Victims of Betrayal by Fortune Nwaiwu

Victims of Betrayal expounds upon the possible issues that can fordo and put families in disarray. One of these issues is sharing your secrets with friends. Iheoma has a bosom friend, Ebere, to whom she reveals Lewis, a medical doctor, as one of her suitors. Since Ebere’s greatest desire is to marry, albeit without any suitors around to approach her, she then plans to snatch Lewis from Iheoma. This she does by wearing a foxy miniskirt and sleeveless dress to seduce Lewis, who immediately falls for her out of lust. Ebere then arranges a band of hoodlums to abduct Iheoma to ensure that Iheoma's wedding with Dr. Lewis does not take place. Next, Ebere moves in with Lewis during the period Iheoma is abducted. 

     Iheoma is declared missing and the Orua community gathers in order to find out the whereabouts of Iheoma. Ebere is then accused of allegedly having knowledge of Iheoma's whereabouts. Ebere denies the accusation, though she faces trials until Iheoma's corpse is brought to the gathering by her abductors. As Iheoma's spirit persuades Ebere to speak the truth, Ebere loses her consciousness and then remains lifeless.

Lucy, Iheoma's mother, is then forced to live under the debris of betrayal. She cherishes her daughter most, and cooks and keeps food for her beside her tomb. This she does on several occasions until Chile discovers Lucy’s secret. Chile is a mad girl, whose madness, as we learned at the end of the novel, was caused by Dr. Lewis when she refused to marry him. Chile eats the food; whereas Lucy is convinced her daughter has eaten them.

     Onyirinnaya then goes to liaise with Lewis about his higher education; however, Lewis gives him the cold shoulder. This attracts a ghost resembling Lucy, who then attacks Lewis. Lewis then beats up Lucy and locks her up in police custody. However, Lucy is soon released through God's intervention after she had vowed to worship God on the condition that God saves her from the oppressing power of Lewis and the police. 

     Lucy becomes sick and is taken to a medical centre, where she writes a letter to God concerning the maltreatment Lewis is giving her. Since Lucy no longer has the chance to cook, Chile smites Lewis to death because he is becoming an obstacle to her success. During Lewis' burial, as Onyirinnaya returns from the church, Iheoma's ghost appears to him, instructing him to kill Elizabeth, a sister of Ebere, who betrayed her. The reason why the ghost persuades Onyirinnaya to kill his wife is that Elizabeth will later kill him, and therefore, she warns him to eliminate Elizabeth before she can kill him. As Onyirinnaya delays executing the warning of the ghost, his wife murders him and stabs Lucy.