I want to edit this chapter but I'm tooo lazy! Abeg manage.

JANNAH SNEAKED OUT the meeting room before Aisha could get a hold of her and scream her head off. She loves the girl, but she can be scary when she wants to be and she's sure that moment wouldn't be any better. She doesn't care much though, as long as she saves herself at that moment.

She's sure Aisha would thank her sooner or later.

The girl found herself snickering as she tucked her hands in the pocket of her white coat, making a beeline to the ER. If Aisha is upset over what she just did, then she wonders what would happen if she finds out what she advised Aslam to do regarding her ignoring him.

She would probably end up killing her.

But, if the AA ship will still sail after that, then she's alright sacrificing herself for their love. Not.

She reached the ER safely, and almost instantly, a smile took over her features. The place is definitely not one of her favorites in the hospital. Sure, it's not exactly a place where everyone is happy and on most cases, there are gruesome sights there. However, her being able to help makes it sort of a happy place for her.

As always, it was bustling with people. The nurses and doctors move around up and about. Patients come in, to be tended to by the physicians.

She pushed herself forward, in attempt to walk in and help but stopped midway when she sported a familiar face approaching her-a face she hadn't seen in a long time. Nonetheless, she found herself offering the woman a small smile, which fell seeing the look on her face. Her lips then curled downwards into a frown, her head tilted to the side slightly.

It was then she noticed another woman walking in her direction-one whose face looked familiar in a way but she couldn't place where she had seen it before. Before she could fully comprehend it though, the woman had reached where she stood and offered her a smile.

"Excuse me, are you...perhaps, Dr. Firdausi Bello?" Asked the woman, a warm smile adorning her features.

Jannah nodded, a smile taking over her features. "Yes, I am"

The woman grinned, and the next thing Jannah felt was a smack across her cheek from the woman. She didn't give the girl a chance to recover, as she landed another slap on the other cheek just in time the woman Jannah first saw, reached the scene and held the one assaulting Jannah back.

Jannah was in shock. To begin with, she couldn't even comprehend what just happened. She didn't know the woman, though she has a feeling she had seen her somewhere before. But she had just been slapped twice, hard, by someone she couldn't even pinpoint.

Her cheeks sting, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes from the pain and anger. But her confusion was still there. Reaching her hand out to cradle her face, she looked up to stare at the woman that was barely being held back.

Her smile, which now Jannah realized was fake, is gone and instead was replaced a scowl and glare. Pointing a finger at Jannah, she spoke. "You, homewrecker!" She screamed, gaining the attention of the people in the ER who turned to see what the commotion is all about. "Bakida kunya ko? Stupid girls like you go around following men around. Keh in banda iskancin ki ya kai how can you go after a son and a father?!"

Nahla-Sadiq's wife, frowned, trying to hold her mother in law back. "Hajiya dan Allah kiyi haquri" She had been trying to calm the woman down since she decided to pay the doctor a visit. But, she couldn't stop her.

"Nahla kimin shiru!" Her efforts to subdue the woman's anger proved to be fruitless. "Today I must teach this girl a lesson she will never forget. Keh ma in banda abinki, this girl seduced your husband too! Mijin ki ta bi yanxu kuma unbansa take bi"

Jannah wasn't dumb. She was able to put the pieces together the minute the woman uttered her first statement. This woman, is Sadiq's mother and the wife of the man she is set to marry. The thing is, she had actually been anticipating the day this would happen even though her would be husband told her to not worry-that his wife wouldn't do something scandalous.

Well, he should see what she's doing at the moment.

Dropping her hand, Jannah held back her tears and held the woman's gaze. In a way, she understood how the woman feels and at the same time, she doesn't understand. She understands how it feels like to be cheated, and she doesn't understand why the woman would choose to create a scene like that.

Nonetheless, she's well aware she's at fault too. But in a way, she's also a victim.

After all, she's the one that is currently being embarrassed in front of everyone she works with along with her patients.

"Oh, you even have the audacity to look at me in the eye. Lallai baki da kunya ko na mis qala zarratin" The woman scoffed, shaking her head as her anger ricocheted. "Talk then! Or aren't you even in the slight bit ashamed of yourself? Huh?"

Jannah kept shut. What is she to say? If she is to open her mouth, she has a feeling she would only make the situation worse. Besides, is there even anything she can say to defend herself?

Enraged by the girl's lack of reply, Sadiq's mother turned around to face the crowd that's watching the show unfold. "You all see this girl...this doctor of yours" She pointed a finger at Jannah, "She's a homewrecker. She followed my son and is now seducing my husband. In banda rashin kunya da tarbiyya irin na yaran zamani kodake..." She paused, turning around to stare at Jannah who was staring at her blankly. She threw her a look of disgust, and when she spoke, her words were nothing more than a taunt. "...I heard bama kida uwar da zata koya miki tarbiyya. No wonder you grew up to be a cheap prostitute"

That statement of hers, got to Jannah more than she would like to admit. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes yet again.

