Ashley John parked his car before his father's house, although he didn't know the purpose for his father's invite, he was less curious about it.
He lived with his father only in all his days as an infant and even after he began to attend the university. He has a very close relationship with his father unlike his mother.
Once he walked in, he was surprised to see two men sitting at the living room. The second man seated at the couch beside his father was a man who should be of the same age as his father.
"Father!" Ashley John called and his father welcomed him with a smile.
"Welcome, John. Please have your sit," his father gestured to the seat that was directly opposite his.
Ashley John strode towards the couch and sat gently.
"Good morning, sir," Ashley John greeted the man beside his father.
"Good morning, John," the man said with a smile.
"Well, John. I won't beat around the bush. You are a grown up and I hope you don't stress this matter," Mr. Ashley said.
"What's it about?" Ashley John asked.
"Well, the man beside me is Johnnie," Mr. Ashley gestured to the man beside him.
"We have been business partners for a very long time, before you were born actually," Mr. Ashley paused and swallowed.
He continued," Johnnie and I made an agreement when you were just two-years-old. The agreement was to make our first child get married to each other. As at that time, his daughter was just a month old. His daughter is now a grown up woman and she's very beautiful. I need you to keep up to this promise," Mr. Ashley said.
For an inexplicable reason, Ashley John found what his father said 'funny.'
He even smirked and said," father! Are you telling me that you arranged a marriage for me when I was two and that I must now keep to it, is that?"
"Yes, my son," Mr. Ashley responded.
"Dad, you do know that Alma Andrew was my wife?" Ashley John asked.
"Was! She's no longer one. It's even good that you divorced. And it's a good thing that eventhough one and a half year had passed after she divorced you, you are yet to get married to her. Why not consider Christine?" Mr. Ashley asked.
Ashley John could not believe that his father was speaking this way. He knew his father to be sound and as someone who thinks deeply.
Did he expect him to marry someone he had no friendship with, someone he had never met. How is that even possible?
"Father, I still love Alma," Ashley John said.
"You think you do because she has a baby for you. You can take care of her and her baby while you get married to Christine. Plus, Alma didn't love you." Mr. Ashley said with an harsh tone.
"Alma Andrew loves me as much as I love her and I planned on coming to tell you the day we fixed for our wedding ceremony one of these days. What's all these, father? I'm sorry but I can't keep to this promise," Ashley John said.
"I guess you need to take a look at my daughter before making decisions," Johnnie said and stood, he walked inside and came back with a tall beauiful lady.
She looked fresh, neat and adorable.
"Here is my daughter, Christine. She had kept herself all these years just because I told her that I've prepared her man for her when she was just a month old. She doesn't even entertain other men because she believed me strongly. " Johnnie said and Christen sat gently.
Ashley John gazed at Christen blankly. Christen blushed when Ashley John's gaze fell on her, she even lowered her head shyly.
"It's never going to happen," Ashley John said. To be blunt, he added," I don't like her "
Disapointment swept across Christine's face when Ashley John said this. This was her first time of meeting with Ashley John but she do read about him in magazines and seldomly, in blogs.
Ever since Johnnie had told her the kind of man she was bethroded to, she had gone online to search for his pictures and she really adored them. She had been crushing on him since then and hoped that someday, she would eventually meet with him.
When Johnnie told her that she will be meeting with Ashley John today, she dressed her best and even informed the best cosmetologist in the city to make up for her.
Naturally, she was beautiful but the make-up made her look extra beauiful yet Ashley John stated clearly that he didn't like her.
She felt very bad when she heard this.
