Unbecoming Lekki Act 2

 

Shugs dragged her suitcase through the narrow hallway, the wheels catching on uneven tiles as she stepped into her new apartment. The place was smaller than what she was used to in Lekki, but to her surprise, it was better than she had expected: cozy, with warm lighting, tasteful furniture, and a soft couch that invited her to sink in and forget the weight of the move. The walls, though plain, held potential, and the large window allowed just enough of the city’s pulse to seep in without overwhelming her.

She let out a breath, setting her keys on the countertop before pulling out her phone. No messages. No missed calls. No one from Lekki had reached out, not even out of curiosity. Maybe that was for the best.

The job started in two days. A completely new environment, new colleagues, and a new version of herself she wasn’t sure she could fully embody yet. She had left Lekki, but had Lekki left her? The thought lingered as she unpacked, each item carrying fragments of the past: an old perfume bottle, a bracelet from a night out, a scarf borrowed but never returned. Ghosts of a life she was supposed to be moving on from.

A soft knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She hesitated before opening it, coming face to face with a woman who looked to be in her late twenties, holding a small plate of snacks.

"Hi, I’m Amaka. Just wanted to say welcome to the building. If you ever need anything, I’m right next door."

Shugs blinked, surprised by the warmth in her voice. "Oh thank you. That’s really kind of you."

Amaka smiled. "New city?"

"Yeah."

"You’ll get used to it. And in case you don’t, there’s wine nights at my place."

Shugs found herself smiling for the first time that evening. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

The city outside was different. It lacked the ease of Lekki’s late-night drives and impromptu meetups. Here, the air carried purpose, urgency. People weren’t floating through life; they were anchored. And she would have to be too.

She walked to the window, staring at the lights flickering in the distance. A new chapter, a new city, a new Shugs. Or at least, that was the plan.

The first day at work brought a different kind of weight. Shugs stepped into the office, straightening her posture as if it could shield her from the subtle but undeniable tension that lingered in the air. She had been sent here to lead, but was she truly welcome?

Eyes followed her as she walked past clusters of desks. Some curious, others skeptical. Introductions were made, names exchanged, but there was something in the pauses, the shared glances, that told her it would take more than a confident stride to earn her place here.

By midday, the polite stiffness in conversations had settled into something she couldn’t quite name. It wasn’t hostility, but it wasn’t warmth either. A lingering question hung in the air; who was she to come here and take charge?

During a team meeting, she caught a hint of resistance subtle but present. A senior colleague leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, nodding at her words but not quite agreeing. Another responded to her suggestions with a measured tone, the kind that masked doubt behind professionalism.

Shugs kept her expression neutral, responding with the same poise she had practiced, but inside, she wondered, was this just the usual discomfort of new leadership, or was she already being sized up as an outsider who didn’t belong?

A week had passed, and the tension had not eased. If anything, it had settled in, taking root in the office like an unspoken rule. Shugs wasn’t just new, she was an outsider, and that fact was made clear in a hundred little ways.

Ike, the senior colleague who should have gotten the position, had made no effort to mask his skepticism. In meetings, he questioned her decisions, sometimes outright challenging her in front of the team. When she gave instructions, he hesitated just long enough to make a point before complying. It was subtle, but it was noticed. And because the staff took their cues from him, they mirrored his polite, but distant attitude. Professional, but unyielding.

She could feel their loyalty to him, the way their gazes flicked toward him before answering her, the way their trust lay with him and not with her. She wasn’t paranoid; it was real. Every interaction felt like a test, and no matter how competent she was, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were waiting for her to fail.

It was exhausting, pretending not to notice, pretending she wasn’t bothered. But she was. And she didn’t know how long she could keep up the act.

There were changes, big changes, now that she was in charge. And as undeniable as they were, Ike’s attitude still frustrated her efforts at every turn. He questioned her authority, undermined her decisions, and made sure the staff hesitated just enough before following through on her directives. It was a silent war, and she was tired of pretending not to notice.

Then came the board meeting.

Tension thickened the air as the discussion escalated. Ike pushed back, his voice calm but his words cutting. It wasn’t just a disagreement; it was a challenge. He spoke as if he were the one in charge, as if she was merely a placeholder.

Shugs felt the heat rise in her chest, but she didn’t waver. Not this time. She straightened, her voice clear, unwavering.

"Ike, I appreciate your input, but the decision has been made. And as the team lead, I expect it to be carried out accordingly. If you have further concerns, we can discuss them after this meeting. For now, we move forward."

Silence. A shift.

She felt it in the room, the way the staff exchanged glances, the way some of them leaned in slightly as if waiting for what would happen next. The tilt. The moment where control teetered, where people started to see her as more than just an outsider.

Ike’s jaw tightened. He didn’t argue, not in front of the board. But she saw in his eyes the storm brewing.

As soon as the meeting ended, he stormed into her office, slamming the door behind him.

"What the hell was that?"

Shugs stared him straight in the eyes and said, "You may not like me for whatever reasons known to you, but I am here to stay. And if you want to stay as well, you will and you must respect me."

The conversation was heated, words clashing like swords between them, but Shugs stood her ground. She had swayed the moment in her favor, and yet, there they were, standing mere inches apart, locked in a silent standoff.

Ike's expression shifted, something unreadable flickering in his gaze before he spoke in Igbo, his voice quieter but no less intense.

"Ọzọkwa, ọbụna mma gị na-atụ m ụjọ.."

Shugs felt the weight of his words settle between them, a slow, charged current filling the space. Her breath caught, just for a second.

Neither of them moved. The air between them was different now; unsteady, crackling, heated.

 A question left hanging. What the actual fuck???