Jadwa stared at him, speechless. Her mind raced, searching for words that wouldn't come. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Zara and Anaya's excited chatter filled the room as they burst downstairs.

"You're still not ready?" Zara asked, prompting Jadwa to roll her eyes and retreat back upstairs.

The room was dimly lit, so Jadwa flicked on all the lights for a better look. Stepping in front of the mirror, she scrutinized her reflection, searching for the wardrobe malfunction. With a hiss, she spotted it. There, under the harsh light, she saw the faint outline of her red lace bra peeking through her white dress. It wasn't blatantly obvious, but it was there.

Flustered, Jadwa squeezed her eyes shut. All she wanted was to disappear into a hole and escape the looming embarrassment. She quickly changed into undergarments that wouldn't betray her, then donned a plain, lilac abaya with flowing balloon sleeves. After giving herself a good minute to let go of the feeling of embarrassment, she finally took a deep breath and left the room.

Descending the stairs, Jadwa was met with silence. Muhammad remained glued to his phone and she couldn't bring herself to say a word to him.

As time seemed to crawl by, his attention was called by the buzzes of Ahmad's texts on her phone. Finally, he looked up at her and held his gaze for a few seconds before rising and walking out quietly.

"Masha Allah" he murmured, opening the car door for her.

"Thank you" she replied softly, her eyes downcast, to ignore the sick feeling before she glued to her eyes to her phone screen.

The insistent ringing of her phone broke the silence. It was Abdulhakeem.

Instinctively, Muhammad Imran turned towards the sound, catching a glimpse of the name on the screen before turning back to focus on the road. He assumed it was her boyfriend, judging by the single heart emoji saved next to the name.

"Go ahead, please, pick up" he said.

"No, it's fine" she replied quickly, sending Abduhakeem a text explaining she wasn't alone.

He simply nodded, a silent understanding passing between them but after a few minutes Jadwa broke the silence.

"Thank you" she blurted out, surprising even herself.

He glanced at her, piecing together the reason for her gratitude from her averted gaze.

"I didn't know you were a feisty one" he said.

"I'm not, of course" she defended herself automatically.

"Who was that, then?" he shifted his gaze to her, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"I thought you were just being a controlling older brother" she countered, meeting his gaze.

"Older brother?" he raised an eyebrow, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

She confirmed with a nod. His chuckle was genuine. "I'm not."

"I'm glad you're not, you seem like a really cool one" she smiled, oblivious to the deeper meaning behind his words. He studied her, his eyes lingering on her innocent expression.

Their short conversation ended as they arrived at the hospital. Jadwa followed him into the building, the tension momentarily forgotten. They entered the elevator, where he exchanged a few words with a nurse before being directed towards the specific ward.

He opened the door for her, and she stepped inside. The sight that greeted her was unexpected but it made her grin. Ameerah sat comfortably with her legs crossed as Ahmad massaged her feet.

"You have visitors, oga and madam" Jadwa announced, clearing her throat.

Ameerah's warm smile was followed by a tight hug that engulfed Jadwa. They exchanged pleasantries, and Jadwa inquired about Ameerah's well-being while greeting her brother. Imran also joined the conversation.

"Are you sure you're sick?" Jadwa questioned jokingly as Ameerah presented her with a plate piled high with delicious food.

Ameerah shrugged playfully. "I'm not."

"Congratulations" Muhammad Imran said, as He shared a brotherly hug with Ahmad

Jadwa's gaze darted between them, confusion etched on her face. "You got the promotion and you didn't tell me?" she nearly shrieked remembering her conversation with him about the promotion he wanted in his workplace.

"Yes, he didn't tell you!" Ameerah chimed in, adding fuel to the fire.

Jadwa eyed her brother and looked back at her sister in law

"Promotion from husband to father" Ameerah declared with a triumphant grin, as if stating the obvious.

Jadwa gasped audibly and the room erupted in laughter.

