FAMILY CONFLICT

CHAPTER THREE

FAMILY CONFLICT

JENNIFER P.O.V

"Dad, can't you just respect my decision? I already told you I don't love this Frederick guy and marrying him will be very suicidal, honestly" I had said in the most polite way I could, my hand crossed akimbo and over my breast. I was fuming angrily, trying my best not to talk to him rudely. My mother sat at the other end of the room, her eyes fixed to nothingness. I knew if it was in her power, she wouldn't allow her only daughter to get married to a man she's not in love with. She knew so well I didn't like Fredrick, not even an atom of love and there was nothing I could do, there was nothing, absolutely nothing she could do too. My father's decision, her husband's decision was a command and we dare not question it no matter how ruthless it was, that was the kind of father I had. A retired military general in the United States army whose reputation has earned him an aura and charisma of respect both from within and outside his family and the states. Oxlade's family was his closest associate in his technology business.

"Jennifer" my mother had called out, getting up from the chair and moving towards my direction, she held me to herself and embraced me warmly. "You've to know we are doing this for the best interests of the family, we aren't pushing you into marrying someone you-

I interrupted sharply, giving myself a freedom from her warm grip, "Then what in the name of God are you both fucking doing then?" I blurted out in anger. "For the sake of the family right? Who gives a damn about my own happiness too huh? No, tell me who does and you are here to emotionally blackmail me into a marriage all in the name of protecting the family's legacy, isn't that selfishness?" I raged, I didn't know how long I had held back the tears that had gathered in my tear gland but it started flowing through my face and in a reckless abandon as  I allowed them flow ceaselessly.

My mother kept staring at me, pleading with her eyes for me to put myself under control and listen to her. All this while, my father mute. He didn't say anything and I didn't expect him to say anything about it because I already knew his decision was final.

He stood up, came close to me and allowed me to fall onto him, into his open arms. The tears kept flowing, I sniffed into a napkin I was holding, my eyes still heavy with the tears.

"I'm sorry Jenny" he had began in his hoarse and baritone voice, "maybe you're right and maybe I am wrong for forcing you into something against your wish but I want you to understand that this circumstance is really beyond my control" he paused, inhaled deeply, studying my face so as to read my countenance. I was still sniffing slowly, using the napkin on my face. "We are more concerned about your future Jenny" he continued, releasing me from his grip as he went back to his previous sitting position, sat down and crossed his legs against each other. Gesturing with his left hand "Me and your mother here loves you deeply, not just because you're our only child but because you're the only family we have and that's why I'm more concerned about your future, we really don't want you to suffer in the house of any man all in the name of love, this is a very big golden opportunity for you to be rich and enjoy wealth for the rest of your life with Fredrick because as a family, we are going to support you both as we have the financial capability to" he sighed again, I was already leaning against the wall, I wasn't giving him a rapt attention to whatever sermon he was preaching, my mind was already divided, half in the house trying to catch a glimpse of whatever he was saying, the other in Phillips apartment, I was already imagining what he was doing at the moment, maybe he was doing his normal routine of morning push up before going to work, house chores or maybe he was still tossing left and right on the bed since the day was Saturday and he wasn't going to work. I would have loved to visit him later in the day, but my schedules were tight.

"We have arranged a meeting with the Oxlade's family which is scheduled to take place in this apartment later today, and I beseech you to put up your best behavior please, I'm sure Mr. Oxlade has been talking to his son too" he concluded. I smirked and went back to my room, locking the door knob behind me as I threw myself on the bed, cuddling my pillow. I needed to hear a voice to soothe my emotions and Phillips' voice was the right one to call. I picked up my phone, dialed his number. His calm voice at the other end of the phone was enough to shake the foundation of my clitoris.

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The blaring of my alarm clock made me jerk off the bed hurriedly, and like one who was already late for an interview. The silk nightgown fell loosely from my body, exposing my blonde torso self, my two rounded firm bosoms which had jumped out from the clothing like two excited inmates released from the prison cell. The gown was old and worn out, hence the reason for it's tattered state. But I cared less. I was already late for the scheduled family meeting, so I thought as I hurriedly dragged myself from the bed. The time was 05:20pm, the meeting was stated for 05:00pm, I was twenty minutes late already.

A knock came at my door, first faintly  then blared. I lazily limped to the door. I had hit my leg against the bed stand while getting up. I turned the door knob and there he was at my door, chuckling. I had to close the door sharply at his face, ran back into my room to get a more decent cloth to cover my semi naked self but it was too late already as he had already seen some flesh from my breast, I felt more irritated towards him than I've ever felt before. He was going to be the second man to see my nakedness, Phillips was the only one who had seen me since the night he had initiated me into womanhood on my 23rd birthday.

The door creaked open slowly and he walked in, this time smiling as he fed his eyes on the paintings on my wall. I knew it was my mistake to open the door naked, my mom was the only one who came to my room, my dad hasn't before hence the reason I went there unconcerned because I thought I knew who was at the door.

"Seems you are a cult lover of art works?" he had asked, running his fingers through some of the artifacts and paintings that were on the wall and on the floor.

"Is that the sorry you ought to say after badging into someone's room uninvited, a ladies room" I rudely spoke. 

But he feigned ignorance of whatever it is that I wanted to say, smiling as he continued his soraismus on the paintings. 

I was fuming furiously because he made me look stupid by ignoring what I said.

He then finally approached where I was, then gently ran his fingers on my hair, brushing it backward and then whispered to my hearing. "You must really have a taste for beautiful things because all these are highly aesthetic and top notch works of art by the artist" my heart started heaving heavily inside of my chest like it would explode the next minute. He then breathed to my face, still smiling. "I didn't badge into your room, did I?"