CHAPTER ONE
Happy Life

HALIMA sighed crashing onto her seat famished wondering why her boss decided today was the best time to clean her office and why she had to help her. The whole time she was at work, her thoughts only drifted to her family that were probably at home waiting on her.

Halima has been married for four years to Khalifa and blesssed with a three years old daughter, Iman. Khalifa was somewhat her crush at a time. She stalked his page but never really got anything out of it considering his account didn't have any posts but found his pictures in his tags finding his sister's account. It was a post of them sitting on a chair beside each other with laughing which she found cute. She followed her putting a pause on him continuing with her life.

Months after, he slid into her Dm's and started talking to each other. They exchanged numbers and would stay on the phone for hours. He then came to their father's house which was the start of their problem.

Her parents wanted a richer person, a person who was in the same league financially which were mostly older than her and was quick to deny them. She had no young suitors and he was serious and had a decent job, and he was attractive which was one of the reasons she paid attention to him in the first place.

She grew to love him and it didn't turn out to be one sided because of how he insisted on marrying her. She was flattered he would fight for someone like her. She was pretty but not like the Megan Good or Peggy Ovorie. Her body didn't resemble Mrs Hourglass, she had a normal body that didn't really draw attention to her. She was normal like any girl and with his face, he could pull off a better girl than her.

Her parents finally agreed and they got married three months after. That was when her life began falling into place. She gave birth to her daughter iman ten months after. Khalifa was enthusiastic and supportive the whole time that she loved.

And now here she was thinking about them praying she could get off work. She blew out a breath picking up her things going to her boss's office to see her sitting behind her desk. Ms Lafiya raised an eyebrow out of annoyance. She was trying to work and they kept distracting her.

Hadiza laced her fingers together placing them on the papers in front of her staring at halima with a blank look. "I have been trying to focus on my work and you keep disturbing me. Do I have to lock my door?" She questioned tilting her head to the side. Hadiza Lafiya was a woman who believed in doing things herself and distractions wasn't apart of that.

Halima folded her lips looking down avoiding her eyes. "Sorry for the disturbance but I was coming over to ask if I could check out early today. My family..." her boss waved her off picking up her file concentrating on it not caring to explain her gesture. Halima stood there confused awkwardly looking around the well furnished office.

Hadiza averted her gaze from the papers to halima wondering why she didn't leave her office yet. "Aren't you supposed to leave?" Halima's eyes widened her cheeks flushing embarassed not getting the hint.

"Sorry. I'll be going now." She rushed out closing the door carefully cursing to herself as she walked to her car that was parked a bit to far. She managed to get there removing her heels as soon as she hopped in her car. She preferred driving without shoes and people found it weird but she didn't really care. Most of them were hating so let them keep hating.

Halima finally arrived home noticing the lights on from the glass beside the door. Pushing open the door with shoes in hand, she heard the faint sound of the television playing from the hallway walking to the living room barefoot.

Khalifa on the other hand was laying on the couch with Iman who seemed to be interested in the annoying cartoon that was playing on the 55 inch tv. And the worst part for him was he had to act like he was really interested in it. Why? Because that's what parents do. They have to act like everything is nice when it is the opposite.

He rolled his head to the side watching the disfigured paintings move around like it made sense as Iman shifted laying her head on his chest. He heard the door open and close coming to a conclusion halima was back already as he heard footsteps approaching them.

His wife stood in the doorway with her shoes in hand and a tired look on her face. Iman was quick to jump off his rushing to her mother who engulfed her in a hug. She seemed to be busier the past few days and Iman was still adjusting to her not being around. She would always pounce on halima everytime she was back.

Halima stood at her full height as iman skipped out of the living room content she had already seen her mother not even caring about her father. She laughed when she saw Khalifa's hurt expression with his hand on his chest looking at the direction Iman went with his mouth slightly agape. "It's fuck me then." He mumbled averting his gaze to his wife who looked exhausted.

He threw her one of his infectious smiles spreading his arms out for her. Halima smiled walking in between his legs as he wrapped his arms around her torso placing his chin on her flat stomach looking up at her in admiration.

Halima placed her hands over her face childishly causing him to laugh. "Stop looking at me like that." She whined with her hands still over her face. There were times he just stared at her and it made her shy but loved it at the same time.

"How?"

She snatched her hands off her face with a pout meeting his two toned eyes she had grew to love. She feared looking at his eyes when they first met but she grew to like it, to be curious about it.

"Like- like- I don't know." She mumbled as he let out a laugh finding it funny how she was acting when she initiates them being together intimately.

"You are always acting shy like we haven't lived together for four years. I know you halima. You are anything but shy." He licked his lips grinning at her fake display of shyness.

She crossed her arms over her chest looking over to him with a frown not liking the way he was acting like she was a nymphomaniac or something. "Women like to take lead too." She shot back hoping that could seal the deal but he quirked a brow instead competitively.

"Is that really your excu- okay you're right." Khalifa laughed deciding to leave the subject remembering how annoying halima could get when she argued and he wasn't the person who really liked being in arguments.

She reached down pecking his lips stepping out of his space leaving the room to go take a shower and sleep after going to see how Iman was doing. She pushed her door open finding her already asleep with the lights on. Iman didn't like sleeping in the dark because she was scared of the dark corners so she tends to switch it off after she's asleep knowing she would probably get used to it and do it herself.

She pushed her bedroom door open to find it as neat as expected knowing her husband had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He wanted everything to be clean and neat just like he wanted which made her feel some type of way at the beginning. She noticed his things looked better like his closet for example. His clothes are stacked neatly and his shoes are arranged nearly and clean but hers was a bit different.

Halima wouldn't call herself a dirty or disgusting person, but she was a bit disorganized with her new schedule. She was too busy to clean her dusty bags and shoes every two days and all that. She only got to do that on weekends.

She sighed dropping her bag on the sofa backing the window tossing her heels on the floor taking her clothes off next getting in the shower her sore muscles relaxing as she closed her eyes hoping she could have a week off at least.

Turning the shower off, halima stepped out wrapping a towel around her, applying her body lotion slipping on a purple silk nightgown that stopped right above her knees with a headwrap. Slipping into the covers basking in the warmness it provided her.

Her eyes grew heavy as the door opened and closed hearing footsteps approaching the bed before it dipped feeling someone's presence behind her as the familiar muscled arms wrap around her the familiar person's cologne filling her nostrils. Placing her hand over his leaning back, she was out like a light.

Song : Lil Tjay - Mixed Emotions