?Chapter 42: Is this Really the Man I Want to Marry?


    Chapter 42: Is this Really the Man I Want to Marry?


    Nnenna decided to challenge him directly.


    “Uncle Reuben,” she said sweetly but with a calcting glint in her eyes, “don’t you need to nt the crops first before harvesting and distributing them?


    When did you do the nting?


    Or…


    are you nning to do it with the money Mommy Courage gives you?


    Maybe you made a mistake when you said you needed a million to pay the harvesters today.”               Reuben turned to her, forcing a smile to mask his rising irritation.


    “Yes, of course.


    I made a mistake there.


    I’m nning to start nting as soon as Courage gives me the money,” he replied, clearly aiming to reassure Nurse Courage rather than Nnenna.


    Nnenna nodded as though she epted his answer but didn’t stop there.


    “Okay, Uncle.


    But then…”               “What?” Reuben snapped, his patience thinning.


    “Don’t you neednd for nting?


    Do you already havend, or are you nning to buy it with the money too?”               Reuben froze for a moment, caught off guard by her sharp question.


    His expression darkened as he realized the girl wasn’t as naive as she seemed.


    Nnenna pressed on, her tone still feigning innocence.


    “If Mommy Courage gives you the money, do you already have a specific piece ofnd in mind for this business?


    Or…


    are you nning to rent one?”               Reuben’s mind nked at the question, his confidence wavering.


    The truth was, there was no real business n.


    He hadn’t thought beyond getting the money and figuring things outter.


    Meanwhile, Nnenna was piecing everything together in her mind.


    How can there bend if he hasn’t even secured the funds yet?


    And is a million supposed to cover buyingnd, hiringborers, purchasing tools, seeds, and everything else needed for nting?


    Not to mention distribution…


    She looked at Reuben with a tilted head, as though genuinely curious.


    Reuben, however, was starting to sweat under her unrelenting questions.


    Seeing that Nurse Courage was starting to connect the dots, Nnenna pressed further.


    “Uncle Reuben, are there other investors in this business?


    You know, to help with the funding?” she asked, her innocent tone masking her intent to dig deeper.


    Reuben,pletely unaware of her ploy, answered confidently, thinking it would strengthen his case.


    “No, there aren’t any other investors.


    It’s just me and Courage.


    I want us to have all the shares in the business and not distribute it to other shareholders.


    It’s better that way.”               Nnenna nodded as though impressed.


    “Oh, okay.


    That makes sense.


    Wow, what a nice n!”               Her words earned a triumphant smile from Reuben, who seemedpletely oblivious to the trap she was setting.


    Nurse Courage, however, was beginning to look thoughtful, her brows slightly furrowed as if she were starting to question the feasibility of his “business n.”               Nnenna tilted her head, feigning curiosity.


    “So, Uncle Reuben, how much are you nning to contribute to the business?” she asked sweetly.


    Reuben frowned, feeling the pressure again.


    Since there was no real business, he hadn’t thought that far ahead.


    But he couldn’t let that show.


    “Well,” he began, trying to sound confident, “Courage is a nurse, and she earns much more than I do in a year.


    So, I’ll contribute 200,000, and she’ll bring in the 1,000,000.”               The words left his mouth, but instead of reassurance, they seemed to echo ominously.


    Nnenna’s smile widened triumphantly, as though sealing some invisible deal.


    Reuben nced at the girl suspiciously, but she merely shifted her gaze to Courage, who was sitting quietly, deep in thought.


    When Reuben finally turned to his fiancée, he noticed her hesitant and surprised expression.


    Panic began to bubble under the surface.


    He knew he had said something wrong, but he couldn’t figure out where he had slipped up.


    “Reuben?” Courage called softly, her voiceced with disappointment.


    Reuben’s face darkened at the sign of her refusal, his fist clenched against the table as he red at her.


    “Because of this girl?


    This…


    child?


    You’re rejecting me?” His voice rose, causing heads to turn in their direction.


    The 15 year old in question, Nnenna, sat back, folding her arms smugly.


    She had expected this reaction, and she was pleased to see her efforts bearing fruit.


    “Reuben!” Nurse Courage eximed, startled by his outburst.


    Reuben rarely raised his voice, and now his behavior was both rming and out of character.


    She stared at him, her mind racing.


    ‘Is this really the man I want to marry?’               “You can’t expect me to invest in a business that isn’t profitable.


    You’re asking for a million, Reuben, and I need details.


    Don’t you work in finance?


    Shouldn’t you know how this works?” she asked, her voice calm but firm.


    Thatst statement was a dagger to his pride since he also lied about his job in order to impress her and not feel inferior.


    His anger red hotter, and he snapped back, “You’re questioning me now?


    You don’t trust me?


    Is that it?


    I’m trying to build a future for us, but instead, you side with a child who doesn’t even know anything!”               Nnenna blinked, feigning innocence.


    “Uncle Reuben, I’m sorry if I upset you.


    But I’m just worried about Mommy Courage’s money.


    Isn’t it better to ask questions before making big decisions?


    Mommy Courage, you always say that, don’t you?”               Courage sighed, torn between wanting to diffuse the situation and feeling frustrated with Reuben’sck ofposure.


    She looked at him again, searching for the man she thought she knew.


    But his defensiveness, the cracks in his fa?ade, were beginning to reveal a version of him she didn’t recognize, and didn’t like.


    “What do you mean by that?” Reuben asked, his tone sharp and confrontational.


    “Precisely because I work in a financepany, you should trust me with financial decisions.


    Do I really need a solid business n for you to give me money?


    I’m your fiancé, not some stranger!”               Courage stared at him in disbelief.


    His words stung.


    “Reuben, it’s not about trust!


    You can’t expect me to hand over a million without a proper n.


    It’s basic responsibility.


    I can’t believe you would say something like that.”               ——————-               What do you think of the novel?


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