KHALIFA CLOSED THE CAR DOOR SHUT as he strolled towards the door once he called his. It was mad ironic for him he once called his home, he couldn't even step foot inside the house as of now.

"You're already here? What did i tell you about speeding Nasi-" Halima appeared shortly after in the doorway with an excited look on her face but that smile fell as soon as she saw his face. That stung.

Khalifa arched a brow at the name she called him but kept his stern gaze on her, waiting for her to move aside so he could come in. Halima bit her lip in worry but moved to the side nonetheless letting him in.

As soon as he walked into the house, he was hit with the familiar scent of turaren wuta Halima used whenever he was back from Abuja or a trip. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his head taking a seat on one of the arm chairs with his legs spreaded apart and his fingers interlaced in the gap he made between his legs.

His head hung low as he stared at the rug under the white shoes he wore when he came into the house. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip tryng to recollect his thoughts and act calm about everything, not wanting to let out all his frustrations on her.

Halima ran her sweaty hands on her materialized atampa taking a seat opposite him pressing her glossed lips together nervously.

"When were you going to tell me?" The words flew out of Khalifa's mouth without hesitation catching Halima off guard. Her eyebrows furrowed when he asked that and she had a clue of what he was referring to but chose to act clueless.

"What are you talking about?" Halima questioned, furrowing her eyebrows giving him a quizzical look. Khalifa's gaze stayed unmoved but his jaws clenched in anger, getting irritated by how clueless she was acting when she knew what he was talking about.

Khalifa raised his head up looking at her with rage and that's when halima knew she wasn't in the mood to be played with. "You and I both know what I'm talking about." He gritted out, his voice getting deeper than it already was.

"Khalifa what are you-" she cut herself off when she noticed when he arches an eyebrow out of annoyance, rubbing his lips together nervously, glancing at the window behind Khalifa then back at him hoping Nasir got caught in traffic.

"We made things official days ago. I was planning to tell you but I was busy and caught up with Iman's PTA..." she trailed off trying to be careful with her words, not wanting to add the fuel to the fire.

If it was another case, she might have not really cared to explain but would after some time out of the respect she had for him. But she didn't need Nasir finding out about her being married with a child so she needed to be on his good side and make him leave before it was too late. And it seemed to be the case as she continuously checked her phone to see if he maybe sent her a message.

"There wasn't a PTA this week. I have the timetable in my phone." Khalifa cut in leaving Halima speechless not being able to cone up with an excuse. But he cheated, isn't that enough?

"What did you expect me to do Khalifa? You cheated. Not me. How do you expect me to look at you the same? Or even love you! I couldn't and he was here for me unlike you. You didn't even care to check on me and sorry if I want to be with him when we're getting divorced already. I might be wrong for not telling you but last time I checked you also didn't tell me about sleeping with anisah when we were still together." Halima snapped, fed up with how he was getting involved in her life.

Khalifa let out a breath as a laugh but she knew there wasn't anything funny about the situation. He was enraged. "Then tell me why the fuck you were in my bed four days ago when you made things official a week ago?" He tilts his head to the side waiting for an answer but got nothing when she opened her mouth to talk just to close it right back.

"Then why was it a problem I got an apartment? What was with the hostility if you had someone why did you have a problem with me moving and why has it been four days and the divorce papers are still not ready yet." Khalifa squinted listing one by one standing up easily towering over her.

"Just because I got someone doesn't make it easy to see someone you've been with move on leaving you behind." Halima admitted, a tear cascading down her cheek which made Khalifa calmed down looking off to the side licking his lips.

"Leaving you behin- you're already seeing someone. How am I leaving you behind? You prefer me to dedicate my life to you until you forgive me? I know I did wrong and I deserve every single thing or action you make but that doesn't mean I have to waste the rest of my life trying to get on your good side when you're never even going to get back with me! I accepted whatever you asked for including leaving the house with no hesitation. But you were the person who followed me to my place just to leave my house right after letting out your frustrations on me." Khalifa snapped, reaching for his keys out of his pocket.

He slipped his hand out of his pocket with a fresh wound on his hand drawing both their attention as Halima's eyes widened in worry but Khalifa turned on his heel about to walk out of the house but stopped in his tracks

"I'm waiting for the papers. You deserve to have the happiness I deprived you of." Khalifa said chewing on his inner lip. "I'll be waiting to sign the divorce papers. In the meantime, let's not contact each other unless it has anything to do with Iman." He looked over his shoulder before letting himself out.

Halima bit her lip hearing Khalifa's car door slam before driving off. She fell to the floor taking a deep breath hoping she made the right choice. She hoped ruining her marriage for the money and status she wanted was worth it.

**

KHALIFA closed the car door approaching the small building with his thoughts heavy on his mind. Checking in with the receptionist who seemed to be interested in a chat by the way she kept glancing at her phone every now and then.

"Room ten." She threw Khalifa a smile which he barely returned walking down the spacious hallways as her eyes lingered on him before getting back on her phone.

