Silence swallowed the room.
Mr. Obiora looked heartbroken.
“Chika…”
She forced a small smile despite the pain crushing her chest.
“Mom made those promises for a reason. Let me keep one of them.”
Kemi lowered the knife slowly, relief flooding her face.
Then she laughed.
Actually laughed.
“You’re finally useful.”
Chika said nothing.
Because some wounds become too deep for tears.
—
Three weeks later, the compound buzzed with wedding preparations.
Kemi transformed into a queen overnight.
Designer fabrics.
Expensive makeup artists.
Luxury cars arriving daily from Lagos.
The Bello family was one of the wealthiest families in Abuja, and Kemi made sure everyone in town knew she was about to become Mrs. Kemi Bello.
Meanwhile, whispers followed Chika everywhere.
“The poor sister.”
“The barren one.”
“The one marrying a farmer.”
Even relatives pitied her openly.
One aunt pulled her aside during the engagement ceremony and whispered:
“At least village men don’t expect much.”
Chika only smiled politely.
Inside, she felt numb.
Because the truth was…
she had stopped dreaming about happiness a long time ago.
—
The morning her future husband finally arrived, rain clouds gathered heavily over the village roads.
Everyone expected embarrassment.
