It was a sunny afternoon at the beach. Everywhere was quite filled up with people. It was a weekend and people could be seen catching all sorts of fun.

Madison could be seen with Dave sitting at the beach laughing and drinking some coconut juice. She was wearing a long beach gown and a beach hat to match.

"This place looks cool" Dave said as he looked around the beach

"Yeah, Jason loves it so much,'' she said with a smile. Dave gave her a cold look and her smile disappeared.

"Is he always late?" he asked

"Yeah, always late in everything" She said laughing

Not long, they caught sight of Jason and Emilia walking hand in hand together at the beach. They were walking towards them. Jason was dressed in a green short and a white round neck top. He wore a green face cap and a white sneakers to match.

Emilia on the other hand was dressed in a green bum short and a white top to match. She wore a green beach hat and white sneakers too. They were both wearing sunglasses and. people stared at them as they walked by. They were looking so much like a couple.

Madison swallowed hard as she watched them walk.

"They're here,'' she said to Dave, who was busy sipping his juice.

"Hey guys," Jason said excitedly as he walked in

"Hey," Dave said standing up. They both shook hands together.

"Meet Emilia, my girlfriend," Jason introduced Emilia who was busy with her phone. She smiled and shook hands with Dave and Madison. They all exchanged pleasantries and settled down to refresh themselves.

Madison stared at Emilia who was busy with her phone since they came. No doubt she was beautiful and she was no match for her, she thought. Her fashion sense is quite superb and she felt a little jealous at once.

"Beautiful girl you've got," Dave remarked to Jason who smiled and held Emilia's arms

"Yeah, we go for the classy ones" he said, laughing.

They all laughed apart from Madison. She frowned as their eyes met and he smiled sheepishly and turned away.

"I never knew your boyfriend would be this handsome," Jason remarked while looking at Madison

"Yeah, you know we go for the sensible ones," she remarked with a smile and everyone laughed except Jason.

His facial countenance changed and they both eyed each other. They all laughed over a few things before the discussion began

"So Dave, it's quite a pleasure meeting you, and I know you are the right guy for Madison" Jason said

"Yeah I just hope the storm is over soon," Dave said sadly

"What are we gonna do now? I guess that's why we are here?" Emilia asked and Madison looked at her with contempt

"Yeah. So Dave, do you have a plan?" Jason asked

"No, none for now but I think you both have to try help your parents see reasons" he suggested

"We've tried our best," Jason said sadly

"Yeah but you gotta both try more cause I don't wanna lose my man to anyone else," Emilia said, stylishly as she pecked Jason on the cheek.

He smiled and pecked her too. She giggled and it irritated Madison a lot.

"Love birds," Dave said smiling

"Hey Madison, why are you so quiet?" Jason asked.

"I'm meditating" she replied

"I'm just scared of this whole thing. I feel like we can't do a single thing anymore to stop this storm. Our parents are adamant and they won't stop till we bow to their wish," Madison said

"Can't we all elope?" Emilia asked

"Yeah, we can just run away and get married then come back for forgiveness" Dave added

Madison looked at Jason and he turned away sadly.

"It's not gonna work out" he said sadly

"Why? Baby why? This is the 21st century no one can tell us what to do anymore, we're grown ups!" Emilia said angrily

"I don't see anything wrong in what she's saying," Dave added

"Because they're not your parents" Jason said, looking at Dave

"It's enough," Madison said, raising her hands." We both can't disobey our parents and it's final" She affirmed

"Then you both wanna get married uh?" Dave asked angrily

"Yeah, you both wanna fold your arms and get married uh? Well as for you Jason, I've always known you to be weak and a daddy's boy!" Emilia remarked

"You don't talk to him that way!" Madison yelled in defense

"What? You wanna beat me for speaking the truth?" Emilia asked angrily as she stood up.

"It's enough," Jason said and held her arms but she shoved his hands off her

"Meet me in the car," she fumed and walked out

"Emy," Jason called as he followed after her.

Madison placed her palm on her forehead as she heaved a sigh of frustration

"So are you defending him because you want to marry him?" Dave asked, looking at her angrily

"What are you talking about?" she asked angrily and He got up and walked out immediately

"Dave!!!" she called, running after him

**

That night at the Thompsons mansion, Madison laid on her bed sobbing. Dave had refused to pick her calls after the incident at the beach. She hasn't heard from Jason either. She picked her phone to try call Dave when the door opened showing Jenny.

"Hey sis" Jenny called calmly

"What is it?" Madison asked, wiping the tears off her face with her palm

"Jason's here," Jenny announced

"Really!" She exclaimed and stood up immediately. She wasn't expecting him to come, she thought as She dressed up immediately and rushed out of the room.

