Prologue

She was home alone. Her husband left very early in the morning for his usual Saturday morning exercise and he was not expected home until noon. The house was dead silent and that was exactly what she wanted. She had works to do and noise was the last thing she could tolerate.

She was deep in thought so she didn't realize that music was playing in the living room located downstairs. By and by the music filtered into her ears as it got louder. Initially, she thought it was her imagination that was playing tricks on her, but with time it became obvious that it was real. She was home alone and therefore couldn't understand how music would just start playing. Besides, it was Enya and she wasn't a fan. Her husband wasn't, either. They actually hated Enya's songs as they always sounded spine-chilling.

Gripped by fear and curiosity, she climbed out of bed and started downstairs on tiptoes. The music stopped playing and the lights went out the moment she stepped into the living room. She let out a muffled scream. She was so afraid that she couldn't move a muscle. She closed her eyes and awaited her fate. She flinched when suddenly the music came back on, this time, at full blast. Then followed the lights.

She didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want to see her assailant. She didn't want to know what he was going to do to her. He should just go ahead and do it. But her curiosity got the better of her. And when she opened her eyes, she saw the message written in blood on the TV screen:

AVENGE MY DEATH!

She screamed and fainted.

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The ambulance was on full speed and the siren was blaring. The destination was Mainland hospital and the patient was Nneka who just fainted when the news of her fiancé's demise broke. Chike was accused of character assassination; conspiracy; and bribery and corruption, prosecuted and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. But the young detective attempted to break the jail and was shot dead in the process.

On arrival in the hospital, she was quickly taken to the Emergency room where the doctors battled to save her life.

"How is she, doctor?" Nneka's mother approached one of the doctors as he emerged from the E.R.

"She is fine, Madam," the doctor answered, the smile on his face was reassuring.

"Can I see her now?" she asked anticipatorily.

"Sure," Dr. Joe said and led the way. "She is yet to regain consciousness but like I said earlier, she is fine. Her vital signs are stable. I can assure you that it won't be long before she wakes up," the doctor said as they stood beside the patient's bed.

"I hope so," the woman prayed. "So, what's wrong with my daughter?"

"She suffered what we refer to as neurocardiogenic syncope, which results when something triggers a short-term malfunction of the autonomous nervous system (ANS). This causes a drop in the blood pressure and heartbeat and pulse rate will slow down leading to a temporary interruption in the brain's blood and oxygen supply.

"Possible triggers include sudden exposure to an unpleasant sight or experience; extreme embarrassment; sudden emotional upset, for example when receiving bad news; among others," the doctor finished, and smiled when he noticed the confusion on the woman's face. He had definitely confused her the more. "Bottom-line is that she is in good hands. You don't need to worry yourself," the doctor reassured and left.

True to the doctor's words, Nneka regained consciousness two hours after arrival in the hospital. She was discharged the next day but her life was no longer the same.

In the days that followed, she avoided people, suffered mood swings, behavior changes, insomnia and nightmares whenever she managed to sleep. She lost her appetite and consequently grew very thin.

Her parents weren't so worried initially because they believed that with time she would overcome the emotional breakdown but it persisted. In fact, her condition worsened prompting a second hospital visit. This time, she was reviewed by a psychiatrist who made a diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) and placed her on therapy. Her parents were advised never to leave her alone as she might attempt suicide.

With the antipsychotic drugs and regular home visits by her Psychiatrist, Nneka made a slow but steady recovery and after one year, she was ready to go back to work. Her doctor was even planning to wean her off drugs completely. Her life was back on track but there was an aspect that had been battered beyond repair. And that was her love life. She loved Chike so much that she couldn't imagine loving another man. She had given Chike all her love but now that he was no more, she had to transfer that love to her work. Her father was yet to retire, so she worked as his deputy even though she did most of the work.

"Hello, dad!"

Chief looked up from the files on his desk and smiled. "Come," he said as he stood to welcome his only daughter. He hugged her and scrutinized her with fatherly attention, then motioned her to sit down. "When did you come back?" he asked as he took his own seat.

"Just now." Nneka replied.

"I am proud of you; very, very proud of you. I have always known that you would take this company to greater heights and you have always proved me right," the old man said as Nneka handed the contract documents to him.

"Thanks, dad."

