The Arrogant Husband

Chapter 6

Nadia had gone to the bank the previous day and transferred the whopping sum of 1 million cash into her mother's account.

Her mother bought a small goat as a thank offering to the Gods of their land.

Nadia frowned, as she wasn't interested in this marriage. She felt uncomfortable because she didn’t know the Kingston family's children. She only knew of their powerful mansion, which was the most beautiful in their village.

Her best friend came to see her at home since Mrs. Diane didn’t go to her market space to sell that day.

It was a bright Friday morning when Daniella Bright came to Nadia’s father’s poorly looking house to see her.

"Nadia," she called, seeing Nadia sitting on a stool outside, away from her mother and the other village women who were happily killing the goat and cooking the meat for the feast.

"What are you people celebrating, Nadia, and you didn’t invite me? I heard the rumors that you're getting married tomorrow. Is that true?" Daniella asked her best friend. She felt sad that Nadia hadn’t invited her to her wedding.

"How can I get married without inviting you, Daniella? I don't want this marriage either. It's a rich woman who came to my mother's stall at the market on Monday. She gave my mother 1 million cash and told me that her son will marry me. I do not want this marriage. I don't even know who her son is or if he's some occult man in the city. Mom is just so happy and blinded by the woman's wealth that she accepted the union," Nadia sobbed as her friend comforted her.

"It's okay, Nadia. I don't think the man will be an occultist. God forbid such a thing. I believe he will be a good man. Your mother is just happy and wants the best for you. I believe this man will like you and accept you as his wife. Just have faith, and you will love him too once he's here and you set your eyes on him. It will be love at first sight," Daniella said, but Nadia shook her head.

"I don't want him. I just feel uncomfortable with everything. Why would his mother give Mom such a huge amount of money as a bribe to have me?" Nadia insisted. Daniella laughed and sat on the bench beside Nadia.

"It's because she wants your mother to know that she's serious and wants her son to marry you. I think I know that Kingston family. They're very wealthy and own many businesses. Their house here in the village is very big and impressive. You should be happy that you're getting married into such an affluent family. I wish I were in your shoes, Nadia," Daniella said, blushing, but Nadia shook her head.

"Don't wish for something you don't know about. We've heard stories of rich men using their wives for ritual purposes to remain wealthy. Why would a rich man leave all those city pretty women to marry a local uneducated woman like me? Think about it, Daniella. I don't feel right about this marriage, and my gut feeling is telling me that the man is up to no good if his mother is the one looking to bribe someone for her son. What if he's a crazy man who harasses women? You know how all these rich guys behave. Even the ones whose parents aren’t very wealthy here. Don’t you see how rudely they act? They show no respect for the women around them, even those of us who aren't up to their standard."

Daniella frowned as she heard what Nadia said. "Wait, let me search for them on my phone. My boyfriend bought this phone for me. Let me check online."

Daniella pulled out her Android phone. She was fairer in complexion than Nadia, but Nadia had an extraordinary beauty that glowed and captured the attention of others.

Some claimed that Nadia was a marine goddess due to her beauty, as she had an hourglass figure—entirely natural.

She didn't even use expensive lotions, yet Nadia's natural beauty spoke volumes. She had declined relationships, knowing that many village women didn't like her. They thought she was a witch because of how beautiful she looked, but Nadia didn't care. She derived joy from painting, drawing, and swimming, as she grew up in the village.

"Wow, take a look!" Daniella gasped as she finally found the online page of the Kingston family.

"Let me see," Nadia leaned closer to Daniella's phone to take a look at the photos.

She saw the woman who came to her mother's stall at the market on Monday, as well as the woman's three children. They had grown up.

As Nadia clicked on the first man's photo, she gasped at his attractiveness and blushed.

"Look at your blushing face! I thought you said you didn't want to marry him?" Daniella teased her friend, noticing Nadia's blush as she admired the man's photos.

"Are you sure that he's the one? What's his name? How did you find their profile online?" Nadia asked her friend, surprised.

"Well, it's easy to search for people you may know by using their name. I know the Kingston family has a company named K and G Groups. My boyfriend works for them in one of their production companies, and he said that he will be coming back next month to marry me. Their pay is also good," Daniella explained, and Nadia recalled that Daniella's boyfriend had been broke before.

But after he made connections and went to the city, he returned last month and bought many gifts for Daniella.

Nadia had thought the man would forget Daniella, but he kept his promise.

"Wow! His name is Richmond Kingston, and his younger brother, Jerry Kingston, looks like him too. Do you think he's the one who wants to marry me or is it his younger brother?" Nadia asked, now interested in knowing more about the two handsome men she was seeing.

"I don't know. Maybe when their mother comes, you'll find out. You should thank your stars and be happy that their mother wants you to marry her son. I’ve heard that some of these rich boys can be rude, so you should be lucky that you already have his mother's support; that way, the marriage will last," Daniella said, sitting beside Nadia on the bench and happily watching the excited women cooking the delicious goat meat.

Nadia sighed. "Okay, it's just tomorrow. When they arrive, I will see them. But you know that I don't have a phone. How will I reach you once I get to the city?" Nadia asked, sounding emotional as she knew there was no escaping the arrangement. Her mother had already broadcasted everywhere that Nadia was getting married.

"Here’s my number. Go and bring a book; let me write it for you," Daniella suggested. Nadia stood up to go inside when her mother walked up to meet them.

"Daniella, my beautiful angel. Have you advised my daughter to prepare herself for her marriage ceremony tomorrow?" Mrs. Diane asked Daniella, who smiled at her.

"Yes, Mama. I have spoken to Nadia and I want to give her my phone number since she will be going with her husband to the city tomorrow," Daniella said while Mrs. Diane served a plate of fried meat on the bench in front of Daniella.

"This is for you, my dear. I know that you're my daughter's good friend, and you should advise her to behave well with her husband and not be a stubborn wife. I’ve spoken to her, but she thinks they're not good people, which I strongly disagree with. The Kingston family are good people and have helped many in our village. My daughter is just lucky to have Mrs. Kingston notice her. I am so happy that Nadia will be well taken care of, and I am going to miss her."

"Don't worry, Mama. We will go and buy some new clothes and a new phone for Nadia today, so she can call you once she gets to the city," Daniella said, but Mrs. Diane agreed, "Oh, that's right. Alright then, I will look forward to seeing the phone. But don't you think it's best that she doesn't go there with any clothes so her husband can buy new ones for her?"

"No, Mama. Nadia has to buy new clothes too, so her husband will admire her, and she'll also look sweet for him," Daniella insisted, and Mrs. Diane smiled. "That's alright. Nadia is here already."

Nadia looked from her mother to Daniella and gave Daniella the paper to write her phone number.

Daniella accepted the paper and biro and jotted her number on it. "Done. Come and join me; let's eat this goat meat first. After that, we will go to the market to shop for beautiful new dresses and a new phone for you," Daniella said. But Nadia sighed and sat beside her, while they ate the meat together.

Nadia recalled her older brother advising her to accept the marriage, telling her that God had used her to liberate their family from poverty.

She wondered if that handsome man she saw online was really her husband.

What do you think?