Yemisi, granddaughter of the cursed Feranmi Falodun, had her engagement broken off after three months when her fiancé’s spiritual adviser warned he would die if he married her. Consumed by wedding planning and morning sickness, Yemisi missed signs of his withdrawal. She initially suspected another woman but found no evidence, concluding the curse was to blame. She appealed to his family, reminding them of the child she carried, but the matriarch coldly stated they would provide for the child while ending the relationship.

Two months into Golden Boy’s UK trip, Monife cradles the phone after their daily call. Tolu mocks her, suggesting Golden Boy is cheating. When Ebun returns from exams, she takes a spliff from Tolu. Monife takes it from Ebun and admonishes her for smoking. Ebun angrily accuses Monife of ignoring her for months, only pretending to care now that Golden Boy is away. She storms out.

Feeling guilty, Monife finds Ebun in her room. Ebun reveals she is upset because her mother, Kemi, wants her to ask her estranged father for university tuition money. Monife offers to speak to Kemi on her behalf, and Ebun accepts.

Monife finds Aunty Kemi in the dining rooms and raises the issue of Ebun asking her father for money. Kemi defends her decision, saying the father is a doctor who can afford it. Monife persists, explaining how painful it is for Ebun to beg a stranger. Kemi asks what else she should do, and Monife urges her to try.

As Monife leaves, Kemi stops her to discuss Golden Boy. Noting that they have dated about a year, Kemi asks when he will propose and advises Monife to secure the relationship, even suggesting pregnancy. Monife is horrified. Kemi warns her not to take the family curse for granted.

Returning from a walk with Sango, Monife finds Golden Boy waiting at the gate. He has returned from the UK early to surprise her. Before leaving to see his family, Monife demands a gift. He presents an ankle bracelet, kneels, and fastens it around her ankle. He tells her he loves her for the first time. Monife tells him she loves him too. He then reveals he wants Monife to meet his mother.

Monife spots a black kite in the living room doorway. When her mother sees it, she panics and begins chanting. Aunty Kemi screams, sending the bird into a frenzy. Chaos erupts as Bunmi performs a ritual, Kemi shouts instructions, Ebun tries to catch it with a broom, and Sango barks. The bird knocks over a framed photograph of Monife, shattering the glass. Monife and Ebun eventually guide the bird out.

Bunmi insists the bird is a bad omen; Monife and Ebun are skeptical, but later that evening Monife realizes all the windows have bars, making it impossible for the bird to have entered naturally.

As Monife prepares to meet Golden Boy’s mother, her mother, aunt, and cousin gather in her bedroom. They discuss the possibility of a marriage proposal. Bunmi and Kemi give her a purse and jewelry. Monife chooses a mustard-yellow sundress against her mother’s advice and styles her hair in twists. Her mother and aunt approve of her appearance, and Ebun admits she looks beautiful.

Golden Boy arrives to pick up Monife. Bunmi asks what time he will bring her home; he promises 10 o’clock. At his family’s large white house, he leads Monife to the blue room and leaves to find his mother.

While he is gone, a regal woman appears—Mrs. Kenosi. She interrogates Monife about her name and Yoruba origin, reacting with disapproval. When she asks which girl Monife is visiting, Monife explains she is there with Golden Boy. Mrs. Kenosi coldly asks who she is. Golden Boy returns and introduces Monife as his girlfriend. His mother berates him for chasing random girls. Golden Boy defends Monife, declaring he loves her. Mrs. Kenosi laughs, calling them children who know nothing about love. She tells Monife to respect herself and never return.

Monife trembles with embarrassment. Golden Boy apologizes, suggesting his mother’s reaction is shock since he has never brought a girl home. Monife resolves that Mrs. Kenosi will have to accept her, and they leave.

Weeks pass. Monife and Golden Boy avoid discussing his mother, and Monife is vague with her family about the meeting. Golden Boy accompanies Monife and her family to Ebun’s graduation and afterward he tells Monife his mother wants him to meet a girl named Amara, daughter of a family friend. He insists he is only doing this to appease his mother and reassures Monife of his love. The dinner is that very night. Monife is upset but reluctantly agrees to trust him.

