Till Death Do Us Part

A Love Story

Jul 20, 2025

All eyes are on her and the shimmering of her long white gown that flows on the ground behind her as she walks through the crowd.

She's holding a white bouquet of roses in her hand, and murmurs trail her as she moves, some of them confused and some of them surprised.

She ignores them all. With a smile etched on her face, she continues to walk, her eyes focused solely on the man that's dressed in black and sitting in front of the hall.

She has waited for today for a long time, and now that it is here, she basks in every moment of it.

***

First there's confusion, then there's screaming, and all of a sudden—bang!

The gunshot echoes loudly around the wedding hall, and it is immediately followed by a countless number of horrified screams.

Somewhere in the chaos, a child is crying.

Glass plates and tumblers shatter. Chairs and tables are dragged and pushed in different directions as high heels and leather loafers scramble against polished tiles in a bid to escape.

The woman dressed in white falls to the ground with a loud thud.

***

At the centre of the hall, she lies still and motionless, her white wedding gown a sharp contrast to the crimson red blood that flows from the side of her head.

Her left hand still clutches the bouquet of white roses, and the metal weapon that just took her life lies on the ground beside her.

***

People flee the hall while others call frantically for help, but the groom does not move. He just stands there, frozen and broken.

Tears fall freely from his eyes, and his two hands tremble uncontrollably at his sides. His mouth remains parted in shock, the ghost of her name still dancing on his lips.

Shame, guilt, and regret tear through his body as he stares at the lifeless form of the woman who had loved him fiercely, even unto the point of her death.

***

"Damola," he whispers, grief choking his voice.

***

He walks closer to the body, and as he kneels down to close her lifeless eyelids, her thick jasmine perfume attaches itself to somewhere deep in his memory.

It becomes another piece of this terrible day that will now stay with him forever. His wedding day was meant to be the most joyful day of his life.

But now, this image of her, bloody and dead in the white wedding gown she's wearing, will haunt his dreams every night for as long as he lives.

***

And just like she had always wanted, he will never, ever forget her.

8 Hours Earlier…

Today is my wedding day, and I am just so excited! The fan above my bed spins in lazy circles, and it is completely opposite to the electric joy I can feel flowing through my veins.

After months of planning, and crying, and preparing, the day is finally here. To my surprise, I wake up without a tightness in my chest.

This morning must be the first time in weeks that waking up doesn't feel dreadful.

Everything in me is finally settled, like the way a river stills after a bad storm. I feel no nausea or heaviness in my limbs; I just feel… ready.

The long-awaited day is finally here, and I'm at peace to receive it.

They say a woman never forgets the day she gets married, and that even the smallest moments of the day have a way of embedding themselves forever into her soul.

It's still many long hours before I'm permanently joined to my husband, but as I lie here on this bed, I firmly believe that today will be a very memorable day.

If not for me, then for my husband and for everyone else who attends the ceremony.

With a small smile on my face, I drag myself out of bed to prepare for my big day. I spend the longest time in the shower, scrubbing and then scrubbing again.

I am in no hurry; after all, no wedding ceremony can begin without the presence of the bride.

Once again, I can't help but giggle with excitement at the thought of being someone's 'bride.' And not just anyone's but Korede's, the absolute love of my life.

My thoughts are about to drift away in reminiscence, but I forcefully pull them back to focus on the task at hand, which is getting myself ready for the church service and the reception after.

I brush my wig, touch up my makeup, and generously apply my perfume in all the right places.

It's a Jasmine oud scent that I bought after a lot of… research, and it has a thick scent that lingers for a very long time.

I spray it behind my ears, along the wrists, and beneath the thighs, ensuring that I cover every single inch of my body. I'll spray it again in a few hours when I have put on my white dress.

It's all a bit overkill, but I don't want to be remembered only for my words or actions today. I want everybody present to take a piece of me with them when they leave.

