The Formula of Forever✅

7; Fate? Nah.

They could all tell something was off about the bride. She wasn't ecstatic about the wedding to begin with, but she was indifferent about it either. During the past few days though, something about her has changed.

She emitted this gloomy aura which makes everything so off considering she's always been the jovial type. The weird fact was she became that way after Rafael visited. They simply decided to conclude it as perhaps, she and him had a misunderstanding that they would fix soon or something.

Mama even had to give her a speech on how they should learn to fix things between them and not let it go out of hand. That with the wedding this close, it's better for them to learn how to fix their issues.

Yasmeen simply offered her a small smile that didn't reach her eyes, and then nodded. She was dying to tell her mother the situation, needing someone to tell her all will be well but she was scared. She loves her mother; the woman isn't the strict type but you never know with parents.

The issues you least expect to be scolded about is the one they scold over. The one you worry about, they won't scold.

She didn't want to take the risk-especially not with the chance of her father finding out. If he does, she doubts he would even bother to hear her side of the story before pinning all the blame on her.

So, for her wellbeing, she decided to keep the information and the pictures all to herself and simply wait to see what Rafael would do. Waiting for him is nerve wrecking, not with him refusing to reply any of her message or return her calls. Normally, she's a pretty stubborn being that wouldn't bother to contact people who treat her in such way.

But she is being reasonable.

This goes beyond her pride and wounded image. There's her family and his family all on the line. Besides, the wedding is in a little to a week. If things fall apart now because of a misunderstanding...she doesn't want to imagine what will happen and the shame she will bring to her family.

She didn't know what to feel exactly, or what to think-and as such, found herself lying in bed for the past few days with little interaction with anyone else-not her mother, not Amina, and no one else.

They tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't budge. So, they gave her space.

That particular day though, Mama knew soon enough, hell will raise when a group of uninvited guests decided to drop by. The air in the house shifted to something tense, and everyone that knows them had to stop and watch them trudge in.

How could they not? They didn't exactly come in quietly.

No, they were throwing nasty comments and snickering...walking as if they own the place and in a way, they do.

Kulu was the first person to stop them from going further into the house, before her siblings joined them and the chaos got louder than ever. They weren't willing to back down, and neither were Yasmeen's aunts because they wouldn't tolerate them coming into that house and disrespecting them.

It's because of issues like this that they decided to move to the house knowing something like this is bound to arise. It's proving to be impossible to get some peace again.

Knowing the commotion and the cause of it, Mama emerged from the crowd and went to stand in front of her sisters, raising a hand slightly to stop them from further exchanging any insulting words.

Her siblings didn't want to do so, but out of respect, they had to do as she asked.

With them now silent, Mama's eyes met that of the uninvited guests. Releasing a barely visible breath, she questioned. "What are you doing here?"