That night, Monife cannot sleep, worrying about the curse and Amara. The next day, while Ebun braids her hair, Monife confides her fears. Golden Boy finally calls and tells her the dinner went okay and that Amara is a nice girl. He admits he dropped Amara home after she stayed late to hang out with his sisters. Golden Boy reassures Monife he loves her, then ends the call abruptly to go out.

After Golden Boy does not call for days, Monife phones his house and Mrs. Kenosi answers, warmly inviting her to lunch at a cafe. At the cafe, Mrs. Kenosi interrogates and belittles Monife, asking what Monife brings besides her looks, which she adds are “a little dark” for her taste (164). She tells Monife that if she truly loved Golden Boy, she would let him go and allow him to focus on his future. When Mrs. Kenosi implies Monife has given herself to Golden Boy while Amara has not, Monife slams down money and storms out.

A week later, Golden Boy confronts Monife about walking out on his mother. Monife asks if he is cheating; he denies it but admits his mother arranged another lunch with Amara. He says he did not tell Monife because he knew she would overreact. Golden Boy describes Amara as a friend but insists she is not Monife. Feeling insecure, Monife insists on meeting Amara. Golden Boy reluctantly agrees.

Monife dresses to intimidate for the meeting at a restaurant. She arrives to find Golden Boy and Amara laughing together. Amara is pretty, small, and gentle, wearing a pastel-pink dress matching Golden Boy’s pale-blue shirt. She defers to Golden Boy constantly, irritating Monife. When Amara asks how they met, Monife makes a provocative joke, making Amara uncomfortable. Golden Boy explains it is just Monife’s humor.

Feeling stressed and like an outsider, Monife drinks several mojitos, leading to a tense exchange with Golden Boy about whether she has had enough. At the end of the night, Golden Boy drops Monife home first before driving off with Amara, leaving Monife hurt and half-stumbling from the car.

Monife arrives home drunk and vomits. Ebun helps her clean up. When her mother and aunt demand an explanation, Monife confesses everything—the first meeting with Mrs. Kenosi, the introduction of Amara, the lunch where Mrs. Kenosi belittled her, and meeting Amara at the restaurant. Bunmi insists it is a matter for Mama G. Monife resists, claiming she does not believe in such things. Her mother and aunt argue that if she wants to keep Golden Boy, she must address the curse. Despite her skepticism, Monife considers it.

Monife visits Mama G in her new tin hut, explaining her fear of losing Golden Boy due to his mother and the curse. Mama G provides a powder to put in drinks—both Monife’s and Golden Boy’s—and a piece of paper. Monife is instructed to write his name on the paper, pin it to a sanitary pad, and wear it during her period, as unbreakable bonds require blood. Mama G charges 70 naira. Monife, though hesitant, agrees.

Golden Boy surprises Monife with flowers for the anniversary of when they first met. He announces he is going to his village for a funeral and that Amara’s family might attend. Monife demands a toll; he gives her his watch and sketches a bird on her arm. He admits to seeing Amara again when her car broke down near his house. They argue, and Monife feels him slipping away. To make him stay longer, she offers him a malt drink. Desperate, she mixes Mama G’s powder into the drink and gives it to him. He drinks it.

While Golden Boy is at the funeral, Monife struggles to sleep, imagining him with Amara. She feels the presence of the cursed women in her family line—Feranmi, Yemisi, Yetunde, Tobi, Afoke, Fikayo, her mother, and Aunty Kemi—whispering to her in dreams. She continues taking the powder daily. She writes Golden Boy’s full name on the special paper, tracing it repeatedly until the ink takes. She folds the paper, pins it to a sanitary pad, and puts it in her bag, ready for her period. Though she feels like a witch, she is determined to keep Golden Boy and tells herself there will be time for shame later, once she is safely in his arms.