Chief's happiness knew no bounds as he flipped through the documents. His construction company had just won a multimillion naira contract to construct a dam in Adamawa State courtesy of Nneka's hard work and ingenuity.

Chief smiled again after going through the contract details. "Wonderful! This calls for celebration,"

"We will celebrate later, dad. For now, I need to shower and sleep like never before. It has been very hectic," Nneka said and made to stand.

"Just a minute," Chief said and rose to his feet. He paced for a while and then faced his daughter. "You are a great asset to this company and I am very happy with you, but…," he allowed his voice to tail off as he resumed pacing, "… my happiness won't be complete until you are married. You aren't getting any younger, my daughter. You will be thirty-four in August. Look, women are like flowers that blossom in the morning and whither in the evening. Men prefer morning flowers."

"Am I supposed to catch a man and force him to marry me?" Nneka asked in a way that suggested that she didn't like the topic

"You are not supposed to do that, my daughter but you need to give men the opportunity to approach you, woo you and court you. You need to loosen up a bit," Chief advised. "I know you loved Chike with all your heart and that it would be difficult to transfer that love to another man, but you can't shut down your life. You have to move on. I am sure that Chike would want you to be happy, but the truth is that a lonely heart can never find happiness. You need a man in your life to complement you, a man that will help you run this company." He paused as slumped into his seat. "I am tired, my daughter," he said suddenly and Nneka panicked.

"Should I call the family doctor?" she asked, reaching for her phone.

"I am not implying that I am sick," he said, fixing his gaze at a distance. "I meant that I am getting old and need to retire. I have paid my dues. I deserve some rest."

"But you can go ahead and retire, dad," Nneka said with a shrug. "Or don't you trust that I will be a good replacement?"

Chief thought for a while and sighed. "I trust you, my dear but I am worried that the demands of running the company alone would overwhelm you. That is why I want you to get married so that you will get the necessary help and support from your husband." Chief explained.

"I see," Nneka said and rose to her feet. If there was anything she detested so much, it was the pressure she got from her parents to get married. The way they were going about it, if she wasn't careful, she would rush into the arms of the wrong man. "I will see you at home, dad," she said over her shoulder as she exited the office.

It was already 2pm when Nneka got home. She met her mother in the sitting room. "Good afternoon, mom."

"Good afternoon, my darling. Welcome home, hope your trip was comfortable" the older woman stood and welcomed her daughter with a hug. She sounded so excited that Nneka wondered what she was up to.

There was an aura of festivity about the house. The stewards were setting the dining table while the butler was refilling the bar. Everybody was obviously in high spirit. Nneka quickly scanned her brain for any anniversary but there was none.

"What's going on, mom?" she asked. Her curiosity was palpable.

"We are expecting an august visitor," her mother replied simply.

"Who?" Nneka asked curiously.

Her mother laughed briefly at her curiosity. "Chief Dunu."

Nneka raised an eyebrow. "Chief Dunu is a regular visitor in this house. How come he is an august visitor all of a sudden?"

"He's coming with his wife and son. Frank just came back from the States and they felt it would be nice for him to say hello." There was a twinkle in her mother's eye as she whispered the words.

Nneka shook her head slowly and started upstairs. She needed no more explanations. She already knew what the hustling and bustling in the house was all about. Another suitor was on the way. She hissed as she recalled her past suitors. She had had three suitors in the last six months, all arranged by her parents. In fact, the last one proposed to her on their first meeting. She had been so annoyed that she had gotten up and left, allowing the poor boy to kneel as long as he wanted. This happened about two months back. Her mother had been so mad at her that she fell out with her. They made up not too long ago and another suitor was already on the way. Nneka sincerely wished that she had allowed her faceoff with her mother to linger. If they hadn't made up, her mother wouldn't have sought another suitor for her. She hissed again and decided to cross the bridge at the appropriate time. For now, she needed cold shower and the comfort of her bed.

The first two knocks didn't wake her, she was deeply asleep. She was, however, aroused by the third knock. She slowly climbed out of bed and staggered to the door. On opening the door, she saw her mother smiling boldly.

"They are here," her mother said, rubbing her hands gleefully. "Make haste and come downstairs."

Nneka wanted to protest but maturity got the better of her. She couldn't afford another faceoff with her mother. She could always play along and say no at the appropriate time. She had never liked arranged relationships. Most of them usually hit the rocks. It was usually worse when the suitor in question lived abroad. To her most guys that lived abroad were not to be trusted. Many of them were into drugs, crimes, contract marriages among others. They could actually mess one's life up and Nneka wasn't ready to give anyone such an opportunity.

