BRIDAL CONTEST

Chapter 29

  Because I sleep and wake-up with you in mind.

Young African Billionaires released the pictures of the prominent faces at their summit in Addis Ababa including that of Arshad Tambari with his date. An unknown face wearing a boat-neck sapphire-blue cocktail dress.

A few hours later a northern blog posted a picture of them laughing as their hands are smeared with clay in a pottery house in Minna. The caption reads; Tambari COO and his YAB date.

Before you know it the engagement on the post skyrocket with comments and shares. Then the picture they know not of, of their jogging days hits the internet.

Amnah was just reading the comments and laughing her head off, her stomach is grumbling with hunger as she had an early night and didn't eat dinner yesterday but she kept postponing, enjoying the good laugh from the comments she is reading. She jumped to Twitter and their tweets were brutal.

Are they secretly married? They ought to because no First class family will approve their heir getting married to a nonentity.

The first comment under that tweet is: His Missus na, how can he be stupidly rich and chaste inthis modern age and time e no de happen na. Oluwa gimme moneyyyyy.

She jumped to the next tweet under the trending hashtag #TambariHeir

A famous News blog also have a piece with "Tambari COO sighted with an unknown face in this year's YAB event" as their headline.

Amnah kept going through the tweets from the one making her laugh to the ones clearly hating, to those  admiring, to those who are un-bothered. They are just using the trending hashtag to get visibility for their market.

But then she came across one that tightens her chest and make cold shivers travel up her spine.

No, no, no! I thought he have eyes for women. What's this?

There was a lot of engagement on that one and it kept on adding so she went straight to the comments ready to see how people will tongue-lash the lousy opinionated girl.

I thought so too but you don't know who her father is, the answer of why her could be there.

That was it for her. She drops the phone on the bedside drawer and drag up her comforter as if it will comfort her away from the train of thoughts that will be cramming her brain.

Why is she never enough for Arshad? Hasn't she leveled up enough? She has gone far beyond her comfort zone just so she could convince herself that something might actually happen between them but it is still not enough.

When the family choose her for the charade she thought it is because they see the possibility of THAT ever happening but now she knows it is because they wanted someone who will not blab it outside.

Even his mother didn't see her worthy to be his bride, it's so painful that she chose Beeba over her in that aspect.

Feet were tapping on the floor of the corridor of her room and she is sure is Amatullah but she is in no mood for a chitchat with her which is most likely related to what is dampening her mood. So she close her eyelids before the sister could open the door.

"So unlike her, maybe she is a bit under the weather", and the door screeches back close.

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"Another of your picture have stormed the net and is causing so much controversy. It is not good for your reputation", he kept pushing back the glasses that is not falling while sitting at the edge of the chair.

"It's a picture of us in Jet and we are cousins, i don't see how that is a problem".

"The picture your sister posted wasn't a problem until a gossip blog curated a story of a pregnancy that you want to cover up, that's why there's an impromptu wedding".

"Wow. Wedding. Where did they get that from?" He stopped looking at the screen giving his full attention to the guy in checked shirt and slacks sitting on the chair opposite his.

They hate it that they don't have an insider information so they create a rumor most likely believable so that their followers won't loose interest or better still move to the competition. It's all about them having the upper hand and the money they are getting they don't care who suffers because of it.

Arshad hisses and PR II abruptly looks up because that is so unlike him. "Just ignore them, i doubt if anyone will buy their pettiness".

PR II shook his head, his boss is underrating their power in the society. "Their followers are loyal, is like people forget their problems when they see other people's. Or it gives them joy that everyone is Human after all. Whichever way it is, it is not a good publicity for us".

"You can go ahead then but i still don't get how someone can derive joy from destroying people who don't even know them", Arshad sighs deeply.

"Is all about the money for them. We can pay them to take down the accusations".

Arshad shifted his gaze to PRO II from his monitor, "in the minds of the people too?"

"Most always have a backup plan should in case the victims want to pay them up, that's if the rumor is not true. We can use that and bring them down".

"That wouldn't be necessary", he dismissed him and answers his phone that has been ringing silently immediately the man closes the door after him.

"I'm sure i made it clear to you that you can't contact me. I make sure I give you a check-up call whenever i am able to", he said sternly griming his face as if the person on the other end of the receiver is in front of him.

"Ya khaloof. Do the job I'm paying you to do". He ended the call and immediately felt regret gushing over him. He is in a tight spot but that does not give him the right to lash out on him like that.

He made a mental note to apologize later, now is the time to deal with the mess he has made.

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"Hey sis", Amatullah said after welcoming herself inside the room with her sister and cousin. She sat behind and adjacent to them on the bed making a triangle. In one hand is a cup of Nutella and the other a plate of biscuit she's throwing into her cup of chocolate.

Zuby collected the cup from her which she reluctantly gave up. She broke a piece of biscuit into the cup and twirl it inside the liquid chocolate and then took it to her mouth with the spoon.

Her eyelids snapped close as the yumminess melted into her tongue. She could swear she felt her ears move on their own.

"They have finally found out who she is", Amatullah spoke bringing Zubaida out of her reverie.

"I think you should avoid Social Media for now because the trolls are everywhere and they are so bitter. I wonder how it's a problem just because you're cousins".

"I don't know why people think they have a say in your life when they don't even have a full picture of what it is".

"I almost forgot. Mr COO called", she earned herself a glare from the two friends. "What?! I can't call him that? But you two do", she whines.

"He is your older cousin"

"And not yours?" Her hands akimbo.

"He's her boyfriend", Zubaida matches her gaze and she drops her shoulder. "Anyways", she became bubbly the next second, "your phone was off so he said i should tell you you're going out.

"And if i don't want to?"

"Come on, don't let the world come between you two".

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Have a restful weekend.

Let's hand out some day.
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