#FewWords
Learn to be patient. It has many virtues and you’ll end up tasting the sweetest fruits. Instead, when you’re impatient and rash, it can cost you dearly in terms of wasted time and resources. So learn to slow down. The Almighty will grant you ease when the time is right.

Recap
"Aunt, will you answer me honestly if I ask a question" I looked at her and she nodded her head while her attention wasn't entirely on me

"Is mum really my biological mum?" Immediately I vomited the words, she stiffened and her expression immediately changed.

She just looked at me and didn't say anything for almost a minute or even more.

Chapter Thirty One
Salma's POV
I continued to look at her as she didn't answer.

"Are you okay?" She started

"How dare you ask such a question?...are you serious? I...I..." She lost her voice and in a few seconds her voice started breaking, as if she was about to go into tears, my body stiffened and I looked down, felt embarrassed.

"Got you!" She started laughing and I immediately lifted my head to find her laughing at me. I tightly smiled because she managed to somehow change the entire atmosphere.

"How could you ask such a stupid question?"

"You are smarter than this!" she lightly pinched my cheeks

How did I even end up asking such a question! I was so stupid to have done that.

"She loves you so much, she's probably just having a few..."

"She's always having problems? For all my life? She's had problems with me, all my life aunt!" tears once again welled up in my eyes and she just moved close and hugged me, I was silently crying in her shoulder.

"Maryam is my sister but she always gets treated differently, why does mum do this to me?" Immediately I opened my mouth to say that everything that have been bottled in me for the past few years spilled out in tears, I cried like I've never done before.

Zainab's POV
I couldn't do anything, I just kept quiet and continued staring at Salma who was crying uncontrollably.

"Calm down dear, you are just misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstanding what aunt, tell me, I'm always sad and unhappy in this house, I've had so much fun and freedom just for the few days I wasn't in this house, did you see how she welcomed me? If it was Maryam, a party would have been thrown to welcome her but...me...?" She broke down and I just couldn't relate to what she was feeling, I can't say much about how she felt, infact I can't imagine it because how on earth will a mother do this to her... well, it can't necessarily mean her biological...well... anyways

I shifted closer to her and hugged her, she sniffled and kept quiet after a few minutes.

"Just sleep... we'll..." I stammered because she honestly got me speechless, she has never opened up about this.

She quietly curled up into her plump bed and closed her eyes. I quietly opened the door to her room when I saw her Ahmad, her dad leaning at the door.

"You heard all that?" I asked him even though his look said a lot.

"Ahmad... just calm down, okay... it's..." He didn't even look like he was listening to me, he was zoned out.

"Zainab, this woman has caused us a lotta pain and if..."

"It's okay, just go and sleep" I cut him short when I knew exactly where he was heading.

Ahmad slowly obeyed me even though I was his little sister.

I came in a 2 hours interval to check on Salma and every time I meet her sound asleep. In the morning, Salma was a little different, she lightly greeted me and her dad and was walking to the door.

"Please talk to her" Ahmad mouthed to me

"Salma, won't you take breakfast today?"

"I'm not hungry aunt" she flashed a smile at me and I knew what was behind that smile but I couldn't do anything about it, my hands were tied. I don't want to be the one that will wreck my brother's family so I have to endure for the mean time.

Salma left with a different face today, well...

Third Person's POV
Hammad, Jackson and Salma were quietly sitting on a bench in the school field after a revision class was held for them in the morning.

"The exam is by the door man" Hammad said

"Well, yeah, that's true, the thing is I just keep wondering how time flies s fast" Jackson added

Their conversation about random things went on but Salma was just quiet and staring at a book which was carelessly dropped on her lap.

At a point, Jackson cleared his throat to get Hammad's attention

"What's up with her?" He mouthed

Hammad shook his head and looked down.

"Salma, what's up?" Jackson finally asked

"Is everything okay, you've been quiet for a while" Hammad chipped in

"I'm okay, thank you" she flatly answered them without saying anything.

They went back to their conversation because either of them wanted to make her uncomfortable or intrude her privacy.

"Nas called me this morning, he said he can't attend any classes because his father insisted" Hammad said

"I got a text too"

"He sent it to our group chat" Salma rolled her eyes when she knew that was just an attempt to make her start talking.

Hammad smiled.

"I had a very nice breakfast this morning" Jackson said out of the blue

"That reminds me, I need to eat something" Hammad and Jackson looked at each and burst out laughing immediately the words left her mouth.

"So, you totally forgot you needed to do that?" Hammad asked in surprise

"So..." She rolled her eyes and raised her hands questioningly

"Ohh, it's alright" Jackson sarcastically said

"Will you guys accompany me to the cafe?" She asked and they both agreed

On their way to the cafe, Jackson kept on talking about his brother and Samantha.

"I'm suspecting them"

"Ohhhh, Jacksonnnn...Hammaaadd" a few students ran towards immediately they got close to the cafe.

"Let me snap a pic please... you look so handsome!"

