Mr. Darlington's Ex Wife

•Amara's POV• I stood in my bedroom and heard a knock on my door. I walked up to the door and pulled it open, then I saw Agnes, my mother's maid, smiling at me. Agnes wore a blue gown. She was light-skinned and a young lady about my size. I am a 24 years old woman. I donned a blue nightgown as it was nighttime, around 11:45 pm, on the 31st of December. I had pulled my hair into a bun shortly after drying it from taking my bath. "What do you want, Agnes?" I asked her, looking at her face as she grinned. "Amara, I'm sorry to bother you, but your father sent for you," Agnes said. "But we just finished having our dinner in the dining room. What does my father want to say to me again? I am not interested in the New Year celebration," I muttered. Agnes smiled and replied, "I don't know, but he's downstairs with your mom, and the guests have all gone outside, preparing for the fireworks." "Alright. Inform my father I will be downstairs soon. Let me go and ease myself," I replied. Agnes smiled and left my door. I sighed, went back into my bathroom, and relieve myself. I got out and made my way downstairs to the living room of my father's enormous mansion. I live in the countryside with my parents. My father is a chief there and is involved in agricultural farm produce. I am like a princess at home. The center of admiration, and my people love me, as my parents taught me to be kind and helpful to those around us. We were preparing for the transition to a brand new year, and 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 pressing for me to get married. My father is an understanding man, but many men had come to ask for my hand in marriage. Even my crush, Charles Wilfred, but my father refused. 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 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 magnificent duplex, surrounded by lush greenery. My father's mansion was highly fenced, but now the celebration was still on, we had many visitors, and the guest rooms were occupied with my cousins and aunt around. Finally, I walked into the living room, and Agnes stepped out of the kitchen and said, "Your dad requested that you should meet him in his home office." "Alright," I replied and proceeded to my father's home office to find him. I suspected what my father had to tell me was private, so that none of our relatives would eavesdrop on our conversation. Finally, I arrived at the front door of my father's home office. I gently knocked on the door and heard my father respond in a calm voice, "Come inside." Quietly, I pushed the office door open and walked into the enormous office, which had two guest seats and a set of four blue couches. My parents perched on a blue couch, and my father grinned and said, "Come over, Amara, come have a seat before the fireworks start. Your mother and I have something important to share with you." "Okay, Dad," I replied and walked into the office. Soon, I perched on another blue couch across from my parents. My mother donned a red nightdress, and my dad wore a white garment and black trousers, which I could see because he perched on the same blue couch as my mother. My dad smiled and said, "Amara, it has come to the time 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 let you know about our decision. I am sure that you're familiar with my best friend, Mr. Joshua Briggs?" My father asked me, and I smiled and replied, "Yes, Dad. I know Mr. Briggs, the one who lives in the city and visits here sometimes." "Good. 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 you. How can I be married to your best friend's son? When? I cannot remember getting married to any man or did I have a memory loss?" I stared at my parents' faces in shock, wondering how I got married without remembering it and also wishing to settle down and have my own home. My father sighed, and my mother smiled understandably. "Amara, it was an arrangement I had with Mr. Joshua a long time ago when you're a baby. You are not yet married to Darlington Briggs, but you will be going to the city to live with him, to see if you both can get along to become a couple," My father explained to me. "Dad, I do not understand what you are saying. Do you mean I will just visit them, or am I already married to the man you're saying is your best friend's son and sleep with him?" I asked my father with a firm voice, wanting to understand him better. "Amara, as I said, you are married to Darlington Briggs as of now, and you should be of good behavior when you get to their house. You don't have to worry about anything; Darlington's father had paid all the necessary dues for your hand in marriage for his son. So you're Darlington's wife. The only difference about this marriage is that Darlington didn't come down here to marry you, nor did you wear a wedding dress to walk down the aisle with him. But you are Mrs. Amara Briggs, and Darlington Briggs is your husband, traditionally by our custom," My father said. "Dad, I cannot marry a man that I don't know. I cannot go to the city to be with him. Mom?" I looked at my mother's face, wanting to hear her opinion about all these arrangements. My mother sighed, looked at my face and said, "Calm down, Amara. It is for your good." "How Mom? I cannot go to the city to live there. "Dad, I do not like the bustling life of the city people. I want to remain here, on this side of the country where there's no noise and the wild lifestyle," I protested, wanting my father to have a change of mind about these sudden arrangements. My father sighed and responded, "I can understand your complaint, Amara, but I trust Mr. Joshua's son to take care of you, so you will be going to the city tomorrow."