HAPPY NEW YEAR YALL🎉❤️ NOTICED OUR NEW BOOK COVER? WHAT DO YOU THINK? AND OH, MRS. FATIMA AL-HAFIZ IS WAITING...

ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA.

Adeelah twirled the drink in her champagne flutes, her eyes fixated on nothing. Alla she could think is how her husband betrayed and became a hypocrite, something she'd never expect of him what does she expect from a man who lacks feelings? Everything is does is about business money and more money.

He outsmarted her yet again. Got his daughter married to her nephew without her consent, nothing. He asked her to talk to her older sister but it doesn't mean she's given her permission. Ahmad is meant to marry Aalia in a few months or a year but he had to go and ruin everything yet again for her? After securing a husband for her daughter for so many years, he had to up one morning and just shatter everything?

This is wrong, he shouldn't have done that. Because she is quiet and always obeying his words doesn't mean he has the right to blow up each and every plot she has trapped for her daughter. Husbands nowadays are extremely hard to find, there is no one like Ahmad! Husbands are merely names these days because she's seen marriages getting ruined more than buildings getting demolished. It has been haranguing her for a while but her sister brought a solution, that too is destroyed.

It is the highest level of malignancy. She is not sure whether she will ever be able to forgive him for this or her daughter.

Aalia knew about the arrangement and she is excited to be married to Ahmad, she couldn't stop gushing about it. Adeelah knew Ahmad's last wish is to get married, reasons behind it she doesn't want to know but for his mother, he would've agreed to do everything. Why did he agree to her husband though? Did he use money to buy him or what happened she didn't know?

Ahmad can never be bought with money but what else could her husband use to get Ahmad in his web? It shouldn't be easy getting Ahmad trapped in a marriage to someone he doesn't like. He would've agreed with Aalia because she is his cousin and his mother would want that for them but Fatima? Something is missing and she will find out what it is as soon as possible.

There is no way Ruwaidha would know something about this and not tell her. Apart from not telling her, she would never agree to Ahmad marrying Fatima! She hates the mere mention of her name in the household, dislike anything that has to do with her, loathe that she is in the house with them even though she is the daughter of the house. How can she not be sure that something is up? It definitely is.

Blown off her thoughts, the gentle sounds of slippers hitting the rug reached her ears and she knew no one would dare to interrupt her lone time except her children or her elder sister. She is sure this is not her elder sister though, she would've called her name miles away to gain her attention so this result to her two kids, Aalia or Ziyaam. Her expression turned sour, she turn her daughter down yet again and failed as a mother.

This is all because of Musa Babagana's selfish interest.

It is not like she doesn't want to help Fatima, she badly wants the girl to get better but what he did will not help her. He knew how stubborn his daughter is and the trouble she is going to cause Ahmad instead of coping and helping the marriage work. The froward is going to shatter that marriage within the duration of an eye blink. It's not like he doesn't know about that fact too, he knew but made the mistake!

Why is she worried now when the marriage will definitely shatter in a matter of days or even hours? The mere thought of Fatima and Ahmad coming together under one roof made her grimace, the picture won't be good. It's such a dreadful and terrible match from the picture, talk less about the action occurring.

"Mom, why are you so quiet? You've heard what happened right?" Aalia's voice reached her ears in a scrappy whine, hint of emotions she is hiding.

Forcing a smile across her dainty lips, Adeelah pivoted to give her daughter a once over. She is wearing Ankara flay gown -cobalt, turquoise and white- with pockets that currently is ladened with her hands and maybe phone. The gown have no style except for the cape hands the seamstress decided to season it with. That is how her daughter is, she likes her things plain and shady unlike Fatima, she wants them bright and attention seeking.

Her daughter Aalia is chubby, deep set of eyes, fine bosom and shape so very opposite of Fatima's slim but curvy body. Her daughter have fats where they are not supposed to be but she's never scolded her to reduce her weight, there is no reason doing so because she looks beautiful just the way she is. She don't understand how people get taunted for weight, they are beautiful the way they are created.

She took her time before replying, adjusting the champagne flute on the coffee table beside her. "I heard what happened, dear. I'm still digesting what is going on and how it happened."

Aalia frowned, her bow shaped upper lips curling into a snarl in annoyance and plethora anger. How could this happen? She's been dreaming about being in Ahmad's arms for ages now but Fatima took that position within an eye blink?

She heard the raconteur of the house narrating the story to the maids earlier when she stopped and eavesdrop. The plate in her hand she decided to come down and keep in the kitchen fell to the ground and splatter into many fragments, earning guilty eyes from the maids inside for being caught. Not looking at anyone else, she rushed to see her mother only to see her sipping her wine without a care in the world! Her life just got shattered and she is taking expensive wine? Seriously!

The maid was jumping on her balls when she started narrating. "The guard told me what happened earlier in the morning. Very juicy I'm telling you. If you want to hear, drop your fifty naira here." She extended her palm to the middle of the kitchen island where several maids surround.

Aalia thought they were not going to place anything but rustles came from each of them as they the place their fifty Naira note inside her palm. When everyone has placed theirs, she frowned after counting it and shoot her eyes to another lady in the kitchen.

"You always don't pay for the gist, Shurja. I'm not telling you this time around!" The raconteur crossed her arms underneath her chest while the Shurja just shrugged.

Before Aalia knew it, Shurja removed fifty naira note and gave the raconteur then they were quiet, awfully so.

"I heard that the new police officer in this house, that ACP? The one Fatima threatened us to stand against that night?" When they all nodded, Aalia included from the door, she continued. "He got married to her this morning in the mosque!"

"Married to who?" Someone caught Aalia's breath as she was about to blurt out same question.

