The tension in the room morphed into a dull one when Vanessa walked in with a frown on her face. Expeditiously, Carolyn moved to her side with a worried look etched on her face. Ignoring Carolyn’s face, she walked straight to Darryl, who had the same worried look on his face.
“You should be cautious of the things you do and say because it affects the people around you.” Vanessa’s brow furrowed in anger as she said to Darryl.
Confusion etched on Dawson’s face as he watched the scene unveiled. He had just gotten to Darryl’s house after he got his call, ignorant of what had transpired before he arrived.
“What’s going on?” He mouthed, facing Carolyn.
Ignoring Dawson, Carolyn turned to Vanessa with a worried look. “What happened?” she asked.
“I don’t understand you. Where’s this coming from?” Darryl also voiced out his question, having the same worried look on his face.
Vanessa fumed as she heard Darryl’s words. “This is coming from someone mad at you.” She snapped.
Silence enveloped Darryl, Dawson and Carolyn as their eyebrows knocked in confusion. Carolyn suspected that Vanessa had just spoken to her mother, but she didn’t understand what exactly had provoked her to come to Darryl.
“I’m mad at you for coming into my life because, since you came, my life has been chaotic. You ripped the peace I had and replaced it with dramas.” Vanessa continued as tears welled up in her eyes.
Darryl’s jaw dropped as her revelation rendered him speechless. He didn’t know his presence had affected her deeply to this extent. His lips moved to say something, but Vanessa beat him to it.
“I’m mad that you think you can have your way with things. You think you can just kiss me and ask me to marry you without thinking about what I want.”
Understanding where all these rants came from, Dawson and Carolyn nodded their heads slowly as they listened to Vanessa’s rants.
“You don’t get it.” Darryl tried to explain, but Vanessa cut him.
“I don’t want to. All I want to say is you should find a way to resolve this because my mother already knows, and she won’t stop until she sees you and I walk down the altar.” Vanessa’s voice trembled as she said to him.
Dawson, who was a silent observer,’s eyes widened in shock as he heard Vanessa’s words. He hadn’t seen much of his mother but with what Carolyn had told him about her, he knew that Vanessa wasn’t bluffing about what she had said.
“It will be fine.” Carolyn said to Vanessa as she gently pulled her hands, dragging her away from the living room.
Darryl’s gaped and his brow drew together as he watched Vanessa’s shaken frame exit the living room. He mentally slapped himself for everything that had happened to her. He had not started his game with her, she wouldn’t be this broken.
“fuck! I messed up, Man.” Darryl said, his palm moved from his face to his head.
“I can’t deny that.” Dawson replied with a sigh as he settled down on the couch. “Why did you ask her to marry you in the first place?” Dawson inquired. Darryl had told him about the night he asked her to marry him, but Darryl didn’t mention the reason behind it.
Darryl sat down on the couch, but he felt uneasy about relaxing on it. “My mother asked me to get engaged before the coronation ceremony. If not, she won’t crown me as the CEO.” he scowled as he explained.
“Why now? She was never interested in your marital status.” Dawson studied his friend.
“Well, Tania started it. She caused all this.”
“How?” Dawson asked in confusion.
“She fucking told my mother she was pregnant.” Darryl blurted out in anger.
“What the fuck! Tania is pregnant.” Dawson screamed in shock. He couldn’t hide his surprised expression.
“Shut the fuck up and stop screaming like a pussy.” Darryl hissed. “She is not pregnant. For some fucked up reason, she lied to my mother that she was carrying my child.”
Dawson’s brow furrowed in confusion as Darryl’s explanation wasn’t clear to him. Tania was the one pretending to be pregnant. How did Vanessa come into the picture?
“I don’t feel you, man. Why not Tania? Why Vanessa? Dawson asked suspiciously. He knew Darryl had always played around, he could tell he had involved Vanessa just for the same reason.
Darryl gave his friend a side look. “Don’t you get it? I am not interested in getting married and even if I must, I would never settle down with Tania,” he spat.
“Take it easy.” gently, Dawson tapped his shoulder, trying to help him calm down.
“It is just a contract with Vanessa. Nothing less and nothing more.” Darryl said, more to himself than to Dawson.
He mocked himself as he uttered those words. Deep down inside him, a part of him knew this was more than a game or a contract, but another part was trying to convince him that it is just a game like the others.
Now that things have turned haywired, finding a solution is the next step. He wouldn’t like to hurt Vanessa, but he was not ready to give up on marriage with her. He needed the marriage more than ever. He had to maintain his position as the CEO and, most importantly, he wanted Vanessa for himself. Game or not, he really wanted her by his side, every day and every night.
“You can see she is not into you. Maybe you should find another option,” Dawson suggested.
“Vanessa is the only option I’ve got. It is either her or no one.” Darryl replied firmly.
He didn’t know how to explain his feelings to Dawson because he didn’t understand it yet, but as time went by, he would know how to go about his feelings for her.
“Why are you so adamant about her?” Dawson asked.
“She is single with no drama. The best woman for my reputation.” Darryl told his friend the best lie he could come up with.
“I really want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but it is hard to do so. I just hope this is no longer a game for you, because you are going to be far from this.” Dawson’s voice laced with concern as he warned his friend.
Darryl’s face turned to his friend as he fixed his gaze on him. “I don’t know what this is, but I know this is not a fucking game.”
Dawson could tell that Darryl was lost in love as he looked into his eyes.
“Honestly, I’m fucking confused.” Darryl said with a sigh as he lowered his head into his hands.