Sensing that her words lacked the fiery edge they had carried earlier, Chibuzor seized the moment. Dropping to his knees, he spoke with earnest sincerity, his voice low but steady. "Ma, I am deeply sorry for everything I've done. I now understand how wrong I was, not just toward you, but also toward Olaedo."
"I didn't realize how important tradition was, but I've learned my lesson today. Please, give me another chance. I truly care for Olaedo, and I'll do everything it takes to be worthy of her."
From her corner, Olaedo froze. His tone sounded so genuine that for a brief moment, she questioned her instincts. 'Was this all part of the act, or could he possibly mean it?' She dismissed the thought quickly, deciding he was just a better actor than she had given him credit for.
Olisa, finally stepping into his role as the supportive wingman, chimed in with a practiced look of remorse. "Ma, we are both sorry. I had no idea about any of this, but I still feel responsible because Chibuzor is my best friend."
He continued, his voice steady and persuasive. "I've known Chibuzor my whole life, and I can assure you that he is a man who plans everything to perfection. This situation is completely out of character for him. I've already reprimanded him for his poor judgment, and he's genuinely regretful. Please, if you give us another chance, we'll make things right. The bride price and traditional marriage can be done at your earliest convenience."
Mrs. Anozie, visibly conflicted, stood frozen for a moment. The sincerity in their words left her unsure of how to respond.
Sensing his mother wavering, Emeka stepped forward with the confidence of the family's eldest. "Mr. Chibuzor, we've heard you, but this isn't something that can be brushed aside so easily. You took our sister's virginity without honoring the necessary traditions, and that does not sit well with us."
At this, Olaedo nearly jumped out of her seat to correct him. They had done nothing of the sort! But as the reality of their supposed "marriage" loomed over her, she hesitated. Claiming to still be a virgin would only raise more questions about their union, and she couldn't afford that, not now.
Emeka, oblivious to her inner turmoil, pressed on. "Until you come here properly, with the elders, the bride price, and properly do the traditional marriage, Olaedo is staying right here. Only then will we, reluctantly, acknowledge this marriage."
The two sworn brothers exchanged glances. Any glimmer of compromise was better than outright rejection, and they nodded eagerly. But just as the atmosphere began to settle, Chibuzor cleared his throat, his voice uncertain.
"Ma, there's… one more thing. Saturday is the day of my family's annual ball. It's also the day I planned to announce my marriage to everyone. Could Olaedo please come with me for that event?"
Emmanuel stepped forward in fury, forcing Chibuzor and Olisa to instinctively step back again. "You didn't even tell your family members?!" he thundered, his anger palpable. "What kind of person are you? I thought you only had no respect for us, but clearly, you don't respect your own family either!"
"Let me make one thing clear, we're not letting her go anywhere with you until you do the necessary things to save her reputation. Your precious family ball can wait! First, you bring your parents and family here to properly marry her."
He turned to Olaedo, his voice dripping with disappointment. "Big Sis, you actually married someone like this? This isn't like you at all."
Then he paused, shaking his head as though coming to a sudden realization. "This must be because you're not over Maduabuchi yet. You did this out of anger, didn't you?"
From the side, Olisa raised a curious brow. 'Maduabuchi? Who's Maduabuchi?' he thought, filing the name away for future investigation. His gaze flicked to Chibuzor, who remained silent, and it only fueled his skepticism. This introduction was opening up more questions than answers.
"That's not true! I got over him a long time ago," Olaedo blurted, her voice defensive. She snuck a glance at Chibuzor, but his reaction made her feel worse. Olisa's confusion and curiosity were evident, while Chibuzor's expression… well, it didn't help.
Deep down, she was certain. 'I really am over Maduabuchi. Sure, I'm still upset about what happened, but that's normal, right?' She clenched her fists as though trying to suppress her frustration. 'Why won't they believe me? I only married Chibuzor to save my company, not out of bitterness!'