When I open my wardrobe, I see my wedding dress again, and I can't help the smile that takes over my face.

It has been hanging here for weeks now, and I must have tried it on a million times, staring at the mirror as I imagine myself walking down the aisle in it.

I'm not ashamed to say that I still tried it on last night to be sure that it still fits.

You might laugh at me for being so eager, but today is the only day of my life that I'll get to wear it, and so I intend to enjoy every single second.

Plus, it's a very beautiful dress, even though it was expensive and I had to pay for it all by myself.

I have had to do most of my wedding preparation alone, but I know it will all be worth it when I see the look on Korede's face as I walk toward him with my white roses in hand and a smile on my face.

Despite all my effort, my mind eventually drifts back down memory lane, way back to the first time I met my husband.

We were both still undergraduates at the time, and we were having a faculty debate or conference or something like that; I can't quite remember.

There was nothing cinematic about the way we met; in fact, it was very ordinary.

An ordinary moment that was made extraordinary by the simple way he carried his presence around the room that afternoon, greeting his friends and looking around the room until his eyes met and rested on mine.

His gaze was unwavering and intriguing, and when he came over to ask for my name, he was so calm and soft-spoken. Everything about him was unhurried, like he had no fears and all the time in the world.

Korede was unlike the other guys I had been with before, and that was what made everything about him so appealing. Some people rush into your life like storms, and they are so loud and exciting and persistent that you can't help but notice them.

But him… He was slow and steady, and he filled all the holes in my heart that I didn't even know were there.

I fell for him heavy, hard, and fast.

He was warm in all the right ways, and even though I had been in love before, his love made me feel like I had just been tolerating the rest.

He didn’t try to woo me with gifts or sweep me off my feet with excessive amounts of charm, and he did not even need to.

I was already head over heels for him after the first date.

Of course, people had their opinions, as they always do. Many of them said we were a wrong match and that we would not last forever.

They said he was too soft and too thoughtful, and that everything I was reflected the opposite of that.

In all honesty, they weren’t lying.

I knew that we were not similar at all in both traits and personality, but I was a firm believer in the 'opposites complement' narrative, and I determined that it would also apply to us, Damola and Korede.

Truthfully, doing that wasn't easy at all, and we had to endure even more storms than the people around us knew. Our school years were filled with late-night arguments and early-morning disagreements, and both of them happened way too often.

We had fights that threatened to tear us apart, and although we separated a few times, we always found our way back to each other.

Because that’s what love is, isn’t it? Never giving up. Never running away just because the road has gotten hard.

You might not realise this because we're getting married today, but our road has been very hard, and the hardest time for us was after we graduated from school.

So many things had changed by then, even the smallest, subtlest things.

Korede, for one, suddenly got so much busier; it was now like the world needed more from him, and he had less to offer me than he once did.

We tried to keep it floating, to fight till the end, but nothing was working in our favour. Eventually, Korede tried to end the relationship. I was deeply hurt, but I refused to agree.

I told him that all we needed was some time apart, a break, or space. But whatever it was, it would be temporary, and we would get back together again.

He agreed for a short while, but after that he just refused to sacrifice or compromise anymore, and so he left.

It wasn't even up to three months later when I heard that he was now with someone else. Someone told me her name, but I never paid much attention to it; I didn't see her as anything serious.

To me, she’s always just been an imposter, a shadow that's passing through his life. She could have never been my replacement.

My friends called me delusional, but I did not care. Everybody kept telling me to 'move on,' but even back then, I already knew. I knew we would end up doing life together in the end, so it was easier for me to endure.

Korede always told me that death was the only thing that could keep us from each other, and I never stopped believing him.

Even when the weeks turned to months and then to years, I held on to hope. Even when he posted pictures with her on the Internet and took her on vacations around the world. Even when their relationship became public and he proposed to her in view of the whole world to see, I still knew.

I knew our love would eventually find its way back home. And now, today, everything has come back full circle.

