He Promised Me Work In Lagos, Na Trap I Enter (EPISODE 24)

EPISODE 24 – The Recording

The room was small, hot, and suffocating, but my mind had never felt sharper. I had spent days watching, listening, and remembering every word, every movement, every subtle control tactic he used. Fear was still there, heavy, pressing against my chest like a stone. But now, determination had replaced despair.

I waited for a moment when he left the house, as he often did, pretending he had errands or business somewhere. My hands shook as I pulled my old, barely functional phone from the hidden folds of my bag. It wasn’t much, but it could record. It could capture voices. Words. Proof.

I hit record, my heart pounding.

When he returned, calm and smiling as always, he didn’t suspect a thing.

“Why you dey check your phone like that?” he asked casually.

I smiled faintly. “Na nothing, I dey check small news,” I lied.

But then he started talking — talking about how he was the only one who could take care of me, how Lagos was dangerous, how nobody else would ever trust me, how “if you try move, wahala go follow you.” His voice was smooth, almost soothing, but I knew every syllable was a chain around my life.

I pressed record a little tighter, making sure the device captured every word. Sweat ran down my back, fear prickled my skin, but I couldn’t stop.

“I dey watch you. If you try leave, you go regret. You no go fit survive without me,” he continued.

My stomach churned. I felt trapped, yet powerful. This recording, if it survived, could be my ticket out. Proof that what he called “care” was control. That what he called “protection” was manipulation.

When he finally left again, I listened back to the recording. My own voice, my questions, my silence, and his threats — all there, captured forever. My hands shook, but my heart lifted.

For the first time in months, I felt a small spark of hope. Lagos could be a trap, yes. He could be dangerous, yes. But now I had a weapon — evidence. Something to remind me that I wasn’t helpless.

I hid the phone carefully, deep in a secret corner of the room. My mind raced with possibilities. I could escape. I could reclaim my life. I could survive this city without letting fear consume me.

Episode 25 Coming Soon
Nkiru begins sharing subtle hints of her independence with small, trusted friends. But as she gains confidence, he starts noticing small changes — and his patience is running thin.