In 2008, Yejide spends a sleepless night preparing to visit her estranged husband, Akinyele, or “Akin,” for his father’s funeral. Believing that his invitation is a sign, she has sold her salon and prepares to forget the acquaintances she has made. She recalls a conversation they had early in their marriage, where she realized that she would rescue nothing from her house if it were on fire, and feels similarly about her current situation.

The narrative shifts back in time to 1985. Yejide’s stepmother and in-laws arrive to introduce her to Akin’s second wife, Funmilayo, or “Funmi,” whom he has secretly married after four years of pressure from his family to produce a child. Though everyone believes that Yejide is to blame for their childlessness, Akin hides his own infertility and impotence. He tells Yejide that the arrangement is only to appease his relentless mother, but she feels like he has betrayed his pre-marriage promise to eschew polygamy. She scolds him publicly in English, flouting hospitality conventions before her in-laws.