The desperate daughter-in-law

Fix this quickly

He walked into the chamber where the women were seated on the couch, sipping their wine gracefully.

“My mothers, you both sent for me,” he said with humility as he lowered his gaze from their faces.

“Daren, I heard you turned down the girl your mother brought as your bride,” Mrs Selina said bluntly, her eyes on his weary face.

He remained silent with his head bowed a little.

“Daren, you should know that I don’t take chances when it comes to my company. Your absence is making my company suffer. You have refused to move on with your life, you have refused to divorce Melisa and take a new bride,” she continued in a rather high tone.

“Grandmother, I’m..I’m,” he tried to speak.

“Hold it,” she cut in with a strong tone and he was sent into silence.

“What do you want me to do? You think I will continue to watch you play games with my company?!” She barked.

“Mother, I will..,” he tried to speak again.

“What do you have to say?” Elsa cut in as she stood up immediately.

“We’ve tolerated you enough, Daren,” she said as she walked closer to him.

“The only way you can pick up your life is by getting married again. You need a woman to clean up the mess that slut made in your life. Tomorrow, Stefany will move into the mansion to live with us,” she revealed and his brows raised.

He raised his head to her face and his brows gathered deeply with his dark round eyes staring at her mercilessly.

“I don’t care how you feel, Daren. I want the best for you,” she said in his face.

“You’ve heard your mother,” Mrs Selina’s voice cut in as soon as Elsa walked back to her seat.

“Stefany will move into the mansion and you will both get to know each other before we proceed with the wedding,” she added.

His mouth dropped open in dumbfoundment and his eyes shone widely. He tried to speak but the words became stuck. Without a word, he walked out of the room angrily.

*

“Oh, this is serious. I never knew she would take it this far,” Evan lamented from the couch where he sat, watching Daren who was playing with May and the boys.

“What are you going to do now?” Toyosi asked anxiously from where she was seated beside her husband.

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” he said with a chuckle as he raised his head to look at them.

“This is not good. They don’t even care about your feelings. They should have given you time to heal,” Evan remarked.

“I really think you should speak with Lisa. Her case is coming up in less than two weeks' time,” Toyosi informed.

“Don’t you get it? I can’t be seen around her. And besides, we have nothing to talk about,” he said bitterly.

“So, you want to marry this Stefany girl?” Evan asked.

“I’m not getting married to her!” He shot and silence fell into the room.

“I’m not. Even if I’m to remarry, at least not yet,” he said as he breathed heavily.

“Then you have to fix it, fix this quickly,” Evan advised.

“Oh, I pity Lisa a lot. The news would break her heart so badly,” Toyosi sympathized.

He kept silent and caressed May’s head as she leaned on his chest. A cloud of tears began to form in his eyes and he held them back from falling.

“She..she shouldn’t know of this. She shouldn’t know of anything happening right now. She shouldn’t even know that I’ve been in touch with May. If she asks about me, tell her I am fine and you haven’t seen me around for some time now,” he said as he gulped.

“Why?” Evan asked curiously.

He heaved a sigh and sniffed.

“Because I don’t want her to know how much I still care about her. I don’t want her to know that I still care about May. And, I don’t want her heart broken because of this marriage thing,” he said with emotions and they all kept silent, staring at his face.

“I..I need to leave now,” he said before they could speak further.

“Daren,” Evan called as he watched him drop the kid on the floor.

He pecked her forehead and stood up right. He turned to look at Evan and he couldn’t hold back the tears any longer.

“Daren,” Evan called with emotions as he saw the tears trickling down his cheek.

“Bye,” he voiced out and walked away hastily.

“Da da!,” May cried after him as he walked to the door.

“Da da!,” She called and ran to the door but he didn’t stop.

He walked out immediately and burst into tears as he hurried to his car.

*

Reaching home that night, he walked into the living room dejectedly with his jacket hung over his shoulder. The whole house was quiet and he knew everyone must have retired to their rooms. It reminded him of the days when Lisa and May were still around the house. They were the only ones keeping the living room alive with Dele who was always hovering around May.

A wry smile appeared on his lips as he reminisced about those days. A tear escaped his eye and he wiped it off quickly.

“You missed dinner,” an enchanting female voice welcomed him from the stairs.

He looked up and he became glued to his spot as he saw Stefany standing on the stairs, wearing a red net nightie.

