He Promised Me Work In Lagos, Na Trap I Enter (EPISODE 17)

EPISODE 17 – My Mother’s Name Fall From His Mouth

It happened one evening while we argued. Not loud, not violent, just words simmering like hot oil in a small pan.

I had tried, for what felt like the hundredth time, to ask about getting a small job. Even the tiniest one. Just to feel I was doing something for myself.

“Why you wan struggle for street? I dey here,” he said, his voice calm but sharp, like a blade hidden under silk.

I hesitated. My pride flared up. “I’m not a child,” I said. “I want to learn something, to survive alone if I must.”

His eyes darkened. For a moment, I thought he would snap. But instead, he sighed.

“You remind me of her,” he whispered.

I froze. My heart thudded like a drum.
“Who?” I asked, voice small.

“Your mother,” he said, almost too softly to hear. “I loved her… and now I see her in you.”

Everything I thought I knew twisted in that moment.
He wasn’t just controlling me. He wasn’t just keeping me dependent.
He was obsessed.

I tried to speak, to ask questions, but the words stuck.
The room felt smaller, the air heavier.

“You no suppose know that,” he said, leaning closer, his eyes intense. “Nobody supposed ever know.”

And in that instant, I realized:
This was never about helping me survive.
It was about replacing her.

Fear, disgust, confusion, and the bitter taste of betrayal all collided inside me.

Episode 18 Coming Soon
He admits he sees her mother in Nkiru — making her feel like she is a replacement, not a person. Nkiru begins to understand the full depth of his obsession.