THE MARRIAGE SHE NEVER WANTED

CHAPTER ONE THE MARRIAGE SHE NEVER WANTED "Father, you cannot do this to me!" Amara stared at her father in disbelief, hoping he would change his mind. But Chief Michael Okafor remained seated, his expression serious. "I have already made my decision, Amara. You will marry Damian Adebayo." "Marry who? Father, I don't even know this man!" "You will get to know him after the wedding." Amara shook her head as tears filled her eyes. "Is marriage now a business transaction? You want me to marry a stranger because of money?" Chief Michael sighed. "You don't understand what this family is going through." "Then explain it to me!" He looked at her for a moment before speaking. "Our family owes the Adebayo family a lot of money. I borrowed it to save my business, but everything went wrong. I have tried to repay them, but I cannot." Amara's heart sank. "And their solution is for me to marry their son?" "Yes. They have agreed to cancel the debt if you marry Damian." She stared at him, struggling to believe what she had just heard. "Father, I am your daughter, not something you can exchange for money." "Watch your words, Amara!" "No, Father! You need to listen to me. I have worked hard all my life. I completed university, and even though finding a job has been difficult, I have never stopped trying. Give me time. I will find work and help you repay the money." "With what job? You have been searching since graduation. How long do you expect me to wait?" His words hurt because they were true. Since graduating from university, Amara had submitted applications to different companies, but none had given her the opportunity she needed. Her mother's death two years earlier had made everything worse. Her mother had been the person who encouraged her whenever life became difficult. Before she died, she had told Amara, "Never allow hardship to make you believe that your life is worthless. Your story is not finished." Amara had held on to those words ever since. She was only twenty-two, and although life had not been easy, she still believed she could build a better future. Now, her own father wanted to decide that future for her. "I will not marry him," she said firmly. Chief Michael stood up. "You have no choice." Amara looked at him through her tears. "Then you have already decided that your debt is more important than your daughter's happiness." She turned and hurried upstairs before he could respond. Inside her bedroom, she locked the door and sat on the bed, crying. She wished her mother were alive. Perhaps she would have understood her pain and helped her find a way out. But her mother was gone, and Amara felt completely alone. --- Across Lagos, Damian Adebayo sat in his luxurious office, reading through some business documents when his father entered. "Damian, we need to discuss your marriage." He slowly raised his head. "My marriage?" "Yes. I have spoken with Chief Okafor. His daughter will marry you." Damian dropped the documents on his desk. "And when did I agree to this?" "You don't need to agree to every decision your father makes." Damian laughed without humour. "I am twenty-nine years old. I run several companies, yet you expect me to marry a woman simply because you have arranged it?" His father sat opposite him. "The Okafor family owes us a substantial amount of money. This marriage will settle the debt and strengthen our relationship." "So you are exchanging money for a wife?" "Don't be childish." Damian stood and walked towards the window. He was handsome, wealthy, and successful, but he had little patience for people who tried to control his life. He had spent years building his business empire and had no intention of allowing anyone to dictate his personal decisions. "Have you even considered whether the girl wants this marriage?" he asked. "Her father has agreed." "That is not what I asked." His father sighed. "You will meet her tomorrow. Give her a chance before making your judgment." Damian turned around. "Fine. I will meet her. But don't expect me to fall in love with someone simply because you want me to." "I am not asking you to fall in love. I am asking you to be responsible." His father left the office. Damian returned to his desk and called his personal assistant. "Daniel, find out everything you can about Amara Okafor." "Yes, sir." "And arrange a meeting with her tomorrow." After ending the call, Damian leaned back in his chair. He had no idea what the woman looked like beyond the photograph his father had shown him. He knew nothing about her personality or what she wanted from life. But one thing was certain. He would not allow anyone to control him through this marriage. --- The following afternoon, Amara met her best friend, Teni, at a small restaurant near her house. The moment Teni saw her face, she knew something was wrong. "Amara, what happened? You look like you haven't slept." Amara stirred her drink without answering. "Talk to me," Teni insisted. "My father wants me to marry a man I have never met." Teni blinked in surprise. "What?" "He borrowed money from the man's family. Now they want me to marry their son so the debt can be cancelled." Teni shook her head. "That is unbelievable. What did you tell him?" "I refused, but he said I have no choice." "Amara, you cannot allow him to do this to you." "What am I supposed to do? My father is determined, and I don't have enough money to move out and start living on my own." Teni held her hand. "We will figure