CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR.
Shannelle was still shaken by all that was going on. First, her brother had arranged for her to be married to one of the most eligible bachelors in the country and second, she had reconciled with Adele, her brother’s wife. She was elated and her reconciliation with Adele made her feel like a heavy weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.
She went over to her parents house to announce the news of her marriage but when she got there, her father wasn’t at home, so she had to tell just her mother. Before leaving the mansion that morning, she had spoken about it with Jamal and he had instructed her not to tell their parents the name of the man or disclose any information about him.
He said so because he knew his parents would get furious and come to confront him. He wanted to tell them himself.
“Shannelle, I am very disappointed in you for deciding to live with your brother. You are supposed to be living here with your father and I!” Aliya scolded and Shannelle closed her eyes and exhaled heavily.
“Mother, don’t you think all that is happening is too much for me as well? I mean, we are well off, I’m working, I’m earning my own money and my brother still gives me a lot of money, but you all have forbidden me from moving out and going to live on my own. I am bound to live with either Jamal or you both. Are you trying to tell me that I still have no right to choose between you too whom I want to live with?” Shannelle asked, annoyed.
“It’s not about your right, Shannelle. Of course you do have the right to choose.”
“Then what is the problem? Why are you so upset about the fact that I chose to live with my brother?” Shannelle asked, totally confused.
She wanted to know why her mother was so against living at the mansion.
“Because you living there doesn’t make him understand that we do not want him to be with Adele. Remember the goal is to kick Adele out of that house. She doesn’t belong there.” Aliya was still bitter about Adele’s return into Jamal’s life.
Shannelle shook her head and looked up at her mother. That was when she realised that her mother truly had no idea how much Jamal loved his wife, Adele. Nothing could stop him from loving her and anyone trying to tear them apart was wasting their precious time.
She wanted to tell her mother about her reconciliation with Adele, but she thought of the drama and tantrums her mother would throw when she heard such a thing, so she decided to keep her mouth shut.
“Mother, please stop already. Just give up. You will never be able to separate those two. They are in love with each other. They are happy together. Let’s just let them be.”
“She has managed to pull you to her side, hasn’t she?” Aliya guessed correctly, but Shannele dared not to affirm her guess.
She just stayed quiet.
“Adele has used her charm on you, hasn’t she?” Aliya asked yet again. She was fuming in anger.
“Mother please, that’s not why I’m here. There’s something important I have to tell you.”
“What’s more important than finding ways to kick that gold digger out of my son’s house?”
“The fact that I’m getting married soon.” Shannelle calmly replied.
Aliya’s eyes shot wide open as she looked at Shannelle in shock.
“What?” She whispered in shock and Shannelle nodded.
“You heard me right mother, I’m getting married.”
“Getting married? What do you mean by getting married? You have never introduced any guy to me! You’ve never told me you’re in a serious relationship with any guy.” Aliya was confused as fuck.
“Yes, that’s true.”
“So, what’s this you’re telling about marriage?”
“It’s an arranged marriage.”
“Arranged what?” This time around, Aliya scolded as she rose to her feet. Shannelle looked up at her and pursed her lips together.
She had known that would be her mother’s reaction. Ever since the arranged marriage between Adele and Jamal which until the previous night, Shannelle had thought was orchestrated by grandma but had been all Jamal’s idea to begin with, Aliya has hated arranged marriages.
“Shannelle! What is this madness I’m hearing? Arranged marriage? Who the hell is doing that to you, my daughter?” Aliya asked aghast.
“Jamal.”
“Jamal?” Aliya asked with her eyes wide open and Shannelle nodded.
“Uh-huh.”
“And you accepted? Who is the guy by the way? What does he do? Which family does he come from?” Aliya bombarded her with questions. Shannelle just shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know.” She lied, just like her brother had instructed. “I don’t know him. He didn’t tell me the man’s name, his age, what he does or from what family he hails from. But I trust my brother. If he says he has a man for me to marry, then it’s definitely a good man.” Shannelle explained carelessly as her mother almost grew mad.
Aliya walked helter-skelter around the living room, grumbling and cursing and almost biting her nails.
She was scared.
She was extremely scared for her daughter.
She knew Jamal to be the most unpredictable man on earth. She knew he could find the best man on the planet for his sister as well as he could find the worst man.
She quickly walked over to the table where she picked up her phone and dialled her husband’s number.
“Dominick!” She called in terror the moment the call was answered on the other end. “No I’m not alright! Your son has arranged for your daughter to marry a complete stranger…. Yes! She just told me right now…. His office? … Yes! That would be great. I’ll meet you there.” She dropped the call and looked at Shannelle who was looking at with the least worry on her face.
“I’m going to meet your brother right now to end this nonsense!”
“Good luck.” Shannelle chuckled because she knew both her parents were about to engage in a lost battle.
It was either they got to that office and got shut up because they’d be extremely impressed by whom Jamal had chosen or they’d choose to be stubborn and irrational as always and refuse to accept the fact that she was old enough to get married.
“How are they one of the most powerful couples in this country?” Shannelle asked rhetorically as she made herself comfortable on the couch.
She was going to sit there and wait for them to return home with Jamal’s response.
*******************************************
“Jamal! What am I hearing about you marrying you sister off to a stranger? Do you want to give me a heart attack?” Aliya scolded as she walked over to Jamal’s office table where he was seated.
Jamal, who was busy going over some files on his table, sensed the commotion that was about to take place in his office and put the files away.
“Mother, please stop raising your voice.” Jamal pleaded as his parents approached his table.
“First, you decide to welcome that gold digger back into your life, second, you have us kicked out of the mansion because of that lowlife and now, you have arranged for your sister to marry a complete stranger? Someone she doesn’t even know?” Aliya ranted.
She was fuming in anger and Jamal could see that she was going to explode anytime soon if she didn’t calm down.
He wanted to correct all the statements she had just made. He wanted to tell her that his wife was neither gold digger, nor a lowlife, that he didn’t welcome her back into his life, but it was the way round. Adele was the one who had welcomed him back into her life and he was lucky for that. And lastly, he wanted to make her understand that he did not kick them out of the mansion, that they left on their own accord because they did want to accept and respect his wife. He also wanted to let them know that he would have kicked them out himself if he had gotten the chance, but he decided to stay quiet.
He decided to stay still and swallow the words that pierced his throat like needles and struggled to digest them even though it was hard.
“Mother.” He finally called when he was stable again. “I am not marrying off my sister to a complete stranger. His name is Reid Bradfords, my childhood friend. You know him too well because you made dinner and snacks for us everytime we had sleepovers. He’s now an established medical doctor and you know he comes from a powerful background as well. He’s not just anyone.”
“Wait, are you talking about Reid Bradfords, the last son of Coleen Bradfords? CEO of Bradfords Conglomerate?” Mr. Dominick asked, surprised.
“You got it right.” He confirmed and he saw a tiny smile spread on his father’s lips as he looked at him.
“Excellent choice. Tell me when the wedding date is set, I’ll be getting my suit ready.”
“What?” Aliya asked aghast. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Her husband was taking their son’s side. “Did you just side with him?”
“Let’s go home Aliya, I’ll explain everything to you. Come on.” Mr. Dominick urged his reluctant wife out of the office while Jamal smiled in satisfaction.
Shannelle’s first guess had been right.
Her father had been shut up because he was extremely impressed by the man her brother had chosen for her.