"Ok, mom, let me freshen up,' she said.

"Make sure you look your best," the older woman said, winked at her and left.

Nneka shook her head and closed the door.

Few minutes later, she joined her parents and the guests in the living room. Chief Dunu had come with his wife and son, Frank as expected.

A cursory look at Frank showed a young, handsome man with an air of affluence about him. Nneka really found him attractive and that was unlike her. Since Chike died, she rarely had time to look at men let alone fall for them. This was actually a good sign.

She exchanged pleasantries with them and took her seat. She barely sat down when her father spoke "Let me formally introduce Chief Dunu's son to you," he said, looking at Nneka. "His name is Frank. He just came back from the States where he has been living for the past 18 years. He is a Harvard-trained accountant. He also bagged both masters and PhD from the same institution. Until his return to Nigeria, he worked with Silicon Valley bank in New York. As the only son, he has returned to manage his father's numerous investments as my friend here is not getting any younger." He finished and smiled at Nneka.

"Your father forgot to mention that my son is single and searching but I know that his searching days would soon come to an end," Chief Dunu added and all laughed except Nneka. It wasn't funny.

"It is a pleasure meeting you," Nneka said to Frank out of courtesy. Deep down, she was very uncomfortable and angry…, at everybody.

"The pleasure is mine," Frank responded with a smile. And honestly, he sounded very refined and responsible. He wasn't just handsome, but also a gentleman, if he wasn't pretending.

After the introduction, Nneka's mother invited everyone to the dining table where assorted foods and drinks had been served. They ate to their full and drank to their satisfaction.

Dinner over, the fathers went into Chief's study while the mothers went to Nneka's mother's room thereby leaving Nneka and Frank all alone in the sitting room. The young chaps understood the game plan and didn't disappoint their parents. They chatted and laughed like old friends.

Frank was really fun to be with. There was no dull moment with him and he was quite knowledgeable. Nneka couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun chatting with a friend, especially, male friend. It must have been before Chike's death.

It was around 8pm that their parents emerged from their different hiding places and it was time for the Dunus to depart. She escorted them to their car while her parents stopped at the porch.

Just before he entered the car, Frank kissed her hand. "I had a great time," he whispered.

"Same here," Nneka smiled. She was genuinely happy.

"Can we do this again," Frank asked.

"Any time," Nneka truly wanted to hang out with him.

"Thanks," he said and entered the car.

Nneka waved him goodbye and waited till the car pulled out before she started back to the house. She was already thinking of a robust relationship with Frank. They seemed to be compatible but just one meeting wasn't enough to draw conclusions. She reminded herself.

"What do you think?" her mother's words cut into her thought as she approached the porch.

"About what?" Nneka asked, pretending not to understand.

"About Frank, of course," her mother supplied.

"Oh!" Nneka smiled. "He's handsome, smart, knowledgeable and most importantly, a very good company. His sense of humour is second to none. I must admit that I need a soothing balm for my ribs because I laughed like never before."

Nneka's mother looked at Chief and the couple smiled at each other.

"We should fix a date, then," Chief said, looking at Nneka for approval.

"Date?" Nneka was truly confused. "Date for what?"

"Date for the introduction, of course," it was her mother that answered.

"Mom!" Nneka's eyes were huge with shock. She couldn't believe her ears. How could her parents talk of introduction when she barely knew the suitor? Frank hadn't even said anything.

"Frank hasn't said anything and I don't even know him."

"But we know his parents, my daughter," her father said, putting his arm round her shoulders. Nneka shrugged severally, indicating that he should take off his arm from her shoulders but he refused to yield.

"His parents are nice people. I am sure they raised him well. You don't have any reason to worry. He will make a good husband," Chief assured her daughter.

"I am neither getting married to his father nor mother. Any man that intends to marry me should woo me, court me and then propose to me. It is only when I say yes to his marriage proposal that we will start talking about dates. For now, I have works to do." She shrugged off her father's arm and stormed into the house.

The days that followed witnessed another faceoff between daughter and parents. Nneka wasn't bothered in the least. She was already used to faceoff with them. If the only way she could be friends with them was to marry a total stranger, then she would rather be an enemy.

