"What!" Sa'eed howled. His demeanour contorted in infuriation and he could feel the veins in his forehead tickling. He spoke through gnashed teeth. "She did what?"

Instead of giving a reply, the little frightened girl began to cry.

Sa'eed knelt down in front of her and took her face between his palms, wiping her tears away in the process. He couldn't fathom the amount of ire that overwhelmed him - it was immeasurable. Visualising what he just learnt alone was enough to drive him to insanity - his baby was being maltreated in his own house. Under his very nose!

"She's going to kill me now." She cried. "She made me promise not to say a word to anyone."

Sa'eed's blood boiled. The nerve of that good for nothing girl! After mistreating his daughter, she had the nerve to threaten her. To threaten a child. To threaten his daughter. There and then, he vowed to make her pay immensely for what she did. He was going to hand her over to the cops whenever he lays his eyes on her next. "Don't worry, baby. She won't be able to do anything to you now. Abee is here. She will never be able to get close to you now." He promised.

He couldn't imagine the torture Nafisa must have given to his daughter to make her that scared of her in spite of her absence. She dared lay a hand on his daughter - a thing he had never done ever since she was birthed. Who was she to that to his daughter? He had never allowed even Maryam - her mother do that to her.

He felt a lone tear running down his cheek. He swiftly got rid of it before his daughter could see it. "Tell me everything." He demanded. "RIGHT NOW!" he added hoarsely when he felt her hesitating. He was blinded by rage - so much that he didn't realise he was scaring the little girl beyond imagination. She had never seen her father that angry before and definitely not towards her. "How many times did she hit you? Was it more than once?"

She nodded.

Sa'eed swallowed a huge lump in his troat. It was more than once. His fingers began to tremble violently. "What else did she do to you?" In as much as he didn't want to hear worse - what could be even worse? He had to know everything since he had succeeded in making her speak up. "What else did she do to you?"

Manal remained silent and averted her gaze away from him.

"Manal." He called a bit sternly. "You will have to speak up today and don't you dare omit a thing."

"She used to make me sweep the parlor, the kitchen and the balconies..."

"Go on." Sa'eed probed, balling a fist. He just wished he could use it on someone. Something. Anything. Perchance, it would lessen the amount of vexation in him.

"She doesn't prepare my favorite foods for me and... She also made me take ummi's jewelries and money from the drawer in the room. I didn't want to do it. My teacher says it's a sin to take someone's property without their knowledge. I'm sorry, abee." She cried.

"Why?" He asked through his teeth. "Why didn't you inform me? Why didn't you inform any of us? Tell me!!" He yelled. And for the first time, he made his daughter scared of him. He saw the fear in her glistening eyes. He instantly regretted his action though it wasn't him aim or fault - he was hurting too much. He had had his doubts about her for so long, but he never imagined her cruelty would get to the extent of making her steal things. Was it her aim to turn his daughter into a thief at that tender age of hers?!

He snapped out of his trance and was about to hush Manal, when Maryam appeared in the midst of the tumultuous scene.

Her gaze traveled between Sa'eed and Manal before it finally settled on sa'eed. "What's going on here? Why are you yelling at her? You've decided what you want to do to me and now Manal? What has she done to you?" She asked.

Sa'eed knew where she was coming from, but he was just too angry to continue listening to her discourteous words. Abruptly, his gaze darted to Manal. "Go to your room."

She didn't need to be told twice before she ran away.

"What was that about?" Maryam asked.

Sa'eed gazed at her in agitation. If it wasn't for Maryam - if only it wasn't because of her, all these wouldn't have happened to the daughter he cherished so much more than his own life.

"Why are you-"

"It's all your fault!" He breathed laboriously. "How dare she!"

Maryam was taken aback by Sa'eed behavior. "What have I done? What are you talking about? I'm not the one planning to get remar-"

"I told you." He said dangerously calm. "I pleaded with you." He gritted his teeth. "I. Warned. You." He enunciated each word perilously.

"Habi-"

"Do. Not. Interrupt. Me." He warned, his pointer finger just some inches away from her forehead.

She gasped.