And a few screams filled the air as they both kept on playing along with their juniors. Salma didn't even stand with them, immediately she sensed a crowd being formed, she briskly walked to the cafe and sat down.

"Hi Senior Prefect" a petite girl walked up to Salma whose head was slightly bent.

"Heyy, It's Salma" Salma never really fancied the idea of being called any title apart from her name

"I love how you made your presentation" the girl screamed getting the attention of a few students around.

"Woah! It's Salma!" A boy shouted

Salma was surrounded by students as if she was a pot of soup surrounded by hungry men.

She was being asked a few questions and she kept on answering.

"Is it true you and Nasir are dating?" A voice came from the crowd.

Salma couldn't say anything, she was speechless.

"Yess, you guys look cute together!" A girl

"Aaww"

Salma was just looking at them and she couldn't prevent herself from smiling, so she plastered a very rare smile on her face and it immediately made the girls continue daydreaming.

"Listen..."

"Hey, leave her alone, Jackson and Hammad walked up to her interrupting the clearance she wanted to make.

"Can you imagine these students?" Salma laughed shyly.

"Darby and Hauwa can't see eye to eye" a student who was sitting at a chair few feet away from Salma said

"Rumour has it that they fought over a guy" another interrupted.

"I can't wait for The GosSip" the GosSip is the school's magazine which contains highlight of what happens in the school and it's published monthly.

"I heard Amelia hangs around with Darby and not Hauwa" their conversation went on

"Yeah, I'm not a fan of Hauwa, did you see how she embarrassed Darby?"

"She's good at that, always goes about bossing them"

"Well, good for them"

Salma narrowed her eyes because she was hearing that for the first time. Jackson couldn't not laugh.

After eating, the principal, Mr Macaulay instructed a few students to pay Nasir a visit.

"Get in please, the driver instructed them"

"Salma, should spend more time with him, take him through the revision..."

"Sir, my da..."

"... I've already informed your dad" Mr Macaulay cut her in when she was about to decline politely

The ride to Nasir's house was fun, the students were singing and shouting all around, Darby and Amelia also joined them.

Amelia's POV
"What Hauwa did to you wasn't called for" I told Darby whose eyes were fixed on her phone.

"Yeahh, that's in the past, she always likes bossing us around, like seriously, we are all able and stable" I rolled my eyes

"But as friends, I need to hear her side of the story to be just" I added so I won't be unjust to her, Darby didn't even reply, she just kept on smiling at her screen.

"I'll genuinely and politely talk to Nasir when we get there, for no reason, Hauwa made us hate good people!" Darby said

"Well, I can't say to be honest, never really had thoughts towards them" I shrugged

"Oh pleaaasseee"

We were all welcomed warmly when we got to Nasir's house, he was in the parlor, Darby and I formally greeted him because we never really talk.

"Well, I'm okay, it doesn't hurt that much" Nasir answered

"Yeah, it looks like it does"

After a few minutes, a very beautiful woman instructed a few workers to share a pack of small chops to us, she looked and talked lovingly.

"Those shoes are expensive designers" Darby nudged me by my shoulders

"Ohh please, can't you see this house?" I rolled my eyes

"This is the Shehu's Mansion please" I added because it seems like she didn't know whose house she was in and she still looked lost!

"Shehu Cooperations" I snapped my fingers

"OMG, you must be kidding!" She squealed

"No wonder Hauwa wants him" She nodded her head

"So, you never knew Nasir is his only son?" I asked her unbelievably

"I didn't even know he was his son!" She said

"Wow, that's really cool" She commented

"Won't these people come outside please?" I said annoyed because we've being outside for almost 15 minutes

"Heyy, are you noticing what I'm noticing?" I smiled widely and had that goofy gossip smirk

"Nope, what is it?"

"Back, during the game, I heard a few students saying Salma and Nasir are a thing..."

"No, it's not possible, that girl has no life, it's all about books and books" she cut me off

"I'm serious, I always see them together these days, infact they spent a lotta time together in..."

"It's always with Jackson and Hammad, right?" she cut me off again and I was really annoyed

"It's just a rumour" she ended the conversation

"Hauwa will always be my gossip girl" I said and we immediately started laughing

"I don't know why she didn't talk to you though"

"I tried to talk to her but she snubbed me" I complained

"She might come around, she's used to it, I'm worried about something Amelia" Darby looked worried.

"What is it baby?" I asked her genuinely worried too

"Are you pregnant?" I whispered in her eyes and we both started laughing out loud

"Be serious please" she straightened up

"I think that my fight with Hauwa will be on the GosSip"

"Oh, that'd be bad and your mum might eventually find out because they have social media accounts?" I thought about it

"I can try to explain to her but the thing is, the paper might have it all wrong and put a totally different thing on the story" she complained and I understand her worry because of how her mum is

"Well..."

"Come on, let's go!" A teacher got our attention and our conversation was interrupted.

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End of Chapter 31, thank you so much for your reads and don't forget to vote, comment and share.

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Thank you so much for your reads, hang in there for the next update.