Khalifa knocked on the door before pushing the door open revealing a bright medium sized office. He closed the door closed taking a seat on the chair adjacent to the on sthe doctor was seating on who seemed to be facing a different direction, writing something down on a paper.

The doctor was a woman with a black and brown turban covering her head and her lab coat not giving the opportunity to see what she was actually wearing. Uninterested, Khalifa looked out of the window where various people were leaving the hospial getting in their cars.

"Sorry for the hold up. Needed to get all your information." She apologized clearing her throat turning around in her chair to meet his gaze. Khalifa raised a brow with a smirk on his face when he saw the suprised look on her face, her eyes the size of saucers. She seemed to be everywhere he was, including the hospital he visited.

"Nice seeing you again miss-" he trailed off looking down at the table name plate then back at her. "Bindawa." He finished with a smile leaning back in his seat with his legs spreaded out.

Yasmin gave him a tight lipped smile leaning forward in her seat interlacing her fingers. "How can I help you?" She asked holding his stare for a while, before breaking it seconds after.

"I'm here for my weekly checkup." Khalifa replied amused, his eyes following her every move as she looked down at her Apple PC typing in his name. "Have I met you before?" Khalifa asked watching as she looked up meeting his eyes holding eye contact for some time before breaking it looking down at her PC.

"I was friends with your wife at a time." Yasmin answered with her eyes on the screen. Khalifa bobbed his head in agreement already knowing who she was but he wantedto get a reaction out of her considering she was avoiding having a conversation with him and she couldn't even maintain eye contact.

Khalifa looked down at his his lap crackling his knuckles staying quiet. He was still irritated with Halima for the games she was trying to play which he was in no mood for. Yasmin felt the mood of the room shift making her look up to see him looking oout of the window.

It was obvious he was trying to make a conversation with her or amused by how she was acting and the moment she mentioned his wife, his mood shifted which means there must have been a mishap she had no business with.

"And I think we've met in a parking lot before." Yasmin didn't even know when the words flew out of her mouth. But she felt like she ruined his mood and she couldn't help but feel entitled to fix it.

Khalifa tore his gaze off the window to Yasmin licking his lips raising both brows. "I knew I'd seen you recently." He smiled revealing his pearly white K-Nine teeth which caught her attention but averted her gaze back to her screen not wanting to be looking at her old friend's husband.

"Yeah..." Yasmin trailed off standing to her feet turning to the glass cabinet where she kept her files, looking for his. "Khalifa Matazu... I suppose that's your name?" She glanced at him over her shoulder waiting for a response.

"That's me." Khalifa replied, sliding his phone out of his pocket when it started ringing suprised to see Halima was calling. He scoffed a laugh shaking his head swiping his thumb across the screen answering the phone call putting the phone to his ear, waiting for her to say or yell whatever she had to say.

"Can we talk?" Halima rushed out before he could utter another word, as if she was scared he was going to end it as soon as he picked up.

Khalifa glanced at Yasmin who seemed to be minding her business going through a file causing him to lick his lips. "I'm busy as of right now but I'll call you when I'm done. You have a location or should I come to your house?" Khalifa cocked one foot over the other saying it nonchalantly with his eyes trained on Yasmin who seemed to tense up by the his next question.

She released her tense shoulders turning on her heel sitting down on her chair just as Khalifa ended the call sliding the phone into his pocket. Yasmin took a deep breath trying to control her emotions as she looked up at him with the blankest face she could muster.

"So what's the problem?" Yasmin didn't let her gaze or her expression falter as she asked him the question. She didn't know him personally, she was just friends with his wife at a time and they ended on bad terms the last time they met so she wasn't in any way going to be informal with him although he was someone to look at.

"My hands keep itching time to time and I thought it was an allergy or I could get something to relieve it." He shrugged his shoulder, raking his hands through his curls that needed a trim but Yasmin kept her gaze on the file looking down biting her lip so hard Khalifa noticed it.

"You need to go easy there." Khalifa snapped her out of her thoughts as she shook her head with a smile but he knew better. It didn't take a therapist or psychologist to notice something as simple as that.

Yasmin's lips curved into a playful smirk. "Thank you. For paying attention I mean." She said slickly, looking back at her PC typing in something as Khalifa stared at her not caring if she caught him or not.

He didn't know why he was interested in the woman, but something about her just draws him in and he wouldn't fight it, he was going where the wind took him.

**

Halima hummed a random song under her breath as she applied the lotion to her legs, which were needing serious attention due to the cold weather. A knock was heard on the front door drawing her attention to it.

She paused, rubbing her legs with the lotion left on her hands, before picking up the lotion closing the lid placing it on her nightstand. She snatched the robe off her bed closing her sleeveless nightwear tying it at the front.

She softly closed her door, slowly walking down the stairs to the front door where the knocking paused. Her teeth sunk into her lip in thought, before standing on her toes peering out of the peephole.

Her eyebrows furrowed but turned the locks, pulling the door open coming to face with Khalifa who was in all black, a black hoodie and addidas jogging pants with addidas slides on his feet.

