Twice A Fool

Juliana has built a stable life around her daughter Ruby, a kind girl whose friendship with a disabled classmate shows a maturity beyond her years. Ruby's father, Akin, is the successful music producer AA Stings, and he co-parents with genuine energy, picking Ruby up from school and spending time with her, yet he has never proposed to Juliana after ten years. Their arrangement works well for him, with the housekeeper Eunice keeping the household running smoothly and his bachelor freedom intact, while Juliana quietly resents giving him the comforts of a husband without any commitment. Her friends Abike and Nancy push her to change the equation, and she begins joining them at clubs and weekend trips, discovering a life outside her duties. Her independence sparks an immediate reaction in Akin, who greets her at home with an unsolicited kiss and starts complaining about her new habits. When Jeff, a new client, invites Juliana to lunch and pursues her romantically, Akin's jealousy turns aggressive, and he demands to know whether another man is claiming his place in Ruby's life. Juliana fires back that Akin has no legal rights over her or her daughter, and she throws him out of her office. A night together offers a fleeting illusion of reconciliation, but Akin cannot explain what the kiss meant, so Juliana calls him a coward and banishes him, then breaks down with her friends before deciding to accept Jeff's attentions. Jeff proposes, but at the same time Juliana realizes she is pregnant with Akin's second child. Unwilling to hand Akin that kind of power, she tells no one except her grandmother and makes plans to deliver the baby abroad, intending to leave Ruby in her grandmother's care. The prospect of losing Juliana and Ruby is what finally cracks Akin's wall, and he arrives at her home to confess that he loves her, admits he has been a coward, and proposes, saying he will move anywhere she wants and be there for both her and Ruby.