Chapter 1

Amara:

On the 31st of December, it was a Friday night, and I was in my room, preparing to sleep when the sound of someone knocking on my door alerted me.

I walked up to the door to find out who was there, and I pulled it open and saw Agnes, my mother's maid, standing there.

Agnes wore a blue nightgown; she was light-skinned and a young lady about my height. I am 24 years old. I wore a light blue nightgown too, as the festive season filled the air.

We were waiting for the crossover celebration to begin. I had pulled my wet hair into a bun shortly after drying it from taking my bath in my bathroom.

"What do you want, Agnes?" I asked, looking at her face, and she smiled.

"Amara, I'm sorry to disturb you, but your dad sent for you downstairs," she said.

"Why, if I may ask? We just finished having our dinner in the dining room, and I'm not interested in the New Year celebration," I replied.

Agnes smiled tightly and replied, "I don't know, but your dad is downstairs with your mom, and the guests have all gone outside, waiting for the fireworks to start."

"Ugh. Inform my father I will be downstairs soon. Let me use the washroom. I'm coming," I said firmly, and Agnes turned and left my corridor.

Sighing, I went to my washroom to relieve myself. After that, I got out and went downstairs to the living room of my father's white mansion.

I live in the countryside with my parents. My father is a chief and is involved in agricultural farm produce.

I am treated like a princess at home. My mother is the center of admiration, and my people love me, as my mother taught me to be kind and helpful to those around us.

The crossover night celebration hung heavily in the air, as we were looking forward to a brand-new year, but I don't know how to feel about it.

I am the only child of my parents. I am still single, and my parents aren't pressuring me to get married. My father is quite an understanding man, but after a few bachelors have come to ask for my hand in marriage, even my crush, Charles Wilfred, my father declined.

His reason, I do not know, but my mother assured me that my father wanted the best for me and couldn't just give me away to any male suitor who would probably treat me less in the future. I understood and sighed, going downstairs to the living room.

I live in a standard duplex house with my parents. The gardens surrounding us.

My father's mansion was fenced, and now that the celebration was ongoing, we had some visitors, and the guest rooms were occupied by my cousins and aunt around.

Finally, I walked into the living room, and Agnes stepped out of the kitchen and said, "Amara, your dad requested that you meet him in his home office."

"Alright," I replied, and went to my father's home office to see him.

I suspected what he had to tell me was private so that none of our relatives would eavesdrop on our conversation.

Finally, I arrived at the front of my father's home office. Likewise, I knocked gently and heard my father's calm response, "Come inside."

Quietly, I pushed the office door open and walked into the enormous office, which had two guest seats and also a set of four blue couches.

My parents sat on a blue couch, and my father grinned and said, "Come, Amara, have your seat before the fireworks start. Your mother and I have something important to say to you."

"Okay, Dad," I replied and walked into the office. Shortly after, I was seated on another blue couch across from my parents.

My mother was clad in a red nightdress, and my dad wore a white garment and black trousers, beneath which I could see the trousers because he was sitting on the same blue couch as my mother.

My dad smiled and said, "Amara, it has come to the point that your mother and I need to inform you about our arrangement. We have been keeping it from you, but now is the time to inform you about our decision. Well, I'm sure you're familiar with my best friend, Mr. Joshua Briggs."

I smiled and replied, "Yes, Dad. I know Mr. Briggs, who lives in the city and visits here sometimes."

"Good. Well, you are married to his only son, Darlington Briggs, and you will be going to the city tomorrow to live with him." My father informed me.

"What?" I gasped, "Dad, I don't understand. How can I be married to your friend's son? When? I cannot remember getting married to any man, or did I have a memory loss?"

I stared at my parents in shock. Like, how did I get married without remembering about it and also wishing to settle down and have my home? My father sighed, and my mother smiled understandably.

"Amara, it was an arrangement I had with Mr. Joshua Briggs a long time ago when you're a baby. You are not officially married to Darlington Briggs, but you will have to live with him to see if you both can be compatible to become a true couple," my father explained.

"Dad, I do not understand what you are saying. Do you mean, I will visit them, or I am already married to the man you're saying is your best friend's son? And doing what married couples do with him?" I asked my father, wanting to understand him better.

"Amara, like I said, you are married to Darlington Briggs, and you should be a good lady to him when you get to their house in the city. You don't have to worry about anything; Mr. Joshua has paid all the necessities for your hand in marriage for his son. So Darlington Briggs is your husband, and you are his wife now. The only difference is that Darlington didn't come down here to marry you officially, neither did you wear a wedding dress to walk down the aisle with him. But you are his wife by our traditional custom," my father emphasized.

"Dad, I cannot marry a man that I don't know. I can't go to the city to be with him. Mom?" I looked at my mother's face, wanting to hear her response about all these arrangements.

She sighed and said, "Amara, calm down. It is for your good."

"How, Mom? I cannot go to the city to live with a man I'm not familiar with, Dad. I do not like the bustling lives of city people. I want to remain here, where there's no noise and wild lifestyle," I protested and wanted my father to change his mind about these sudden arrangements.

My father sighed and said, "Amara, I can understand your complaint, but I trust Mr. Joshua's son to take good care of you, so you're going to the city tomorrow."