Imaobong Essien (Ima)
Ima is the only child of a wealthy father and shares an unusually close bond with him, strengthened by the loss of her mother. Raised in comfort and indulgence, she has always had everything she needed and little reason to strive for more. Until now.
For the first time, Ima wants something of her own. She dreams of starting an interior décor business, not just for financial gain but as a way to step out from her father’s shadow and become her own person. Independence excites her, even as she clings to the comfort she has always known.
Ima is fully aware that her father’s proposed business partnership with Nsi is less about commerce and more about matchmaking. She ignores his subtle hints and later outright pressure to marry, refusing to be manoeuvred into a life she did not choose. She actively discourages Nsi’s advances until her father draws a hard line, threatening to cut off her allowance unless she commits to making the partnership succeed.
Caught between privilege and independence, Ima believes she can have both. She wants to be pampered and adored while still carving out a life on her own terms. To her, comfort and autonomy are not mutually exclusive, and she will always gravitate toward whatever preserves her sense of ease.