Prologue #8
Taking a step toward her, she looked shocked by my sudden closeness.
I kept walking, forcing her back until she was against my front door.
Lifting my hand and slamming it against the door caused her to jump and her eyes to widen.
Xylina stopped at my shoulders, so she had to tilt her head back to stare up at me with a bewildered expression.
For a second I took in the delicate curve of her face and her full, nude lips. Xylina was a beautiful girl and it sucked that her personality didn’t match.
“I’m going to say this once and make this clear so there’s no confusion going forward,” I started, keeping my voice level.
“For the next five years you might be my wife, but whatever fantasy you created in your head about how this marriage is going to go, you need to let it go. It’s clear you’re used to getting your way, but I’m not some puppet that’s gonna bow down and do whatever you say.
I don’t like the spoiled, bratty shit. You’re a grown woman.
The sooner you grow up and realize that, the easier things will be between us.
Whatever I have going on has nothing to do with you and vice versa.
I don’t know what kind of dudes you’re used to, but if you’re looking for a lapdog to follow your every command, then you can get that idea out of your head now.
Make your followers believe whatever you want but don’t expect me to feed into your bullshit to appease you or them. ”
By the look on Xylina’s face I could tell she wasn’t expecting what I told her and probably never had anyone speak to her like that. I tried not to come off disrespectful to women because my mama would have my head if she heard otherwise, but I could tell Xylina wasn’t going to make that easy.
It took her a few seconds to gather herself. Her eyes radiated different emotions before she clicked her tongue and smirked.
Stepping into me, she pressed her chest into mine. My stance stayed the same.
“Normally I wouldn’t allow anyone to speak to me like that, but it turns me on that you’re trying to put me in my place. I’m not the woman who gives up and I get my way one way or another. The harder you fight me, the more I’m going to pull.” A taunting grin transitioned onto her face.
My face went blank. I lowered my hand and took a step back.
“I’m not going to play games with you. Just because your daddy used his power to force me into this marriage doesn’t mean you have the upper hand.
If that’s what you’re looking for, set your eyes on someone else.
I’m too old and have too much on my plate to go back and forth with you. ”
Reaching behind her, I grabbed the door handle and pulled it. “Now before you interrupted, I was in the middle of something and need to get back to it.”
“You’re dismissing me?” she asked in disbelief.
Ignoring her, I opened the door, forcing her to move away from it. She opened her mouth to speak but snapped it closed. Her cheeks puffed out and she flicked her hair.
“Fine, I have other matters to attend to anyway.” Her eyes shifted behind me.
“I hope you wrap up that little situation you have going on by Saturday and have started packing as well. I decided on the house I want and we’re expected to move in bright and early Sunday morning.
” A satisfied expression formed on her face.
It was clear she thought she was in control because I allowed her to have the last word.
I didn’t plan on staying in a house another man purchased, so when she brought up the choices we had, I told her I wanted no parts and to pick what she wanted.
Her father must not be too thorough or he would have known I was in the process of remodeling a house I had purchased at the beginning of the year.
Once it was finished, that was where I planned to reside.
When she realized I had nothing else to say, she turned her nose up, spun on her heels, and stormed out the front door.
Soon as I closed the door, I rested my forehead on it and released a heavy sigh.
The next five years were going to be challenging.
I knew Xylina was going to do whatever she could to make this harder than needed.
I’d never dealt with anyone like her and was already regretting my choice to help my dad.
“You’re getting married?” Reginae asked from behind me.
I closed my eyes tighter and clenched my jaw. “You’re nosy as fuck, you know that?”
Lifting my head, I turned to face her. Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion filled me.
She grinned for a second before she frowned. “I can’t help it if you have thin walls.” She shrugged. “Now answer. You’re getting married? And to her?” Her face balled up.
Shaking my head, I started toward her to go back to my dining room. “I’m not talking about that.”
“I thought younger girls didn’t appeal to you and that’s what you go for?” Walking to my dining room table, I moved the wireless mouse to wake the laptop up.