Across the room, Chibuzor wrestled with his own thoughts. Emmanuel's words echoed in his mind, stirring something uncomfortable. 'Did she really marry me out of anger? Out of spite for her ex fiance Maduabuchi?'
The thought was ridiculous, wasn't it? After all, he wasn't in love with her, this was purely transactional. But the unexpected twinge of sadness took him by surprise. 'Why do I care?' he wondered, brushing the thought aside.
Eventually, after much back-and-forth discussion, a date was set for the traditional wedding, and the men left the house, without the "wife" they came with.
As they drove back, Chibuzor's mind whirled with a thousand thoughts. By the time he reached the Arinze mansion, an unusual urgency coursed through him. He called his grandparents, parents, and siblings, asking them all to gather for an important meeting. Thankfully, the timing worked out since the family ball was just days away, and everyone had returned home.
Chibuzor's car screeched to a halt at the mansion's entrance. Without wasting a moment, he strode into the spacious living room, where his family was already seated. His gaze darted around, confirming their presence: his grandparents, his father, his younger brother Chukwudubem, his sisters Adanne and Ifeoma, and, of course, his stepmother, whom he conspicuously ignored.
"Good evening, Grandpa, Grandma, Dad," he greeted, bowing slightly out of respect. His recent "lesson" on tradition had clearly hit its mark.
His deliberate snub of his stepmother didn't go unnoticed, but he ignored it entirely, greeting his siblings next.
Once everyone had acknowledged him, Chibuzor settled into a chair opposite the family and began recounting the events of the past three months. He carefully crafted his narrative, leaving out any mention of the fake marriage. Instead, he focused on how their paths had crossed again and the whirlwind journey that led them here.
When he finished, silence hung in the air like a heavy fog. It was Ifeoma who finally broke it. "Wait, let me get this straight," she said, her tone incredulous. "You met and fell for this Olaedo sometime after Adaugo betrayed you, but she refused your proposal because she was in love with someone else. Then you threw yourself into work to forget her, only to reconnect after hearing that something happened to her? You courted, got married, and now her family's furious because you didn't follow tradition. They've basically confiscated your wife, and you're here to drag us all off to fix this mess?"
Her blunt summary was so accurate it stung. Chibuzor nodded sheepishly. "That's… about right."
The room erupted into noise, a cacophony of disbelief, scolding, and exasperation.
Hearing her thorough summary, Chibuzor nodded, relieved that they understood the situation. But his relief was short-lived.
His grandmother rose abruptly and slapped his shoulder with surprising force, her eyes blazing with fury. "You're lucky they didn't throw you and Olisa out the moment you stepped foot in their house! If it were me, I had have tossed you out before you could even explain yourself."
Chibuzor winced, enduring the sting of her strike without protest.
"How could you marry her and live together for an entire three months without seeing her parents? If you love her as much as you claim, why would you do something that could so easily ruin her reputation?" Her voice cracked with disappointment, but her words hit harder than her slap. "I don't have a grandson like you!"
Knowing full well he was at fault, Chibuzor didn't defend himself. He kept his head bowed as she scolded and struck him again. The pain wasn't just physical, it was emotional. She had never laid a hand on him before, which only emphasized the gravity of his actions.
Turning to her husband, she gestured at Chibuzor, disowning him further with her words. "Look at what your grandson has done."
The old master sighed heavily, his expression a mixture of helplessness and disappointment. Though he didn't speak, his sullen face was enough to convey his displeasure. Chibuzor felt the weight of their judgment like a stone pressing on his chest.
His father, Mr. Obinna, broke the tense silence. "Chibuzor, we need to fix this immediately. Before the family ball. We can't let this kind of scandal spread, it'll destroy our hard-earned reputation."
"You're one to talk," Chukwudubem muttered from his seat, his voice laced with annoyance. His pointed comment drew a dark glare from their father and a sharp, reproachful look from their stepmother as she cursed him internally 'Just wait till my sons are back! After they take over the family business, there will be no place for you brats in the Arinze household.'