Summary

The narrative briefly flashes back to when Korede’s father was still alive. Ayoola began to become interested in dating, and she brought a boy to the house to meet her parents. After the visit, her father beat her with a cane and forbade her from dating. When Korede tried to protect Ayoola, he beat Korede as well. The novel then returns to the main narrative. One day, while Korede is at work, Muhtar’s wife visits him. She is furious and demands that Muhtar endorse their son’s new engagement. Muhtar does not budge on the issue. Korede tells the wife to leave, as she is technically harassing a patient. That night, Korede has a dream that Tade is dead and blames Korede for his death. The next day, Korede sneaks into Tade’s study and steals the precious gemstone from the engagement...