“Trust me, they don’t,” I mumbled, getting back to work.
Reginae was persistent and I knew she wanted to ask more questions but I wasn’t discussing the marriage or trouble my dad had found himself in. For now I was going to enjoy my last few days as a free man before I was forced into my sentence.
“Good evening, beautiful.” I leaned down to hug my mom and kiss her cheek.
“Don’t good evening beautiful me.” She frowned at me. “Go over there and sit by your father.”
Oh shit.
I knew that tone. Mom wasn’t happy.
She sent a text demanding I come to her and my dad’s house immediately. My mom didn’t typically summon me, so I knew it must be something important. By the air in the room and how my dad looked irritated, I could tell this wasn’t a friendly visit.
“Why do I feel like I just walked into the principal’s office?” My brows furrowed and I looked between my parents after taking a seat.
“Because your father told me about nonsense he’s gotten you both in!”
“Honey, I told you.”
“Don’t honey me, Alonzo. Not only did you get greedy and wrapped into some bullshit, but then you dragged our son into it, forcing him to marry some rich asshole’s daughter.”
“No one forced me into anything. I chose to do this.”
Mom turned her glare to me. “Because you felt like this was the only way to save your father’s business.” Her eyes bounced between us. “You need to call it off.”
“I already told you, Zoya, a contract was signed. There is no calling it off.”
She paced back and forth in front of us before stopping and facing us again. “So that’s it? Our son has to marry some spoiled little rich girl and give his life up.”
“It’s only five years and then they can get divorced.”
I was sure my mom’s eyes were about to pop out of her head.
“Only five years? Do you hear yourself, Alonzo? We raised our son to marry for love and to honor that commitment. This is the opposite of that. We’ve always had open communication in our marriage, why didn’t you just come to me and tell me what was happening? ”
“What was I supposed to say, Zoya? That I fucked up? I trusted the wrong investments and made some bad calls, causing me to lose everything.” Frustration blared from his voice.
“I exhausted every option before it got to this point and this was the only way to wipe the slate clean and fix everything. I know backing Siah into a wall wasn’t right and I’m indebted to him.
That’s a burden I’ll have to carry for the rest of my life, but I did it to make sure our family continued to live comfortably and my business didn’t go to some asshole who planned on selling off parts of it as if he was at a foreclosure auction.
I built this company from the ground up and the last thing I was gonna do was allow it to go under like that. ”
Mom didn’t speak right away. Her golden cheeks were flushed. Her lips pinched and her eyes narrowed.
Growing up I didn’t see my parents fight too much.
An argument here and there, but never a big blow up like this.
I knew my parents loved each other and they’d built a life together from nothing.
Dad always said he never expected his company to blow up like it did, but it helped him give me and my mom the life we deserved.
He was prideful and I believed that was the issue at hand currently.
After having a stare off for what seemed like forever, Mom shifted her attention back to me.
“Siah, sweetheart.” Her voice came out a tad softer.
Mom was an average height woman, the heels she had on gave her a tad bit more height.
While physically she wasn’t intimidating, her bite was another story.
Mom walked over to the couch and laid her hand on my shoulder.
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” she asked.
My parents struggled getting pregnant, and when she finally did, the pregnancy was rough.
It resulted in my mom being unable to have any more kids following my birth.
She always tried to shelter and coddle me, it was one of the reasons she and my dad argued.
He didn’t want her babying me, but that never stopped her from trying to protect me from everything.
“You don’t have to worry about me. Just because I agreed doesn’t mean someone put a gun to my head and forced me.
I’m able to handle myself and I chose to help Dad out and marry Xylina.
Even if I don’t agree with everything, I did agree with Dad when he said allowing Phil to gain control of something he built would be a slap in the face to all the work he put in over the years. ”
“But that family is the worst, Yosiah. That Phillip would sell his own mother off to make a profit. I don’t want you involved with someone like that.
I’ve read about that daughter too, only nineteen but constantly being talked about for her raunchy and party style behavior.
” She scrunched her face. “Is that truly what you want to be tied to for the next five years?”