It’s 2026, and the year already feels like a roller coaster.
Toyin, the first child of seven, is a healthcare Professional full of energy and life. Her inherited flat ,the previous tenant moved out the year before in April 2025 . But the moment she watched the video sent to her, her heart sank. The apartment was an absolute eyesore.
“Where does she even start?” she muttered quietly.
She bowed her head and covered her face with her hands, letting out a deep sigh.
“This really isn’t happening,” she whispered.
Determined to do something about it, Toyin contacted her sister’s realtor, Ms. Judy, whom she planned to work with.
Ms. Judy introduced her to an engineer who was supposedly very experienced.
Later that week, the engineer visited the property. After inspecting the flat carefully, he shook his head.
“You’ll need to spend a lot of money on this place,” he said.
Toyin knew she had to be realistic. She simply could not afford a full renovation at once. Instead, she decided to renovate the apartment gradually, at her own pace.

Most of the lighting and materials came from Dunelm and B&Q in England. Slowly but surely, she transformed the flat bit by bit. The work took nearly a year.
The previous tenant had even installed wooden coverings in the open spaces for security reasons, preventing people living on the second and third floor from jumping into his apartment.
Just when things finally seemed to be improving, another problem emerged.
Toyin gets a phone call from her realtor, Ms. Judy on Friday . Fortunately, it was during her lunch break.
“Your brother is here,” Ms. Judy says, “claiming that the previous tenant agreed to remove the wood covering before he moved out.”
Before Toyin could say a word, she hears loud yelling and screaming from Deji her brother in the background.
“I am going to pull down everything!” Deji shouts.
They exchange a few more angry words.
Toyin finally screams back, “Why are you so frustrated? Look, we will have to go to court to resolve this issue!” She continues.
She then hangs up the phone .

On Sunday afternoon, Toyin’s phone began vibrating. She stares at the screen and sees that it’s Hassan calling.
“Aunty,” he says, “Deji has sent a carpenter into your flat to vandalize the wooden covering.”
“How did he get in?” she asks with a deep sigh.
“The door was open. Workers were already stripping the wall.” He replies .
Toyin shakes her head and murmurs, “This guy is looking for wahala.”
She doesn’t call Deji. Instead, she decides to keep quiet.
Almost immediately, a flashback rushes through her mind.
It was September 2012. Toyin had travelled to Nigeria from Florida, where she lived, for her father’s burial. She was sitting in the dining room with Deji when he suddenly started a conversation out of nowhere.
“My friend Ifeanyi said he wishes Daddy was alive to see the empire he built for his business,” Deji says. “You are not like your siblings who will be fighting over inheritance property.” Ifeanyi tells Deji
Toyin shakes her head at the memory.
Hmmm, she thinks to herself. None of us had even mentioned property back then.
Yet the irony of it all strikes her deeply. Fourteen years later, the so-called prodigal son, Deji, is now the one fighting over property — the only one out of seven children still living in their father’s house.
All her siblings have moved on, she reflects. The arrogant one is bitter that we are collecting rent, but there’s an easy fix. He can simply move out and rent his own property.

Ten days later, Toyin returns to the place where she was working on the day she received the phone call from Ms. Judy.
“Good morning, Ann Marie,” she says.
“Morning,” Ann Marie replies. “Have you resolved the issue with your brother — the one you cursed out during your lunch break?”
Suddenly, Toyin remembers that Ann Marie had also been in the break room eating lunch when she received the phone call.
Toyin bursts out laughing at the question and, with a mischievous smile, replies, “No.”

Toyin’s sister, Abike, received a call from Deji the prodigal son n October He claimed he had found the perfect tenant that has agreed to his own terms and insisted they should inform the realtor immediately.
His voice thundered through the phone as he yelled and screamed at the top of his lungs.
“What’s your business?” Abike snapped back angrily. “It’s not your apartment. You have no right to choose a tenant.”
Moments later, Toyin’s phone rang. Ms Judy narrated the conversation.

After struggling financially for months, she had finally managed to gather enough money to continue the renovation.
But deep down, Toyin knew the real battle was only beginning.
To be continued….