"Why are you blubbering about Azhar?"

A week after Zianna received the rules from Azhar, he somehow knew she wasn't abiding by them. There were many instances when Azhar noticed she was doing the opposite of what he wanted.

"How can uncle hired her? Did he do a background check on her? Zianna will make me go mad before I even get to the stage I want to be in life..."

"What is the matter? Why are you blubbering about, Azhar?" His mother Hayat asks as she walks into her son's room." I have been knocking for almost five minutes," she added with an amused smile on her face.

"It's nothing, Mamma, just work that's driving me crazy..."

"Work or something else, Azhar?"

"Not you too, Mamma. Let me explain to you what or who has been bothering me, okay?" Azhar explains to his mother how Zianna has been acting ever since his Uncle Khalid hired her.

"So in short, you found someone who wouldn't obey your rules, right?" Hayat asks with an amused smile on her face.

"Mamma, come on. That girl is a walking disaster. She is clumsy, annoying and doesnt even follow 0the office rules..."

"But she's the most skilled secretary your uncle hired, correct? Azhar, I encourage you to allow her to showcase her skills in her work, rather than forming opinions based on her behaviour. When someone behaves childishly, it could be a sign of loneliness, abuse, or something even more concerning. Just remember, it's important not to judge solely on what you see, but to take the time to understand someone. With a smile, Hayat advises her son, "Prepare to be amazed by what you learn. And if it's the rules you gave her, then I doubt that she will follow them. As they might not be the rules she is used to."

"Is that what you did when you met Dad? Was he truly as grouchy as you claimed?" Azhar asks her.

"I wasn't being grouchy, Azhar," his father Aayan interrupts, shifting his attention to his wife, who wears an amused expression. "Hayat, stop telling our kids that I was grumpy".

"Fine but you can't deny the first day we met, you were grouchy. Anyways, Azhar listen to my advice and you will be amazed at what you will find out. But for now, come and have dinner before it gets cold," Hayat says and then turns to face Aayan. "Come on you too," she added getting up from the chair and heading out of her son's room.

"Dad, do you think that Mamma is right about what she said?" Azhar asks his father.

"Trust me, your mother's advice is invaluable; I highly recommend heeding her words. Regarding Zianna, I agree with Hayat's observation that she might be lonely and engaging in certain activities to regain a sense of feeling. Before your mother comes and scolds us again, let's go have dinner," Aayan suggests to his son.

Despite understanding his parents' perspective, Azhar was determined not to end up in the same situation as he did during his university days with her.

Throughout the weekend that she has been home, Zianna has been struggling to get out of bed due to not feeling well.

Flashback.

After work, Zianna decided to visit her best friend Arwa as she had some news to share with her. But unfortunately, she started feeling light-headed and weak even though she forced herself to have at least two proper meals.

Instead of heading to Arwa's house, Zianna decided to go straight home as the fatigue was getting to her. She knew that Tayyal would get worried whenever she would stay out late even if it was for work.

As soon as Zianna walked into the house, her stepmother Nadia instructed her to make dinner for them.

"But, can Nour make dinner this one time, I am not feeling well..."

Zianna didn't even finish what she was saying when her stepmother slapped her on the face leaving a huge bruise from the ring she was wearing on her finger.

"My daughter is very tired from working with her father the entire day. I cant make her do that, plus she needs rest after a hard day at work. I dont care about your excuses. Go and make dinner because that your job," Nadia shouts at Zianna who was holding her bruised cheek. "You should be thankful that I took you in when that wretched mother of yours died," she added fuming with anger and hatred inside her for Zianna.

Zianna could feel the burning sensation that was forming on her face. She could feel tears forming in her eyes but she couldn't let Nadia see her as a weak person.

"Okay, I will go and get changed," she states making her stepmother nod.

Zianna walked into her room and wiped away her tears as she didnt want anyone to see her like that. She freshened up and walked into the kitchen to start preparing the dinner.

But she knew that the only that she would get were going to be leftovers from the other night. This was normal for Zianna especially when her older brother Tayyal was rarely at home as he would be at the office.

Her father was strict when it came to Tayyal because it was time for him to take over the company and for Hussein to retire.