To everyone, it's just a wedding, but for us, we will be joined deeper in a way no one else will understand as a testament to what happens when love chooses to persevere.

After today, I will be a part of him forever, and he will never forget me again.

Pardon my melodramatic emotions, but when you've fought hard for love as much as I have, you tend to appreciate it a little more than others.

People like to romanticise the kind of love that's 'easy,' but anything that's worth keeping is always worth suffering for.

I did my own bit of suffering, and today I'll claim my prize in front of everyone for them to see.

Very soon, it will just be Korede and me forever, till death do us part. Just like he promised.

*****

Throughout the church service, there's this strange tightness in my chest that refuses to ease. I smile when I am supposed to smile, I stand when I'm supposed to stand, and I clap when the moment demands it.

However, underneath everything, something stirs inside of me like a soft, persistent throb. I think it's fear, but I don't know what exactly I am afraid of.

Is this how it always is for people on this day?

I try to ignore it, but the feeling keeps brushing up against me relentlessly. I try to remind myself that today is my day and that I should be joyful.

I mean, I'm being united with the man I love forever, so I should have no reason to fear. Yet, I can't shake off this feeling that something is about to go wrong and ruin all my plans for the day.

Korede looks beautiful today, almost angelic. He's in a crisp, black tailored suit, and he looks as carefree as ever, like today is the happiest day of his life. I wonder if he's feeling as nervous on the inside as I am.

A part of me can’t help but feel jealous at the way he smiles so freely at everybody: his colleagues, his family, and even the photographers. The same smile that he used to reserve only for me is now being shared so generously.

It bothers me, but I let it go. Just like I have let many other things go in the past. I choose to be endlessly patient, because after today, he won't belong to anybody but me again.

Fortunately for me, the church ceremony ends without any incident, and it is now time for the wedding reception.

In hindsight I feel a bit stupid because what exactly did I think would go wrong?

The hall that Korede chose for the party is in the same compound as the church, so people just move in droves towards the building after the pastor ends the service. There are way too many faces I do not recognise here, and it makes me uncomfortable.

It’s strange to me, being a stranger on a day that's all about me, but I am not perturbed. I remind myself again that soon, all the eyes will be on me and me alone.

I also remind myself that I have to quickly get Korede's gift before the reception starts.

Nobody sees me when I quietly slip away from the crowd into the guest bathroom and lock the door behind me. I hear music coming from inside the main hall, and the nervousness I thought I'd wake up with this morning fills my whole body.

My hands move with practiced grace as I take off my plain clothes and sunglasses, and I slip the silky white dress over my skin.

It fits perfectly, snagging on my body like it was made only for me. I just really hope that my husband likes it.

I spray the jasmine perfume on my neck again, then on my wrists, and with a twitchy smile, I put on the veil. After I pull out the white roses from my bag, I exit the bathroom.

When I step out into the hall, it's almost like everything pauses.

Heads begin to turn, one after the other, and they are accompanied by gasps and murmurs. I ignore the stares, the glares, and the whispers, and I just keep walking.

Through the thin veil, I can see his figure at the front of the hall, and it brings a smile to my face. My nerves are burning, and I feel my legs quiver a bit, but I do not stop.

My moment has finally come, and I must bask in it.

My heels echo louder with each step, clicking against the marble as the crowd scattered around parts slowly in front of me.

I see people rise from their chairs, while some remain frozen, staring at me as if unsure of what they are seeing.

By the time I get to the middle of the room, the volume of the music has dropped and all eyes are now on me.

Korede is on the platform where the newlyweds sit, and his hand is resting lightly on the thigh of the woman beside him as they laugh heartily about something.

She’s wearing my dress, with the same neckline, the same shimmering patterns, and the same veil that's packed behind her head.

I knew the day I followed her to the bridal store that this was the dress she would pick. It was so obvious in the way she kept 'oohing' and 'ahhing' at the dress and pointing Korede's attention to it every second.

