The silence that followed was deafening, the mood instantly shifting.
Augustine's mother's smile faltered, her eyes widening in disbelief. Her husband, on the other hand seemed to freeze, his expression unreadable.
"Wh… what did you just say?" Augustine's mother stuttered as she asked Augustine to repeat his previous statement.
Mrs. Wales struggled to process what she had just heard.
Her mind was racing, a whirlwind of confusion and shock, as she grappled with the implications of her son's words.
She had to be sure she had heard correctly.
"Augustine, dear..." she began, her voice wavering slightly. "Did you say...husband? Did you just say that this man is your husband?"
Augustine's smile faltered, his cheeks turning a shade pinker as he watched his mother's reaction.
"Mom?" he ventured, his voice suddenly uncertain. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Mrs. Wales' gaze lingered on her son, a mix of surprise and concern etching lines in her forehead. "Augustine...I don't understand. When did you...when did this happen?"
'Pfft!'
Augustine's father sighed as he arched his brows. "Who is this?" He probed, questioning Augustine to introduce the young man beside him.
"Dad," Augustine said, giving Charles' hand a light squeeze for support, "this is my husband, Charles Donald."
Mr. Wales, still stunned, managed to find his voice. "Husband?" he repeated, the word sounding foreign on his tongue. "But...but how? When did you even get married? We haven't heard anything about this." He spoke carefully, struggling to comprehend the revelation.
Charles inhaled deeply as he stretched his other hand, offering the sunflower bouquet to Augustine's mother. "I got this for you ma," Charles stated with a soft voice.
Mrs Wales let out a scoff of disbelief as she ignored the flower, prompting Charles to withdraw the flower towards his body.
"Augustine, can you tell that young man to wait inside the car? I need to speak to you in private." Mr. Wales stated with a frown.
Before Augustine could open his mouth to speak out, Mrs. Wales' composure finally broke. "You brought a man here and claims he's your husband?" she demanded, her voice icy and sharp. "Are you playing a joke on me? And why are you holding hands?"
Charles could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, his heart thumping in his chest. This was not how he had envisioned his first meeting with Augustine's parents.
Mrs. Wales stretched her hands, pointing her index finger towards Charles as she seethed in rage. "You need to leave this house immediately," she hissed, her voice raised to a deafening pitch. "If my son offered you money, forget about it and go. You're not welcome here!"
Mrs. Wales' words were like bullets, each syllable a sharp sting as they flew from her mouth.
Augustine's face became drained of color, his eyes wide with horror as he watched his mother's rage unfold.
Charles bit his lips as he lowered his gaze towards the ground, holding his breath in fright.
He had planned on asking Augustine if he was gay but he got distracted and was unable to do so.
Caught in a dilemma, Charles remained motionless, not knowing what to do.
Augustine's voice matched his mother's in intensity, his fury barely contained. "Why are you treating my husband like this?" he demanded. "If you want him to go, then I'll leave with him!"
Mrs. Wales stood her ground, her anger now laced with desperation. "Your husband?" she spat, her words almost venomous. "You don't even know what you're talking about. This is unacceptable, Augustine! You're throwing away your future!"
Mr Wales sighed, grabbing the wrist of his wife as he also averted his gaze towards her. "Let's head inside." He uttered, pulling his wife towards the entrance door.
When they were no longer in view, Augustine released his grips from that of Charles as he let got a loud breath. "Sweetheart, are you alright?" Augustine asked with a warm voice, his amber eyes intensely fixed on Charles.
Charles sniffed in, fluttering his eyelashes as he moist his lips with his saliva. "I… I am." Charles purred while stuttering.
Deep down, he was feeling hurt but he knew that he signed up for this so there was no turning back.
Sigh!
Augustine placed his hands on Charles's cheeks, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Do you want us to head back to my mansion?" He asked with an almost care.
Charles shook his head sideways, forcing a smile to form across his lips. "Let's just go inside." He urges, trying to sound brave.
Pfft!
Augustine let out a deep, almost defeated sigh, the weight of the moment pressing on his shoulders.
With an almost defiant air, he took Charles' hand once more, leading him towards the mansion's ornate front door.
As they approached, the two guards beside the entrance door helped them to open the door and they both stepped inside the building.
The interior of the mansion was a dazzling display of wealth and elegance.
As Charles followed Augustine into the sitting room, he was greeted by a breathtaking space adorned with ornate furniture, luxurious lighting fixtures, and beautifully crafted decorations.
Each chair seemed to be a work of art, their supple leather which speaks of the wealth that had been poured into this space.
They continued to make their way further down the sitting room until they arrived at the dining area.
At the far end of the room, a long dining table was set for twelve, yet only three places were occupied.
Seated at the table, Augustine's mother, father, and a young woman sat in regal silence, their eyes fixed on the two men who had just entered.
"Augustine, I have been waiting for you." The young lady suddenly uttered as she rose from her seat, approaching Augustine with a warm smile.
Instantly, Augustine halts on his steps, his eyes wide open in astonishment.
The young lady figure was accented by a black bodycon skirt, hugging her curves in all the right places.
A white belly shirt clung to her torso, its V-neck dipping dangerously low, revealing just enough cleavage to tease the imagination.
Her hair, a striking shade of blonde, cascaded over her shoulders in effortless waves, framing a face that was both beautiful and carefully made-up.
"I've been expecting you for over thirty minutes," she whispered in his ear, her voice low and sultry. "I and your parent were just discussing about our marriage. We plan on making it traditional." She stated with a grin on her lips, making sure that her words were audible to the ears of Charles who was beside Augustine.