"To Fatima." And the plate dropped. . .

"You are not supposed to digest anything, Mom." The words spit from her teeth before she could hold them, the anger palpable in each word. Her nostrils flaring, arms sweeping around to make her point. "You are supposed to do something to get my position back! I want to marry Ahmad through thick or thin. I will marry him."

Still calm and collected, Adeelah raise a single brow up her forehead. "What are you going to do if I am to remove my hands off this situation?" She taunted, genuinely curious about the determination in her daughter's eyes.

Eyes protruding, nostrils still flared, the expression in her eyes terrifically tight with anger, her white face reddened almost instantly. Adeelah never saw nor knew about that side of her daughter, it surprised her. Her body tensed, her chubby hands coming to swipe off the emotions from her face so it won't look too disrespectful to her mother. She's angry though, she wants something for herself and she will fight for it.

How dare Fatima decide to play such wild card? Does she even love Ahmad or this is some sort of joke like everything she's done in her life?! How could her dream only be ephemeral?

She's never crossed Fatima's path and hardly even see her in the house, Fatima wants the life of the people in the house faraway from hers and they try to do as she wants. No one wants to trouble that froward lunatic, she doesn't take things lightly when triggered. It's been long since she's seen Fatima face to face, it is usually from afar.

"I'm going to shred out the secret." She finally whispered, spun around and accelerated from the living room.

"Calm the fuck down, Fatima!" Betsy yelled after getting tired of the tantrums Fatima is throwing unnecessarily. She is draining out both their energy with that unhealthy stuff.

Fatima wanted to retort but winced and fell back on the bed, the pain is still there but due to anger, she didn't even feel it when she was throwing things and screaming at the top of her lungs. Her father had the audacity to send her the picture of how she got married to Ahmad and a short video of them announced as husband and wife.

The damned boot was sitting there looking lost and confused, it didn't matter to her though. The fact that he agreed to the marriage and was sane when it happened made everything more blurry and contemptuous.

Her mouth is dry and a lump is forming in her throat, heat rising behind her eyelids. Her stomach itself felt heavy, the food she had vanishing like it had never slid there. She's still in that denial and disbelieve phase, running her hands through her short hair for the nth time. She cannot believe what is going on in her life, she sincerely cannot.

When she thought things would start going her way, she will plan out her life and live it the way she wants, only for her father to throw dirt and all sort of trash her way. Is this man kidding her? Even if she thought it was that a joke at first, it is not anymore. How could it be a joke when the video is there and the time she got married is five in the morning after Fajr prayer.

Her breathing is now restricted, she feels lightheaded and suddenly very anxious. Small intakes of breath started coming out in gasps, as if she is about to take her final breath and leave the earth and for a moment there, she wants to leave the world and just die. She wants to meet her Lord and finally rest. The world is not for her, she could feel it in her bones. The universe despise her.

Betsy adjusted her on the bed, her lips sealed. "I told you to calm down, look what is happening now. Take deep breaths and release." She advised, endorsing her words with emollient swipe of hand from the top of her spine down below to her waist.

Fatima badly wants to cry, let it all but again but she gulped down every single tear. She swallowed hard, lie back down on the bed and focus and breathing well to avoid panic attack. She's been through those her whole childhood and even parts of her adulthood, she wants to get rid of it once and for all. But with her father still adamant on breaking the little pieces of her, she doubt she could make it.

"I abhor that I love him this much, Bet. No matter what he does, I can't help loving him. I despise it." She swallowed, closing her eyes and brows with her elbow. She is shrouding the helplessness crawling up slowly.

"We are meant to love our parents and their flaws even though we don't want to do so. Have faith that everything is planned and you will see the light at the end of the tunnel." Betsy wants to bring back that quaitrelle inundating into abysmal pits, she wants her back.

Fatima let out a bitter chortle. "What light? What tunnel are you talking about? I cannot see any tunnel, forget about light."

Betsy took Fatima's phone and searched for something then gave her to read.

It is a quote amongst the thousands ones she's screenshot. It says: "He attends to his creation, forgives sins, eases difficulties and relieves distress. He mends the broken, enriches the poor, teaches the ignorant, guides the astray, directs the confused and helps the desperate. He frees the captive, feeds the hungry, clothes the naked and cures the sick. He aids the oppressed and humble the tyrant. He conceals fault and calms fears."

Fatima's mood lifted and she scrolled to continue reading about her Lord while inwardly thankful for having a friend like Betsy. She is telling her to whisper and cry to Allah for He is going to answer her at the right time. If only Betsy is a Muslim, their friendship would've been stronger and more solid.

"He sees all things, the visible and invisible. He sees black ant crawling across a solid black rock in a pitch dark night. No matters are hidden from Him nor are secrets withheld from him. He has knowledge of what has occurred and what is yet to occur."

After reading some more, she locked her phone and tuck it beside her. She knew not to think about anything horrendous after just speaking to her Lord but her mind works before her cranium could hold back.

On God, Fatima never wanted to marry in the first place and if she were forced to do so like every other family, it will be when she is turning thirty five or something. By then, she's been to all the countries in the world and decide where to settle down and get married. But at just twenty three, her father forced her to marry? No, he didn't force her actually. He got her married without her knowledge because she is sure he won't be able to force her. That is why he result to what is best for him. Or not.

She will make Ahmad's life a living nightmare and her father will surely regret giving birth to someone like her.

Ahmad's mistake is agreeing to be bought by her father, money will ruin him just like he thought it made him.

"Why are you featuring that ugly smile, Tims?" Betsy shift uncomfortably, hoping this plan won't be merged with her.

"You can't begin to imagine what I will do to that ACP."