Maya scrolled through Instagram, mesmerized by the lives of people who seemed to have it all: luxury cars, designer clothes, extravagant vacations. She worked hard, juggling two jobs, yet still couldn’t afford half of what she saw. As she kept swiping, a wave of inadequacy hit her.

One account in particular, an influencer named Tayo, caught her eye. He had just posted a video of himself popping champagne on a yacht, captioned, “Work hard, live harder.” His rise to success seemed meteoric, and Maya, unaware of the shadows behind such flamboyant displays, found herself wishing she could have even a fraction of his life. Tayo’s posts kept reminding her of what she lacked.

Friends around her had begun making money in mysterious ways—cryptic “business ventures,” quick investments, or even disappearing for months, only to return dripping in gold. They all said they’re into tech! But what happened when they are asked to power on a laptop? Regardless, Maya felt the pressure to keep up.

One night, lying in bed, Maya stared at her own reflection in her phone screen. What was she doing wrong? She had graduated with honors, worked tirelessly, yet here she was, scrolling and feeling like a failure.

Flashbacks of her childhood swirled in her mind—her mother teaching her the value of honesty, hard work, and integrity. But none of that seemed to matter now. Success didn’t care about values; it cared about appearances. The world wasn’t built for those who toiled honestly, she thought.

The pressure was mounting. She started cutting back on the things she loved just to save for the flashy lifestyle she saw online. The gym membership was gone, dinner with friends became a distant memory. All she wanted now was to belong—to step into the world of wealth she scrolled through daily.

But with every loan she considered taking and every impulse to chase the fast life, came the nagging doubt—Is it All Worth It?

Suddenly, the noise of a mob reached her ears, kicked her out of her thoughtful state—a young man was being terribly beaten. He was caught in a hotel with several human parts. Her heart raced as she recognized the lion head tattoo on his left shoulder. She quickly ran to Instagram to confirm her fears, only to find that the account of the person she knew with that tattoo had been disabled.

Stunned into silence, her breath caught in her throat as disbelief washed over her—only one name escaped her lips, barely a whisper: “Tayo!”