something out. You have worked too hard to allow anyone to treat you like property." Amara forced a smile. "I wish things were different." "They can still be different. Don't give up." Before Amara could respond, her phone rang. It was her father. "Where are you?" he demanded. "Outside, Father. Is something wrong?" "The Adebayo family is coming to see you this evening. Come home immediately." Amara closed her eyes. "Father, I already told you I don't want this marriage." "Your opinion will not change anything. Come home." He ended the call. Teni watched her anxiously. "They are coming today?" Amara nodded. "Then you need to tell them how you feel. Don't let fear silence you." Amara stood up, picked up her bag, and headed home. --- At six o'clock, a black luxury car drove into the Okafor residence. Amara stood beside the staircase as her father welcomed the visitors into the sitting room. Mr. and Mrs. Adebayo entered first. Behind them walked a tall, handsome man dressed in a black suit. Damian Adebayo. Amara looked at him briefly before lowering her eyes. Damian noticed her immediately. She was beautiful, but what caught his attention was the unhappy expression on her face. After the families exchanged greetings, everyone sat down. Mrs. Adebayo smiled at Amara. "You are a beautiful young woman. Your father has told us that you have completed your university education." "Thank you, ma," Amara replied politely. "We are happy that our families will soon become one." Amara's fingers tightened around each other. She wanted to tell the woman that she was not happy, but her father gave her a warning look. Chief Michael cleared his throat. "Perhaps the young people should speak privately." Damian stood up. "Amara, can we talk outside?" She followed him into the garden. For a few moments, neither spoke. Then Damian placed his hands in his pockets. "Let me be honest with you. I did not arrange this marriage." "Neither did I," Amara replied immediately. "Good. At least we understand each other." "Then why are you agreeing to it?" "Because our families have their reasons." Amara looked at him angrily. "And what about our own reasons? What about what we want?" Damian studied her face. "Are you always this difficult?" "Are you always this arrogant?" He raised an eyebrow. "You don't know anything about me." "And you don't know anything about me either. Yet you are standing here discussing my future as if I have no say in it." Damian's expression hardened. "Our marriage will happen whether you like it or not." Amara stared at him. "Listen carefully, Mr. Adebayo. I may not be wealthy, but I am not for sale. I will never love a man simply because he has money." Something changed in Damian's expression. Most people treated him with respect because of his wealth and position. Amara was the first woman in a long time who seemed completely unimpressed by him. "You have a lot of confidence for someone whose family depends on mine," he remarked. Her eyes filled with tears, but she refused to cry in front of him. "Don't use my family's problems to threaten me. I did not borrow the money, and I did not ask to be involved in this arrangement." Damian fell silent. Amara turned and walked back into the house. He watched her leave, annoyed by her words and by the fact that he could not think of an immediate response. --- Later that evening, after the Adebayo family had left, Chief Michael called Amara into the sitting room. "What was all that outside?" he demanded. "I told him the truth." "You embarrassed this family!" "Then perhaps you should have thought about my feelings before arranging my marriage." Chief Michael's face darkened. "The wedding will take place in three weeks. Everything has been arranged." Amara felt as though her heart had stopped. "Three weeks?" "Yes. Start preparing yourself." "Father, please!" But he walked away without looking back. Amara hurried to her bedroom and locked the door. She sat beside her bed and picked up her mother's photograph. "Mummy, I don't know what to do," she whispered. "I need you. I need someone to help me." Tears rolled down her cheeks. She remembered her mother's final words and wiped her face. Her story was not finished. She did not know how she would escape the marriage, but she knew she could not surrender without trying. Meanwhile, Damian stood on the balcony of his mansion, thinking about their conversation. He had never met anyone quite like Amara Okafor. She was stubborn, outspoken, and unwilling to be intimidated by his wealth. His phone rang. It was his father. "Have you spoken to her?" Mr. Adebayo asked. "Yes." "What do you think?" Damian looked out at the city lights. "She is difficult." His father chuckled. "Perhaps she is exactly the kind of woman you need." "I don't need a woman, Father. And I certainly don't need someone who thinks she can challenge me." "Remember, the wedding is in three weeks." The call ended. Damian stared at the phone before slipping it into his pocket. He had already decided that he would never allow himself to fall in love with Amara. To him, the marriage was simply an arrangement between two families. But he had no idea that the woman he was determined to control would soon turn his carefully organised world upside down. And Amara had no idea that the cold, arrogant man she hated would one day become the person who understood her better than anyone else. Their marriage would begin without love. But neither of them could predict how it would end.