Chapter Thirty-Four: The Ex Returns
Kunle's return wasn't announced with fireworks or a press release, but word traveled fast in Lagos, especially in the elite circle where people thrived on gossip more than actual business. By the time Tammy heard he was back from Abuja, she was already bracing herself for the storm. She had imagined this moment in a thousand different ways—Kunle begging, accusing, or pretending like nothing ever happened. She just hadn't expected it to collide so suddenly with the fragile balance she was trying to build with Jeremy.
The encounter happened at a charity gala, one of those glossy events Jeremy couldn't skip without the media spinning theories about the state of his company or his marriage. Tammy walked in beside him, her growing bump hidden beneath a flowing emerald dress that Rita had helped her pick out. Flashbulbs popped. Whispers followed. And then, like a shadow breaking through the glow of chandeliers, Kunle appeared at the far end of the hall.
His eyes locked on her immediately, and in that moment, Tammy saw everything—shock, anger, regret, disbelief. He looked as though the ground had been ripped out from under him. His jaw clenched, his fists tightened, and he started walking toward them, determination in every step.
Jeremy noticed before Tammy could even open her mouth. His hand slid from her back to her waist, firm, possessive, protective in a way that made it clear he had no intention of letting her face Kunle alone. By the time Kunle reached them, Jeremy had already squared his shoulders, his expression carved from steel.
"Tammy," Kunle said, his voice low but sharp with restrained emotion. "We need to talk."
Jeremy's response was immediate, cold as a blade. "No, we don't. Not here. Not ever."
Kunle's eyes flicked to him with disdain. "This isn't about you, Jeremy. Stay out of it."
"You think you can just disappear and then show up demanding space?" Jeremy shot back, his tone cutting. "You lost the right to call shots in her life the moment you betrayed her."
The word betrayed hung in the air like smoke, even though Tammy herself didn't yet know the full truth about Kunle and Tayo. To her, it sounded like Jeremy was defending her honor against a man who had abandoned her, and it twisted something in her chest.
"Stay out of this," Kunle repeated, his voice rising slightly, the tension drawing eyes from nearby guests. "Tammy and I have history. Something you can't erase with your money or your name."
Tammy's heart pounded as she stepped between them, her hands raised like a fragile wall. "Enough!" Her voice cut sharper than she expected, carrying over the hum of gossiping whispers around them. Both men froze, staring at her as if she had pulled them from the edge of a fight.
She looked at Jeremy first, his jaw locked, eyes burning with a promise to protect. Then she turned to Kunle, whose gaze softened slightly when it met hers. But the weight of it—the judgment, the anger, the history—was unbearable.
"You two are not going to fight over me like I'm some prize at an auction," Tammy said, her voice trembling but firm. "I am not property, and I refuse to be treated like one."
Jeremy exhaled slowly, trying to temper his fury, while Kunle's nostrils flared in frustration. Tammy shook her head, her voice breaking now. "I've been through enough. I don't have the strength to stand here while you two drag me back into chaos. If either of you actually cares about me, you'll stop making this harder than it already is."
Silence followed, thick and charged. Kunle clenched his jaw, forcing himself to step back. Jeremy's hand brushed Tammy's arm, steady but silent, as though reminding her he wasn't going to leave her side.
But Tammy knew this was just the beginning. Kunle's return had shifted the ground under her feet, and no amount of steel in Jeremy's eyes or fire in Kunle's voice could stop the collision that was coming.
Jeremy led her away from there to a table and sat her down going to get food as she said she was hungry. Kunle's eyes followed her the whole way. He would admit he was cheating on Tammy with her sister but Tammy must have been cheating on him too. Cause how can a one night stand make triplets.
After staying in Abuja for a while and thinking. He decided he wants Tammy back. But if she isn't willing then there's nothing much he can do. But he just has to have hope. Hell he'll accept those kids in her belly if she goes with him. He really loves her now.