About a week after their meeting, Nneka got a call from Frank. He wanted to know if she would be chanced for dinner.

"Yes, I will," she responded with undiluted excitement. She had waited impatiently for his call. There was no doubting the fact that she liked him but things must be done properly. The Cart must not be put before the horse.

Frank was supposed to pick her up at 6:30pm and he came on time. He scored another point as Nneka got the impression that he didn't like standing ladies up.

He was exchanging pleasantries with Nneka's parents in the living room when Nneka came downstairs and stood at the foot of the stairs.

Frank's jaw dropped on sighting her. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "You look so beautiful," he said and walked across the room to meet her.

He didn't exaggerate. Nneka was indeed looking very beautiful. She was dressed in a red overflowing dinner gown. Her makeup was light, making her face to glow with natural beauty.

As he approached, Nneka stretched her hand for a handshake but he hugged her instead.

"Thanks for the compliment." Nneka smiled.

"You are welcome," Frank returned her smile. "Shall we?" he asked and Nneka nodded slightly.

The young couple said goodbye to Nneka's parents and left. Their destination was DeChills restaurant. When they arrived at the restaurant around 7pm, it seemed the whole Lagos had decided not to eat at home that night. Nevertheless, they were able to secure a table at a good spot. They sat down and placed their orders which came without much delay and they began to eat.

"Do you like the food?" Frank asked after a brief moment of eating in silence.

Nneka nodded severally. "I love it. It's quite delicious. How did you find here?"

"I was looking for a special place to take a queen like you to and a friend suggested here," Frank explained.

"I owe that your friend," Nneka said and Frank laughed. He stopped eating and fixed his gaze on his new friend. She was obviously enjoying her meal, so she didn't notice that he was staring at her.

"You look so beautiful," he said suddenly and Nneka's spoon stopped half way to her mouth. She looked at him and smiled. "Thanks," she said and resumed eating.

"My mom kept telling me how beautiful you were. I thought she was exaggerating but now, I can see she underrated you. You are a paragon of beauty."

"I can see you also have a degree in flattery," Nneka teased him. "Thanks, though."

"I am not flattering you," Frank said with sobriety. "It's nothing but the truth. You are also intelligent, smart, humorous and down to earth. I like you and will be happy to be your man. Will you be my girl?"

Nneka kept awake that night reliving and analyzing the events at DeChills. Frank had stated his intentions in black and white. He didn't mince words. He liked her and would want her to be his girlfriend. She liked him too and would cherish a relationship with him but she must be careful, very careful. All that glitters is not gold. She had always been suspicious of men that lived abroad. Most of them were wolves in sheep's clothing. They would come with message of love, promising you paradise on earth while in reality they had nothing except heartbreak to offer you.

She had heard so many stories of how unsuspecting girls were scammed into marrying criminals, drug dealers and addicts, destitutes and men who were already married to white ladies to enable them naturalize in their countries of abode. Though Frank had relocated to Nigeria permanently, Nneka would still want to know the kind of life he lived in the U.S. He appeared to be responsible. Unlike his contemporaries, he didn't have tattoos and didn't wear earrings. He also didn't weave his hair. But she must tread with caution.

She was also conscious of the fact that the relationship was arranged by their parents. If they eventually got married, theirs would be a marriage of convenience. Most of such marriages were not based on true love and hence never lasted. One of her friends actually got involved in such a marriage and now she was divorced. Nneka didn't want that to be her case.

Furthermore, the way Frank brought his parents into every conversation was very alarming and disturbing. If it wasn't 'my mom said', then it was 'my dad suggested'." She needed to be sure that the man she was going into a relationship with had a mind of his own. As the only child, it wasn't surprising that his parents would monitor and interfere in his affairs but he must be his own man when necessary.

Despite Nneka's concerns, she was ready to give the relationship a chance. She had to be positive and pray that things turned out well. Frank could be a different breed. It was better to give him a chance and later call it quits if he didn't live up to expectations rather than reject him out of pessimism and eventually he turned out to be good.

The relationship blossomed within a short period and three months later, Frank proposed and Nneka happily accepted. The last three months had been so blissful for Nneka. Frank had proved to be a very responsible and loving man, and Nneka had looked forward to spending a fulfilled life with him. So, it was a dream come true when he proposed.

