But slowly, things changed.
Chief Okonkwo started visiting their home more frequently. He would stare at her longer than necessary. Sometimes he would “accidentally” brush against her while she served food. Emeka always laughed it off.
“Baba is just old school,” he would say.
Then came the financial troubles.
Emeka’s business began to collapse due to bad contracts and heavy debts. One evening, Sarah overheard a conversation between father and son in the study.
“Fifty million naira will solve everything,” Chief Okonkwo said. “She is beautiful. Strong. She can bear it. It’s just tradition.”
Sarah’s blood ran cold. She confronted Emeka that night.
“What exactly did your father mean by that?” she demanded.
Emeka couldn’t meet her eyes. “Baba is helping us. He has connections. But he wants… certain things in return. It’s not what you think. It’s cultural.”
From that day, the “tradition” escalated. Chief Okonkwo demanded she remove her pants even during the day whenever he visited. He claimed it was to “bless the home.” Sarah resisted at first, but Emeka became aggressive, reminding her of the debts and how his father was their only savior.
She felt trapped.