I struggled to get a proper view of his facial features back in the chapel when I was sitting in the congregation, but he’s in full view now.

He looks much older than he did the last time we spoke, which is understandable, I guess, because that was three years ago. His cheeks are fuller too, and there's a small scar on his left cheek that I don't remember being there before.

He looks different, but he's still the same Korede. My Korede. The same one who promised me we'd grow old and grey together.

He's still the same man.

The woman beside him, the imposter who thinks she can be my replacement, turns slowly and points Korede's attention to me.

When he sees me, he stands up immediately, and he slowly descends from the platform, confusion clouding his face.

"I'm sorry, who are you? What is happening?"

I hold the flowers in my left hand, and with my right hand, I slowly lift the veil off my face.

When our eyes meet, I see recognition flicker in his eyes immediately. At first, he doesn't say anything, and he doesn’t move either.

No scream, no shout, no excitement. He doesn’t even smile. It's like... It's like he's not even happy to see me again after all these years.

My smile drops in disappointment, and I feel tears prick the back of my eyes sharply.

"Damola?" he asks, his voice laced with disbelief as he stares at me in shock. "What—what are you doing here? What are you wearing?"

"It's our wedding today, Korede," I say softly, with a smile. "Congratulations to us."

The murmurs in the hall rise significantly, but I don't turn to acknowledge the crowd. I look only at him.

Only at my Korede.

"Damola? What—are you insane? What kind of rubbish is this?" His voice is sharper now, and all the shock has vanished from his face. "How dare you crash my wedding in this manner? Have you lost your damn mind?"

He’s angry. Genuinely angry. I can tell because Korede never used to raise his voice at me. Even when we fought and I was at fault, he would say, 'Let’s talk about it calmly, Damola.' But today…

Today, he’s yelling, and it frightens me.

"Kore… Korede," I stammer. I try to project firmness, but my voice fails me. "You're—you are really going to get married without me?"

My throat tightens.

"You—you promised me, Korede! You said I was the only one. You said it was just me! How could you do this to us?"

His jaw tenses as he rubs his hand over his forehead, muttering what I'm sure are curses under his breath.

When he finally replies, his voice is flat.

"Damola, we ended a long time ago. My God! I have not seen you in years. What are you even talking about?"

"She's not better than me!" I scream, my head spinning. "Look at me, Korede! She's not better than me. She can't replace what we had; she can't!"

He stares at me with disgust or disappointment; I can't quite tell which. He looks around at the crowd like he's embarrassed, and it makes me want to groan in agony.

Why can't he just focus on me? Why can't he see that I am doing all this for him? For us.

I waited for him. I endured for him. I even bought and sprayed the expensive jasmine perfume that his new imposter loves to wear, just for him.

And yet, he still refuses to see me.

"We’re over, Damola." His voice is calm but it still pierces sharply through me. "I'm so disappointed in you for pulling a ridiculous stunt like this. Please get out of here before I get security to drag you out."

His words crack like a whip across my face, and I reel inwardly, suddenly unable to breathe.

I feel a familiar venom returning to my veins, a mixture of both spite and pain. The same pain that crept up my throat every time I saw her in those Instagram photos, basking in my place and living the life I was meant to have with him.

For years, I watched him give away my life to a stranger, a replacement, and now that I'm here, he still has the guts to reject me to my face.

"Security!" he shouts. "Please get this woman out of here."

This woman?

I turn to the crowd, and they are all staring with gaping mouths and annoyed frowns. Some of them stare at me with pity, and others with disgust. A few are even filming me on their phones.

They all judge me with their eyes, and I feel something raw and uncontainable rise slowly in my chest.

I turn back to look at Korede, and even with that frown on his face, he still looks so beautiful. He's the best man I could’ve ever had, and it breaks my heart that things have to be this way.

