For the Camera.

TOBY.

“Hey dad! I was told you asked to see me and honestly, that’s very surprising. Seeing that you’re almost never home and never seem to care about your only child. I mean, when was the last time we saw each other this way, wasn’t it when I was five or something?” I rambled off after walking into my dad’s study.

Being the only heir to Daniels’ conglomerates, a group that has a whole lot of other branches underneath, industries that manufacture numerous products and companies that provide various services has a lot of perks and some cons. One of the cons was that my dad was hardly ever around, he had too much on his plates to handle afterall since we also owned the best group of schools, Daniels Elementary school, Daniels College and even Daniels Private University. We even own a very popular fashion line that was under my mom’s management and then lots of hotels, restaurants, modeling agencies and guest houses.

We were practically richer than the president of this country and paparazzi followed us everywhere. But despite having all of these, my dad was still very serious about me getting many degrees just like he did. He always wanted me to have all certificates, after my bachelors degree,, he threatened me with a lot of things so I could go get my masters degree too which is the one I’m at at the moment and I hated studying, it was just so irrelevant to me..

He would have probably wanted me to go even higher and have my doctorate too but no, I made him promise that Masters degree was the last bus stop. He cared so much about education and I couldn’t understand why, most people go to school so as to make money after leaving school and we had that already so why the unnecessary stress for me. I didn’t see the usefulness in any way.

My mom walked in at the same moment that I was about to speak again since I didn’t get any response from dad. “Sweetheart, how was your night?” She asked while I pecked her cheeks.

My mom was one of the prettiest moms ever and I’m not even kidding, she is literally very beautiful. One of the reasons being the fact that she was a model in her youthful days and she still worked out to keep her body shape, she was so in love with herself that she admired herself in the mirror every ten minutes. She also loved and spoilt me a lot, I was her only child afterall.

“I don’t know how it was mom, I was asleep!” I replied her with humour while she laughed.

“I don’t know why I keep asking everyday despite knowing that your answer will always be the same, can’t you just say it was fine like every other normal kid?” Mum asked, after taking a sip of her coffee, she was addicted to that liquid and she never allowed any of the maids to even brew it for her, she always did it herself.

I rolled my eyes, “You seem to forget that I am twenty five, I am a grown man.”

“The grown man who still depends on his mum for a lot of things? Oh please, you will always be my cute baby.” Mum cooed as she pinched my cheeks while I swatted her hands away.

“Ugh, can you tell your husband here to speak to me already? He’s so engrossed in the darn papers!” I reported to mom who just smiled and proceeded to sit on one of the couches.

Mom and dad never really talked to each other that much, I was used to them acting that way. They were like fire and ice, they didn’t like each other in any way, the only time you’ll see them cuddling up to one another is when there’s a camera or third party present. Other than that, they treated each other like they were invisible or something.

When Dad still didn’t respond to my greetings nor say anything. I was almost loosing it, mom and I sat for over thirty minutes as we watched dad keep writing stuffs on papers in front of him. And soon enough, I lost all my patience.

“Dr Bankole Daniels!” I shouted and then he finally raised his head.

“Why do you have to scream my name like a woman?” He questioned.

“You refused to acknowledge us and we have been sitting here for over thirty minutes. Please, can we just get over with whatever it is you wanted to see me for? I have things to do.”

“By things, you mean, go to parties, drink to stupor, sleep with strippers and models and then leave more scandals the next day for my PR to handle?” Dad asked with so much sarcasm lacing his voice.

“No dad, I have some classes.” I defended, even though I knew that he was right.

“You must think I’m daft. You think I don’t know that you don’t even attend classes and even do your projects. Just because I don’t say anything doesn’t mean I don’t know.” He snapped.

“Bankole, he goes…” Mom wanted to defend but dad shunned her.

“I’m not talking to you, Clara! I’m talking to my son!” Dad snapped causing my mom to flinch while I just rolled my eyes. This was a common occurrence since I was young so I was used to it.

“Okay okay! I’m sorry! Is that what you wanted to see me for? Can I leave now?” I said and stood up to leave.

“Toby Daniels! Will you sit your ass back on that chair before I loose my temper?” Dad’s voice thundered while I sat down quickly.

