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Chapter 2: The Bride Everyone Envied
The courtyard of the Agyeman estate was alive with color — golds, reds, rich greens dancing in the sunlight. Traditional drummers pounded out rhythms of celebration. The scent of fried plantain, grilled tilapia, and spices hung in the air like a promise.
Guests whispered in admiration as they saw her.
"Ei, is that her?"
"Yes! That's the girl who caught Kwabena Agyeman. You see her skin? Flawless."
"Chale, some of us will marry love, others will marry money. She got both."
They laughed, sipping palm wine and clutching their handbags like trophies. Every girl from their town — and even nearby villages — had once dreamed of being chosen by the Agyemans. Esi was the dream fulfilled.
And yet, as the bride walked down the aisle, her face radiant, her smile elegant — her mind was nowhere near the celebration.
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Inside, Esi drifted.
She looked at the sea of guests, all clapping, all watching. Not one saw the girl inside the dress. They only saw the title: Mrs. Agyeman.
Is this what I was born for?
To wear a crown I didn't ask for?
To be praised for smiling while silent?
She caught sight of her father — chest puffed, proud. Her mother beside him, holding back tears.
And then, Kwabena.
Her husband.
Tall. Handsome. Calm.
He smiled at her with genuine kindness.
And that made it worse. If he had been cruel, it would've been easier to resist. But his kindness felt like another kind of chain — soft, but unbreakable.
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When the priest poured libation and declared them husband and wife, the crowd cheered.
"From today, she is one of the Agyemans!"
"Ei, God has blessed her ooo!"
"See how grace follows some people!"
But Esi's heart whispered a secret only she could hear:
"Grace isn't always freedom."
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Later, during the reception, while dancers twirled and elders gave long toasts, Esi sat at the high table, frozen in her own mind.
The music. The laughter. The flashing cameras. It all blurred into a noise she couldn't escape.
Tomorrow, she thought, I'll wake up in his house. As his wife. Not as Esi the girl. But Esi the gift they gave him.
Her fingers tightened around her wine glass.
She smiled. But inside, she screamed.