To make matters worse, the chatters from the people in the ER became louder as they pointed fingers at her, taking the woman's version of the story and immediately making it the next big gossip in HGH. There's no doubt Jannah will be topic of discussion in most of their group charts.

Even those that weren't there were being chatted up on what's going on in the ER. Some even went to the extent of asking their colleagues to hurry up and head there so as to not miss the show.

There were few that didn't agree with the way the woman is going about the whole situation. They believe there has to be another side of the story-a side which none of them knows of. But it's not like they can stop the woman. She didn't seem to be the type that will go away without doing what she was there for.

And they were right, because when yet again she didn't get an answer from Jannah, it was like adding fuel to the fury of her anger. She wanted the girl to reply-ignoring her irked her more. "You know I heard your mother seduced your father too, and after having you, she left him because she got what she wanted. You're following her footsteps. Like mother, like daughter"

Jannah wanted to defend her mother, she wanted to defend herself but how could she. Where's the lie? How could she even begin to defend a woman she doesn't know? The tears in her eyes were threatening to fell, and it took every ounce of strength in her to hold it back. "That's not true" She managed to utter, but even she didn't know whether she was trying to convince herself or the woman.

Does she even believe it's not true? Because there's nothing to prove otherwise.

"Oh, it's not?" The woman clasped her hands in front of her, lips puckering. "Tell me then, which kind of mother allows her daughter to go around, seducing a father and a son? What kind of woman are you, that has absolutely no shame marrying the father of your boyfriend, iyye!? Tell me, are you not a prostitute? Ko kinada tarbiyya ne saisa? TELL ME NOW IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!"

Jannah gritted her teeth, holding onto every last bit of strength she has in her to not break down. How is she supposed to handle being treated like that in front of so many people?

"What kind of mother are you that goes around saying stuff like that?" A voice came, interrupting the scene the woman is causing. The owner of the voice strolled towards them in confident strides, head held up and lips set into a tight line. Once he reached where they stood, he stood in front of Jannah, shielding her away from the woman who was there to unleash her wrath on her. His gaze met the woman's, "What kind of woman acts this way?" He asked, his voice and facial expression void of any emotion.

The woman stared at him for a moment, before she scoffed loudly. Throwing a glance at the woman he decided to shield, she let out a snicker. "And yet again, she has herself another man on the list" She threw her head back and laughed, turning to their audience. "Kun gani ko? She has another man on her beck and call!" With eyes narrowed, she swiveled around to stare at the two. "See, young man. This girl you're trying to protect chases men for a living. That is what she does. Do not let yourself fall for her cheap tricks"

He blinked slowly, unbothered by her words. "Before that, how about you learn to keep your son on a tight leash? Hmm?"

Frowning, the woman glared at him. "W-what do you mean?"

"Your beloved son, who happens to be married with a child has been going around with women-which includes this woman you had been calling a prostitute. But of course, because he's a man, that means it's okay right? He isn't a man whore?" He asked, wanting to see what her answer would be. It didn't matter what she would say to be honest. It was obvious her son is no saint too.

She blinked repeatedly, trying to look for the right words to use. "You don't know anything about me, or my son so stop trying to ruin his name!"

Abdallah chuckled lowly, as he looked down for a brief second. She is a mother indeed. She's still trying to hide her son's dirty image when it's clear she is well aware of what he's doing. "Yeah of course, I can count how many women I've been him with while his wife was still pregnant" He wasn't exaggerating. Aside from that time Sadiq came to his restaurant, he had seen him a few times with different women. "And that was just for a moment-there was a lot after that. But like I said, what he's doing isn't wrong" He added sarcastically.

"THAT'S A LIE!"

"Really? Then why don't we ask his wife?" Abdallah asked, moving his gaze to Nahla who stood quietly a few feet away from her mother in law. He could feel her gaze on him since he arrived, and he was honestly hoping he wouldn't have to acknowledge her but it seems that won't be possible.

Nahla blinked back the tears in her eyes as she stared at him. "Abdallah..." She murmured under her breath. Was it really him? She had been asking herself that since he arrived.

"Why don't you tell us, huh? Tell us your husband hasn't seen more women than you can count after you got married?" He hated himself for putting her in the spotlight like that, but it wasn't in his place to protect her anymore. The woman he wants to protect is standing behind him, and he would do whatever is in his power to do so.

