A Betrayed Kind of Love by Adesuwa O’man Nwokedi

Summary

A Betrayed Kind of Love follows the 22-year journey of Gbonjubola “Bonju” Adalemo and Alero Divine Gboye, two former high school classmates who must navigate the aftermath of a devastating teenage betrayal. After Alero is publicly humiliated by Bonju following their first sexual encounter in 1999, she carries a deep-seated resentment for two decades. When they reconnect at their 20-year high school reunion in 2019, Alero initiates a calculated revenge plot to make Bonju fall in love with her just so she can publicly reject him. However, as they become business partners in a radio station, their genuine connection resurfaces, complicated by family deaths, corporate power struggles, and the lingering ghosts of their past. Ultimately, they realize that their love is stronger than their desire for vengeance, leading to a final reconciliation and engagement.

Plot

• Exposition: In 2019, Bonju, a successful London-based investor, and Alero, a freelance interior decorator in Lagos, are both living solitary lives shaped by their brief, disastrous high school romance. They reconnect at the Malomo High Class of 1999 reunion in Epe.
• Rising Action: Bonju decides to invest $500,000 in Alero and her brother Destiny’s radio station, Tempo 92.5, as a way to get back into her life. Alero, still feeling “broken” and “destroyed,” decides to string him along to get revenge. They begin dating again, and Alero accepts his marriage proposal in Ibadan, secretly planning to dump him later.
• Climax: During a formal Adalemo family lunch, Alero humiliates Bonju and his mother, Omere, by publicly rejecting the proposal and throwing money at Omere to “repay” a twenty-year-old insult. She tells Bonju she has “barely tolerated” him and never wants to see him again.
• Falling Action: The aftermath leaves both heartbroken. Bonju’s father, Bankole, dies, sparking a corporate battle for control of the family company, Oceadrill. Alero tries to apologize, but Bonju’s mentor, Kamson, manipulates her into staying away from Bonju so he can marry Jummai Jatau to secure a critical board vote. Alero sacrifices her happiness for Bonju’s career, but Bonju eventually realizes he cannot marry for politics.
• Resolution: On their shared 39th birthday in March 2021, Bonju finds Alero at a bakery (Crust Alchemy) in the rain. They finally confess their true feelings and the reasons for their past actions. The story concludes with their engagement at Bonju’s father’s beach house in Kent, England.

Setting

• Time Period: The story alternates between 1994–1999 (high school years and the initial betrayal) and 2019–2021 (the present-day reunion and reconciliation).
• Locations:
  • Lagos, Nigeria: Locations include Ebute-Metta (Alero’s childhood home), Victoria Island (Tempo 92.5 and Oceadrill offices), Ikoyi, and Banana Island.
  • Epe, Nigeria: The site of the 20-year reunion and the wedding of classmates Bioye and Abolore.
  • London and Sandgate, Kent, England: Bonju’s townhouse and his father’s coastal retirement home.

Themes

• Betrayal and Forgiveness: The central conflict stems from Bonju’s failure to defend Alero’s reputation in school and Alero’s subsequent quest for vengeance.
• Nostalgia and Music: The entire relationship is built around 80s and 90s rock and pop music, which serves as a bridge between their past and present.
• Class and Social Status: The tension between the “spoilt rich kid” Adalemo family and Alero’s more modest background is a recurring obstacle, highlighted by Omere’s derogatory “born-troway” comments.
• Sacrifice: Alero’s willingness to let Bonju go to secure his professional future demonstrates a shift from selfish revenge to selfless love.

Characters

Major Characters

• Gbonjubola “Bonju” Adalemo: A wealthy, London-based investor and son of an oil tycoon. He is haunted by his teenage cowardice and spends the novel trying to prove his worth to Alero and his father.
• Alero Divine Gboye: A talented interior designer and radio programmer. She is driven by the trauma of her father’s death and Bonju’s betrayal, eventually learning to let go of her bitterness.
• Destiny Gboye: Alero’s half-brother and partner in the radio station. He acts as a mediator and is the primary driver behind the station’s launch.

Minor Characters

• Bankole Adalemo: Bonju’s powerful, multi-married father whose death and final will trigger the corporate climax of the book.
• Omere Adalemo: Bonju’s mother, who is fiercely protective and initially elitist/hostile toward Alero.
• Oladipo Kamson: The Adalemo family lawyer and Bonju’s mentor, who prioritizes Bonju’s career over his romantic life.
• Babawale and Busayo Adalemo: Bonju’s older brothers and rivals for the leadership of Oceadrill.
• Jummai Jatau: The daughter of an influential board member whom Bonju briefly dates for political leverage.
• Bioye Laguda: A classmate and reunion organizer who eventually marries their former teacher, Abolore.

Literary Devices

• Flashbacks: The narrative frequently uses extensive flashbacks (some lasting entire chapters) to contrast the characters’ adult lives with their formative high school experiences.
• Motif (Music): Songs by artists like Luther Vandross, Tears for Fears, and Soundgarden act as emotional cues for the characters and section headers for the chapters.
• Irony: It is situational irony that Alero’s “successful” revenge plot leaves her more miserable than before she started it.
• Symbolism:
  • The Ocean: Represents the vastness and continuity of Bonju’s love, as seen in his constant photos of the English Channel.
  • The Cupcake: A symbol of their shared history and shared birthday (March 8th), used to signal reconciliation.
• Foreshadowing: The inclusion of songs like “Last Christmas” (about giving a heart away and having it returned) foreshadows the cyclical nature of their relationship.