Chapter 5: Too broken to be happy

"Where is Mandy?" Edward asked as they sat in the dining. 

"Sorry sir, she said she is not hungry." The chef said, Edward stood to go to her but Susan held his hand. 

"Honey let her be, she will be fine." 

"What if she is not?" Edward asked, Susan looked at him, and Edward sighed and sat, he too couldn't eat, he left the dining leaving Susan and Sharon, Susan sighed, she was sharing her husband with her daughter and it was obvious Edward loved Mandy more than anyone.

"Don't worry, soon you will have him all to yourself and that will be a victory for you," Sharon reassured her mother. 

*****

The next morning, Mandy is still sulking, she sits at the window, staring out through the window but everything is blank to her, nothing seems to make her happy, her favorite television channel doesn't interest her, and she is lying on the floor of her room, she cries, she wants the tears to stop but it's not stopping, she slips into her trouser and a t-shirt, she is heading out. 

"Where are you going again?" Sharon asked her, she didn't say a word, she just darted outside, she entered her car, she drove to Noor, right in front of his apartment, she wanted to hit the door but she turned and entered her car, she tried calling him but he had blocked her, her tears drop, she zooms off, she forgets to lock her car door, which is unlike her, she go to the garden, she watch the stars, for the first time in her life, she felt so empty like a space box. Her tears drop, remembering the stars in Noor's room, she runs back inside and locks herself.

Lauren is trying to fix some stuff for the marriage, he needs to, he is the type that wants his stuff done properly and perfectly since it's a societal marriage, and everything needs to be in place. 

"Hey bro, what are you up to?" Larry asked as he jumped on the couch. "I want to fix the wedding venue..."

"I don't think that is necessary, dad has fixed it, the only thing, he wants is for you and your bride to be there."

"Alright, I will check for the venue if it suits me, I need an international stylist to fix yours and my suit, our shoes; our..."

"Slow down, what is your bride wear?" He pressed his lips together, he hadn't thought of her. 

"Yes big brother, where is your ring?" Lisa said as she too jumped on Lauren. "You, do you want to break my back?" 

"Oh please, you are too rocky to be broken, so what is her ring size?" Larry burst into laughter hearing their beloved kid sister's words, he is aware that Lauren had no idea about that, he doesn't fucking have an idea of what Larry and Lauren discussed with Mandy after their last discuss

"How am I supposed to know?" Lauren said indifferent, he never thought of that. "I got an idea, let's go pick her to get the ring." 

"Crazy, who goes with her girl to get a ring?" Larry said. "It's not engagement, it's wedding, she already knows you two are getting married." 

She added, Lauren smiled, he hardly smiled but at this point, he just smiled. 

"Let's call her." 

"So you have her number?" Lauren asked she shrugged. 

"Anyways, we go there tomorrow but I don't see..." 

"Lauren!" Larry called him, he wanted to object to the idea of going to get Mandy a ring 

"Fine, I will pick her up tomorrow, three of us," Lauren said as he picked up his stuff. 

"Why not today?" Lisa just wanted to see what her would-be sister-in-law looked like. 

"No Lisa, not today," Lauren said he opened the door, and his security was ready to go after him. 

"How does she look?" Lisa's voice came up as Larry also wanted to head out. "She is simple and cute." These words of Larry make her excitement grow, although she is the daughter of the richest man in Singapore and the second richest man in the world, she is still very humble but to the outside world, all three kids of Daniel are brats, the eldest must be a monster that is while no one knows his face, the other son is too full of himself, that is the reason he never had a girlfriend and the only girl among them, she has no friends, they are in world of their own. Edward returns the next day, since the incident, he has been spending most of his time at his guesthouse, he doesn't want to see his special daughter heartbroken. 

"Where is my angel?" He asked as they sat to eat at the dining. 

"She is locked in her room." 

"Who thy fuck lock my princess?" Edward yelled. "No one, she did it herself." Edward stands in anger, he is about to dart to Mandy's room after getting the spare keys, but he is surprised to see the mask of Lauren, his brother, and kid sister. 

"Sir, what..."

"I came to see my bride," Lauren said, his words were strange and forward without respect. 

"Good evening sir!" Lisa and Larry greet. 

"Welcome, you all should sit," Susan responds, Lauren rolls his eyes, what is his business with respect? He takes his hand off his pocket still standing while Lisa and Larry are seated. 

"I want to..."

"Sure, but sit let me get her," Edward said, he doesn't freaking want to get on this monster's bad side. 

"I thought you were having a family meal..." Lauren is talking too much now, Larry dragged his shirt a bit to stop him from saying his last words that might sound offensive. 

"The thing is, the young lady is sulking she doesn't want to marry you because you are a..."

"You should learn to mind your business," Mandy said as she walked down the hallway, one of the maids had informed her that Lauren was there, so she decided to come down; she wasn't wearing anything fancy but she was beautiful and her hair is not well kept, the way she walked makes Lauren ogle too much on her. 

"Sorry, you should sit," Mandy said, He too doesn't seem to understand himself, why is he lusting on her, he shakes his head. 

"Sure!" He sat as the maid arranged juice for them, Sharon went to bring the family album for them to watch. 

"Hey handsome, my name is Sharon, I am her elder sister." 

"Oh, sorry for our bad matters, I am Larry, he is Lauren, my big brother and this is our kid sister Lisa."

"Nice to..."

"So Larry, you are his younger Brother?" Lisa wanted to talk to her but she had interrupted her, she doesn't need to have a conversation with Lisa, she is too small for her, Larry looked at her, he knew his sister was feeling bad, Lauren didn't notice because his eyes are fixed on Mandy, he knows something is wrong but he just can't place it. 

"Lisa right?" Mandy asked her, she nodded, still feeling down. "You are cute and your dress, did you make it yourself?" She notices it's a woven dress from wool. 

"Yes, I did it myself." 

"Really? I have been trying to make one but I just can't get it right, maybe, you could teach me." Mandy said, Lisa smiled, her mood was lighting, in a second she and Mandy were like old friends while Lauren was watching a picture with Larry, Susan, and Edward at the other end watching a movie, he wasn't paying attention to the faces in the album but then he notices none of Mandy picture is there. 

"There, this is when we went on vacation in Florida and this is one on my graduation." Sharon keeps explaining why pressing his arm against hers. 

"What about this?" Larry asked. 

"Oh, this is when I won the most beautiful model in the modeling world, it's lovely right."

"Yes! Whoa! So many lovely memories." Larry said as the album finally came to an end. 

"So which of my..."

"Why is Mandy not in any of the pictures?" Lauren's voice was like thunder and authoritative, Edward and Susan stared at him, no one expected him to notice that and ask, not even a single pic got her face