"I understand, Chibuzor. But this scandal is the straw that broke the camel's back. You must marry quickly. The position of young mistress must be filled, and we need heirs."
Seeing his grandson's frustration, he sighed and softened. "Alright, I'll give you three months to choose. But if you continue with this apathy toward love and marriage, you might regret it later."
Chibuzor knew his grandfather would never back down. So, he decided to play his last card.
He looked away, then back again, hesitating as if unsure about revealing something. Finally, he took a deep breath and flashed a "happily in love" smile. "Papa Nnukwu, Mama Nnukwu, there's something you should know. I already have a girl I want to marry. I'm sure you'll love her."
As Chibuzor left the Arinze mansion with a victorious smile, he thought to himself, 'I knew it would work. Now I just need to stall for as long as I can, and I won't have to hear the "get married" speech for years. After that, I'll come up with another excuse.'
"Young Master! Young Master!" The housekeeper's urgent voice interrupted his thoughts.
Chibuzor walked toward the elderly man, not wanting him to walk farther. "Is something the matter, Housekeeper Bolaji?"
Housekeeper Bolaji took a deep breath before nervously smiling at Chibuzor. "Well... your grandparents trust your judgment, so they've decided you must go ahead and get your marriage certificate with the girl you love, then bring her to the family ball next three months to introduce her to the others."
'WHAT?!'
This news hit Chibuzor like a thunderclap. This wasn't part of the plan at all. 'Does this mean I actually have to find a woman to marry?!'
He wanted to ask the housekeeper if he had heard right, but when he turned around, the man had disappeared.
"..."
After finding a safe spot, Housekeeper Bolaji let out a relieved sigh. 'Phew I'm safe!'
Who in the Arinze household didn't know that their Young Master hated the words "marriage" and "love" more than anything?
There was no way he was going to stick around and get roasted by Young Master Chibuzor's terrifying aura.
Chibuzor went home, lost in thought.
'Where am i supposed to find a wife in less than three months?'
He parked his car outside and walked the rest of the way through the garden toward his house. He always preferred walking; it was his way of ensuring he exercised, whether going to work or whenever he went out.
It also helped him keep an eye on what was going on in his house, since no one would know he was back yet.
Arriving at his doorstep, he overheard his house staff chatting about a breaking news headline.
"It's probably my scandal," he muttered to himself.
As he was approaching them to ask them to call the housekeeper, he overheard parts of their conversation. He wasn't particularly interested so he kept walking calmly.
A high-pitched voice, full of excitement, spoke with a hint of disappointment. "Oh my gosh! My role model was cheated on!"
Another girl, with a calmer voice, approached with well-paced steps. "You mean the lady you wouldn't shut up about, one of the youngest billionaires in the world?"
"Yes, that's her!"
"What happened exactly?" the calm girl asked, her tone betraying a hint of interest.
The overly excited girl spoke louder this time. "Her fiancé, the president general of all scums, defrauded her of more than 30 billion of the local currency, and now, no one knows where he is!"
"Are you kidding me?!" the calm girl said, her voice rising. "Wealthy people seem so easily deceived nowadays. I saw a breaking news story about our boss too, and it seems even he was deceived today!"
"..."
Standing there, a flood of bad memories rushed through his mind, squeezing his heart painfully.
'That CEO lady must be feeling something worse than what I felt when my fiancée left me. Her fiancé didn't just break her heart; he caused serious problems for her. Heh, she's a bigger fool than I was.'
He didn't mind the second part of the conversation much. He would deal with that later, and for now, he needed the world to think he was guilty.
He had heard of this youngest billionaire and truly respected her. He had inherited his wealth, and although he managed it well, better than his grandfather, at the end of the day, it was still inherited.
This lady, on the other hand, built her empire from scratch. Hearing about her had earned her his respect.
But how could such a smart woman fall victim to a man like that?
'Is a low EQ a characteristic of wealthy people?' he wondered.
He couldn't help but remember his own past as he stood there, lost in thought, and staring into space.
-----------------------------------
He had just entered one of the best universities in the country, alongside his childhood sweetheart, the love of his life. They planned to marry once they graduated, so they worked hard to graduate at 19 instead of 21.
He had even rejected his grandfather's offer to send him abroad, wanting to stay close to her and show the younger generation the importance of developing their own country, not leaving at every opportunity.
The country's universities were qualified to teach them excellently, as long as they worked hard and smart themselves. It wasn't just about attending lectures, it was also about self-learning and acquiring skills from every source, both local and international.
Throughout their university days, they were inseparable. She wouldn't go to sleep without talking to him, and he was the first person she called when she woke up. It was the same for him. She said she loved him with all her heart. He knew it was true, which was why he couldn't understand what happened later.
After graduation, his grandfather insisted on sending him abroad for six months to show his capabilities in their foreign branches, where no one knew him as the first Young Master of the Arinze family.
It was only six months, he thought. If only he had known how much that short time away would ruin his life…
Still standing there, his unfocused eyes slowly regained clarity. He shook off those thoughts, locking away those bad memories in a box, and tossed it deep into the sea of his mind.
-------------------------------
He approached the girls, who were still talking, unaware that he was back. "Help me call the housekeeper to my study, please?"
He heard a fearful but respectful "Yes, sir" from both of them as he made his way upstairs.
In his room, he slowly removed his tie, contemplating how he could possibly find a wife in less than three months.
There has to be a way to find out more.
Slapping his thigh, he had an idea. 'ChatGPT!'
He grabbed his phone and typed, "How do I find a wife in less than three months?"
The response came in seconds: "Download every dating app you can find. Yes, even that one everyone swears they've never heard of."
"..."
There goes that idea.
'I need to finish this in a week and then train her in the next few months so that we won't be exposed!' He thought
He decided to do his research the old-fashioned way.
*The mention of "ChatGPT" is used as a fictional or comedic reference and isn't affiliated with OpenAI.*
He moved to his contact list to call his secretary, but then remembered he had fired him earlier that day.
He freshened up and moved to his study. Turning on his computer, he browsed for eligible women, both locally and internationally. This way, he could at least choose who he would marry, temporarily.
He carefully went through the list of women with remarkable achievements, noting those who were most exceptional. He saw Olaedo's name on the list but immediately bypassed it.
'There is no way I am going to marry a woman who displayed a higher level of stupidity than i did five years ago!'
He made a short list and waited for the housekeeper to come up.
Shortly after, there was a knock on his door. "May I come in, sir?"
"Come in."
The elderly man gently opened the door and closed it behind him. "I heard you sent for me, sir?"
Chibuzor gestured to the seat opposite him and then pulled out a paper with the names of the eligible women he had shortlisted. "I need you to investigate these women, one by one, for good character, likability, and traits of a good wife."
"Someone elderly people would approve of. Most importantly, they must not believe in love and marriage. And don't tell anyone about this, not even the women involved!"
"..."
At this last point, the housekeeper was taken aback.
'How am I supposed to find a young woman mature enough to marry who doesn't believe in love and marriage? And still manage to trick her into meeting you?!'
He sighed internally. 'This job is getting quite difficult.'
Unaware of his housekeeper's inner turmoil, Chibuzor continued, "I'll be freeing my schedule to get the marriage certificate with the lady by this day next week. I believe it will be ready by then, right?"
The housekeeper, despite his fury, nodded helplessly, his head bobbing up and down listlessly as he began strategizing how to meet these nearly impossible criteria.
'I could just find one of those women from the households of Arinze family enemies....'
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Guys, Papa Nnukwu and Mama Nnukwu means Grandfather and Grandmother respectively.