MY HUSBAND’S BROTHER

KEEP HER HAPPY

Maizah walks to their suite and hides in her closet after Amare's rude remark. She doesn't want to look at his face or even hear his voice any longer.

She sits on the floor behind the table in the middle; she doesn't even know what it is for. She silently cries, not caring about the elegant dressing area decorated with a handblown glass chandelier, rosewood and leather shelves, and closets backed with silver mirrors. The space has a refreshing vibe due to the soft lighting and open rows of clothing. There are hooks for hangers at the end of each row to display one's favorite pieces, as well as clear drawers and open shelves for miscellaneous accessories.

Her heart is so broken she can't help but miss her aunt back home. She can't even call her, she lost her phone somewhere back at home, she's not sure whether before or after the wedding, but she lost it then.

Meanwhile, Amare's heart is beating faster; he's so angry at Maizah; how can she tell him about the loss of a loved one? Has she ever experienced the loss of living dead relatives?

He strides hurriedly, looking for his mother; he can't take it anymore; he doesn't even know how much time he has spent with Maizah, but he knows one thing for sure: it's enough for him to file for divorce papers.

He finds her mother sitting in the chair with her body sinking as she rests her bones, letting go of the tension on her legs, abdomen, and shoulders. Feeling the bones settle into their natural homes. She gives her pant legs a little tug when she feels them stretched. She's enjoying a cup of Oolong tea, but her peace and happiness are suddenly ruined as she sees her son storming inside the room with clenched jaws and fists.

Amare paces around the room without saying anything. He's trying to calm himself, but nothing is working.

Rebecca sighs. "This is no good at all." she thinks as she puts her cup on the table and stares at her son.

Amare's knuckles whiten as he grips the back of the chair. He pushes the chair out of the way and starts pacing again, making Rebecca annoyed.

"What is wrong with you? You're making me dizzy with all your pacing?" Rebecca yells angrily as she supports her elbow on the table, resting her head on her palm.

Amare's eyes darkened, "What did you say?" He asks, glaring straight into his mother's soul. She seems to have been taken aback for a few seconds, but she quickly covers it with a fake concern.

"Is something wrong?" She asks

"No, nothing's wrong," replies Amare. But he's lying. He is angry, and his mother can tell, hell even a blind person can tell, considering how heavy his breathing is, but even though he is angry, he doesn't know where to start.

"You know you can tell me if something bothers you, so spit it out. What is it?" Says Rebecca, trying to use her motherly concern, but it has been so long since she used it, so her voice comes as a boss woman as always.

"Everything," replies Amare as he takes out a cigar and lights it. He tries inhaling, but it's not doing its job. The smoke gets stuck in his throat, so he puts it out.

"What do you mean, everything?" Rebecca asks.

"You can first explain to me why you married me to that girl, and this don't sugarcoat it. I need you to tell me the truth." Says Amare, looking through the cabinets for a whiskey; every room in the house has a whiskey decanter safely secured.

Rebecca rolls her eyes as she takes a sip of her tea. "Well, you didn't have to put on an act if you only wanted to ask me that. It would have helped you if you had chose acting like your father. Your skills are top-notch. Why did you choose painting?" She asks

Amare glares at his mother, "Don't try to change the subject. Mother," He says, spitting.

Rebecca sighs, "Fine, I will tell you, but what I'm about to tell you should not leave this room." She says, holding eye contact with Amare for a few seconds to show that she means business.

Amare's ears peek up as he listens to his mother carefully; this is precisely what he needs to carry out his plan of taking everything his dear mother holds dear.

Rebecca stands up and walks to the door, locking it before moving to sit on the couch; Amare follows her, sitting on the opposite couch.

Rebecca's voice trembled with emotion as she recounted the story of Hakim's unexpected departure and the surprising revelation that he had left everything he owned, including the family business, to her. With each word, she painted a vivid picture of her shock and disbelief when she first heard the news.

"Huh, so it's the company," Amare thinks, smiling inwardly, but he can't contain his smile; he starts laughing out loud.

Rebecca's eyes flash with anger. "Why are you laughing? Do you think this is funny?" She asks, raising her voice in anger.

"No, forgive me, but Hakim knew that his long-term illness could kill him anytime. What is her relationship with him besides marriage? Surely there's a huge reason we don't know for him to do that? Why did he do it?" Amare asks, looking at his mother.

Rebecca's eyes go wide ."Do.. um. I don't know; how can I know what he was thinking?" She lies. For someone who had done her share in acting, she's really bad at it.

Rebecca knows precisely why Hakim did it, but she doesn't want to acknowledge it, and Amare knows that his mother is hiding something, but he will find the truth one day.

"Why are you even worried about her?" Amare asks

Rebecca stares at her son in disbelief. "How could you be asking me that?"

"You're always answering a question with a question anyway: wasn't the company shares split among grandfather's children?"

"Let's say what you think is true. Now explain why your father or aunt didn't work and why Hakim had to work 24/7 to keep everything running." Rebecca asks lazily.

Amare sighs. "I thought they gave up their shares to Hakim and Zendaya."

Rebecca lets out a dry laugh. "What a ridiculous thought. Hakim owned the whole business; his grandfather left it to him. Zendaya is just another employee. We hid it so well from the media no one could suspect anything."

"Wow, that explains why she quit when I became in charge. How come no one told me anything about all of this?" Amare asks, enjoying the juicy details of his imperfect family.

It doesn't matter whether they are already hurting or broken; he will end them. He will make them feel how he felt when he drowned himself with drugs just to escape from the pain they caused him.

He almost died a couple of times because of them, but did they ever notice? No

Did they ever ask him how he feels? No

Did they ever ask him where he was all this time? No

Did they ever care about him? No

They only cared when they needed him.

"Zendaya just got a better offer from another company. It's not your fault. If you cared enough about what was happening in this family, you would have known."

"Ohh. Well, why don't we just file a partition suit? Dad is still alive to claim the company as his." Says Amare casually, shrugging.

Rebecca doesn't know whether to cry or strangle his son to death, but one thing she knows is she's furious.

What Amare just said is pure idiotic. Immediately, Rebecca's cheeks flush, and her facial muscles become rigid as she stomps towards him. Grabbing him by his collar, she jerked him close to her face, gritting her teeth, "Have you been listening to me, or are your ears no longer? I SAID THE COMPANY WAS NOT YOUR DAD'S IN THE FIRST PLACE! IT WAS HAKIM'S, YOU STUPID SON OF A ... COW. That old geezer you call grandfather left it to that idiotic son of.." The sound of knocking cuts off her sentence.

Throwing Amare back to the couch, she straightens her clothes and begins walking towards the door. She unlocks it, then opens it and bitingly remarks. "I will deal with you later." She closes the door, focusing her attention back on Amare.

Rebecca's assistant stands there on the other side of the door, a little confused, not sure whether to leave or wait for her. She stands there waiting for her boss.

"As I was saying, even if we did file a partition suit, it would take 20 to 30 years to get it back finally. The easiest way was to marry you with that farm girl before she even discovers that she owns it." Rebecca answers

Amare's eyes widen. "So, she doesn't know?" he asks.

"No, she doesn't. That farm girl wouldn't be able to find a fly in her nose." Rebecca answers.

"So, how do you suggest we get it back if she doesn't know?" Amare asks.

"I don't know. I haven't been able to figure it out yet, but for now, keep her happy." Says Rebecca, leaving Amare with his thoughts.

Keep her happy! That's a little bit late for that; wherever she is, Amare is sure that she doesn't want to see him.