The Wrong Daughter (Part One)

Monday mornings might be the worse day for everyone, but not for Temi Adebayo. She never understood why everyone didn't like Mondays. Mondays are amazing— because of work. She's a workaholic, but she hates calling herself that. She's dedicated to working nothing more, nothing less. She's driving to work while playing her highway playlist on Spotify and singing to it. Temi works in CrestStone Construction Ltd. It's a construction company and she works as the project manager. A job that she loves with her life. Temi comes from money. Her father owns a big tech company. She had no interest in tech though and she didn't need his connection to get the job either, she worked hard for it. Her sister, Teni owns a fashion boutique called The Fabric Room. She does really well and her boutique is amongst the top patronized in Abuja. Teni and Temi are polar opposites. They have some things in common but very few and that's what makes their love special. Teni is beauty defined as Temi likes to say. Perfect body, heart shaped face with defined cheekbones. She was born to model. Temi on the other hand, is overlooked when in the same room as Teni. She's just between slim and plumpy— not quite there, not quite here. It didn't quite help that her parents constantly compared them either. In the world they live in, arranged marriages are destined. Teni has so many suitors(they lost count). Both of them or mainly Teni have been told since they were young about the arranged marriage. Her parents always focused on Teni when it comes to marriage— introducing her to that man or this. Temi hated it, they made it seem that she was something for auction and the highest bidder gets it. Teni didn't give it much thought but Temi knew she hated it. Teni just wants to make her parents happy. Temi was happy though that she didn't get that attention from her parents. It hurt a bit, but she didn't care anymore. She's confident in her own skin and doesn't really care about marriage. As she heads in, she receives a message from Teni telling her to have a good day. She replies back with a kissy face emoji. She greets colleagues as she heads to her office. She isn't fully settled in when Mr Okonkwo— the owner of CrestStone Construction walks in all giddy and happy. Mr Okonkwo is basically Temi's second dad. After she started working here, her dad and Mr Okonkwo became friends they're as thick as thieves. "We got the contract!" He shouts and breaks into a grin. "I told you we were going to get it," Temi shrugs and leans into her seat. The contract his talking about is a 150 billion naira deal for a luxury apartment complex that's going to be called The Emerald Residences. Aurelia Developments, a real estate development company had different construction companies competing for the contract including, CrestStone Construction. Aurelia Developments is one of the biggest real estate development in Abuja, hell, in Nigeria. Getting this contract means a lot. "They're coming in today to discuss some things." Mr Okonkwo says, straightening his tie. "I trust you'll be there." "Of course I will," Temi replies. "I'm handling the project." Before they got the project, Mr Okonkwo told Temi that she'll be the one to handle it. Temi was delighted to do it of course. An hour or so they're in the boardroom waiting for their business partners to arrive. After two minutes, they do. Immediately she sees him— Christian James, her blood boils. Temi knows he owns Aurelia Developments but she didn't expect to see him here, handling this deal. Temi has always hated Christian. He's a cocky, arrogant prick. She sees him at events her parents force her to attend. She's never spoken to him before and she's not even sure he's noticed her, but just from how he acts and everything she's heard, she hates him with the fury of a thousand burning suns. He's undeniably attractive and she's heard different women talk about it, but it somehow just makes her hate him more. Now, she pastes on her brightest smile because she might hate him, but not enough to lose this contract and probably her job. Christian notices her and...smirks? She can't tell, but she's sure a corner of his mouth kicks up. It makes her blood boils more, but she smiles more brightly. ~ ^ ~Christian is representing the client and is also a pain in Temi's ass. They've been working on this project for just three weeks and Temi has thought of 50 different ways to end him. She rants to Teni about it and Teni just laughs. How she finds it entertaining still baffles Temi. They're always butting heads about the deadline or design changes. It's always something. Like right now they're on the construction site and Christian is about to step into restricted area. "Stop!" Temi screams at him. Everything goes silent even the workers stop to see the drama that's about to unfold. He turns slowly, stares at her with a look she can't decipher. "No one tells me what to do, especially not you." "On this site, I do." She says, turns and walks away before she does something she regrets. She's not sure if Christian will survive till the end of this project because now she's thought of 51 different ways to kill him. ~ ^ ~ "This is the sixth time this week that you're bringing this up and it's just Wednesday." Christian says, then takes a sip of his wine. His parents invited him for a family dinner or as Christian likes to call it a way to pressure him into marriage. "Find a good woman to marry and we'll drop it." His father says. "Or we'll find one for you," His mother chips in. He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I don't need you to meddle in my love life" His love life is non existent. He hasn't dated a woman since university. It doesn't bother him at all but it bothers his parents way too much. Arranged marriages are common in his world, and he knows if he doesn't pick a wife soon his parents will do it for him. "So, are you choosing a wife or should we?" His mother asks. "I will. I already have someone in mind." He responds with a smirk. His parents say something but he doesn't hear a word. His mind wanders to a particular woman who's always butting heads with him and is honestly great at her job. ~ ^ ~ The James family are coming for dinner. And of course their mother are making Teni and Temi dress up. Temi's mother says she has a feeling it's for marriage and winks at Teni while Temi silently rebuked her sister marrying Christian. Her sister won't marry a demon. Temi doesn't know why they're coming for dinner. She was confused when her parents informed her and so was Teni. But now they're at the dining with the James' family who arrived two minutes ago. Christian smirked at Temi, while she glared daggers at him. "I really don't know why you hate him," Teni says, sighing dramatically at one point during dinner, while Christian, his parents and her parents laughed at something Christian said. She's sure it's not even that funny. "The more handsome they look, the more evil they are." Temi replies back. Christian smiles at her as if he heard her. It irks her. "Well, not to sound so direct." Christian says looking away from Temi. "But there is a reason for today's dinner." Her parents are smiling brightly while Teni is looking at Temi smiling. Temi hopes she's not smitten by this asshole. "I came to ask for Temi's hand in marriage." He looks at Temi and smiles. Her parents are gaping at her. Teni just smiles. "I knew it!" Teni says, smiling and clapping her hands. Temi just stares at him with her jaw hanging. What the actual fuck?

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