any troubles caused by the change in results. I scoff and fiddle with my eyeliner sitting on the vanity, we love the inconvenience so long it gets the work done.

His father's identity came up a few times but Paul never responded, I know he won't. It is easier to get information out of a rock than to get it from him. Too stubborn but I want and love him that way, I can handle the different sides to him. Yeah, that is why I am sitting here, dreading our meetup later at night. I exhale and allow the doubts ebb, we will sort ourselves out. We always do.

My palm kneads my exposed knee, I guess I owe him a proper apology. A text doesn't cut it, neither would a phone call if he had picked. But he should have told me earlier, I sigh, he tried to do that, a little too late but I was too hurt and upset to think straight.

"Don't think too much about it, he's coming."

Chi's voice pulls me out of my reverie, when she has my attention, she twirls for me to check her out. "Well, what do you think?"

A smile dances across my lips, I press the tip of my thumb and index finger together. "Perfecto." She giggles and fakes a bow, I borrow Paul's words and add, "Asa nwa." Her face goes red, I continue, "Baby la hot."

"Thank you, thank you," her head sways as she fans herself with her hand like the AC in the room is not on full blast, "you don't look too bad yourself." Her face contorts as she inspects my outfit, I pout and her eyebrows furrow. "We will manage you like this."

I erupt in a fit of giggles, she smiles, if I don't look as good as she does, then it's on her. She picked this long white gown with puffy sleeves, a v cut exposing a decent amount of my cleavage and a high slit that puts my left thigh on display with each step I take. With our matching outfits and physique, we can pass off as distant relations. I slip into my stiletto heels, she places a hand on my lower back to steady me and we sashay to the living room in comfortable silence.

"What are you doing?" she asks when I settle on the couch instead of joining her at the door. With her hands akimbo, clutch purse perched on her hip, her feet connect with the tiled floor, creating a tap-tap sound and I hold a finger to my lips as the number on the other end rings uninterruptedly.

"I'm ordering us a ride," I offer with a shrug when she continues staring. With makeup, her gaze is sharp but less penetrating.

She switches her purse to the other hand, a small frown taking over her pretty, flawless face. "You should have told me. If you can't drive, I can," I grimace and she rolls her eyes, "why do we need a ride? I can drive."

I shake my head and offer her a weak smile, I don't know how to put into words how much of an awful driver she is. Paul won't make the mistake of letting her near a steering wheel, neither do I want her close to my baby parked in front of the house. I want to drink myself to numbness should Paul have moved on with the lady I saw on his status and I can't drive home inebriated.

My phone beeps with a message. I purse my lips and say, "The guy is here, don't worry."

Murmurs spill from her lips as we exit the gate, throughout the ride to Mr Adams's house, I am forced to listen to her speech on her amazing driving skills and how no one trusts her enough to handle their car.

Her words get lost on me as my mind drifts to the man of the occasion, will he put on a suit? I love him on that outfit, the way it fits like it was sewn on him will always have me drooling. My lower belly tightens, I rub my legs together, giddy with excitement at the thought of us having sex, the skin to skin contact as our bodies mould into one. He has no excuse now, I am no longer on bedrest.

My gaze clashes with the Uber driver's in the rearview mirror, his goatee on beautiful dark skin reminds me of Paul. Wrinkles appear at the corners of his eyes as a ghost of a smile flits across his face, I look away at the influx of sinful thoughts that assaults me. He is not Paul. I tug on the plunging neckline of my gown, I am not putting on a bra, I can't remember the last time I wore one outside. I like it that way, Paul does too.

A sigh escapes me as an image of that girl pops into my head, Evil is what I will call her, I trail a finger over my collarbone and look out the window. At the different sized buildings on each side of the street, blinding streetlights that illuminate the empty roads.

I don't want to think about the possibility of them showing up together, I sigh, I will lose my mind if they are in attendance as a couple. Pressing two fingers to my temple, I massage that spot until my raging thoughts quiet down. They are just thoughts, they are not real. He has not moved on, he loves me.

"Pauline." My head jerks in Chi's direction, a frown plays on her face when she bends to catch a glimpse of me. Her hand lingers on the door, she tilts her head and I offer her a shaky smile. "Are you not coming out?"

The driver clears his throat, I spare him a glance, murmur an apology and give him a five-star rating after paying. Chi tucks her hand into the crook of my elbow as we start for the entrance of Mr Adams's house. I let out a deep breath as the gate slides open, we step into the compound and I shudder.

Colourful lights sit atop the flowers lining the narrow path we take, our feet connect to the marbled floor with purposeful strides as we edge closer to the entrance, the click clack of our heels informing our guest of our arrival. My chest constricts, I pull Chi to a stop in front of the heavy doors and eye the giant mansion surreptitiously. The size of his house never ceases to amaze me. So big and empty. But tastefully furnished.