After making dinner, Nadia told her to go to her room until they were done eating so that she could go and clean up the dirty dishes and for her to have dinner.

Alhamdulillah, for Tayyal who has been giving Zianna snacks to keep in her room whenever she gets hungry and when his mother would make her go to bed hungry.

But first Zianna needed to pray Isha prayer and combine it with Magharib as her stepmother didn't even let her have five minutes to pray.

Thankfully Zianna gets to pray Dhuhr and Asr at work which is convenient especially when her stepmother has been demanding a lot of things from her.

Zianna took a deep breath and took some painkillers as her head started to ache.

As soon as she grabbed the tablet, Tayyal barged in with news but when he saw her holding medicine in her hands. He immediately knew that Zianna was sick.

"Are you okay?" He asks feeling her forehead. " We need to get you to the hospital now..."

"Come on, I am fine alhamdulilah..."

"No, you aren't fine and from the way you look..."

"So, you are saying that I look ugly, right?" Zianna asks joking around but as soon as she sees Tayyal's unexpressed face, she quickly keeps her mouth shut. "I am sorry, I didn't mean it like that," she added with a small smile on her face.

Zianna knew that Tayyal hated it when she belittled herself by saying words like that.

"I know that, but after having dinner, I will personally take you to the doctor and you can't say no," he says to her. "But first I have news that will make you happy. Zoya and I are..."

"You finally set the date!!! My brother is getting married!!!"

Zianna got up from her bed and hugged her brother with a huge smile on her but as soon as she jumped, she felt pain in her left side chest. But she decided to ignore it but Tayyal sensed it.

 "Are you okay?" He worriedly asks her while trying to sit her down on her bed.

"I am fine alhamdulilah. The pain will pass, dont worry about it..."

"No, after dinner we will be going to the hospital and thats final, okay?"

"Okay, but for now let me enjoy this moment of happiness that finally I am getting a sister," Zianna says trying to fake the pain that is she experiencing. "Go and have dinner before your mother comes looking for you," she added with a smile on her face.

Zianna knew that Nadia would come and look for Tayyal as soon as she knew that he was home from work. And she wanted to avoid any trouble that would come when Nadia found her son in her room.

"Okay, I will go and then I will be back to get you to go to the hospital with me. I am not taking no for an answer," Tayyal says before hugging his sister.

As soon as he leaves, Nadia walks in while glaring at Zianna. She immediately knew that trouble had arrived.

"So you are planning on going to the hospital with my son. Well, I forbid you to go anywhere with him and I forbid you to go to the hospital as I dont want any of my family's money to be spent on someone like you. A nobody," Nadia says fuming because of what she overheard between Tayyal and Zianna. "If you go anywhere with my son, I wont hesitate to hurt you and no one will help you, remember that," she added leaving the room feeling victorious for what she had said.

Zianna knew that this would happen thats why she already made a plan that would make Tayyal leave her alone.

"I am sorry big brother but this is for the best. Your mother is right, I am a nobody here and I will continue to be one. But someday maybe Dad will love me as much as he loves all of you," Zianna says wiping the tears off her face.

Thankfully Tayyal didn't see the bruise that was forming on her cheek.

End of flashback.

From that day, Zianna pretended to be busy to avoid Tayyal's questions about her pain. But she knew that it was important for her to go to the hospital because it could be something serious.

The only person that Zianna could trust was her best friend Arwa to accompany her to the hospital.

"Asalam aleikum, Arwa. How are you doing? I am sorry that I couldn't come to visit you but I need a favour," Zianna says to her friend on the phone.

"Waleikum salaam, Zia. Alhamdulilah, it is okay. What do you need best friend?"

"I need you to accompany me somewhere and could it be today as tomorrow is going to be Monday, we have work..."

"Sure just let me know what time you need me to pick you up and where we are going," Arwa says to her.

Zianna explains to her friend everything that happened to her.

"Okay, then I will pick you up in half an hour, is that okay with you?" Arwa asks her friend.

Zianna agreed with her and then hung up the phone.

Time to know what I have and I just hope and pray that it is nothing serious. All I can say is Allah knows best.