By the time the wedding was over, Chukwuma and Chinaza were already watching each other carefully. The love that should have grown freely was now clouded by suspicion, anger, and silence. What should have been the happiest day of their lives had already begun to reveal the cracks beneath the surface. And so, the marriage began — not with peace, but with tension.

Chapter 4 The wedding The wedding day had been fixed, and with it came the excitement that usually surrounds such moments.People began to talk, plans were made,and expectations rose higher and higher.To many,it looked like a marriage already blessed by family moving smoothly towards its final celebration.But beneath the surface,trouble was quietly gathering.Before the wedding day arrived, Chukwuma's father fell sick and had to be admitted into the hospital.The news shook Chukwuma deeply.Suddenly, the young man found himself standing between two heavy responsibilities:Saving his father's life and preparing for his wedding.It was not easy, but he kept going.Money was going out in every direction.Hospital bills had to be paid,medications had to be bought,and at the same time, the wedding plan could not stop.Because Chukwuma worked in an oil and gas servicing company, many people believed he had more money than he actually did.They assumed he was rich or at least comfortable well off.That assumption began to create pressure on him Expectations from Chinaza side of family became louder and more demanding.Questions started coming from her brothers." Where is the cow? "How many bags of rice will be cooked"."What about the drinks" " Have you sorted everything? The questions kept coming, one after the other, as though no one cared to know what Chukwuma was already passing through.He was trying to keep his father alive,trying to meet the hospital expenses, and still being pushed to provide more and more for the wedding.At a point the burden became too much.Chukwuma began to think seriously about calling off the wedding entirely.But just when his heart was becoming tired and his mind was leaning towards giving up,his pastor stepped in and counselled him.The pastor encouraged him to be patient, to remain calm,and to trust that things would settle eventually.Chukwuma listened.Even though his spirit was troubled,he held on to his pastor's words and continued with the process.Then the day Chinaza visited him at his residence.Then Chukwuma's father had already been discharged from the hospital.But peace did not return with his father's recovery.The visit that should brought closeness instead opened the door of another serious qureel.Chinaza began questioning Chukwuma again, and her questions quickly turned into sharp words,What started as conversation became an agreement,and the argument grew hotter by the minutes. Chinaza, already angry and deeply proud of her background,lost control of her temper.In the heat of the moment,she pulled off her shoe and struck Chukwuma on the head breaking it open.Blood began to flow,and Chukwuma stood there stunned,looking at the pool of blood with disbelief and anger.He could believe that the woman he about to marry had done such a thing to him.The moment pushed him to the edge once again.He wanted to cancel the marriage immediately,he felt humiliated,wounded, and deeply disrespected.But once more,the pastor intervened.The man of God urged him not to make a hasty decision.He insisted that everything would eventually be fine,and the marriage should still go on.So Chukwuma carrying a broken head and trouble heart went ahead and marry Chinaza at the alter.The wedding was completed but the joy that should filled the day was missing,even after the ceremony,misunderstanding continued.The atmosphere around them remained tensed.Then came yet another issue,this time from Chinaza senior brother Eze, who wanted to know where the drinks were.It was another reminder that the marriage was entered with pressure,demands, and unresolved tension already hanging in the air