Late Love

Chapter two

“What would you have me do? This is our only way to have get back on our feet! Where do we start from?!” He yelled at his wife. Ever since, things have gone cold even between him and his wife as she clearly doesn't want her only daughter to be forced into anything especially not marriage as against her daughter’s wish. To make things worse, his wife would not talk to him since they both had the conversation and Mr Barnes still stood on his decision on having Ella marry Andrew. There is absolutely nothing she can do to make her husband change his mind or to help Ella out of this reality that has hit them.

The Willows family is the kind to call stinking rich plus highly influential locally and internationally. To be candid, it isn't like there is any financial or social advantage to Andrew getting married to Ella that the Willows would kill for except one thing, Mr Cole especially, wants a decent lady for his son. This passion of his was birthed from his own painful experience. He never wanted the same for his son.

His late wife, Madam Cole was from a very rich background. She was spoiled, flirty and had a wild s*x life. She was a lot to handle but Mr Cole loved her regardless of her dark side. He thought she would change and give up jumping around on men after he married her. But that was not the case! She grew wild, wilder day by day, yet he would overlook these flaws until one day she was caught in bed with Mr Cole's business associate, Dickson. This was too much for him to bear. Standing in bewilderment of what he had seen, he roared “Dickson, my wife!”. That was all he could say before he took a step backwards and collapsed on the dazzling terrazzo floor of his matrimonial room. Thankfully, his infidel wife still had a little kindness in her, she rushed him off to the hospital but never stayed with him.

Several hours later, he regained consciousness only to find out the only person with him in the hospital was his driver. It was a tough phase for him but he had to let her go because he was hurt. He called for a divorce, little did he know that in two months time after finalizing his divorce, his wife would die of a very serious sexually transmitted disease. This was as a result of her unfaithfulness in marriage. It dawned on Mr Cole to have himself tested, it was at this time he had a general check up and he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Though he was diagnosed early and he has been on medications and treatments, he lives each day with the fear of not being able to see his grandchild. He blamed himself for settling with his late wife despite know how manipulative and s*x hungry she is. “I married her because I loved her”, he would always console himself with this.

His son, Andrew doesn't have much memory of his mom, as she was not always at home to spend time with him and she died when he was just 10. Andrew bonded more with Nana Grace, the family's grand matron, she has been serving the Willows for the past twenty three years, even though she was always there for him, she could never have taken the place of his mother.

Andrew had the best education right from pre school, he graduated from Harvard university where he bagged a degree in business management. Life came easy for him, his father handed the company to him shortly after his degree and there have been no regrets. He handled the company just as his father would have handled it. Even though he was perfect in the business world, he was always on the front page of newsletters, blogs and posts for being with different ladies almost every minute, he is his mother's child after all. He has a special preference for hot thick chicks, the meaty ones. Andrew is six feet tall, broad chest, at 27, he has got a manly physique that gets ladies desire him. Gists about him didn't cease flying in the air for being with one lady or the other. It was like he had a tail on him.

Mr Cole does not want his son to continue thriving in this uncalled for act of his as he feared he wouldn't live a happy life in the future. So much more fueled up his desire to get his son married for his best suitor who happened to be his friend's daughter, Emmanuella.

Dad, you can't force me to marry a girl from God knows where! What is so special about her? Why are you insisting on her? What if I don't like her? What if she's not my type? Dad, are you even thinking about me here? Andrew questioned his father endlessly, not leaving a chance for him to answer. Finally, he was quiet after blurting out his questions, “You'll get the answers to your questions tomorrow, the Barnes will be here by 10am”

What?! You even fixed a meeting? Now I see why you made me cancel my business trip to Toronto. She had better be worth it! He stormed out of the living room.

Andrew respects and loves his father so much that he hardly opposes whatever his father says. “You know, I'm not ready for marriage. I just want to enjoy myself with the ladies around me but pops would not let me breathe!” He said to his best friend, Steph over the phone.

But he gave you the option of bringing a girl home, you didn't. What other choice did you leave him with then? Steph asked

None of those girls suit being my wife. I just want each one of them for a little period of time, nothing serious. He replied

Well, your dad's got something serious for you. Steph said mockingly.