"I'm nervous," I tell her, using my free hand to smoothen my gown. "I don't know why."

Her nude coated lips move to mutter, "You shouldn't be, it's just a party." She casts me a reassuring glance, the scent of my perfume she used whiffs into my nostrils. With her hand on the door, she continues, "We can leave when you're tired. Just say the word."

She offers me a smile, I nod in agreement, it is just a party, I will be fine or I can help myself to the alcoholic drinks that will be in abundance. I blink and exhale slowly, parties are more my scene too. She pushes the door open and we take a step inside.

Muffled music filters to my ears, I squint at the dazzling lights that assail me and my palm moves to form a shield over my perfectly drawn brows. My eyes take a few minutes to adjust to the brightness, I lower my hand and a yelp escapes me when Chi drags me in the direction of the dining hall.

The plush rug in the parlour suppresses the sound of our heels, I clutch my bag in a death-like grip as laughter floats in the air. Different pairs of eyes turn to us when we stop at the table, I shift my weight to one foot and clear my throat awkwardly as the chatters die down. Chi throws a general greeting I support with a small smile, as if in practised unison, their heads bob, bright smiles take over their lips as they reply.

They return to their discussion, renting the air with the sound of cutleries meeting the plates at intervals. No one notices us as we back away to a more private area in the house, my eyes scan the house for Paul as my fingertips brush my collarbone. The little gesture brings me a sense of comfort which flees at the sight of Evil and the voice in my head drowns logic at her outstanding physique. She looks better in real life.

My eyes lower to her flat stomach, the gown hugging her sumptuous curves. Can she breathe in that? I groan. Why is she here?

I start for the stairs, yanking Chi who dares to offer the enemy a smile. She lets out a cry of shock, pulls me to a stop. The ends of her braids brush my face when she whips her head to glare at me and my lips curl into a sheepish smile. My eyes lower to her feet, the coloured toenails peeking out of her nude open toe heels, I need to fix my nails.

"Sorry," my head raise, "I don't like her."

Her shoulders deflate, her lips part open and close when I tuck the errant braid from her loose ponytail behind her ear. She sighs, her lips twitch and I hug her briefly.

"What did she do to you?" I shrug and wrap a hand around her arm for us to continue up the stairs before the lady approaches us.

"Nothing," I say, "I just don't like her." Chi giggles, I frown. "Let's go before she comes."

A call from behind stops us from taking one more step forward, I exhale and we turn to see a young couple clad in matching Ankara prints. Chi's face lights up on recognition of them, she shuffles down the stairs to engulf them in a hug. They exchange pleasantries in muffled voices, the woman spares me a wave and I repay it with a small smile as the man's head turns to me. Chi looks my way, eyes seeking permission to leave with them, my shoulders slump, I sigh and give a subtle nod as loneliness settles over me.

Moments after they leave, I stand at the foot of the stairs, lips pursed as I contemplate my next move. I am here for Paul and that fine man is nowhere to be found, I sigh, it is not beneath him to miss his party. Hoping my last memory here will serve me well, I palm the bannister as I make my way up the stairs and to the room I stayed in.

Stopping in front of the door, I give myself a onceover, smoothen the invisible creases on my gown and take a deep breath before my fist connects with the door. Faint laughter greets me, I hear muffled giggles. Without a single thought, I twist the knob until the door opens to reveal Paul and that wench standing between his legs as she lets out another round of giggles. My shoulders sag, I release a sigh and blink back tears.

Their playful brawl stops as their eyes jerk in my direction, I gulp, my eyes fixated on his hands wrapped around her slender wrists and every sane thought evaporates. My head raises to his forever handsome face, our gazes clash and he lets go of her wrists slowly so she can join him on the bed with her head resting on his shoulder.

On a different day, I might have swooned at the suit deliciously fitted to his body but the handkerchief in his breast pocket is of the same colour as Evil's sequin gown. Same with his bowtie. Red; the colour of evil. My eyes sweep across the room, returning to them when I am certain I can mask my disdain.

"Hey," she says in a cheery tone when she lifts her head from his body and I gag in my brain, hating how perfect she looks. I swallow, a sneer mars my face when she grins at me. Is she gloating for her win? I return her greeting with false enthusiasm. "Don't just stand at the door, come in."

"Yeah, you shouldn't," Paul supports. His fingers weave through his beards, his head angles in my direction. Is that it? No smile, no greeting. My hand tightens on the knob, I lean on the door for support. "Come in."

The tears, I feel them coming so I inhale and clear my throat with a fake smile plastered on my face. "No," I say in a small voice with my gaze centred on him alone, I hope she gets strangled with that silver necklace for stealing him from me. "I just wanted to say congratulations. Chi told me about the win."

Without waiting for his response, I jam the door and rush down the stairs in blind fury, ignoring the ping that comes from my purse. Coming here was a big mistake.