Ever heard the phrase “May the best man win”? After watching Episodes 13 to 15 of Africa Magic’s Original, Mother of the Brides, that’s exactly the sentiment that lingers. Except here, it’s not just men at play; every woman is scheming, surviving, and strategizing for power in a world where inheritance, honour, and legacy are all defined by patriarchy.

Read more: Schemes, Secrets, and Survival Unfold When Every Woman Becomes Player in Mother of the Brides

With Erasmus (Kalu Ikeagwu) gone, the battle for his estate burns hotter than ever. Mai Sisi (Gloria Anozie-Young), the resilient matriarch, remains hell-bent on securing her late husband’s inheritance for herself and her daughters, even if the odds are mercilessly against her. Having once hidden Erasmus’ body to buy time for her plans, she now faces relentless opposition from Erasmus’ sister, Athena (Fae Olumide), who’s determined to see her behind bars until she releases the body.

Just when Mai Sisi thinks she’s several steps ahead, fate plays another hand. The young woman who was pregnant for Erasmus at the time of his accident wakes from a coma, and Athena wastes no time in finding and hiding her. The power dynamics shift again. If that pregnancy turns out to be Erasmus’ child, Athena could hold the key to everything Mai Sisi has fought to protect.

The tension explodes when Mai Sisi is arrested. Though she’s bailed out once, Athena uses her influence and wealth to have her re-arrested, driven by vengeance and control. In desperation, Ebiyara (Linda Ejiofor Suleiman) pleads with her aunt to free her mother, but Athena refuses, unless the body of Erasmus is returned. Torn between loyalty and love, Ebiyara makes a hard decision to secure her mother’s release.

For Mai Sisi, that act feels like betrayal. The body was her last hold on power, her leverage in a system that strips women of everything once a man dies. But just when it seems like all hope is lost, an unexpected call from a familiar voice changes everything, and with it, the game could shift the balance in her favour.

But she’s not the only strategist in the room. Patrick (Eliel Otote), Erasmus’s cousin, is also playing his cards. After conspiring with Ebitare (Wendy Lawal), the daughter Erasmus bore outside of his marriage, to testify against her, he introduces Adesuwa (Ego Ihenacho), Ebitare’s mother, into the Sylva-Whyte family, claiming she was a legitimate wife to Erasmus. It’s an open attack on Mai Sisi’s position, but she refuses to back down.

Adesuwa, however, isn’t exactly loyal to Patrick either. She plots with her daughter to marry quickly, seize power, and then discard Patrick when the timing is right. Her plan? Use Ebitare to sow discord among her half-sisters and extract secrets that could destroy Mai Sisi once and for all.

And yet, in the midst of all this betrayal and plotting, Mai Sisi stands firm, wounded, yes, but unbroken. She’s the legitimate wife, the woman who endured Erasmus’ infidelities, birthed his daughters, and carried the weight of the Sylva-Whyte name with dignity and grit. She’s not just fighting for inheritance; she’s fighting for recognition, for power, and for the right to exist in a society that keeps erasing women from their own stories.

So yes, may the best man win. But in Mother of the Brides, that might just be a woman.

The series continues to unfold, and fifteen episodes in, it remains a gripping testament to power, culture, and survival.

Catch episodes of Mother of the Brides on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv Channel 151) Mondays to Wednesdays at 8:30 pm and Showmax.