The wedding preparations started immediately. The couple wanted a low-key wedding but their parents wouldn't hear of it. They wanted an elaborate ceremony. Frank was an only child while Nneka was the only daughter, so one would understand their parents' stance.

A wedding planner was engaged with a mandate to organize the biggest and most grand wedding in recent times.

The guest list contained five ministers, two governors, and fifteen members of the National Assembly, captains of industries, relatives, friends and well-wishers. All the big wigs in Lagos were on the list.

Gucci was contracted to take care of the wedding dresses and accessories. Nneka's father had completed arrangements for express importation of the latest Phantom Limousine. He had earlier bought a magnificent house in a choice area. His daughter deserved the best wedding gifts and he was equal to the task. The wedding venue was a one-thousand capacity hall, yet accommodation was going to be a problem as over one thousand, five hundred invitation cards had gone out and it seemed all the invitees were coming. Even Ben, who had not been to Nigeria for over ten years, sent words that he was coming with his wife and two boys.

"Oh my God! This wedding gown is so beautiful," Chinwe enthused. Nneka had just taken delivery of her wedding dress and accessories.

Chinwe was her favourite cousin and best friend. Her mother was Nneka's mother's immediate younger sister. Her parents lived in Port Harcourt. Her father was an engineer with Shell while her mother was a business mogul.

Just like Nneka, she was the only girl of her family and therefore doted on exceedingly. Her friendship with Nneka started when she gained admission into Queen's college, Lagos. Nneka was already in class two then, so she played the role of a big sister even though she wasn't up to a year older than Chinwe. Eventually they became more of friends than cousins. Chinwe spent most of the holidays in Lagos. Even after secondary school, both attended university of Lagos. For over eleven years both women were rarely apart from each other. They were like Siamese twins, sharing escapades and secretes. Chinwe knew all the guys that made passes at Nneka from secondary school days and vice versa. They always confided and sought advice from each other. It was actually Chinwe that encouraged Nneka to date Chike and even the current relationship with Frank was endorsed by her before Nneka said yes. When Chike died, Chinwe took a month compassionate leave from her office in Abuja to stay with Nneka who had suffered depression.

So it was natural that Nneka would choose Chinwe as the maid of honour and two weeks to the wedding, she arrived in Lagos to assist in the wedding preparations.

Chinwe snatched the wedding gown from Nneka and looked it over. "Try it on. I am sure you will look like a queen in it," Chinwe said as she removed the dress from the transparent garment bag.

Instead of doing Chinwe's bidding, Nneka folded her arms and began to pace. She was obviously perturbed.

Chinwe raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong. You look so disturbed."

Nneka ignored her cousin and continued to pace. She later sat on the edge of the bed and covered her face with her hands.

"What is going on?" Chinwe panicked. She joined her cousin on the bed, put her arm around her shoulders and tried to uncover her face. Nneka resisted initially but later yielded. And when her hands were off her face, Chinwe noticed the tears.

"You are crying?" Chinwe couldn't understand why Nneka should be crying instead of rejoicing. She was about having the biggest wedding in town and should be happy. "Is it Chike?" Chinwe asked, reasoning that probably Nneka remembered her dead fiancé and became depressed.

Nneka looked steadily at her cousin and shook her head. "I think I am about to make a big mistake." More tears gushed out as she spoke.

"Mistake? How? You are scaring me." Chinwe was truly scared.

Nneka wiped her tears with the back of her hands. "I saw Frank …," she hesitated and Chinwe urged her on by nodding severally, "… at the church."

"What!" Chinwe screamed as her jaw dropped. "What was he doing there?"

Nneka shook her head. "I have no idea but whatever it was calls for concern." Though her voice was calm, the agony in it could not be missed.

The church was actually built as a place of worship. The pastor had taken a loan from the bank to finance the project but wasn't able to pay back. So the bank auctioned the building to a powerful drug baron who later converted it to a casino. With time, it also became a crack house and a brothel. Even though the function had changed, the building was still referred to as the church and its patrons, referred to derogatorily, as the congregation. The church enjoyed a wide range of patronage and majority of the clients were prominent men and women of the society. They visited for various reasons but people had the same impression about them; they were all irresponsible folks.

One could therefore imagine how Nneka felt when she saw the man that would become her husband in about two weeks emerge from the most notorious building in town.

