Chapter 6

DARLINGTON POV:

I woke up in my bedroom to the fresh start of a brand-new day—New Year’s Day. I was excited, as I wanted to go downstairs and officially inform my parents that I had made up my mind to get married this year and settle down with Jenna Colton.

Jenna had been my love for the past five years. I met her through her elder brother, Bruce, who was my best friend in school. We studied the same business course and lived in Country Z, in the heart of the city. The Colton family was also a wealthy and well-known family there.

Jenna had a successful career as an actress and model. She was the face of many brands. I knew she had undergone surgeries to enhance her beauty, but I loved her nonetheless.

I loved Jenna very much and didn’t regret my decision to propose to her last weekend.

My father didn’t react to my post, and to make matters worse, I couldn’t seem to find him online again after the news of my engagement to Jenna went viral.

My father had purposely blocked me so he wouldn’t see me posting about Jenna again.

My dad had warned me to stop posting about Jenna. But Jenna was the woman after my heart. How could I not post about the love of my life? That would mean I was cheating on her.

I loved Jenna very much. She was like the air I breathed. I couldn’t live without her—that’s what I told her every time. I knew Jenna had been hesitant about accepting my engagement ring, but she also knew that I had always wanted us to settle down.

I had assured Jenna that she shouldn’t worry about my father and that I would speak to him about agreeing to and accepting our marriage.

Jenna had told me she wasn’t ready for marriage yet and had a lot of things to do in her modeling career unless I was willing to wait for her. But I assured her that I wouldn’t stop her from fulfilling her dreams just because she was my wife.

I had supported Jenna since we started dating, and I was still supporting her now.

I got out of bed and prepared to go downstairs to inform my father about my decision to marry Jenna.

My father detested Jenna and had warned me to stay away from her. He even told me to tell her not to visit me at our company or my office and workspace. But I couldn’t do that. I loved Jenna very much, and I meant every word I had used in confessing my feelings to her.

I went into my bathroom. My room was vast and spacious—it could contain more than three luxury beds and still have space left.

I finished bathing and saw that it was already past 9 a.m. I had woken up late because we had a crossover night celebration at home on New Year’s Eve. I had been with my family, waiting to witness the fireworks and the crossing over into a brand-new year.

I couldn’t wait to become a father soon. I knew Jenna was scared of getting pregnant, but I wanted to marry her and assure her that I would always be there for her.

I entered my closet, took out a purple shirt and black trousers, and put them on. I combed my short black hair. I liked to keep my hair smooth, so I let it grow slightly. After finishing, I applied my masculine perfume to smell fresh, like the New Year’s Day.

I wore my black slippers and exited my bedroom on the top floor of my father’s enormous mansion. We lived in a standard duplex home with eight rooms, a living room downstairs, a kitchen, and guest rooms.

My father’s mansion was massive because he had built it himself and told the constructors exactly how it should be designed.

Jenna had told me she didn’t like visiting me at my parents’ home because she knew my father disapproved of her. I planned to buy a new house to move into, just like Bruce did. But when I told my mother about my plan to buy my own home, she frowned.

Mom said it was too early for me to be living alone unless I wanted to live a wayward life. She told me that when my father married her, they lived in my grandpa’s house in the countryside before my father had money and moved to the city to get his own house.

According to my mother, I shouldn’t move out until I had a child or two. Only then could I move out of my father’s house.

This didn’t sit well with Jenna, and I promised her that I would get a house for us once we were married.

I walked downstairs into the living room, where my father was alone. He sat on the black couch, wearing a white garment as if he hadn’t taken his bath yet. He was going through a file in his hands.

I walked over to greet him. “Good morning, Father.”

"Morning, Darlington. Happy new year," Dad said. He paused what he was reading and looked at me. He took off his glasses, which were perfectly seated on the bridge of his nose, placed them in their case, and looked back at me. A warm smile crept across his face as he stared at me.

“Happy New Year, Dad. Where is Mom?” I asked.

“She’s upstairs, still in her room. You know we slept late last night,” Dad said.

“I know, Dad,” I replied, sitting across from him.

“Yes, Darlington. That reminds me. I wanted to tell you about this last night, but I decided not to rush it,” he continued.

“What is it, Dad?” I asked, looking at his face.

Dad sighed and replied, “Your wife, Amara Nicholas, is coming to the city today to start living with us.”

“What!” I exclaimed in utter disbelief.