I Marry Tunde

The journalist's camera was still flashing.

"Amara Okafor! Is it true you are marrying Tunde Bakare next month? And is it true Chidi Eze is going to be your driver at the wedding?"

I looked at Tunde. Tunde looked at me. Chiamaka was holding my hand. Adaeze was holding Chidi's hand.

I smiled. "Yes. I am marrying Tunde Bakare next month. And yes, Chidi Eze will be my driver. Not because I want to shame him. Because he asked to be my driver. He said, 'Amara, let me drive you to your wedding. Let me be the one who takes you to happiness, since I was the one who took you away from happiness.'"

The whole crowd outside the court gasped. Cameras flashed even more.

Tunde held my hand. "Amara, are you sure? Do you want Chidi to be your driver?"

I nodded. "Tunde, Chidi threw me away. But Chidi also gave me Chiamaka. And Chiamaka deserves to see his father drive his mother to happiness. That is the best revenge. Not prison. Not hate. Happiness."

That night, we went back to my office. The three women — me, Sophia, Funke — plus Mama Eze, plus Tunde, plus Chidi, plus Chiamaka and Adaeze.

We sat around a table. Tunde brought out a small box. Inside was a ring. Bigger than the last one. Gold. With a diamond.

"Amara Okafor, will you marry me? Not in a small restaurant. In Eko Hotel. In front of 500 people. In the same hotel where Chidi threw you away. Let us turn that hotel from a place of pain to a place of joy."

Chiamaka shouted, "Say yes, Mummy! Say yes!"

Adaeze shouted, "Say yes, Aunty Amara! Say yes!"

Sophia shouted, "Say yes, my sister!"

Funke shouted, "Say yes! After 7 years of pain, you deserve this!"

I looked at Chidi. Chidi was standing at the door, holding his cap, like a driver. Tears falling.

"Chidi, what do you say?" I asked.

Chidi knelt down. "Amara, I say yes. Marry Tunde. Marry the man who loves you. Marry the man who will be a father to my son. I will drive you to your wedding. I will open your car door. I will watch you walk down the aisle. And I will be happy for you. Because I threw away a queen, and a queen deserves a king."

I cried. For the first time in 5 years, I cried because of joy, not pain.

"Tunde, I will marry you. In Eko Hotel. Next month. In front of 500 people."

Tunde carried me up. He spun me around.

Chiamaka and Adaeze clapped. Sophia and Funke hugged me. Mama Eze prayed in Igbo.

But just as we were celebrating, my phone rang. It was an unknown number.

"Hello, Amara Okafor?"

"Who is this?"

A woman's voice. Cold. Familiar. Not Funke. Not Sophia. A new voice.

"Amara, my name is Bisi. I am Tunde Bakare's ex-wife. Tunde did not tell you about me, did he? Tunde was married before. To me. He threw me away, just like Chidi threw you away. And if you marry Tunde next month, I will come to your wedding and destroy it, just like Chidi destroyed yours."

She cut the call.

I looked at Tunde. Tunde's face went white.

"Tunde, who is Bisi? Were you married before?"

Tunde could not look at me. He looked at the ground.

"Amara, I... I was going to tell you. Bisi was my wife 3 years ago. She... she..."

He stopped. He could not finish.

What did Tunde hide from me? Was Tunde another Chidi? Was I about to marry another man who throws women away?