Mr Darlington Ex Wife

Amara Nicholas:

On the eve of the New Year, I heard a knock on my door and walked up to it. I unlocked it and saw my mother’s maid, Agnes, smiling at me.

Agnes donned a light blue nightgown. She was light-skinned and a young lady, about my height. I was 24 years old. I was wearing a long blue nightgown too, as it was already nighttime, around 11:30 p.m. on the 31st of December.

We were waiting for the crossover celebration, and I had pulled my long blonde hair into a bun shortly after drying it after my bath in the bathroom.

“What do you want, Agnes?” I asked, looking at her face, and she smiled.

“Amara, I'm sorry to bother you, but your father sent for you downstairs,” Agnes informed me.

I sighed and replied, “But we just finished having dinner in the dining room. What does my father want to say to me again? I am not interested in the New Year celebration.”

Agnes smiled and replied, “I don’t know, but he’s downstairs with your mom, and the guests have all gone outside, preparing for the fireworks.”

“Okay. Tell my father I will be downstairs soon. Let me go and ease myself. I’m coming,” I told Agnes, and she turned and left my corridor.

I sighed and went back into my restroom to relieve myself. I came out and went downstairs to the living room of my father’s enormous white mansion.

We lived in the countryside. It could also be referred to as a village or sparsely populated area, as my father was a chief there and dealt in agricultural farm produce.

I was more like a princess at home. My mother was the center of admiration, and my people loved me because my mother taught me to be kind and helpful to those around us.

We were preparing for the crossover night into a brand new year, and I did not know how to feel about it.

I was the only child of my parents. I was still single, and my parents were not pressing me to get married.

My father was an understanding man, but a few bachelors had come to ask for my hand in marriage. Even my crush, Charles Wilfred, had come, but my father refused.

I did not know his reason, but my mother assured me that my father wanted the best for me and that he could not just give me away to any male suitor who would probably treat me badly in the future. I understood and sighed as I went downstairs to the living room.

We lived in a standard duplex house surrounded by lush gardens.

My father’s mansion was fenced, and now that the celebration was ongoing, we had many visitors, and the guest rooms were packed with my cousins and aunts.

Finally, I walked into the living room, and Agnes stepped out of the kitchen and told me, “Your dad requested that you meet him in his home office.”

“Okay,” I replied, then went to my father’s home office to see him. I suspected what he had to tell me was private so that none of our relatives would eavesdrop on our conversation.

I finally arrived in front of my father’s home office. I knocked gently and heard my father’s response in a calm voice. “Come inside.”

I quietly pushed the office door open and walked into the enormous office, which had two guest seats and a set of four blue couches.

My parents sat on a blue couch, and my father smiled and said, “Amara, come have your seat before the fireworks start. Your mother and I have something important to say to you.”

“Okay, Dad.” I walked into the office. Shortly after, I was seated on another blue couch across from my parents. My mother was clad in a red nightdress, and my dad wore a white garment and black trousers.

My dad smiled and said, “Amara, it has come to the point where your mother and I need to inform you about our arrangement. We have been keeping it from you, but now is the time to tell you our decision. Well, I am sure you’re familiar with my friend, Mr. Joshua Briggs.”

I smiled and replied, “Yes, Dad. I know Mr. Briggs. He lives in the city and visits here sometimes.”

“Good. You are married to his only son, Darlington Briggs, and you will go to the city tomorrow to live with him,” my father informed me.

“What? Dad, I don’t understand. How can I be married to your friend’s son? When? I cannot remember getting married to any man, or did I have memory loss?”

I stared at my parents in shock. How did I get married without remembering it and also without wishing to settle down and have my own home?

My father sighed, and my mother smiled at me.

“It was an arrangement I had with Mr. Briggs a long time ago. You are not yet fully married to Darlington Briggs, but you will live with him to see if you both can get along and become married as a true couple,” my father explained.

“Dad, I do not understand what you are saying. Do you mean I will visit them, or am I already married to the man you’re saying is your best friend’s son and sleep with him?” I asked my father, wanting to understand him better.

“Amara, as I said, you are married to Darlington Briggs as of now, and you should be of good behavior when you get to his house. You don’t have to worry about anything; Darlington’s father has paid all the necessary dues for your hand in marriage for his son. So you’re Darlington’s wife now. The only difference about this marriage is that Darlington didn’t come down here to marry you, nor did you wear a wedding dress to walk down the aisle with him. But you are officially Mrs. Amara Briggs, and Darlington Briggs is your husband, traditionally by our custom,” my father explained.

“Dad, I cannot marry a man that I don’t know. I cannot go to the city to be with him. Mom?” I looked at my mother’s face, wanting to hear her opinion about all these arrangements.

My mother sighed. She looked at me and said, “Calm down, Amara. It is for your good.”

“How, Mom? I cannot go to the city to live there, Dad. I do not like the bustling life of city people. I want to remain here, on this side of the country where there’s no noise and wild lifestyle,” I protested, wanting my father to change his mind about these sudden arrangements.

“Amara, I can understand your complaint, but I trust Joshua’s son to take care of you, so you’re going to the city tomorrow,” my father concluded.