**Chapter 2: The First Night**
The room was quiet, too quiet. Amina sat on the edge of the enormous bed, her hands folded tightly in her lap. The silk sheets beneath her felt foreign, cold, and unwelcoming. She hated everything about this place the opulence, the silence, the weight of her new reality.
The knock came softly at first, then louder. Amina froze. She didn't need to ask who it was.
The door opened, and there he was—Obinna, wearing a crisp white shirt, his presence filling the room. He closed the door behind him, the click of the lock sending a shiver down her spine.
"You didn't come down for dinner," he said. His voice was calm, but there was something beneath it—a quiet warning.
"I wasn't hungry," Amina replied, keeping her eyes on the floor.
Obinna stepped closer, his shoes clicking against the marble floor. "You'll need to adjust, Amina. This is your home now. And I… am your husband."
She flinched at the word. Husband. The man standing before her didn't feel like one. He felt like a stranger, a captor.
Obinna tilted her chin up with his hand, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You're beautiful," he said, his eyes roaming over her face. "But beauty alone isn't enough. I expect obedience. Respect."
Amina pulled back, her heart racing. "I didn't choose this," she said, her voice trembling but defiant.
Obinna's jaw tightened. "Your father made the choice for you. And now you're mine. You'll do as I say."
He reached for her, his hand brushing her arm. Amina recoiled instinctively, her body stiffening.
"I'm tired," she said quickly, her voice shaking. "Please. I need time to… adjust."
Obinna stared at her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, she thought he might leave. But instead, he leaned closer, his voice low and firm. "You don't get to dictate the terms here. You're in my house, in my bed. You'll learn."
Amina's chest tightened, but she refused to cry. Not here. Not in front of him.
Obinna straightened, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer before he stepped back. "You'll come to understand your place soon enough," he said coldly, turning and walking toward the door.
When the door closed behind him, Amina released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She crawled under the covers, pulling them tightly around her as tears streamed silently down her face.
Somewhere in the dark, her phone buzzed. She grabbed it quickly, her heart leaping when she saw Kofi's name.
His message was short, but it broke her heart all over again:
*"I'll find you. I'll fix this. Just hold on."*
Amina clutched the phone to her chest, Kofi's words the only comfort she had in a world that had turned against her.