My eyes dart to look at the woman behind him. The imposter. She's the reason for all this, the reason he left me.

Rage explodes through me, and I reach into the slit beneath my thigh to pull out a black gun. My hand trembles slightly as I hold the heavy metal in my hand, and I point it toward her.

The gasps that erupt from the hall are immediate and deafening, and the shock is immediately followed by commotion.

Shouts of fear and panic ricochet off the walls as people jump and scatter in different directions, and I hear the sound of tables falling over and glasses breaking.

The security men also pull out their guns and point them at me, but I do not flinch.

Korede stares at me, petrified, and all his anger is gone now.

"I loved you, Korede!" My voice breaks. "I gave everything to you. And you replaced me with a stranger. With her!"

I wave the gun in her direction again, and she cowers behind him to hide.

"You told me I was your forever. You lied! You lied to me, Korede!"

Tears stream down my face, hot and relentless. From the corner of my eye, I see the guards inching closer, circling around me.

But still, I do not back down; I already know what I came here to do.

Korede takes a step forward, his hands raised.

"Damola, listen to me… Damola, I’m sorry. Please. Just put the gun down, okay?"

His voice is softer now, panicked. The same calm tone he once used to calm me down.

"You…" I continue, my vision blurry as I furiously try to blink the tears away. "You left me, Korede. You left me, and I waited for you. I waited for years."

"Please, Damola. I'm sorry. Please don’t hurt us. Put the gun down."

I almost laugh and scream at the same time.

"Hurt you!?" I repeat, incredulous. "I would never hurt you, Korede! Not then and not even now. I love you. And when I said it, I meant it. Unlike you, I never lied."

I hear a sudden shuffle to my left side, and I turn to see one of the bodyguards aiming his gun squarely at me.

"Don’t shoot her!" Korede screams at him. "Put your gun away, leave her alone! Hey, Damola, look at me, please."

I turn back to him. My arms are trembling now, and the tears fall uncontrollably.

"I wasn’t lying to you, Damola," he says, there’s a deep anguish in his eyes. "No, I meant every word I said. But that was a long time ago, okay? It’s time for you to move on."

"Move on?" I whisper, trying to make sense of the words.

Does he mean I should just pretend like we never had anything? Like we were nothing? How am I supposed to do that?

"Please, Damola… Just… Forget me, and carry on with your life."

I close my eyes for a moment, and I take in a deep breath.

"I know you have moved on, Korede, and that's what hurts me the most," I start, my voice is colder now, and I know the moment has come.

I cock the gun and raise it higher.

"We had something real, Korede, you know we did. You left me all alone, and now you want to start a new life without me in it. I'm sorry, but…"

I press the gun to the side of my head.

"I can’t let you forget me…"

"Damola, no!"

He screams, but it's too late; I have already pulled the trigger.

Before the bullet ruptures my skull and tears through my brain, the world slows down into incredibly minuscule seconds, and I have a tiny moment to reflect on the past eight hours and the last three years.

When I woke up this morning, I already knew the day would end this way. It has been my plan since the first time I saw the wedding announcement.

Tragic? Yes.

Sad? I don't think so.

You see, I love Korede; I really do.

And that's why I choose to give him this gift; this gift of carrying me with him forever.

Now he won’t be able to act like I never existed because I will be a part of him that he can’t shake away.

His new imposter will never forget me either. She will have to carry the shame of having the best day of her life ruined this way.

It’s the price she pays for usurping my place in Korede’s heart.

But regardless, Korede and I will now truly be together till death do us part.

*****

Korede kneels down to close Damola's eyelids, and he sees the pain still written clearly in the vacant look of her eyes.

As stares at her dead body, he can't hold back the tears that pour bitterly down his face. Once upon a time, he had loved this woman once; he truly had.

Now she's dead right in front of him, smelling exactly like his new wife does, and deep in his heart he knows that Damola will get her wish.

He will never, ever forget her again.