Abuja, Nigeria.
Three weeks later, Hajiya finally returned to Kano, and the kids couldn't have been happier—especially Jalilah, who'd grown weary of the old woman's constant talk, particularly her insistence that Jalilah would soon be sent off to her husband's house after her exams.
They were relaxing in the living room, watching *Never Have I Ever* on Netflix, when the doorbell rang. Jalilah, carrying a bowl of sliced cake from the kitchen, opened the door. Her smile vanished as soon as she saw the three faces on the other side: Hajiya Khadijah's stepsisters. They had an inexplicable hatred for her, a feeling Jalilah gladly reciprocated—a perfect "win-win."
"Good afternoon, Anty Karima, Anty Maryam, Anty Amamatu," she greeted them with a flat tone.
"Afternoon," replied Anty Karima, the least unfriendly among them, with a dry response. Jalilah shrugged and returned to the living room, leaving them to find their way around. Not that she cared.
Upon seeing the sisters, Banina's face lit up, and she rushed over to greet them before they all went upstairs to see their sister.
"Oh, you're here! I didn't expect you; you didn't mention you were coming," Hajiya Khadijah said, smiling widely.
"Yes, it's a surprise visit," replied Anty Maryam.
"What are you doing with that, Yaya Khadijah?" asked Anty Amamatu, pointing at the magazine in Hajiya's hand.
"Oh, this? I was browsing for ideas on furniture to put in Jalilah's new home."
Anty Maryam let out a loud hiss, snickering.
"We're actually here to talk about her," Anty Karima said, referring to Jalilah.
"What has she done now?" Hajiya Khadijah sighed.
"She's done everything!" Anty Maryam snapped. "First, she stole your children's affection from their father, and now she's marrying Jalal! What's wrong with you, Khadijah? How could you allow this?"
"I don't understand you," Hajiya Khadijah replied.
"How could you? When your love for that girl has blinded you!"
"As if she's your real daughter!"
"Do you even love your own kids as much as you love her?"
"Please, stop this," Hajiya Khadijah said. "What's so wrong if I love Jalilah as much as my own children? She's my daughter, too."
"No! She's just your husband's niece! Don't compare her to my nieces and nephews!" Anty Maryam fired back.
"But I do have a bond with her! She's related to me through my husband, and now she's also my son's wife. So, yes, I have every reason to love her," Hajiya Khadijah argued. The next thing she knew, she felt a stinging slap on her cheek.
"You slapped me, Yaya Maryam?"
"Yes, and I'll do it again if you keep up this nonsense! Don't forget—her mother was the reason your mother-in-law hated you! That same girl's mo—"
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Affairs Of The Hearts |✅
RomanceCOMPLETED ~JALILAH~ Jalilah, a sweet, lively, and beautiful sixteen-year-old girl, knows no care in the world. An orphan since her parents passed away when she was just a year old, she has lived her enti...