From where Sa'eed stood, he could hear her rapid intake of breath, but it didn't serve as a cue to him to calm down even though it was for a tad bit. He continued. "I have always listened to everything you say. I have always given you everything you asked for. I have always done everything in my power to keep you happy. I have always put you first before myself. I give you all the respect you deserve. I lo- " he cut himself off, heaving a sigh. "All I ever asked of you was for you to take care of Manal - your own daughter. Was that too much to ask for?" He asked. "Was it?"

Maryam who was oblivious to why Sa'eed was acting psyched, kept mum. She didn't want to say something wrong and spike up his anger. She rather remained silent.

"We've failed as Manal's parents. As parent's, we're suppose to protect our children, but we are the same people who put her in the hands of danger. You." He enunciated. "Gave her the liberty to treat my daughter iniquitously. If you had listened to be from the very start to not give a space to Nafisa in this house, this wouldn't have happened. And after giving the stranger a place in our hone, the best you could do was to set aside your negligence and observe her behavior, but NO! You couldn't do a simple task as that." He breathed heavily. "What kind of a mother are you?!"

"Ya Sa'eed!" Zainab called emphatically and rushed to Maryam whose eyes were now filled with unshed tears. She got in between them. "Are you alright?" She asked. Not waiting for a reply, she impetuously turned to her brother. "What has she done? Why are you yelling at her so much? Have you forgotten the condition she is in?"

Sa'eed gazed at her in an apoplectic manner. "No." He replied. "You don't have to remind me of that as I'm very well aware." He sneered.

"I'f you're aware as you say, why do you keep-"

"ZAINAB!" Maryam yelled, turning her around to face her. "Who gave you the right to speak to him in that way? You have no right to interfere in our affairs. I get you're concerned, but there should be a limit to your interference. You don't know what's going on, so you should just back off." She said, wiping away the tears that gathered in the corner of her eye.

"I know I don't have to right to interfere between the two of you, but what am I suppose to do wh-"

"I'm glad you know this." She interjected. "You don't have the right to get in between us as well." She said, pushing her aside gently.

"With the way he was speaking to you, he would have-" she cut herself off abruptly. "If I hadn't intervened."

Sa'eed glared at her. What was she insinuating? He couldn't believe his own sister thought so low of him. One thing he was failsafe about was that no matter how angry he may get, he wouldn't never hurt his wife. At least not physically.

"He would have done nothing!" She yelled. "I trust my husband, one hundred percent. He would never do that to me no matter how angry he gets." She informed, blatantly.

"I know. I'm sorry for interfering this way. I was just so worried for you." She apologized with her head hanging low.

Maryam placed three fingers underneath her chin, raising her head. Just as soon as their gazes met, Maryam began to speak. "I'm sorry for my outburst. I also don't know what's going on right now, but I promise we will get thing sorted out soon. Don't worry." She smiled indubitably.

Zainab nodded. With one last gaze at Sa'eed she walked away.

"Why did you have to shout at her like that? She's an adult for Allah's sake. She's not Manal you can shout at whenever you feel like." He spoke through gritted teeth. "Because she's giving you your respect, doesn't mean you have to misuse it."

Maryam breathed exasperatedly. "What's your problem with me? Tell me! I'm sick and tired of all these. Is it wrong for me to defend you?" She queried. "Or were you actually planning on hitting me? Go ahead and do it."

"Yes. It's wrong for you to defend me when you can't even defend your own daughter. You've been failing to do it for years." He replied, intentionally ignoring her last sentence.

"What... What are you talking about?"

"Are you sure you want to hear it? Then I will tell you! The girl you brought into this house to work for you had been maltreating Manal for so long."

"What!" Maryam gasped. "That isn't true! Who even fed with this blatant lie?"

"A lie? Is that what you truly believe or what you want to believe because you can't accept the truth?"

"Please tell me who told you all these." She pleaded.

"Manal did. She didn't want to for Nafisa had threatened to hurt her if she ever speaks up, but I managed to get the words out.

"For how long?" Maryam asked.

"Since the day she walked into this house. You invited trouble into our home." He pointed an accusating finger towards her.

"Subhan'Allah! Why didn't she tell any of us?"

"How could she when we are always not around and when we are, we're too busy with other things?"

"What did she do to her? Please tell me." She begged desperately. "I want to hear everything."

"I don't thin-"

"Just tell me! Please."

