The Marriage Arrangement
878 Words
Snow fell gently across the streets of Toronto the morning Agnes and Alicia went to the courthouse.
The sky was pale gray.
Cold wind swept across the sidewalks as people hurried past without noticing the two women standing quietly near the entrance of the government building.
Alicia’s hands trembled inside her gloves.
“This still feels wrong,” she whispered.
Agnes adjusted her coat calmly. “Most desperate decisions do.”
Alicia looked at her uneasily.
Since Bob proposed the arrangement, sleep had become difficult. Every time she closed her eyes, guilt pressed heavily against her chest.
She loved Bob.
At least… she believed she still did.
So why did this feel like betrayal already?
Her phone buzzed inside her handbag.
Bob.
Immediately, Alicia stepped aside to answer.
“Baby?”
“How are you feeling?” Bob asked softly.
“Nervous.”
“You don’t have to be scared.”
Alicia looked toward the courthouse doors.
“I feel like we’re doing something terrible.”
Bob went silent briefly before speaking again.
“We’re surviving.”
His voice carried exhaustion.
Years of rejection had drained the confidence from him little by little. Alicia could hear it every time he spoke now.
“Once your papers are stable, we’ll end everything,” Bob continued. “Then I’ll come over and we’ll start our real life together.”
Alicia closed her eyes.
“Our real life…”
“Yes.”
She forced herself to smile though tears nearly formed in her eyes.
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
The call ended.
Alicia remained frozen for a moment.
Then she turned slowly toward Agnes, who had been watching her quietly the entire time.
“Ready?” Agnes asked.
Alicia swallowed hard.
No.
But she nodded anyway.
The ceremony lasted less than fifteen minutes.
No family.
No celebration.
No music.
Just signatures, legal documents, forced smiles, and immigration paperwork.
Yet somehow, Alicia felt heavier after it ended.
Like something invisible had changed.
Outside the courthouse, Agnes suddenly pulled Alicia close for a photograph.
“Smile,” she said.
The camera clicked.
Another picture.
Then another.
To anyone watching, they looked like newlyweds deeply in love.
And that was exactly the point.
The performance began immediately.
Restaurants.
Birthday dinners.
Social gatherings.
Vacation photos.
Public affection.
Agnes understood the assignment perfectly.
“Immigration officers watch body language,” she explained one evening while scrolling through social media. “They study everything.”
Alicia nodded nervously.
“So we must look believable.”
Agnes posted pictures constantly.
Romantic captions.
Heart emojis.
Anniversary dinners.
Matching outfits.
Slowly, even strangers began believing the relationship was genuine.
Sometimes Alicia almost believed it too.
Meanwhile in Lagos, Bob watched everything through pictures and video calls.
At first, he laughed about it.
“Mama is overacting,” he joked one night during a video call.
Alicia forced a smile.
Agnes leaned comfortably beside her on the couch.
“We must convince immigration,” Agnes replied confidently.
Bob grinned. “At this point even me don believe say na fake marriage again.”
Everybody laughed.
Except Alicia.
Because something had started changing.
Something she could not control.
Agnes had become different.
More affectionate.
More possessive.
Sometimes she touched Alicia for too long during conversations.
Sometimes her compliments felt strangely intimate.
And sometimes…
The way Agnes looked at her made Alicia uncomfortable.
One evening after returning from a party, Alicia removed her heels tiredly near the living room.
“My feet are killing me,” she complained.
Agnes sat beside her immediately.
“Let me help.”
Before Alicia could react, Agnes gently lifted her feet onto her lap.
Alicia froze.
“Mama, it’s okay”
“Relax.”
Agnes began massaging her feet slowly.
The tension in Alicia’s body weakened immediately despite herself.
“You work too hard,” Agnes murmured softly.
Their eyes met briefly.
A strange silence followed.
Alicia looked away first.
Her heartbeat suddenly felt wrong.
Too fast.
Days later, they attended another immigration interview together.
The officer asked personal questions.
“How did you meet?”
“What side of the bed does she sleep on?”
“What food does she hate?”
Agnes answered smoothly.
Confidently.
Like someone truly in love.
And Alicia noticed something terrifying.
Agnes wasn’t pretending anymore.
Not completely.
That night, heavy rain tapped against the apartment windows while Alicia stood alone in the kitchen making tea.
She heard footsteps behind her.
Agnes.
“You did well today,” Agnes said quietly.
“Thank you.”
Agnes moved closer.
Very close.
Too close.
Alicia suddenly became nervous.
“You smell nice,” Agnes whispered.
Alicia’s throat tightened.
“Mama…”
Agnes gently touched Alicia’s cheek.
The world seemed to stop.
For several seconds neither of them moved.
Then Alicia stepped backward immediately.
“We shouldn’t do this.”
Agnes looked hurt.
“Do what?”
Alicia couldn’t answer.
Because deep inside herself…
She already knew something dangerous was beginning.
And the most frightening part?
A part of her did not want it to stop.
Far away in Nigeria, Bob knelt beside his bed that same night praying desperately for another visa approval.
Believing his mother was protecting his marriage.
Not knowing she was slowly stealing it.
- Writer
