Life continued beautifully on the surface, filled with dinners at expensive restaurants and weekend trips that made my friends envy me openly.
Obinna bought me jewelry often, heavy gold pieces and glittering stones that caught attention whenever I attended social gatherings.
He enjoyed showing me off publicly, holding my waist proudly and introducing me as his beautiful, obedient wife.
At night, however, he sometimes woke around midnight and stood quietly beside the bed without speaking.
I would pretend to sleep, sensing him staring downward toward the floor for long, silent minutes before lying back down carefully.
When I once asked why he stood up at that hour, he said he was praying quietly over our marriage.
I accepted that explanation because I wanted to believe I had married a spiritual and protective man.
Eight months passed without conflict, and the strange rule slowly blended into the background of our daily routine.
