New look

"That's true. If you see my outfit for that day, eh… I'll be looking peng!"

"Peng?" David asked, confused.

"Yes, you'll come that day, right?" Amarachi asked.

"Naturally."

"Okay, I'll call you back later. Let me tell her," she said before ending the call.

David sat back and laughed. Now that he thought about it, he had such an extended family that even this big house would never feel empty, no matter how hard he tried.

"Ah, forget it," David said aloud, sighing.

If he wanted to make everything make sense to his family, he needed to establish a reliable income source. For that, his plan had to work.

"George, could you tell Mr. Obi I'd like to open a trust fund in my family's name? I believe he can get their signatures with a little white lie or something," David said.

"Eh… I don't think that's advisable, sir."

"Why?"

"Something as significant as a trust fund is almost impossible to hide, especially since it would be in their names. They'd eventually find out about it, so how would you explain it?"

"True," David replied.

With that, he decided to drop the idea. After finishing his meal, he tidied up his plates to make cleaning easier and then retired for the day.

Even he couldn't believe it was achievable—some things just couldn't be hidden, no matter how hard you tried.

The best-kept secret was one that didn't exist in the first place.

---

The next day,

David woke to the sound of the butler calling him to get up. As he stood and looked around, he felt disoriented.

However, after a few moments, he remembered where he was and all that was going on. It was hard to miss, though—George stood by the door, flanked by three maids. Even a dog would know its situation had changed in a room like this.

"Good morning, sir. How was your night?" George asked with a wide smile.

"Ah… I slept better than I have in a long time," David replied, a bit confused.

If his memory served him right, he had been living with insomnia for a while now, rarely sleeping more than two hours each night.

Yet last night, he had gone to bed early and actually slept in. Looking at the bed, David didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"This life is really not fair," David muttered before finally climbing out of bed.

As he did, the maids stepped forward to make the bed while George came over.

"Okay, sir, how about freshening up? They'll prepare your clothes for you," George said, gesturing toward the bathroom.

"Just say my breath smells. No need to beat around the bush," David chuckled.

George chuckled as well, and for some reason, seeing that made David sigh in relief. They were still human.

Following George's suggestion, David entered the bathroom for the first time in the house. It was as magnificent as he expected.

In simpler terms, it was the most refreshing bath David had had in a while. After what seemed like an hour, he stepped out to find a set of clothes laid out for him.

"You'll wear this for now while you get your hair done. The stylist is on the way and will likely choose your outfit for school," George explained.

"Oh… and what about the meeting with the Vice Chancellor?" David asked, realizing he had forgotten.

"It hasn't been set up yet, sir, but I've informed Mr. Obi, so I'm sure he's working on it as we speak."

"No… tell him not to. There's no need. I can just meet the Dean of the department and handle it myself," David said.

He realized that while meeting the Vice Chancellor might help in the long run, he didn't care that much about it.

He just wanted to verify if his plan was feasible given the constraints. He could go to any law firm, but he didn't know or trust any. However, he had some faith in the University of Port Harcourt—it wasn't renowned for nothing.

Besides, if he got the Dean of the Law Faculty to help, it would be more impactful.

"Understood, sir. I'll let him know. But do get ready—the barber is waiting," George said, bowing and leaving the room.

Hearing this, David sighed in relief and began to dress. Looking at the so-called "stay-at-home clothes" he'd been given, he was unsure where to start his complaints. It was a perfectly good outfit for outings!

Yet, putting it on, David found it surprisingly comfortable.

"Let's go," David muttered to himself as he picked up his old, sagging bag. Thankfully, he had bought a new one along with yesterday's clothes.

After transferring his belongings from the old bag to the new one, he left the room. With the help of a maid, he found his way to the barber.

As it turned out, there was a dedicated salon room in the house. Seeing the young barber, David became slightly wary, despite being the one to request a new barber. He feared a bad haircut—he'd had enough of those to last a lifetime.

The barber simply greeted him before showering his hair with various products. David had only a vague idea of their purposes, thanks to his sisters and nieces. David spent an entire hour there but couldn't deny that he liked the result.

"Thank you," David said before leaving the room.

One thing he'd learned: even barbers varied in skill. While his previous barber took almost three hours, this one had done an impressive job in one. Shrugging it off, David returned to his room, where he saw several maids carrying shopping bags inside.

"What's going on?" David asked.

"It seems the stylist is here, sir," George replied, gesturing for him to enter.

Inside, David saw a small group of neatly dressed people waiting for him.

"Mr. Williams?" a female voice called out, catching his attention.

"Yes, that's me," David replied, turning toward the woman.

She appeared to be in her early forties, dressed in a sharp suit he could only describe as "stylish."

"Oh, sir, it's an honor to work with you. As your stylist, we'll ensure you always look your best," she said with a warm smile that grew even bigger.

An unlimited budget, it seemed, could move anyone.