HIS RESURGENCE 

CHAPTER ONE

Xavier Whitlock had arrived at the mansion and wondered what would have made his father to summon him so quickly but now he knows and he wished he didn't come to the mansion to hear such bullshit from his father.

"Pardon?" Xavier asked, assuming he had heard wrong.

"You heard me right, Xavier" His father, Benjamin Whitlock said and Xavier scoffed.

"This must be a joke right?" Xavier refused to believe what his father had said, 'No, it might be a joke' he kept on murmuring.

"You know me clearly well Xavier and I do not joke, not in this manner" Benjamin Whitlock replied and the sob that threatened to come out of Xavier's throat took his whole strength to control.

The older man in the room reminded the younger man, who sat across from him in the opposite chair, how ruthless he had been for all the years he had known him. 

"But this is absurd, father!"

Xavier Whitlock, the younger man among the pair, blurted out as his anger began to rise, it was so hard for him to control at this point.

The older man, Benjamin Whitlock, who is the father of Xavier Whitlock remained calm and his expressions unchanging as he repeated himself for the last time.

"Clara will now get married to your brother; Alexander in a week, And that is final'' he said in his authoritative tone.

"Nonsense!" Xavier said as he flared up, unable to contain his anger. He stood up challengingly to his father who remained seated. 

The study room was fairly lit , the only source of light will be the light from the lamp on the table and a few dim bulbs at the end of the room. 

There was no-one else in the room other than the both of them and Xavier had thought his father had chosen to have a father and son conversation. 

"What you are asking is preposterous and I refuse to let it happen. Clara is my finance and wife to be and I love her besides we are getting married in a week for goodness sake." Xavier said frustratingly hoping his father would listen to him and perhaps his father may have forgotten just who Clara is to him. 

However his father remained unwavering with his decision. The way he sat on the chair, with his hands together in front of his stomach portrayed him as a man of few words.

"You seem to think this is a request, Xavier, I will have you know now that it is not, so accept it for it will happen regardless you want it or not" Benjamin said. His words reminded Xavier of the situation in the family.

The Whitlock family has always been run autocratically by their father, Benjamin Whitlock. Whatever he says goes and is accepted without debate. 

But Xavier Whitlock could not accept this one, not this time, he had always done everything his father had asked him to do but this was just too much and he refused to accept.

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists expressing his anger and displeasure, but he was unable to do anything. If it was any other person requesting for such, he would undoubtedly punch the person so hard, it would no doubt send them to the hospital, but this was his father. 

'Why Alexander?'

He thought as his head went on overdrive and he unknowingly voiced his thoughts for all to hear before throwing a fit. 

"it's always Alex, isn't it Dad? Alex here and Alex there. Aren't I part of the family too?" Xavier asked bitterly.

"Why should he get the family fortune? All the praises for my efforts and now my fiancee, why does he always end up getting everything without doing anything, just why?"

He laid accusing fingers to his father, trying in every possible way he could to justify the injustice.

"Father, even before now, everything you've asked me to do, I've gone out of my way to make sure I do them. Why this an unreasonable request?" Xavier, yet unable to accept the decision, said to bring his father back to reason, but his father did not budge for his decision has been made.

At that moment Xavier didn't know what to do, he did not know if he was to beg his father, to refuse him or to attack him but he wasn't going to accept the decision. 

"Please father, listen to me, I have, we have begun preparations for our marriage. Paid for the cake, bought our attires, booked for our honeymoon and many other things. The marriage is just but a week from now." He pleaded.

"In that case, there wouldn't be a need to purchase more items for the wedding, we will use it all for your brother, continue the preparations Xavier" Mr Benjamin told Xavier nonchalantly.

Not only was he asked to forfeit his fiance to his brother but he was also being asked to help plan the marriage that should have been his own. 

The thought of it all annoyed him even more. 

"Clara will never agree to marry Alex, she loves me and you know that, she will never agree to this!" With so much resolve and confidence Xavier declared to his father.  

Xavier and Clara have been together for almost three years now and Xavier was sure Clara would never agree to his father's absurd decision. After all he could force him to give up Clara but he won't be able to force Clara to marry Alex.

Mr. Benjamin laughed, "Son, Clara has accepted already and that is why I brought it to you"  

"That is a lie, father! You want to fool me to believe you!" Xavier roared back in disbelief and knowing his father can resort to underhanded means like lies to get what he wants. 

Mr Benjamin remained silent all through Xavier's ranting but only replying afterwards, "Why don't we call her to confirm that."

He spoke with such confidence that opined that he was aware of something that Xavier wasn't aware of.

"Send in Clara, her presence is needed right now." Mr Benjamin said into the phone that was on the table right in front of him.

Xavier felt a slight pang in his heart, one accompanied with dread as he listened to his father speak. He was surprised to learn that Clara was around and in the mansion. But she didn't tell him. 

'It doesn't matter why she is here, it's best she's here to debunk what father had just said' Xavier thought. He was full with satisfaction that Clara would reject his father's decision.

Clara walked in a sophisticated manner and stood beside Mr. Benjamin and Xavier.

Her presence momentarily set Xavier's heart at rest and curbed his anger. She had always had that effect on him. 

"Clara I want you to…" Xavier began right before he was cut off by a stern glare from his father. He kept shut and said nothing further to disrespect his father. 

Mr Benjamin cleared his throat before he turned to look at Clara and spoke, "Clara, tell Xavier here, who you would be getting married to next week"

Xavierr looked at Clara, waiting for her response but she refused to acknowledge him with her gaze.

She finally gave Xavier a look and then Mr. Benjamin.

"I am really sorry Xavierr but I have agreed to marry Alexander" she said.

Xavier's heart broke at that moment, he kept staring at Clara in disbelief and unable to say a word.

"Cla… but… how? Why? Were you forced? You can talk to me" Xavier said. His eyes had tears gathered at the corner.

"Did I do anything wrong?" Xavier asked, his tone had changed already as he struggled to keep the tears at bay.

Clara said nothing, she kept on staring at the ground. 

"Clara"

"Clara, talk to me"

He continued to call out before he yelled out in frustration and anger. 

"Look at me Dammit!" The anger and the pain of betrayal hit him so hard, he couldn't breathe properly, he had expected Clara to debunk what his father had told him but she had done otherwise.

Trails of tears trickled down his face as he stared at her, for the first time since they had met he showed her his vulnerabilities, his emotions were plainly written on his face, from his pains, to hurt and anger.