Monday was uneventful. Well, it was mostly filled with Sekemi complaining about every little thing Romola did, especially since there was a new girl in Iya Tobi's store. One who looked at Sekemi like she was a God. Romola didn't care. She didn't want to be here, but since Mr. Joseph had said he was not going to be his office today, she'd decided to pass time by dwelling in the basin of Mr. Ola's knowledge but so far, none of what the man had said was useful. She had learnt more than that with Miss Oyama's accountant.

So, she settled for wiping down the counter with a small rag. She moved her hands in round motion as she dwelt on all that had happened this past week. None of it was her fault. She didn't want to stand in front, yet they forced her. Maybe Victoria had known Olumide would propose and that was why she had asked her to come. Was that what it was? A game? A method of humiliation? Was that Olumide's sick way of getting back at her?

But getting back at her for what? She hadn't done anything to him. If anything, by his position in Pillard, she already knew she would be denied the job. Was that not enough?

A hand grabbed hers and pried the rag out of her hand. "What are you doing?"

She stared at Sekemi with a frown on her face. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"It looks like you are wasting time here. Wunmi and I already cleaned that."

"Well, you didn't do a good enough job." Romola said.

"Me?" Sekemi pointed at herself with the rag before dangling it in Romola's face. "Before you accuse me, you should look at yourself. I mean, see how dirty this thing is. Is this your towel?"

"Are you mad?" Romola stepped away from the counter. "You are crossing your limits."

I don't know why you came here. I thought you quit last week Saturday."

"I didn't." Romola said though clenched teeth.

After returning from Victoria's wedding. Romola didn't have the strength to come back to work. In truth, she didn't want to face Sekemi after their last fight. Now, this Tuesday morning, Sekemi wanted to start another fight.

"Well, you should've. You're not needed here. Wunmi and I can handle everything."

"Really?" Romola raised a brow. "Wunmi, that just got here. What does she know?"

"She knows how to do what I say and that's enough."

"Well, I'm not a robot." Romola folded her arms. "Or your slave. Why would I even take any advice from you?"

"Because you are an idiot."

Romola's jaw dropped open. She'd kept her cool around Sekemi. Even with all the insults hurled her way. Even when Sunbo tried to rile her up but now, she could see it. Sekemi was bad news. Terrible news. The worst news.

"What gives you the right to say that to me?"

"Do you think I don't know your story? Iya Tobi told me everything before she hired me—"

Romola's inside stirred and shook.

"—Of how you go around sleeping with men. Begging for money. And even after she hired you. That seems to be the only thing you are good at."

Romola's leg parted as she held them firmly in the ground, "You have no right to say that to me."

"It's the truth. You have no morals. No standard. After all that Iya Tobi had done for you, you went as low as trying to seduce her husband."

Romola's hand landed against Sekemi's dark cheeks, in two quick successions before she realized what she had done. She stepped back, but her anger did not dissipate even as Sekemi's hand rose to her face. Even as the girl started to cry and staff, as well as customers, started to gather.

"All of you, come and see oh. This crazy girl wants to ruin my face." Sekemi cried.

"You started it."

"Started what?" Sekemi pushed Romola's shoulder.

Romola tuned into all the anger in her. All the pain that she had been unable to punish Yetunde with and she pushed back. Sekemi tumbled backwards, into the rack of shoes and bags. The rack came down first with the shoes and bags and Sekemi lay in a lazy heap under the goods.

"Ah..Ah.. Iya Tobi will finish someone today." Mr. Ola commented.

"What's going on?" Wunmi rushed to Sekemi's side, her thin legs kicking some of the goods aside as she knelt beside her friend.

She turned to Romola with an angry glare. "Why did you do this?"

Romola stared, voiceless as heavy spurts of air left her lungs in quick heavy breaths. Her face hot with anger as she watched her rival, struggle to get up and then fall back down.

"My back." Tears streamed down Sekemi's face as she stretched to touch her back.

"Romola." Mr. Ola grabbed her hand.

She shook it off. "She pushed me first."

"I'm talking to you."

"I don't want to talk."

"You will." Mr. Ola placed his hands on her shoulders and forced her to turn to him. "Do you know what you've just done? How are you going to explain this to Iya Tobi?"

"I don't care." Yes, she no longer had Miss Oyama as a life guard against the tsuanmi's of Iya Tobi's wrath but the shackles of fear had fallen off long ago and she refused to pick them up. Never again.

"Look at me. Look at what she did." Sekemi whined in an annoying high pitch.

"What did I do?"

"Sorry, just excuse us. We'll deal with this privately." Mr. Ola steered the onlookers away from the scene, leaving Romola, Sekemi and Wunmi alone.

"You're a crazy girl." Wunmi yelled, cradling Sekemi's head. "What if she had died?"

"Then good riddance to bad rubbish." Romola threw her hands in the air.

"Something is wrong with you upstairs." Sekemi croaked, but refued to meet Romola's eyes.

"If you knew that, why did you push me? Why did you insult me?"

"Common insult; that's why you want to kill someone's child. Iya Tobi must hear of this." Wunmi said.

"Whatever. Just don't forget the part where your queen laid false accussations against me."

Wunmi turned from Romola to a wailing Sekemi. Sekemi spread out her legs and slapped the white tiled floor. "Which false? Ehn. Tell me? I thought you were even better than your sister."

"Don't even dare bring my sister into this before I bang your head against the door." Romola could do it, if she was pushed hard enough.

"You know, Wunmi," Sekemi placed her hands on Wunim's shoulder and used it as a prop to lift herself up. "When my mother told me people were afraid of the truth I didn't believe her. Now, I see that they are not afraid. They hate the truth."

Romola placed her hands akimbo. "Which truth?"

"About you and your sister. I'm sure you are the one who spoilt her."

"You don't even know my sister, how can you say that?"

"I don't have to know her." Sekemi stood and bit her lips, even as the tears coming down her cheeks slowed down. "I've seen her around here. The way she talks and I've seen her video."

"Video? What video?"

"Ask me one more time." Sekemi punctuated her sentence with a sarcastic hiss. "Or you think I would not recognize your sister in Suxy's latest video right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Mtcheeww." Sekemi's voice took one the high pitched whine quality again as she stormed towards the staff room. "Stand there and be asking me. I will make sure Iya Tobi fires you today."

Romola rushed back to the table, picked her purse and her small phone, then dashed towards the door. She'd heard of Suxy's video. Somewhere. Yes. On the radio. Was that the dance video Sunbo said she was going to do? "Oh God, please for once, let this idiot sister of mine have sense."

But the prayer was too late. If Sunbo was in the video, there was nothing left for God to do. And if she were there, Romola would kill her with bare hands.

"Where are you going?" Mr. Ola stood in her path. "Who is going to clean up this mess?"

"Sekemi will."

"Romola—"

She ran into him, bumping into his shoulder. Behind her, she heard him fall. But she kept going without turning back, even when she heard footsteps behind her. She ran down the metal staircase and unto the street, waving her hands and stopping a bike that was passing by.

"No, 13 Opemipo Steet, Ajashe. Now. Now." She tapped the leather seat at the back of the bike as it stopped before she straddled it.

She took one last look at Wunmi who tried to stop her, just as the bike roared to life. She could never come back to work here. She wouldn't. But for now, Sunbo had questions to answer.