His gaze was on the floor with his hands in his pockets but once the door was pulled open, he raised his eyes meeting Halima's confused ones. Halima crossed her arms over her chest sizing him up, her confusion replaced by anger, wondering what the hell he was doing at her house this late at night.

"Khalifa you can't just come over whenever you want. Especially if it's this late." Halima ranted, but it seemed like Khalifa didn't care to listen to what she was saying, walking past her leaving her standing there.

She knew he was still angry from their conversation earlier, but she was in no mood to sit and listen to what he had to say. She needed her sleep and she was in no mood to be anyone's punching bag. Especially her cheating soon to be ex-husband.

She puffed out a breath following behind Khalifa who was sitting on one of the chairs, his elbows on his knees and a balled up fist to his mouth. His left leg bouncing up and down.

She rolled her eyes, not helping but remember when he was in the same position when he found out she didn't pick up Iman from school early.

"Khalifa, I'm not really in the mood to argue right now. You can't be angry because I moved on. And honestly, I don't need your permission to see him because we're not together." Halima motioned between them with her index finger, shaking her head side to side.

Khalifa's eyes flickered from the floor to Halima, his bouncing leg slowing down but his fist was still to his mouth. She had never seen the look on his face and was actually starting to get scared.

She pelted a few steps back, her hands dropping to her sides. Khalifa let out a humorless chuckle, his voice getting deeper than it already was, pairing with his eyes that got darker.

"You didn't need my permission before, you wouldn't need it now." Khalifa spoke, raising his fist from his mouth.

"What to you mean Khalifa? Permission for what? Leaving you after you cheated, betrayed my trust? I most definately didn't need permission to do that and I would do that a thousand times more if that's what it takes." Halima snapped, glaring at him in irritation, not believing he had the guts to even say that.

Khalifa closed his eyes shaking his head, his hands balling to fists as he tried as much as possible to stay calm.

"I doubt cheating was the reason." Khalifa said making her jerk her head back, an offended look on her face.

"Excuse me? Last time I checked, we were doing fine before you cheated and just because other women still stuck with their husbands after that, remember I'm not other women. I'm not stupid enough to think you can change." Halima spat, gone was her fear and was replaced by the anger that she had been keeping in for so long, in her defense.

"We were doing fine? Explain what you mean by doing fine when we were always at each other's neck or let me say you were at my neck. You came home in a sour mood and the next day you come back with a different one. You didn't want me to touch you or even get close to you when you were the one who always made the first move.Then it dialed down to you coming back home with different things that you randomly saw on the street. Do you think I'm stupid?" Khalifa stood up from the couch approaching Halima who started backing up, scared by his outburst.

Khalifa pointed to the side of his head looking down at her. "You think I was stupid enough not to notice everything that was going on? So when you were having sex with another man, I was sure you didn't need my permission and I'm sure you wouldn't be needing one now, would you?" Khalifa tilted his head to the side, placing his hands on the wall on each side of Halima's head, trapping her.

"Nah you were saying something, let me hear it. You were just talking about permission then why are you suddenly mute? You left our daughter stranded scared out of her freaking mind whilst you were out there sleeping with randoms. My fucking daughter!" Khalifa raged before raising his hand up punching the wall beside Halima's face.

Halima squeezed her eyes shut, scared he might put her hands on her considering she had never seen him this enraged. She fluttered her eyes open when she didn't feel the impact, coming to face with her husband who was minutes away from beating her face in.

He stepped back, running his hands through his curls, which he usually did when he was stressed, but she knew stress wasn't what he was feeling as of right now. It was pure anger and it was directed towards her.

"You kept talking about how I betrayed our trust, talking about how happy we were when you were literary the person who pushed me to Anisah. I felt my world coming down when I realized what I did. Scared to lose my wife who had been there for me and has been anything but loyal. How mediocre that thought was." Khalifa scoffed, revealing his pearly white k-nine teeth that was only shown when he laughed, but she knew there wasn't anything about this situation worth laughing for.

"Your words kept repeating in my head like a loop, blaming myself for letting you down, blaming myself for ruining our marriage. The way you looked at me made me want to crawl out of my skin just to find out you were guilty of the same mistake. Even worse. At least I owned up to my mistakes not hiding behind somebody's. I didn't act like the victim unlike you did. But hey, what's done is done." Khalifa raised both his hands before letting them drop to his sides.

"Was it the money? Why am I even asking of course it was because of the money. Let me leave before I do something you'll regret."  He muttered to himself, peeling himself off Halima, turning around about to walk away bit Halima quickly reached out for his arm.

Khalifa blankly looked down at her hand and she was quick to peel her hand off him. Instead clutching his hoodie in her hands, rapid tears falling down her face as she sobbed.

"I'm sorry. Please try to understand. I was just hurt from it and that was it. I planned to tell you..." Halima didn't finish before Khalifa yanked out of her grip, in a calm manner.

"Yeah you did." Khalifa said in a low tone, hating the fact that he loved the woman standing in front of him. Beating himself up for the woman who couldn't do the same for him. He didn't hesitate walking out of the house, Halima falling to the floor sobbing with her hand clutching her chest.

Song : Lil Tjay - One Take