Captive In The Spotlight

Prologue

She begged, her voice cracking with desperation, "Mum, please don't do this to me! I'm begging you, please... I promise I... I... Mum, please don't destroy my life like this! Please..." Tears streamed down her face, her eyes bloodshot and swollen from the non-stop flow. Her mother's palm struck her cheek hard, cutting her short.

She fell to her knees, grasping her mother's leg. "Please, Mum, don't ruin me like this! I'm sorry... I really am! Please, all I'm asking for is another chance. I promise to make things right, Mum. Don't watch me get ruined like this... I'm pleading with you, Mother..."

Her mother jerked her leg away, staring down at her with disgust. "You've lost the right to call me your mother, you despicable girl. You've brought shame upon our family with what you did, and thank God for him! If not for him, what would have happened to you...?"

She raised her head, fighting back tears. "You have the nerve to call it destruction! I thought you'd have learned your lesson and be grateful for this alliance, but no! The devil in you isn't allowing you to think straight."

Fateemah clenched her fist, her knuckles turning red. "Musab will surely pay for this! I know he's behind all of this. He promised to destroy me, and he did. I pray never to set my eyes on him again, because that day will be his last!" She whispered under her breath.

"Then this isn't the solution, Mum! This arranged marriage won't fix anything. You're forcing me into this alliance because of what that bastard told you. As if he's innocent and pure, when in reality, he's the real monster here, Mum... just listen to me... He's worse than..."

Her mother's palm struck her cheek again, cutting her off. The force of the blow caused her head to jerk to the side, and she tasted blood in her mouth from the impact.

Her mother collapsed into a nearby chair, her face etched with shock and exhaustion. "I should have never trusted you. You repulse me!" She struggled to her feet, wiping away tears that threatened to fall. "Your in-laws will arrive soon, so start getting ready. Don't dare cause any more trouble or misbehave, or I swear I'll disown you."

As she turned to leave, she added, her voice laced with venom, "Wear the green gown; it's Musab's favorite color." The girl's eyes widened in horror. "Musab? Which Musab are you talking about, please?" Her mother's response was curt and devastating. "The same Musab. You're marrying into the Zakariyah family. Musab Zakariyah is your fiancé."

Everything around her came to a standstill. She felt a chilling numbness wash over her, accompanied by a wave of scorching rage, as if her very existence was being suffocated. The mere mention of that name turned her world upside down. She seethed to herself, "I'm being forced to marry that... that monster! Musab, you've sealed your own fate. I swear on that wedding day, we'll be mourning your demise. That I promise you."