MY HUSBAND’S BROTHER

SORRY I'M LATE

[Present Day]

Maizah walked down the aisle side by side with Aunt Masara. As Maizah walks, all eyes are immediately drawn to her. Her beauty is striking, and it radiates from within. Her face is symmetrical, with high cheekbones and a delicate jawline. Her eyes are large and almond-shaped, with long, dark lashes that frame them perfectly. They sparkle with intelligence and curiosity, drawing people in and making them feel seen.

Her skin is flawless, with a soft, creamy complexion that seems to glow from within. Her lips are full and perfectly shaped, with a natural, rosy hue that makes them irresistible.

But it's not just her physical beauty that sets her apart. There's a grace and poise to her movements that speaks of inner strength and confidence. She holds herself with dignity and elegance, as though she knows she deserves all the attention she's receiving.

Where the hell is the groom? Because there's no one waiting for her at the altar except for the priest, she's not marrying with the priest.

It's not been half a year since Hakim died; no, it's only been three months, and her mother-in-law Rebecca told her that from now on, Amare 'Hakim's brother' was her husband by law, customary law. Yes, it has been done before, but Maizah didn't think it still happens. Even Maizah's aunt didn't see that one coming.

Well, if the widow's family can't pay back the bride's price, which in this case, the bride price is the money Hakim paid for Maizah's surgery, the resources, the doctors, and the aftercare services.

To keep the property within the family of the widowed woman, she was obliged to marry one of the men in that family. The thought of someday becoming a widowed woman has never entered her mind. She cried and pleaded with her aunt to prevent it from happening, but it was of no avail.

Her in-laws didn't even know that she was their daughter-in-law. Imagine the horror when they learned from the will that Hakim left everything he owned to his dear wife, whom no one knew about.

Back to the wedding, the honored guests are the Jackson family, 'her in-laws.' It's even surprising that they could attend Maizah's simple wedding.

The Jacksons didn't want to throw the wedding; they just wanted to keep everything on the down low, but Maizah's aunt couldn't allow her one and only niece not to have her dream wedding.

Aunt Masara has other nieces and nephews, though, but maybe she forgot when she was arguing with the Jacksons about them.

The Jacksons have been a dominant force in the Centurion town for decades. Six years ago, the company's founder, Ola's father, died due to old age, entrusting his company to the hands of his first grandson, Hakim.

Everyone in Hakim's family loved the glamorous lifestyle, but he was unique because he was a hard worker who constantly aimed to change the world. No one disagreed with the decision because they all recognized his dedication as he worked tirelessly.

He worked like a sinner, begging for forgiveness.

Their company has many smaller companies under it. These include services that offer cloud computing, satellite internet, and computer hardware.

Over the years, it has grown a lot and now has many stores. The company also makes consumer electronics like cell phones, tablets, and TVs. With all these products and services, it wouldn't be surprising if they started making robots to do simple tasks.

Their company, along with their personal lives, has kept them in the public eye. They are like a walking, breathing "Soap Opera" activity.

Someone once claimed they don't use the bathroom to relieve themselves. Of course, everyone believed that claim. Who wouldn't? What if they have machines to remove waste from their intestines?

The only Jacksons present at the wedding are Ola, Rebecca, and Zendaya. Ohh, and the groom, of course, Amare, but he seems to be running late.

They are elegantly dressed with double-edged swords of fashion. They are the stars of the show. They look, smell, and act like money. Indeed, the only words they say are money, money, money.

Then there's Maizah's relatives from both sides of her family. Meaning her five aunts, 11 cousins, six uncles, and many children are present. Then there are also distant family members. Hell! If the Jacksons didn't attend the wedding, they wouldn't have even been noticed except for the groom, and he's needed, of course.

Maizah's family never misses any occasion, whether it's a party, funeral, wake, or wedding, whether it is someone they know or not. As long there's music, alcohol, and lots of food, they are always there to have fun.

There's also no dress code; hence, others are wearing the latest fashion trends, others are wearing cultural attires, and some of Maizah's cousins look like they were not informed about the wedding. They just heard about it from their weed dealer.

Some of her uncles looked like they were going to the garden to plant some seeds but decided to attend the wedding first, and somehow, they forgot to change their work clothes.

So all in one, Maizah's Family members look like they are their survivors of world war three but damn! They have the purest grins on their faces.

Their joy is pure and feels like a piercing blade through the enemy's cold-blooded heart.

Not every day they get to witness one of their bloodline wearing a white gown and walking down the aisle. They usually get married undercover, and the undercover part means that the man asks for their daughter's hand in marriage.

Later the same day before anyone would know what's going on, the daughter is sent off with her luggage to her new home. It also goes the same for a man in the Igwe family. Weddings are just not typical for them.

Maizah climbs the steps to the wedding arch, holding her aunt tightly for support. The wedding arch is made of driftwood decorated with white and purple flamboyant cattleyas, releasing a gentle floral to citrus smell.

Where's the groom?" Maizah whispers to her aunt, smiling and nodding lightly at everyone who makes eye contact with her. She is trying to look as calm and poised as she can be, but on the inside, she is panicking, with her mind racing everywhere, trying to make sense of where the groom can be; just the thought of standing at the wedding arch alone is a nightmare.

She can hear murmurs from the crowd, and they seem to be all playing in slow motion; she can make out everything said.

"I wonder, how will I look in the pictures with the sun facing me like this? Wait.. did I put my sunscreen?" One of her aunts asks, looking at her face at the black screen of her phone.

"I should probably check those idiots and that ferocious beast of a cow." Says Aunt Masara, disappearing from the crowds.

"I heard that she and her aunt are witches." One of the guests whispers to her friend.

"What! I had that she was uneducated with no job; how could anyone marry 'something' like her? I'm way better than her, right?" The other friend replies, snickering as they both glance at Maizah and find her looking at them with a smile; they quickly avert their eyes, looking under their chairs like they lost something.

"Wow! That dress is gorgeous, just pure classic and timeless. The lacework, the delicate embroidery, and Oh! My God! I love the tiny slit at the end. I want one just like that for my photoshoot on Monday. I should call my tailor." Says Zendaya with a big smile as she takes out her phone and starts stabbing her keyboard with her long and pointy nails while typing.

"Where the hell is that brat? He better not be planning on ditching this wedding. I can't have this farm girl taking everything we own!" Rebecca murmurs as she turns left and right, looking for her son, but he is nowhere in sight.

"I will steal those flowers later and visit my Nina's grave. It has been a while since I visited her." One of Maizah's cousins thinks aloud as he stares at the bouquet in Maizah's hands.

For what felt like an eternity to Maizah, Amare finally arrived at the wedding looking like he had just come out of a suicide mission, which he drastically lost. He seemed angry and disoriented as if he had just been reincarnated into the exact moment he had died, with no time to change clothes or think about what had just happened. Despite this, he didn't let anything stop him from attending his wedding.

"Sorry, I'm late. Please carry on." Amare says to the priest without even looking at his blushing bride, not that she is blushing.

The only thing she seems to be doing is committing a bouquet murder; she is clutching the flowers so tight that she doesn't even notice the girl holding her hand out to take the flowers from her.