Chapter 7

• DARLINGTON:
• I sprang up from the black couch and stared at my father's face in shock.
• "Whose wife, Dad?" I asked him, wanting to be sure.
• Dad stood up too and said, "Darlington, I have told you that you cannot marry Jenna Colton. The reason I arranged a marriage for you with my best friend's daughter is because she's well-mannered and not a corrupt young woman like Jenna."
• "Dad... I cannot believe you're saying this. I am the one who wants to marry Jenna, not you! What gives you the right to decide on my life like this and impose a woman on me to marry?" I demanded.
• "That's enough, Darlington! I won't have you disrespect me in this house. You see what an elder sees from sitting down; even if you climb the tallest tree, you still cannot see it. Jenna is a corrupt woman, and she wouldn't make a good wife for you. Don't you see how artificial she looks? Do you think she will want to settle down and give you children? I'm certain she's cheating on you with her colleagues. Forget about Jenna and end whatever you're doing with her," my father said, glaring at me.
• "No, Father. I can never end things with Jenna. You know what? Call your best friend this minute and nullify the arranged marriage; I don't care. I cannot marry Amara Nicholas. I don't want to see her here, and you should tell her not to show up. I'm not interested in her," I yelled, and my father's black eyes narrowed in anger.
• "Darlington... This is a new year, and you have two options. You either accept to marry Amara Nicholas and make her your wife once she arrives, thereby making love to her and getting her pregnant to give me grandchildren, or you lose your role as the CEO of my company. I will withdraw every license you have, and you can go out of this house and start afresh. Elsewhere with Jenna, I don't care. But you will have to choose now. Which option do you want? Marry Amara and continue as the CEO, or you leave and go on with marrying Jenna elsewhere."
• Even my mother and younger sister had rushed out to the stairs and looked at my father in shock.
• "That's ridiculous, honey. Who is Amara Nicholas? And why are you just telling Darlington now about her?" My mother demanded, as she descended the stairs with my younger sister.
• My mother is a tall, black woman. She's gorgeous and has an old-fashioned style.
• She was wearing a long white nightdress, and the sound of me and my father quarreling in our living room could have woken her up from sleep.
• "Honey. Can't you speak again?" My mother yelled. She could be very disrespectful to my father sometimes, but I know he loves her dearly, and he's candid with her.
• "Ifeoma. It is a long story, but the point is that Darlington is married, and his wife will soon be here," my father repeated.
• "What!! Oh my goodness! How can my only son be married without our consent? Without us attending the wedding, even Darlington didn't know he was married and already had a wife. Honey, are you sure you're not cheating on me, and the said new wife is not one of your mistresses?" My mother queried.
• "Stop saying that, Ifeoma. You know I cannot cheat on you. Darlington is married, and his wife will soon be here. She's Chief Matthew Nicholas's only daughter, and I think you know her," My Father said, and I stood in the living room, looking from my father to my mother's face in disbelief.
• "I don't know any Amara. Yes, I know Chief Matthew and his lazy wife, Julianne, but my son will not marry their only child. Did you not see that Julianne Nicholas could only give birth to one child for her husband? She's a lazy woman and only knows how to do makeup, parading herself as a princess. I'm sure her daughter will be as lazy as her, and won't be able to produce a baby for my son. No way! I cannot have them as my in-laws," My mother refused, with a strict look on her beautiful face.
• My younger sister, Samara, stood speechless in a yellow nightgown, as she still looked sleepy and stunned to hear that I was married.
• Where is that done, that I would be married off without my consent? I need to know where this is done, and I won't lose my rank as the CEO of Briggs Group, nor will I marry any Amara Nicholas.
• "That's enough, Ifeoma. You have to accept Amara as your daughter-in-law and be nice to her once she gets here. You're speaking about manners and being lazy. Did you not see Jenna Colton and how artificial she looks? Darlington cannot marry Jenna either, as she is the worst. I saw Amara the last time I visited my father in the countryside. She is a decent girl who is very hardworking. She studies accounting, and her father says she wants to take over his company, but he wants her to marry and give him more children. Amara Nicholas will be here today, and I don't want to hear any stories about anyone of you mistreating her.
• Darlington, as I said, pay Jenna Colton off so that she can go and look for her husband elsewhere and not you, my son. I won't allow you to marry that lady, so you should do the needful and get rid of her," my father stated.
• "No, Father! I cannot cut Jenna off just like that after five years of dating her. No way. What do I tell her—that it's over between us? I cannot do that. I even proposed to Jenna last week; why didn't you tell me beforehand?" I demanded, and Father walked away towards the living room stairs to retire to his room.
• Dad paused on the stairs and replied, "I thought you two were only friends with benefits and not serious about marriage. It's too late to marry Jenna, so end whatever you've been doing with her today and get ready to welcome your wife, as she would be here before nightfall, depending on how fast her car travels to get here to our home."