She had called Frank earlier in the day, requesting him to take her to DHL office to take delivery of her wedding dress and accessories but he declined, claiming that he had a meeting with his dad in his father's office. Nneka had resorted to taking a cab since the route to the courier giant's office was always gridlocked and she hated driving on such roads. She could easily engage in road range. So to avoid that, she called a taxi.

On her way back, the cab driver had used a rat run and the church was on the street they plied. Nneka wouldn't have seen him if not that the cab slowed down at a speed-breaker in front of the church. Frank had emerged from the building, walked briskly and entered a waiting taxi. He wore a pair of jeans trousers, sneakers and a T-shirt. His face cap almost covered his face completely but Nneka knew him too well, besides his clothes were very familiar.

"I told the driver to follow him," Nneka said and sighed

"Where did the cab take him?" Chinwe asked impatiently

"King David's Mansion," Nneka supplied. "He alighted from the cab and disappeared into the hotel, only to reappear about thirty minutes later. He then entered his own car and left. Meanwhile, when he reappeared from the hotel, he was wearing a suit, not Jeans and T-Shirt anymore."

"So he drove to the hotel, parked his car and used a cab to avoid being identified," Chinwe analyzed.

"Exactly," Nneka concurred.

"What are you going to do?" Chinwe asked after a brief silence. She could suggest but she wanted her cousin to give her own opinion.

Nneka thought for a while. "I will engage a private investigator. I need to know who the man I am about to marry really is," she said and Chinwe completely agreed with her.

When the investigation report came in ten day later, it was filled with shocking revelations:

Frank was a drug addict who was jailed in the U.S for ten years for illicit use of hard drugs. He was deported immediately after serving his jail terms. His parents knew that he went to jail but kept it a secret. They hoped that getting Frank married and giving him a prominent position in his father's multimillion naira business would make him turn a new leaf. Initially, he didn't agree to the marriage plan but with his father promising him a whopping sum of money if he agreed to marry, he had no choice as he needed a lot of money to carry out the plan he hatched with his U.S wife.

Iliana was a Mexican girl who worked as a striptease dancer in a club Frank frequented back in the States. His first visit to the club was while in his penultimate year in the university. He was introduced into club life by a Nigerian classmate, Tunde.

Iliana was so spectacular that Frank couldn't help but fall for her. He had become a regular visitor to the club until he had gained Iliana's attention. It was actually Iliana that introduced him to hard drugs. He had become so addicted that his education was affected. He didn't graduate with his set and when he eventually did, his grades were nothing to write home about. By the time he graduated, his relationship with Iliana had grown so strong that she had quit strip dancing and moved in with him. She had become pregnant six months down the line, prompting the couple to have an urgent court marriage. In order to meet up with the financial demands of running his new family, Frank had to quit the Masters programme he had just commenced, converting his school fees to family upkeep money. Yet he had struggled to meet up as he had also been spending a lot on drugs. As the situation got tougher, he started peddling drugs. He was nabbed and jailed six months after his daughter was born.

Throughout the ten years he spent in jail, Iliana had been very supportive. She had visited him daily, periodically, bringing his child's pictures along to enable him to be part of her development and growth.

Upon release from jail, Frank had been deported to Nigeria but he had maintained a strong link with his family and hoped to reunite with them someday. He couldn't wait to achieve that. And the only way to make that happen was for the family to relocate to another country as he was already a fugitive in the United States. He therefore agreed with Iliana to move the family to Mexico. Iliana was from Mexico and he was married to her, therefore getting a Mexican visa wouldn't be a problem. The only problem was raising enough money to accomplish the plan. But with his father's promise to give him plenty of money after his marriage, all he needed to do was to play along, get married, then get the money, and elope with Iliana after the wedding.

Nneka was breathless by the time she finished reading the report. Chinwe was feeling likewise.

"Oh my God!" Nneka cried. "I almost made the mistake of a lifetime."

"You can say that again," Chinwe's voice was choked. "What do we do now?"

"Call off the wedding without delay," Nneka said emotionlessly. It was no time to cry. It was time to act. She had suffered the greatest shock of her life when Chike was murdered and had since developed a thick skin. She wasn't given to breaking down easily anymore.

She quickly called a family meeting, intimated them on the current situation and requested that the wedding be called off officially for she had already called it off within her. Her family obliged her without hesitation. It was a difficult decision but Nneka's interest and safety were paramount.