Chapter 55 A Desperate Plan B

• The air at the dinner table was thick with the scent of fried plantains and grilled chicken, but for Zara, everything felt like smoke and mirrors. She poked at her food in silence, her mind spinning with the script she and Kemi had rehearsed over the phone for hours. The modeling agency in Abuja had reached out again with an even bigger offer—$2000 this time—for another campaign shoot. It was the kind of gig she couldn’t afford to miss, not with her career barely finding its footing. But the problem wasn’t the job. It was her parents.
• She cleared her throat softly, testing the waters.
• “Mum, Dad…” she began, her voice tentative, “I forgot to mention earlier. My office selected me for a leadership retreat. It’s in Port Harcourt this weekend.”