His face pulled into a frown and he quickly recalled his mother’s words about her moving into the mansion today. He remained on his spot as he saw her walking down the stairs elegantly. No doubt, she was beautiful but he wasn’t even mesmerized by her beauty.

“Welcome home,” she spoke softly as she walked towards him with a charming smile on her long pretty face.

Without a word, he walked past her and she hurried after him.

“Daren,” she called as she followed him up the stairs.

He hurried into his room as he heard her calling behind him. As he stepped into the room, he froze for a moment with his eyes scanning around the room which had taken a new shape.

“Who did this?!” He barked as his eyes ran to the shelf where he had kept May and Melisa’s portrait but was now empty.

His rage flared up and he began to fume as he stepped further into the room with his eyes still on the shelf and walls. He heard the door open and she stepped into the room.

“Who did this?!” He pointed at the shelf which had been rearranged.

“I..I did,” she replied with a smile.

“How dare you? How dare you remove my wife and child’s..” he tried to speak but he held back the words and shut his eyes tightly.

“How dare you remove Lisa and May’s portraits from the shelf?!” He barked as he opened his eyes which were burning with rage.

“Oh, that?” She asked as she walked closer to him.

“The room needed a new form and mom asked me to take out those portraits. They don’t fit in anymore,” she said with a smile.

“They don’t what?!” He barked with his body trembling greatly.

He walked closer to her and she pulled backwards slowly as she felt hot breaths protruding from his nostrils.

“I give you the count of ten to return those portraits back in their position,” he warned in a slow sinister manner.

Her eyes bulged and she began to tremble with fear as she saw the darkness cast all over his voice and face.

“I..I.. will,” she was about to speak when Elsa and her husband ran into the room, both dressed in their nighties.

“Mom,” Stefany cried and ran over to Elsa.

“What’s going on?” Elsa asked as she hugged her tightly with her body trembling with fear.

“Daren, what’s going on?” Charles asked with his eyes on Daren who was pacing angrily around the room.

“Tell them to return my wife and child’s stuff back to this room!” He flared.

Elsa chuckled and she shook her head in disbelief as she pulled away from Stefany and walked over to him.

“Did I hear you say your wife and child?” She asked with a scoff.

“Elsa, that’s enough,” Charles cut in as he walked over to meet her.

“No, let me speak sense into his head since he lacked one,” she said with a smirk.

“Mother, I don’t care what you wanna say. Just bring back the things you took from this room!” he snapped in her face.

“Oh, I see. You want to keep on remembering your adulterous wife and that bastard child she brought to you,” she said with mockery.

“Mother!,” he flared as he shot her a death stare.

“Enough, Daren. The things will be returned back into the room. Elsa, it’s time to leave,” Charles said as he took hold of his wife.

“And don’t forget to leave with her,” Daren pointed at Stefany and she broke into sobs immediately.

“You’re sick, Daren!” Elsa flared and they both continued to exchange words while Charles tried to separate them.

Stefany couldn’t bear the sight any longer and she dashed out of the room immediately. As soon as she stepped out of the room, she bumped into Dotun and Diana who were eavesdropping at the door. She shrieked and they both pulled backwards.

“What are you both doing here? Eavesdropping?!” She exclaimed as her small eyes scanned their faces.

“Look at you, the rejected stone. You see, I warned you but you wouldn’t listen. You think Daren is ever going to consider you as a wife?” Diana asked with a scoff.

Her face pulled into a frown and she placed her arms akimbo and began to sulk.

“Oh, she was happy moving into the mansion because she thought she had found a husband. Stef, my advice to you is to go into that room, pack your bags and leave for your parents’ home.

You might get a suitable man who would come for your hand in marriage. Don’t stay here and keep longing for someone who can never be yours,” Dotun advised.

“I hate you! I hate you!,” She screamed in their faces.

Just then, the door opened and Elsa stepped out of the room with her husband behind her.

“What’s going on?” She asked as she saw the tears on Stefany’s face.

“Nothing, mother. She is just sad by the fact that Daren doesn’t want her around him,” Diana put in sadly.

“Come over here,” Elsa said to Stefany who was sobbing.

She walked over to her and she made her rest on her shoulder.

“Now, both of you, go to bed,” she ordered and they both nodded and walked away immediately.

“You will sleep in the guest room tonight. I believe by tomorrow, Daren’s heart will be calm and you will move back into the room,” she assured Stefany who nodded frantically.