"Oh my god, oh my god," she exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. The infectious laughter spread through the room, momentarily chasing away the worry that had settled in Jadwa's chest.

The joy was contagious. A distraction from the unsettling messages on her phone. She forced them out of her mind for the moment, focusing on the happy news.

"You should have told me!" she playfully chided Ahmad, a wide smile gracing her features.

Ahmad chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "We wanted to surprise you."

"Well, mission accomplished" her gaze flitting between the now glowing parents. "I'm so happy for you both!"

They spent the next hour catching up, the air thick with excitement and anticipation for the baby. Ameerah mostly spent her time chatting with Muhammad in Kanuri, while Ahmad and Jadwa discussed about the joy of the news, already picturing herself as a doting aunt, showering the little one with love and gifts.

Reaching for her phone, she saw the long list of messages. Her heart lurched into her throat. With trembling fingers, she opened th message thread. Dread coiled in her stomach as she saw the photos, each a sickening reminder of her vulnerability. The message waiting below them was a chilling threat, promising to expose everything if she didn't comply.

She rushed out of the room as Panic surged through her. She dialed Hannan's number, her fingers shaking so badly she almost missed the dial button.

The first ring felt like an eternity. When her sister finally picked up, Jadwa's voice was a choked sob. "Hanan," she rasped, "someone is blackmailing me." The words tore free, a confession ripped from her soul.

"Someone is blackmailing me," she repeated, each word accompanied by a fresh wave of tears, "I feel like my life is ruined."

Hannan's voice, laced with anger, echoed through the phone. "Jadwa, I am just a few minutes away from the hospital, wait for me where are you?"

With a breaking voice, Jadwa told her where she was and ended the call.

Jadwa's phone buzzed again a wasp of dread stinging her insides. Her heart hammered a frantic tattoo against her ribs as she fumbled to open the message. The words swam before her eyes, each letter a shard of ice piercing her core. "Hey pretty bird," it began, a sickeningly familiar endearment.

Just as the first day, the air knocked from her lungs. It was like falling, the sickening sensation of plummeting into an endless abyss. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring the cruel message further. "Who are you?" she typed, her fingers trembling so violently she could barely hit the keys.

The reply was chilling in its indifference: "No manners? I can't tolerate this."

Manners? The word mocked her. Manners didn't matter when your world was about to crumble. "What do you want?" she demanded, her voice a ragged whisper even in the silent bathroom.

"You really want to know pretty?" the message taunted.

"Tell me!" she screamed at the phone as she sent the reply, the sound strangled and raw as if the person could hear or see her.

"To have you" it read, a single, predatory word.

Photos, Again. The previous ones and pictures of her of her getting into Abdulhakkem's car. Each image a fresh accusation, a piece of her life ripped away and twisted into something ugly. A message accompanied them, the words dripping with cruel amusement:

"You either send me more pictures of your pretty face or these ones reach your family, your boyfriend and his family"

Before jadwa could respond the bathroom door opened .

"Innalillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun," Hannan breathed heavily as she saw the condition of Jadwa after running into the bathroom. the "Jadwa, what's happening? Talk to me."

But Jadwa couldn't talk. She simply crumpled into her sister's arms, the sobs racking her body. Hannan held her tight, a silent shield against the encroaching darkness.

For a long time, there was only the sound of ragged breaths and choked sobs. Slowly, the sounds began to subside. Hannan led Jadwa to the sink, washing her tear stained face with cool water until the raw ache in her eyes eased slightly.

They retreated to a quiet hallway, where Jadwa, voice trembling, explained everything and showed the pictures and messages to Hannan. Hannan listened, her face hardening with each message she. When Jadwa finished she let out a painful breath.

"Allahumma Ajirni fi musibati wa akhlifni khairan min ha" she muttered

"There's no way I can prove it's not me... no one will believe me, no one will believe me Ya Hannan"

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