---
Chapter Three: Cracks in the Frame
Kunle Ajayi was livid.
He stood in his sleek Victoria Island apartment, gripping his phone tight enough to snap it in two. The headlines were everywhere:
> "MYSTERY BRIDE? JEREMIAH ADEBAYO SPOTTED WITH WOMAN AT EXCLUSIVE HOTEL!" "WHO IS THE LADY WHO WOKE UP IN HIS BED?"
The grainy photos weren't crystal clear—but clear enough.
It was her. Tamilore.
His Tamilore.
Or… she used to be.
Kunle slammed the phone onto the table and stormed toward the window, jaw locked. He'd been ignoring her calls all day, letting her stew in the silence. Good. She deserved it.
The betrayal stung more because it wasn't supposed to be her.
He had been the one playing the field—quietly. Carefully. Always in control. Tammy had always been the "safe" one. Quiet. Loyal. Predictable.
But now… she was all over the blogs.
With Jeremiah freaking Adebayo.
And married?
He ran a hand over his mouth. There was no way this was coincidence.
Someone was playing a game. But he wasn't sure yet if Tammy was the pawn or the queen.
Either way, Kunle had no intention of losing.
---
Meanwhile in Surulere
"Did I not tell you, Bose?" Pastor Coker bellowed, newspaper in hand. "Did I not say this girl is too loose with these Lagos men?"
"Ah-ah, Femi," his wife snapped, "Don't be shouting anyhow. It's fake news. Bloggers lie!"
"She was in a hotel room! With a man! They said she was married! My daughter—our daughter—is now gossip fodder!"
Bose wiped her hands on her wrapper, trying to steady her nerves. "Let's hear from her first. Don't jump to conclusions."
"She should be here," he growled, pacing. "I told her not to go live in Lekki. Girls that live in Lekki come back with scandal!"
"She's not like that," Bose whispered. "Tammy wouldn't—"
"She already has!"
The door creaked open, and Tammy stepped inside quietly, arms folded tightly against her chest. She hadn't even taken off her shoes.
"Mum… Dad…"
The silence was deadly.
Pastor Coker turned slowly. "Where were you last night?"
"I…" Tammy hesitated. "There was an emergency. I stayed at Anjii's."
He raised a brow. "So the blogs are lying?"
Tammy's heart thumped. "They… twisted things. I didn't do anything wrong."
"No one twists a marriage certificate, Tami," her mother said gently but firmly. "Is it true?"
Tammy's lips trembled. "It was a mistake. I don't remember anything. I was drugged. He was drugged. We're trying to figure out what happened."
Her father's face turned red. "So you are married?!"
Tammy shrank back.
"I—I think so."
"You think?!"
"I woke up with a certificate. We're trying to verify if it's legal."
"You've brought disgrace to this family!" Pastor Coker thundered.
"Mummy…" Tammy turned toward her mother, eyes pleading.
Bose's eyes welled up with tears. "Did he hurt you?"
"No," Tammy whispered. "He didn't. He was just as lost as I was."
Femi stormed toward the back room. "We will not annul it. Not with the pictures everywhere. Not after everything we've worked for. You will stay married and clean up this shame!"
Tammy gasped. "What?!"
"You're not entering this house again if you leave that marriage," he barked.
"Mum?"
Bose didn't meet her eyes.
Tammy turned and ran out the door.
---
In Jeremy's Apartment
Tobi was lounging on the couch, shirt half-buttoned, sipping a beer. "So, you gonna tell her?"
Jeremy leaned against the window frame, arms crossed. "Tell her what?"
"That the board's calling for your head. That your 'accidental wife' might be the only reason they haven't booted you yet."
Jeremy's jaw tightened. "It's not her business."
Wale stepped in from the hallway. "That's the problem. She is your business now. Or did you forget? You're married, bro."
Jeremy rubbed his temples. "I don't want her dragged into this mess."
"She's already in it," Wale replied calmly. "The moment she said 'I do'—even if she didn't mean it."
Zion walked in holding a tablet. "You guys need to see this."
They gathered around the screen as Zion tapped through the footage he'd recovered.
"There." He paused it. "That's Tony's assistant. She was at the bar earlier than we thought. And look—she's talking to someone in the shadows."
He zoomed in.
The face was partially covered, but Jeremy's eyes widened.
It was Kunle.
Jeremy stared in silence.
"No way," Wale muttered.
"Looks like your accidental wife's boyfriend had something to do with this," Zion said. "He might not know everything, but he was involved."
Jeremy's mind whirred. "So this wasn't just about me. Tammy was targeted too."
---
Got you 💯
I'll rewrite Chapter Three from the point where Tammy tells Jeremy she took the pill, and adjust everything so:
There's no suspicion of pregnancy yet — that twist stays hidden until Chapter 15
They don't like each other at this stage — tension, sarcasm, emotional distance, and all that classic enemies-to-accidental-lovers flavor
Jeremy reacts dismissively, not protectively
He gives her a contract: 1-year marriage term, prenup, and clear exit terms
Dialogue remains strong, vivid, and sharp
Everything before that part stays the same
Here's the revised section of Chapter Three starting from the restaurant dinner scene:
---
Jeremy parked outside a quiet rooftop restaurant in Ikoyi. He had texted Tammy earlier:
> We need to talk. Dinner. Neutral ground.
She arrived twenty minutes late, face stiff, eyes tired.
"You look like hell," Jeremy muttered.
"You too."
They sat.
A long pause.
Jeremy cleared his throat. "I've been digging. I think someone drugged us both on purpose."
"I figured that out," Tammy said coldly. "Right before my father threatened to disown me if I annul the marriage."
Jeremy's eyes flickered. "Same. My mother called a board meeting to 'celebrate' our union."
Tammy snorted. "Must be nice to have a mom that likes me."
"She doesn't like you. She likes what you represent—damage control."
Tammy's lip twitched. "Well, aren't you charming."
Jeremy leaned forward, voice cool. "Look. I don't like this any more than you do. But what's done is done. We clean it up and get through the next few months without killing each other."
Tammy's expression turned guarded. "And then what?"
"I've drafted a contract," he said, pulling a folded document from his jacket and sliding it across the table.
She blinked.
"What the hell is this?"
"A timeline. We stay married for twelve months. Long enough to make the press forget. Then we file for divorce—quietly. You get paid for your silence. A generous settlement. In return, you don't leak a single word."
She scoffed. "So now I'm a hired wife?"
Jeremy raised a brow. "A smart one, if you sign it."
Tammy didn't touch the paper. "And what if I say no?"
"Then your name stays in the tabloids. You lose your career. And your precious Kunle gets to call you the cheating one."
Tammy's fists clenched. "You arrogant—"
"I'm being practical," he cut in. "You should try it sometime."
She swallowed the heat building in her chest and reached for her bag. "I took a pill," she said suddenly.
Jeremy's brows lifted.
"Emergency contraception," she clarified, eyes hard.
He shrugged. "Good. One less thing to worry about."
Silence stretched thick between them.
"Anything else you need from me?" she asked, voice clipped.
"No. Just sign the contract and don't embarrass me in public."
She stood abruptly. "Trust me, I have no intention of being seen with you more than necessary."
"Mutual," he muttered, already looking at his phone.
Tammy turned and walked away, heels clicking against the tiled floor like gunshots.
Jeremy didn't watch her leave.
---