Darryl tossed and turned throughout the night, his restless mind thought about the recent events around him. How to stop Tania was the only question on his mind. If he could get answers on the internet, he would definitely search for the latest website.
His mother’s words became a sound playing in his head. Tania showed her the test results. What if Tania was really pregnant? He pondered on the question, causing his heart to race in fear. If she was pregnant, he wasn’t the father of the child because, for a while now, he had not been with Tania and even when they were together, he had used protection.
In the state of dilemma, one thing he was sure about Darryl and Vanessa was the only one he was not confused about. He really wanted to be with her, and he would do everything in his power to be with her.
Vanessa. The images of her face flooded his mind, causing the storm brewing inside him to seize. Maybe Vanessa was the answer to all his questions. What if his marriage to her stops Tania’s childish game?
Tania was desperate to get married to him. If he married Vanessa, she would definitely back out and give up on him, he calculated and agreed with himself.
Darryl woke until dawn with only a purpose in mind, asking for Vanessa’s hand in marriage as soon as possible. Immediately his eyes caught the first ray of light through his curtains, he got out of bed.
It was like a dream when she heard the persistent knocking on her door. Ignoring it was her ideal plan, but the person behind the door was a stubborn person. Dragging herself out of bed, she rubbed her eyes with the back of her palm, trying to clear the sleepiness away.
Looking at the time on her phone, it was too early for a visitation. Who was there? And what does the person want? She pondered as she dragged herself to the door with cautious steps.
Defense should come first, she warned herself before she could open the door for the unknown person behind the door. She grabbed the mop stick in one hand as she moved closer to the door.
Suddenly, Darryl’s voice echoed in her ears, causing her to stop. So Darryl was the unexpected guest. She sighed in relief. Wait, what was Darryl doing at her apartment by that time of the morning? Her eyes widened as she wondered.
Slowly, the door creaked open and she peeped through the door. Her eyes moved from his face to his outfit before landing on his face again. He was wearing his signature black suit and a black shirt.
She created a tiny space for him to get inside because she was still suspicious of his unexpected visit at that hour.
“I want us to register our marriage today.” Darryl’s eyes flickered up and down her face, searching for it as he dropped the news.
Blood drained from Vanessa’s face as she heard Darryl’s words. Register their marriage today? That was not part of the agreement she had with him.
“We are supposed to take it slowly, you know. To make it look real.” Vanessa retorted, giving him a questioning look. This was the plan she had agreed to. They were supposed to make everything look natural, not to raise suspensions. Now, Darryl was asking her to get married to him today, which was never a part of the plan.
“We won’t announce the marriage to others until the right time, but we have to do it now or never.” Darryl was sure of haste to get Vanessa to the altar for more reasons than she could ever imagine.
“Today of all days? Can’t we wait until next week?” Vanessa tried to reason with him. Even if she never considered getting married, this was not the type of wedding she wanted. A wedding in a rush, away from her family and friends? It was not a good idea for her.
“Things might become worse before next week, sweetheart. I can’t risk not doing the right thing now.” Determination etched on his face as he explained his reasons.
Right thing? Their fake marriage should never be considered the right thing. She thought, but she was not ready to make such a comment.
“Are you in danger or something similar to that?” She inquired, trying to understand why he was in such haste. Just two days ago, she agreed to his plans, thinking she would have enough time to mentally prepare herself. Something was definitely wrong and Darryl was hiding it from her.
“No, I’m not in danger, but my position might be.” his shoulders felt due to the anxiety gnawing at him.
“You don’t have to worry about that. Your position is intact once the coronation ceremony is done.” Vanessa tried to calm his anxiety.
“That’s the point. The coronation ceremony came immediately after I announced my marriage.”
“So you want the coronation ceremony to happen as soon as possible?” She asked him.
“Exactly.” Relief washed over him as she understood him. The coronation was the last thing on his mind, but that was the only excuse he could use to achieve his purpose and he was relieved that his plan had worked.
“Why are you in a rush? The company has always been in your care, and you have been doing a good job with it.”
“If I don’t take the chances, someone else will take my position and do a better job,” Darryl said, sounding convinced.
Vanessa’s eyes widened in shock when she heard Darryl’s fears. Someone else would take over if he didn’t act fast. That’s impossible. His parents can’t be that brutal with him.
“That’s impossible. Your parents can’t do that to you.” She disagreed with him.
“Do you really want to see my sister take over the company?” Darryl’s eyebrows raised up as he gave her a questioning look.
“You have a sister?” She blurted out in shock. That was the last thing she had expected to hear from him.
“Yes, I do, and she is better than I could ever be.” His lips turned up.
Placing her hand on her head, her hands combed through her hair as she remained stunned by the revelation. To her, every dot had formed a shape, and she could relate to what Darryl was going through. To prove his worth to his parents, he had to get married as soon as he could.
“I have to talk to my mother about it.” Vanessa said, breaking the tension between them.
“I already informed her about it, but you can call her to confirm if I’m saying the truth or not.” Darryl said, causing Vanessa to turn pale.