Dad’s temper was as short as my pinky finger and wasn’t one to tamper with. He got angry easily and was always so rude even to his family. He always wanted things to be done his way or you suffer consequences. I cannot count the numerous times he freezed my account, siezed my car keys and even threatened to disown me and remove my name from his empire. But I think I got his temper and rudeness though.

“So, I’m only going to tell you that you’re getting married next month.” Dad dropped nonchalantly.

Wait, what?

My ears must have been playing some sick games on me. “What did you say?”

“What exactly did you hear?”

“How can you just tell me that I’m getting married? Just like that? Who the fuck does that?!” I snapped.

“You heard me right and I’m not going to repeat myself. You’re getting married.” He said again. I knew this was bound to happen at some point in time but I never thought it’d be as early as this. Daniels’ family always had arranged marriage. It had been like that from generation to generation. It wasn’t going to change during my own time, that I know.

“But dad, you can’t just drop such a bomb on me like that! I’m just twenty five, it’s not yet time! You got married when you were thirty!” I shouted.

“Do not raise your voice at me, Toby! Don’t! I got married at thirty because I was never reckless, spoilt and stupid like you. Your scandals have done more harm than good to my empire, I can’t keep risking it. I think you have enjoyed your youth enough.”

“But you can’t do this to me! It’s unfair! Okay okay! Can I choose my bride then? Can I get married to Yasmin?” I asked calmly.

“Who the hell is Yasmin? Who’s her father?”

“Uhm, I don’t think she has one, but she’s a popular actress. You should know her, Yasmin Blake.” I sugarcoated knowing that dad would never let me marry a nobody.

“An actress? You must be kidding me! And then she doesn’t even have a father too? Why would I allow you to marry someone with no good background? Actresses are not people we can marry, they’ll never forgo their career or endure anything. We have the right to do anything we want and get anything we like in Daniels family but the only thing we do not choose by ourselves is our brides. Or do you think I chose Clara by myself? If I had the chance to choose a wife, she wouldn’t even be sitting here.” Dad ridiculed.

“Oh! Sorry, Mr Daniels! You think if I wasn’t chosen to marry you, you would even be able to touch my finger nails?” Mum replied.

Before they started to bicker even more, I stopped it before it could go further.

“Okay, so who am I getting married to then?” I asked.

“Your childhood friend, Coker…” Dad struggled to remember her name.

“Sapphire?” I suggested.

“What? Hell No, Sapphire is too young. It’s uhm… yea Ruby Coker.” He said.

“Ruby?” Mum and I questioned at the same time.

“The same Ruby Coker? How on earth do you even call Ruby my childhood friend? We only hanged out because you are friends with their dad. And I clicked with Sapphire and not Ruby. Ruby was so fat, ugly and dirty. She still is.” I said.

Ruby Coker was such a clingy stupid girl back then, she followed me everywhere I went. She had such a disgusting crush on me and still does. I know that because she still looks at me stupidly whenever we visited them once in a while. However, I didn’t like her at all, she was ugly and didn’t look anything like her younger sister, Sapphire.

I couldn’t just believe that dad was choosing such an ugly bride for me.

Hell No!

“I don’t care! That’s your bride.” Dad said finally and went back to whatever he was doing as if he didn’t just drop a bomb that could ruin my entire life.

Yes, my entire life! Getting married was even an issue on its own, and getting married to Ruby Coker, that was the worst thing that’ll ever happen to me.

I’m Toby Daniels, I don’t even do average ladies not to talk of uglies, I do top models, actresses and the most beautiful girls all over the world. My fine reputation was going to be ruined with Ruby. She didn’t even do anything to me and I just didn’t like her for her looks, now that I was told that I was getting married to her, I hated her already. Ruby Coker had better be against this nonsense.

I stormed out of the lounge in anger and rushed towards one of my luxurious cars.

P.S – My cars were one of the things I loved the most in this world, they were even more precious than Yasmin. Speaking of Yasmin, I brought out my iPhone and sent her a text, “I need you right now. Can we meet?”

She replied almost immediately, “Sure, we can hook up and then we can finish what we started yesterday. I’m having a movie shoot at De Best Hotel, meet me there.”

I didn’t bother to reply, as I started the engine. Typical Yasmin, the only thing she ever had to offer was sex, not that I was complaining though.

I needed to get the news I had just heard off my head and Sex was a good way to.