Nahla swallowed thickly, unable to tear her gaze from him. "He isn't my husband anymore" She didn't care if that isn't the answer he wanted to hear. She still wanted to let him know.

She and Sadiq got divorced about four months ago. The only reason she was even there to begin with was because Sadiq's mother had summoned her and asked if she knew Jannah. She, of course, didn't die and instead told the woman the truth. She didn't think the woman would choose to create a scene, but after realizing that was her plan, she decided to try and stop her.

Moving her gaze from Abdallah, she casted a glance at the woman he stood protectively in front of, making her eyes narrow slightly. Now though, seeing how Abdallah is making her rethink her decision.

Abdallah would be lying if he said he didn't feel a pang of something when she said she and Sadiq were divorced. Was it relief? Sympathy? Or happiness? He couldn't tell exactly. And at the same time, he didn't miss the way she threw a small glare at Jannah because he's protecting her, and the action made his anger spike.

She had no right! Not after what she did to him.

He chose to ignore her, because Nahla is a part of past he would like to keep, well, in the past. She didn't have a room in his life anymore. It belongs to someone else.

Focusing his attention on the woman in front of him, he quirked a brow. "I wonder why your son and ex daughter in law got divorced" He wasn't really interested, maybe four years ago he would've been but not now. "Are you sure it wasn't because your son has a habit of following women around?"

Sadiq's mother clenched her hand by her side, her teeth gritting. "Shut up"

He didn't stop. He wouldn't stop either until he got his point across. "And your husband. Why don't you go and throw tantrums to him instead? Why come to the woman he wants to marry when he is the one who wanted to marry her, huh?"

The woman's eyes narrowed even more if that was possible. She was so close to blowing up on someone, for so many reasons. To begin with, she knows everything he said is right. She knows her son is a womanizer. That aside, she knew she should've faced her husband instead of Jannah, because the girl didn't decide to marry him out of the blue, he must've shown interest in her. She is also upset that Nahla didn't defend her son. She gets that they are divorced, but what's the point of her being there when she won't even defend the man?

"-You know, instead of throwing accusations at the girl old enough to be your daughter because your husband is interested in her, why don't you go home and hold onto the last bit of dignity you have in you?" He wasn't trying to offend her, he just thought it would be better if she faces whatever issues she has with the husband instead of a girl. What's the point of throwing the girl's pain out in the open?

He didn't say a thing to the woman afterward, and instead, turned to look at Jannah whose eyes met his. "Let's go" He said softly, leading her out of the hospital and away from prying eyes. He was glad the girl chose to follow with no troubles whatsoever. It made the whole thing a bit easier.

He led them to where he parked his car, and without saying a word, she got in the passenger seat while he got in the driver's seat. He didn't start the car though. He simply handed her a handkerchief which she took.

Her eyes were set on nothing in particular, the words the woman said playing in her head like a song on repeat. The tears she had been holding welled up in her eyes yet again, but she bit her lower lip hard as if that would stop the tears from falling. The action made her lip sting, but to her, that was nothing compared to the pain she felt inside. She knew this was bound to happen sooner or later, but it was way worse than she anticipated.

Abdallah turned his head to look at her, though she was facing the other direction. He blew out a small breath, "It's okay to cry, you know?" He stated lowly, afraid if he says it any louder, it would press the wrong buttons.

But his words, they did it. They were like the push she needed to come undone.

Him simply saying that, broke the barriers she had been using to hold back the tears. And with no words uttered, she broke down and shed ugly tears. Her heart was heavy from the pain, and as such, she knew she would be crying for quite a while.

She had always hated crying in front of people, which was why she tried to hold it back then too. But it was okay at the moment; because it was Abdallah and she knew he would never make fun of her for it.

He was simply there, offering comfort with no words said.

~*~

In ba Abdallah ba sai bokiti tsumdum! No, a well is too deep so I won't fall there.

Me to Google: Where can I find a man like Abdallah Sudais?

Gaskiya Jannah is you leave Abdallah zamuyi fada. Ah ah!

And this one, what's going on between Abdallah and Nahla? I wasn't the one that noticed it too, right?

How has Eid been for you people? Hope no one has started visiting the toilet yet.

Three days straight with updates every day. Bruh, I deserve comments! Ghost readers, drop a comment now.

Oh and Burna boy's album, which song is your favorite? For me it's 'It's plenty' and 'For my Hand ft. Ed Sheeran'. Wild Dreams ft. Khalid isn't bad too.

On the scale of 1-10, how much do you love this book? If you like it, then PLEASE, share! Share with your friends and enemies seff. Saw this book on someone's tiktok the other day and it defs made my day.

Good night toh.

Love, Jannah.