Mr. Darlington's Ex Wife

(Amara's POV) On the 31st of December, I was inside my bedroom on the top floor of a duplex when I heard a knock on my room door. I walked up to the door and pulled it open, then I saw Agnes, my mother's maid, smiling at me. Agnes was dressed in a long blue gown. She was light-skinned and a young lady about my size. I am also 24 years old. I was wearing a long blue nightgown as it was already night time, around 11:30 pm. I had pulled my hair into a bun shortly after drying it from taking my bath. "What do you want, Agnes?" I asked, looking at her face as she smiled back at me. "Amara, I am sorry to bother you, but your father sent for you," Agnes told me, and I sighed and muttered, "But we just finished having our dinner in the dining room. What does my father want to tell me again? I am not interested in the new year celebration." Agnes smiled faintly at me and said, "I don't know, but he's downstairs with your mom, and the guests have all gone outside, preparing for the fireworks." "Hmm, okay. Tell my father I will be downstairs soon. Let me go and relieve myself," I told Agnes, and she smiled at me and left. I sighed, went back into my room, and made my way to the restroom to relieve myself. I got out and made my way downstairs to the living room of my father's enormous mansion. We live in the outskirts of the city, precisely in the countryside. It could as well be referred to as a village or densely populated area, as my father is a chief there and into agricultural farm produce. I am more like a princess at home. I am the center of admiration, and my people love me, as my mother taught me to be kind and helpful to those around us. We were preparing for the crossover night 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 nonetheless, 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 wants the best for me and couldn't just give me to any suitor that would probably treat me less in the future. I understand and sighed, going downstairs to the living room. We live in a standard duplex house, surrounded by many trees and gardens. My father's mansion was fenced, but now the celebration was still on, we had many visitors, and the guest rooms were full with my cousins and aunt around. I finally walked into the living room, and Agnes stepped out of the kitchen and told me, "Your dad requests that you should meet him in his office." "Okay," I said, then I proceeded to go to my father's home office to see him, as 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, knocked gently, and heard my father's calm response, "Come inside." Quietly, I pushed the office door open and peeked into the enormous office, which had two guest seats and a set of four blue couches. There, my parents sat on the blue couch, and my father smiled and said, "Come, Amara, come have a seat before the fireworks start. Your mother and I have something important to say to you." "Okay, Dad." I walked into the office and shortly sat 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, which I could see because he was sitting 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. Well, I am sure that you're familiar with my 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, and I gasped, "What? 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 was staring at my parents in shock, wondering how I got married without remembering it and wishing to settle down and have my own home. My father sighed, and my mother smiled understandably at me. "Amara, it was an arrangement I had with Mr. Joshua Briggs a long time ago. You are not yet married to Darlington Briggs, but you will be going to live with him to see if you both can get along and become a married 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?" I asked my father, wanting to understand him better. "Amara, like I said, you are married to Darlington Briggs as of now, and you should behave well 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 officially Mrs. Amara Briggs now, and Darlington Briggs is your husband, traditionally by our custom," My father said to me. "What? 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 me, and said, "Calm down, Amara. It is for your own good." "How? 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, in this side of the country where there's no noise and the wildlife," I protested, wanting my father to reconsider his decision about these sudden arrangements. "Amara, I can understand your complaint, but I trust Mr. Joshua's son to take care of you. So you're traveling tomorrow," My father said.