The rent for her high-rise apartment was overdue, and her landlord had given her a warning and a payment deadline, or she evicts his property. But none of them would admit weakness. Instead, they continued to mock Mirabbel just to distract themselves from their own troubles. One Sunday afternoon, the three sleigh queens drove past the construction site again.

“There she is!” Mimi pointed, laughing. Mirabbel was standing on scaffolding, her face smeared with dust as she measured a wall. Kendi rolled down the window of her car and shouted, “Cement queen, please don’t fall down. Oh, we don’t want your dust to scatter in the air,” she said in mockery. Tasha, trying to hide her own worries, pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of Mirabel.

Within minutes, it was on Instagram with the caption, “Guys, don’t make this kind of mistake. Hard work is good, but smart work is better. Some of us slay, others slave. The post went viral again, and once more, Mirabbel became the joke of the week. But something strange was happening that nobody noticed. Each time the sleigh queens mocked her, Mirabbel’s determination only grew stronger.

She spent more time learning, asking questions, and studying. She even began to stay after hours, drawing designs on the ground with chalk, and asking the site engineer for corrections. One evening, the site manager called her aside. Mirabbel, he said, you’re really a strong young woman. I’ve seen the way you work so hard, even when you’re being humiliated.

Most people of your gender will never want to do what you’re doing right now. But why don’t you go look for a job? Maybe that would do you good. Mirabbel smiled faintly. Because this this is more valuable for me, sir. I know I might be suffering, but I am learning. I may not be paid much now, but one day I will use this knowledge. The manager looked at her closely, then smiled. Then keep it up, he said.

Life never forgets those who wake up every day with strong determination. And I believe in you, too, he said as he patted her gently on the back and walked away. That night, she stayed awake long after everyone slept. Staring at her notes, her heart raced. She thought about everything. How she had suffered in school and how she’s suffering now.

Her mother’s painful death and now the humiliation she’s being through. The thoughts shattered her and she cried silently into her pillow. But she told herself she must keep going no matter what. As months passed, whispers began to spread across Lagos about a massive new real estate project. Rumor had it that the project would be worth billions involving the construction of estates, malls, and luxury apartments.

Nobody knew who the mastermind behind it was, but everyone was talking. Both politicians, businessmen, and even celebrities wanted a chance to invest. The sleigh queens heard about it, too, and became overly interested. “This is it,” Tasha said that evening as they sat in her living room. “If we get into this deal, our future is secure.

No more relying on men. No more stress. We will not just tush. We will slay in money. Mimi rolled her hands in the air. Yes, imagine us owning estates. People will bow when they hear our names. Kendi ever sharp said, “But we need to find out who is behind it. That way we can get close and make sure we are part of the inner circle.” They agreed.

And from that day, their obsession shifted from mocking Mirabbel to chasing the mysterious investor. But fate has a way of arranging events. One evening, as they scrolled through Instagram, they saw something unusual. A blurry photo of a woman in a suit standing beside foreign men in front of construction blueprints.

The caption read, “Future is here. Watch out for the biggest project in Lagos.” The sleigh queen zoomed in, but the woman’s face was turned slightly away. She looks familiar, Mimi muttered her. “No,” Tasha said quickly. It can’t be. Let’s just wait for the unveiling. But deep inside, something about the woman’s figure made their hearts uneasy.

Meanwhile, Mirabbel was working harder than ever, but in secret. During the day, she still carried cement and wore dusty boots. But in the evenings, and inside her house, she was learning the language of business, signing documents, and slowly building a network in her own small ways.