The next morning, he did something he hadn’t done in months: he went to a barber. Got a clean shave. Bought second-hand but decent clothes. With the remaining money, he took a bus to one of the few addresses he still remembered — an old mentor from his engineering days.
Dr. Adebayo almost didn’t recognize him.
“Chinedu? Is that really you?”
Two hours later, after hearing the full story, the old professor made a call.
Within a week, Chinedu had a job — a junior role in a solar installation company. It wasn’t glamorous. The pay was modest. But it was honest work. He rented a small room in Agege. Every evening, he studied at night, rebuilding his knowledge.
He never forgot the woman in the pink dress.
He searched for her online. “Adanna Eze” — the name came up everywhere. Magazine covers. Business awards. Philanthropy events. She was everywhere, yet completely out of reach.
Still, he kept the memory of her kindness like a talisman.
---
**Six Months Later**
Adanna was at a charity gala when she saw him again.
She was the guest of honor, giving a speech about empowering the less privileged, when her eyes landed on a tall, strikingly handsome man in a well-fitted black suit standing near the back. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him.
After her speech, he approached.
“Miss Eze,” he said, voice deeper and clearer than she remembered.
Adanna’s eyes widened. “Chinedu?”
He smiled — a small, hesitant smile that transformed his entire face. “You remembered.”
