Excitement bubbled in Peter’s household as Darryl’s sister, Sophie, got back home from college. Sophie was a stark contrast to Darryl, her brother. She might have similar physical traits, but her lifestyle was different from his. Sophie was referred to as a nerd for being focused on her academic performance, while Darryl enjoyed every moment in college as he partied around because he was a trust fund child.
Mrs Peter, Darryl’s mother, bubbled in excitement as she called Darryl via phone call to share the good news about his sister’s arrival.
Darryl desired to ignore his mother’s call because of the argument that had transpired between them, but he ended up answering because she was calling nonstop, and she would never stop until he answered the phone.
“If it was left to me, I wouldn’t call you until I see your engagement photos surface online.” his mother shrieks through the phone, making him pull the phone away from his ear.
“If it was left to me, I wouldn’t invite you to my wedding.” Humor laced in his voice as he mirrored his mother’s choice of words.
Darryl could tell that his mother was serious about his marriage and he was ready to give her the show she wanted.
“Sophie is done with college, and she is back home to stay for a while.” His mother explained to him.
The news got Darryl by surprise. Sophie, his baby sister, was done with college. That sounded like good news but a part of him felt threatened.
It was no news that Sophie was the brain of the family. If she happened to join the company, she would definitely be a threat to him. He doesn’t hate his sister, he just felt a little threatened by her.
“I’m glad she is back. I will talk to her when I’m done with work.” Darryl said, ensuring his mother heard his last word well. He needed to make his mother understand that he was doing well with the company.
“She is so excited about your wedding and your coronation,” she said, trying to pass more information than she had said.
“Making two of us. I’m also excited about my wedding. I can’t wait for it to happen.” understanding his mother’s words, Darryl retorted, hoping she also got the message.
“What are you talking about?” Confusion laced in her voice as she heard the confidence in Darryl’s voice. The last time she spoke to him about marriage, it didn’t end well. How is it possible for someone who doesn’t want to marry to be happy about the marriage? It was a tangled web, and she was willing to untangle it.
“The same thing with you.” He paused. “You should start the preparation for a grand wedding party. I want my wedding to trend throughout the universe.” Sarcasm laced in his voice as he explained to her.
“I’m happy you’ve come back to your senses. If Tania wants a grand wedding, I will give it to her.” His mother said, causing anger to brew inside him.
“Tania is not the bride, and she will never be.” Darryl said, gritting his teeth.
“She is the only bride I approve of you. I wouldn’t accept anyone else. Tania will be my daughter-in-law.” She snapped over the phone.
“I don’t approve of her for myself. If you really like her, marry her yourself.” Anger flooded him as his mother acted stubborn.
“I see you are still out of your mind. If you knew you wouldn’t marry her, why did you get her pregnant knowing fully well that wedlock is a taboo in our family.” Her voice boomed louder than before.
“She is not pregnant.” Darryl said after listening to her rants. If he had known the conversation with his mother would end up like this, he wouldn’t have answered it.
“She is pregnant. She brought in the test results.” his mother blurted out.
Blood drained from his face as he heard about the test results. Tania was still on her game and, clearly, she was one step ahead of him. Now, she has a test result to prove her fake pregnancy.
What if it was not fake? What if Tania was pregnant for real? The questions gnawed at him as he placed his forefingers on the side of his head, rubbing his temple.
“I don’t know why you believe Tania and not me,” Darryl sighed.
“If I had not seen you together, I wouldn’t have believed her. But I have seen her with you a number of times. She can open your house because you trusted her with your passcode. There’s nothing hard to understand, son.” She sounded calm, unlike how she started her conversation with him.
“Did she tell you all this?” He inquired. Tania must have brainwashed his mother, he told himself.
“What does it matter?” She cut him off.
Since Darryl had started his playboy lifestyle, he had never met anyone as desperate as Tania. Tania had made it clear that she was at war with him, and he was ready to go it her in her place.
He recalled most of the time he spent with her, his conversation with her, and he remembered he had made it clear to her that he wasn’t interested in getting married to her. Why was she so hellbent on doing this to him? A whirlwind of emotion surged through him as he thought about Tania.
“I invited her over for dinner. You can join us if you want to.” his mother’s revelation took him out of his thoughts.
“You are going too far with this mother. I told you I’m not interested in Tania, I have my own woman and I will introduce her to you very soon.” Darryl tried to reason with her, but she was stubborn about it.
“I don’t want to meet anyone.” His mother snapped.
“You will have to meet her because she is your future daughter-in-law. You only asked me to get married before my coronation ceremony and I will do that for you.” He replied, his voice sounded firm.
“Say hi to Sophie.” He told his mother. Before she could reply, he ended the call from his end. The only way to beat Tania was to be a step ahead of her with her game. If she thinks she had his mother where she wants her to be, he will make sure she knows who the real game master was.
He will attend the family dinner with Vanessa whether his mother likes her or not.