The Arrogant Husband

Chapter 5

Richmond sighed and phoned his second friend, Andrew Nicholas.

"Hello, Andrew."

"Hi, Richmond. Rich baby, what's up?" Andrew asked, noticing Richmond's sigh. "Can we meet up?"

"Sure. Where do you want us to meet? At your home or mine?" Andrew replied, and Richmond sighed again. "Yours, I’ll head to your place now."

"Okay, I’ll be expecting you," Andrew replied, and the call ended.

Richmond drove at full speed, and a few minutes later, he arrived at Andrew's house.

"Welcome, man! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!" Andrew greeted Richmond. They were childhood best friends.

Andrew’s new girlfriend, Martha Liam, was in the kitchen cooking.

"Hey, babe. My buddy is here to see us. Come and say hello!" Andrew called out to Martha, who was busy in the kitchen.

Martha wore a short blue skirt and a white tank top, while Andrew wore a black shirt and white trousers.

"Hi, good evening," Martha nervously greeted Richmond. It was already 8 p.m., and Richmond replied, "Well done." He didn't spare another look at Martha, but she thought, *How can one man be this gorgeous?*

Martha admired Richmond but quickly returned to the kitchen to continue cooking. While Andrew settled on the couch and asked, "What happened, man? You look so grumpy."

"Hmph," Richmond exhaled. "Can you believe my parents want me to marry by force? They've already arranged a woman for me to marry and want to seize my inheritance if I refused." Richmond said, and Andrew laughed, "What the heck, man? Is that why you're looking so annoyed?"

"Why wouldn't I be annoyed?" Richmond asked his friend.

"No, man. Are you a kid? Look at you; David called and told me earlier that he's a father, and you think you're a young boy," Andrew said as he walked to his home bar to serve some drinks.

"No. It's not that I wouldn't get married, but not to a village woman. A lady born and raised in the swamp! No way!" Richmond cursed, and Andrew gasped, "What the heck, man?! Hahaha!"

Andrew held his belly as he laughed, and Martha stepped out of the kitchen to set up their dinner.

"You're overreacting, man. Have you been to the swamp to see if that's where she's from?" he asked. "What if her family is rich in the village, just like yours?" Andrew inquired, serving his friend a drink, but Richmond shook his head.

"I don't think so. My mother said she saw her in the market, assisting her mother with selling food. They're poor and not my type. The worst part is that my dad has threatened to take away our family business and seize everything I own, saying that I must do as my mom says."

"Calm down, Richmond. This is serious," Andrew said, not expecting Richmond's parents to take such drastic steps.

"Honey, the food is ready. Should I serve your friend?" Martha asked, interrupting them.

Andrew looked at Richmond and asked, "Will you join us for dinner?"

"No. I'm not hungry. Honestly, I cannot accept the marriage, and I will make it clear to my dad tomorrow that he cannot dictate my life. I'm a grown man, not a little boy. What does he take me for?" Richmond vented, and Martha shuddered, scared of him. She couldn't believe she had admired him earlier.

"Take it easy, man. You know your pops is the most influential man here. So what are you going to do to challenge him? I am aware of how much your parents love each other, and your dad might not actually give away your inheritance. I think you should cool down and meet the woman they want you to marry first. Besides, you’re not in any serious relationship that I’m aware of, are you? The last time, you fell out with Mila. So what's stopping you from accepting the new woman?" Andrew asked, and Richmond looked at him angrily.

"Are you advising me to marry a village woman? You can't be serious, bro," Richmond stood up to leave, but Andrew replied, "If I were you, I’d turn a blind eye and accept the marriage. Being the CEO of K and G Group of Companies isn't something you should simply discard. Your father owns institutions, banks, business centers, and many more investments. He's a billionaire. Even if I do not know your family's net worth, I know that your ability to acquire that villa at 19 was because of your wealthy father. Think about it, man. Maybe turn a blind eye to your future wife. If you don't like her after the marriage, you'll have an excuse to file for divorce," Andrew advised, and Richmond calmed down.

He thought about what Andrew said and considered that accepting the village woman might not be a bad idea, but he wouldn't touch her.

"That's fine. Thanks for the idea, man," Richmond said, shaking hands with Andrew. Andrew had been helpful with good advice.

Andrew's father was a billionaire too and was in real estate management. They sold properties worth billions.

"You're welcome, Richmond. You should join us for dinner before you leave. A hungry man is an angry man," Andrew advised, standing up from the white couch in his living room since he lived alone too.

They were three best friends: Andrew, Richmond, and David.

"Fine," Richmond followed Andrew to the dining table. He noticed the way Andrew's girlfriend was ogling him, but he didn't glare at her.

He hated shallow women and thought to warn Andrew about her later.

"Come on, babe. Serve his meal too," Andrew said, and Martha happily went to the kitchen to put some delicious rice and stew on a big plate. She served it on a tray and brought it back to the dining table for Richmond.

Soon, the three of them started eating. Once Richmond was done, he rose to leave the house. "Thanks for the meal," he told Andrew, and the latter smiled. "You're welcome. Try to calm down and think about my advice."

"I will consider that. Take care," Richmond said as he got back into his car and drove off from the exquisite villa. Andrew turned to look at Martha and asked, "What's the meaning of that, babe? You're ogling at Richmond in my presence?"

"I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to gawk at him," Martha lowered her head, and Andrew sighed. Most women he dated all wanted Richmond. The man was as hot as hell and as attractive as the devil, charming even to other people's wives.

"I'll forgive you only for tonight because I know Richmond wouldn't consider you, even if you shamelessly went after him. I'll find out, and that will mark the end of our affair." Andrew angrily walked back into the house. He was unable to find a good woman like David's wife. They had been dating for seven years, and Anita hadn't cheated on David or fallen for any traps.

"Where can I find such a good woman like Anita?" Andrew pondered as he went back inside, while Martha continued begging him for forgiveness.

"I have forgiven you, but don't let that happen again," he warned, and he forgave her. They cleared the dining table together and cleaned up the kitchen.

*****

Richmond arrived home at his exquisite mansion. He parked his car in the garage, which housed about six cars, and walked toward his mansion.

"Welcome, sir," his butler, a middle-aged man, greeted him as he entered the mansion.

"Well done," Richmond replied, but Ethan Smith called him back, "Sir, should I ask the maid to serve your dinner?"

"No. I'm not hungry. I've already eaten. Good night," Richmond said, treating the middle-aged man with respect like an uncle, and went upstairs to his room on the top floor of the grand villa.

Ethan Smith was a 48-year-old man. His daughter, Avery Smith, a 20-year-old woman also worked as a maid for Richmond Kingston. She fancied him, but Richmond was stubborn and hadn't shown interest in any of the two maids. He mostly focused on his projects in his study.

Richmond's two-billion-dollar mansion was a dream house, full of art designs and beautiful portraits on the walls.

Avery Smith wore a white dress and walked out to meet her father in the living room. She asked him, "Dad, won't you help me speak to the boss on my behalf? I really like him. Please."

Since Ethan Smith had been working in the mansion, Richmond hadn't brought home any young women, which made his daughter think the young man was decent.

"Avery, I've told you to avoid Richmond. He's a dangerous man, and you're not in his league. Try to find a man who will love and accept you, not someone like the boss. Don't push your luck with him; he wouldn't hesitate to have you arrested or thrown out of here!" Mr. Ethan warned his only daughter, and Avery frowned.

She was responsible for keeping the mansion clean, and she sighed and went back to her room inside the mansion to sleep.