Sa'eed didn't want to tell her everything for he didn't know how she'd take it, but he knew she had to hear it. To know what their daughter was going through under their noses. As they say; the truth is bitter, but has to be said. "She made her do most of the chores in the house, she rarely cooked for her, she even had the guts to hit her and -"

"Innalilahi!" She muttered, cutting him off.

"That isn't all. She went to the extent of making her steal your things-"

"That's enough please. I don't think I can hear anymore." Maryam cried. "My poor baby! Only Allah knows what more she did to her. I'm so stupid! I should have noticed the way she became so quiet and timorous all of a sudden. You're right, Sa'eed, it's all my fault. No one else's. I'm a useless mother! I just gave birth to her, but I'm not her mother - you were right when you said-"

"It's my fault as well. You shouldn't blame yourself for everything." He cut her off. He couldn't bare to see her putting all the blame on herself that well. He had to admit he blamed her for everything first - it wasn't his intention, but his anger got the best of him. "...and I didn't mean it when I said those hurtful words to you - it was in a fit of rage and you should know me by now, I say all kinds of senseless things when I get angry."

"No, it isn't your fault, habibi. It's all mine. You said that few minutes ago. You don't need to say this right now to make me feel better."

"I'm not saying it to make you feel better. It's the absolute truth. I put the whole blame on you because I was furious. I'm also to be blamed for what happened. I shouldn't have agreed when you pleaded with me to hire her while I had my doubts. I should have been more observant. I shouldn't have let her go without investigation." He replied, suddenly recalling when he walked into the living room and saw Manal with a broom in her hand. He should have asked questions when it wasn't too late, but he didn't.

"I should have listened to you and quit my job if that's what it would have taken. I'm sorry, habibi. I'm not what you and Manal deserve. You both deserve better. I will never be able to forgive myself for this - Manal is traumatised and I don't even know this." Tears fell from her eyes uncontrollably, but she managed to forced a smile amidst the sob that threatened to escape her throat. She didn't bother to wipe it away.

"Listen, habibty; what has happened has happened. There's no need crying over spilt milk now. We should be grateful to Allah for making Manal speak up, otherwise, we would still be on the dark. Let's try to forget everything that happened and move on." He advised. He for one, had no intentions of forgetting what he just learnt, but didn't want Maryam to stress more. He vowed to get her arrested for domestic violence.

"Forget what happened and move on? No! I'm going to look for Nafisa and make her tell me what I ever did to her to make her maltreat my daughter that way. I want her to tell me where I went wrong. I argued with you on several occasions just because of her, I entrusted my daughter's safety to her, I enrolled her in school and I never for once treated her like the servant she was. She has to tell me where I went wrong - only then will I be able to move on." She replied bitterly.

"Everything will be fine. Calm down." Sa'eed attempted to move closer to her.

"Don't come closer, please." She pleaded and took three steps backward. She couldn't control herself anymore and began to cry. She was an emotional wreck and her pregnancy was mostly to be blamed for that. "I'm saying this from the bottom of my heart now. You made the right decision in deciding to marry another wife. I think it'd be the best thing for you and especially Manal. She will have her undivided attention and hopefully, she will be able to give Manal all of the love she deserves. I'm worthless and I'm thankful to Nafisa for making me realise that."

Sa'eed's eyes widened as Maryam continued to take few steps backwards. "Habibty." He called softly. "Please stay still. Don't move an inch. Please." He begged, his voice laced with despondency.

"No, habibi, it's fine.. I don't have any objections anymore. You -"

"MARYAM!!!" Sa'eed yelled horrifically. Before one could comprehend what was happening, Maryam was already rolling down the stairs.

~~~~
Assalamu'alakum wa rahmatulah wa barakatuh/ hello!!!

😱😱😱

😭😭😭

Who felt bad for Maryam? She no longer has any objection towards Saeeds decision to get remarried 😞

Who cried?? 😔

Was Sa'eed too hard on her?

What's going to happen to her?

Will she lose her baby 😨 or die? 😱

I added extra efforts to make this chapter long and worth reading so I urge you all to at least drop a comment before leaving 🙏🙏

Target
More than 100 comments
100 votes

For earlier update. Otherwise, till next week and the update will be just once 😄

let's do this!! 🤗🤗

Lots of love
deey_jah