“I really do hope you have a reasonable explanation for what you have just done,” Darryl said angrily. Darryl watched the elevator doors close with a determined look on his face. He was pissed that Tania had interrupted him.
“Who the hell is she?” Tania’s voice came out like a whisper, she didn’t want to call her colleagues’ attention to her.
“She is my secretary, and she should not be your concern.” Darryl fired back, trying to control the storm brewing inside him.
“How is she not my concern? You practically almost kissed her in front of everyone.” Tania told him as her eyes searched his face to find out what Darryl was thinking.
“I didn’t know talking to my secretary was a crime. Tania,” Darryl said.
“What if I say it was a crime to be with that woman?” Tania pointed to his face as she asked him the question.
“The last time I checked, you don’t have the right to tell me what to do.” Darryl growled. “This should be the last time you would stop me without a reasonable explanation.”
Defeat washed over Tania as she heard Darryl’s words. How would he let all her sacrifices go down the drain? She was the one there with him when his fiance cheated on him with his best friend. She had helped him recover from the heartbreak. Now was this how he wanted to pay her back for the love she had shown him.
“I met your mother last night,” Tania confessed before Darryl could walk out on her. Tania was so desperate to have Darryl for herself that she attended the fundraiser Darryl’s mother organized for her friends and acquittance.
“Pardon?” Darryl turned like a robot immediately he heard what she had said.
“You heard right. I met your mother at last night’s fundraiser.” Tania stood firmly on her claim. ” And guess what, I told her I am carrying your child.”
The revelation hit Darryl like a heavy cloak. “Tell me you are kidding, Tania.” He had really hoped she was just trying to pull his leg.
“I told you I would do anything to keep you, Darryl. This is the height I can go to fulfill my words.” Tania’s voice came out more like a threat.
“Are you out of your damn mind?” Darryl clenched his hands as he paced around the corridor. “How could you do this? This is a mess, Tania. A big mess”
Satisfaction etched on Tania’s face as she watched Darryl pace around the corridor. She was happy that she had finally rendered him powerless. Now he didn’t have a choice other than to marry her, Tania thought in her mind.
“You will have to undo this mess, Tania. You will go back to my mother and tell her you were playing a prank on her.” Darryl told her. His gaze remained on her face as he thought of how dangerous she could be.
“In your dreams, Darryl. I will proceed with my plans and nothing you do can stop me now.” Tania warned him.
“Are you for real? How would you go as far as lying to my mother?” Darryl asked her. “You should not have involved my mother in these games of yours.”
“Your mother is the only way I can keep you. Fortunately for me, she accepted me with a big smile on her face.” Tania told him.
“Don’t feel triumphant yet, she will discard you when she realizes you are not pregnant.” Darryl replied to her.
“You can’t do shit to stop me. Instead of fighting me, start working on accepting me as your wife,” Tania said with confidence.
“You are delusional. I would never get married to you.” He said this with determination. With newfound purpose, Darryl was determined to expose all Tania’s plans.
He had never imagined Tania would go as far as meeting his mother. She even had the guts to lie to them. He must expose Tania no matter what it would take to do it.
Tania took a step closer to him, pulling him down by his tie. She glared directly into his ears for a while before moving her lips to the side of his ear. “You will forever be mine Darryl.” She whispered into his ears.
Darryl pulled out of her grip, irritation mixed with anger laced in his face. He had to fix this mess, but first thing first, he must make things straight with Tania. “I would never be yours,” he said firmly.
He walked away from her, towards the elevator. As he entered the elevator, his eyes sent daggers at Tania. Both of them engaged in a glaring competition until the elevator doors closed.
Darryl felt a whirlwind of thoughts as he saw his reflection in the elevator mirror. He thought he had made himself clear to her. He had told her he wasn’t interested in her. Why would she go as far as meeting his mother? The question kept ringing in his head.
He thought about how he was going to fix the mess. He would have to clear things up with his mother. Thinking about it now, his mother, who had been expecting him to get married, would be the happiest person on earth after learning about Tania’s pregnancy.
His hands went from his head to his face. He was frustrated and angry at the same time. As the elevator opened, his worried look vanished from his face. He didn’t want Phoebe or Vanessa to know about what had happened.
“Good morning Mr Peter,” Phoebe said as she noticed Darryl’s figure.
“Good morning Phoebe.” He replied dryly. Immediately, Phoebe noticed something was wrong. The Darryl she knew would have flirted with her but instead, he went straight to his office after giving her a brief reply.
“Darryl.” Phoebe’s voice laced with concern as she called him back.
Darryl snapped, “I don’t have time for chitchat this morning.” He told her.
Before she could voice out her reply, Vanessa’s presence interrupted her. She kept quiet because it was not a good idea to have Vanessa know she had been sleeping with her boss.
“Your coffee will get cold if you don’t take it now,” Vanessa said, after noticing the tense atmosphere in the office.
“I don’t need the coffee anymore, you can throw it out.” Darryl said dryly, before walking past Vanessa into his office. Vanessa and Phoebe exchanged a questioning look as Darryl worked out on them.