She saw him sitting dejectedly downstairs in the sitting room. He had changed his clothes already. He stood up on sighting her walk down the stairs.

"Hi," he greeted coldly

"Hi," she muttered and they both kept silent, staring at each other. Her parents weren't home and so the house was calm.

"Hey can we go outside and talk?" he asked and she nodded.

They both walked to the pool side with Jason in front of her as she followed behind him.

" How have you been?" he asked, scratching his head

She sniffed and heaved a sigh.

"He's angry with me," she said

"I know, and she's angry with me too" he replied, looking downcast

"Do you think it's best we elope?" she asked, looking at his face

He kept mute for sometime.

"I don't buy that idea, I can't elope with her," he said.

She didn't say a word as she placed her hand on her forehead

"They just don't understand" she complained

"It's time to tell them the truth," he said and she looked at him and nodded

**

Jason could feel his heart beating fast as he approached Emilia's door. She had refused to talk to him all through the previous day and he needed to meet her so they could talk. He heaved a sigh and knocked on the door but there was no response.

He knocked again and he heard footsteps from within. The door opened showing Emilia dressed in baggy jeans and a white shirt. She stood on the door post and placed her arms akimbo

"Why are you here?" she asked with anger in her tone.

"Baby you should let me in first," he pleaded

"I don't want you here you should be with your wife to be" she fumed

"Hey, you know I can't have anyone else apart from you" he pleaded

She sighed and walked inside. He followed suit and they both sat on the sofa facing each other.

"I thought you were expecting a client from Italy today," she said

"Yeah but I needed to speak to you first. You matter more to me," he said romantically and placed his palm on hers.

"What do you have to say?" she asked with her face void of expression

"There is a lot you don't know" he said and She looked at him with curiosity written all over her face.

"I know you must be wondering why I always behaved like a Daddy's boy. You were right to call me that but the truth is that I can't disobey my father, he is everything to me. He means the world to me....."

"More than I do?" she cut in immediately

"Baby there is something I haven't told you since we've been together and it's one of the deepest secrets in my life. No one else knows about it except my family and that of Madison's" he continued

"And what is it?" she asked curiously

He heaved a sigh and looked downwards.

" I'm not a biological son of Mr Johnson" he said

"What!" she screamed in bewilderment.

" I don't understand," she said with her mouth agape

"Well you see, my mom Beauty Johnson had lived a wayward life during her youth. She got pregnant at a tender age for some guy who denied the pregnancy which led to her being thrown out of her parents house. After she gave birth to me, I became a bastard and I don't even have a father. I was still young and tender when she met Mr Johnson who promised to marry her and also take good care of me.

She thought it was a joke, not until he proved true to his words. He got married to her and took me as his son. He gave me the best education a father could ever give his son.

Everything I've become today, was as a result of him. Despite the fact that I was dull as a kid, he never gave up on me. He made sure I achieved all of my dreams in life. And never had he asked for anything in return except that I become successful which I am today. And now this same man is asking me for just one favor and I can't even grant it baby," he ended emotionally

She shifted closer to him and placed his head on her chest while he sobbed silently.

"What about your dad? Have you met him?" she asked

"The bastard showed up one day claiming to be my father, I locked him up at the police station. I heard he committed suicide sometime ago," he said

"I'm sorry for misunderstanding you all these while, I thought you were a weakling and that you were just scared of him. I never knew you were doing all that out of appreciation to him, " she said

"I'm just so confused baby, running away will make him feel so bad and he might disown me. I can't let him down. We have to look for another way," he said soberly

"Yeah, we will have to try" she said, caressing his head.

**

Later that evening, he drove to meet his parents. He hadn't visited them since their last encounter with Emilia.

On getting home, Ella rushed to meet him. He carried her and she giggled happily. He found his mom with his dad playing together in the garden. He so much admired their love for each other after 25 years of marriage.

"Hi mom, hi dad" he greeted with a smile

"The prodigal son finally returned home," his father joked and they all laughed

"I thought you were never going to come see us again" Mrs Johnson added with a smile

"Why not? You're my parents" he said, smiling

"Wow, now that you're here, I just want to let you know that your marriage is in three weeks time so you have to be prepared!" Mr Johnson announced

"What!??, Dad!!!! he screamed.

**

Madison sat close to the pool relaxing after a hectic day. She smiled as she listened to her favorite song by Annie Sopero "Beautiful". The whole yard was calm and it gave her a good time to meditate. Just then, her mom walked in excitedly.

"Darling!" Her mom screamed in ecstasy.

"What is it mom?!!" Madison asked, as she stood up to look at her overly excited mom

"You won't believe it Darling, your marriage is in three weeks time!!!!!"