Hidden bonds of love

43.

After the birthday party, Maryam and her friends presented Valerie with her gift. Maryam's gift to Valerie was a book written by Valerie's favorite author, who also happened to be Maryam's dad. The book had just been published, not yet available for sale, but Maryam wanted Valerie to be the first to read it, given her passion for books. Maryam's dad specifically requested this as Valerie's birthday present, acknowledging her dedicated fandom.

Valerie couldn't contain her excitement. "Oh my goodness, I'm overjoyed! I feel so incredibly special," she exclaimed, clutching the book in her hands. It was not just any book; it was a cherished gift from Maryam's father, one she had been eagerly searching for. Today, she received it as a surprise, and she couldn't be happier. Valerie hugged Maryam tightly, and the room filled with joy as everyone celebrated. Valerie's parents also expressed their gratitude to all of Valerie's friends for the thoughtful gifts.

🔆

Stepping off the airplane as it touched down, she couldn't believe she was back in this country. Though she wished she could have remained in Korea for the rest of her life, circumstances had compelled her to return.

"Welcome back, ma'am. We're thrilled to see you," Amnat warmly greeted, opening the back seat of the waiting car for Mrs. Fatima.

"Thank you," Mrs. Fatima replied, easing herself into the car with a sigh of relief. Amnat closed the door and took her place in the passenger seat. The driver, an elderly gentleman, greeted Mrs. Fatima, and to his surprise, she responded in kind. This small act of politeness brought a hint of satisfaction to the old man.

Upon arriving at her house, Mrs. Fatima found it impeccably clean and tidy, thanks to Amnat's arrangements. As she wandered through the house, she eventually found herself in Maryam's room. Memories flooded back, and she realized how much she missed Maryam. Despite knowing that Maryam wasn't her biological daughter, the connection was undeniable.

Regret weighed on her as she wished she had provided more care and support to Maryam. Just as she was about to do so, Maryam had gone missing. Mrs. Fatima deeply regretted not heeding Amnat's advice at the time.

Descending the stairs, Mrs. Fatima spotted Amnat seated at the dining table. Amnat promptly rose to her feet as she saw Mrs. Fatima approaching. "You can sit," Mrs. Fatima offered, and Amnat gently resumed her seat. Mrs. Fatima settled into the adjacent chair, positioning herself to face Amnat.

Amnat had initially considered saving the food, but Mrs. Fatima reassured her that she would eat later. Mrs. Fatima's attention was firmly fixed on her phone, where she was reviewing a multitude of missed calls from Uthman and Khalid.

"Mrs. Fatima, I'm deeply sorry for your loss," Amnat offered her words carefully chosen.

Mrs. Fatima raised her head, a perplexed expression clouding her features. "My loss? Who passed away?"

"Oh, I thought you were aware," Amnat responded, her voice trembling slightly as she hesitated. "Ahmad has passed away."

Mrs. Fatima fell silent, her gaze fixed on the dining table. It was as if she was attempting to comprehend the news, struggling to process the information that had just been relayed to her.

"Which Ahmad? You mean my Ahmad, my stepson?" Mrs. Fatima inquired, glancing towards Amnat, seeking confirmation.

Amnat replied with a solemn nod, "Yes, ma'am."

Mrs. Fatima let out a heavy sigh, her demeanor relaxing somewhat. She rose from her chair and declared, "Take me to Uthman's house. Why wasn't I informed?"

"I apologize, Mrs. Fatima," Amnat responded, her voice filled with remorse. "I wanted to inform you, but you instructed us not to contact you under any circumstances. Furthermore, Uthman and his family are all in Abuja, where Ahmad passed away." Amnat stood up from her chair, ready to accompany Mrs. Fatima to her stepson's residence.

There was a brief moment of silence as Mrs. Fatima scrolled through her phone, her fingers dialing Khalid's number with urgency.

"What happened to him?" she inquired, her voice filled with concern.

Amnat replied, "He was in a car accident, and it's been all over social media."

"Subhanallah," Mrs. Fatima uttered, her shock evident. She tried calling Khalid, but he wasn't answering.

"Amnat I'm heading to Abuja right now. Can you come with me, please?" Mrs. Fatima asked with deep worry.

"Yes, I will, but I need to stop at home to get my things," Amnat responded.

"No problem," Mrs. Fatima agreed.

Together, they headed to the airport. After landing in Abuja, Mrs. Fatima continued trying to reach Khalid. Finally, he answered the call, explaining that he was in a meeting and had missed her calls due to his phone being on silent.

Mrs. Fatima instructed him to pick her up, and Khalid was taken aback, initially thinking it might be a prank.

Khalid arrived at the airport and, upon seeing Mrs. Fatima, realized it was indeed her. After he loaded their suitcases into the car's trunk, Mrs. Fatima took the front passenger seat, while Amnat sat in the back.

As they left the airport, Khalid drove in silence, unsure of what to say to Mrs. Fatima. He kept his attention firmly on the road and didn't even glance in her direction.

In an attempt to break the silence, Mrs. Fatima said, "I heard about Ahmad's passing."

"Yes," was Khalid's brief response. His silence made it clear that he was upset with her.

Mrs. Fatima sensed his anger and tried to apologize. "Khalid, I'm sorry for everything. I should have answered your calls, but I needed some time..." Khalid interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.

"I think it's better if we discuss this in private. I don't want your assistant to know what kind of mother you are. Let's talk privately, just you and me," Khalid said, still not looking at her, his gaze fixed on the road.

Mrs. Fatima glanced briefly at Amnat, then back at Khalid, but before she could respond, he cut in again. "Just keep quiet and enjoy the ride," he said, a mix of annoyance and calmness in his voice.

Feeling guilty, Mrs. Fatima turned her gaze to the car window, watching the passing cars and people in silence.

Upon arriving at Khalid's place, they settled in. After a meal, Mrs. Fatima went to Khalid's room and sat on the sofa while Khalid was doing push-ups.

"Are you frustrated?" she asked, crossing her legs. "You always exercise like this when you're frustrated or angry."

Khalid chuckled, still doing his push-ups. "Like you care," he retorted.

He eventually sat down on the rug and looked at her. "So, you finally remember you have a son?"

"Khalid, I'm sorry. I know I wasn't a good mother to you. I should have taken care of my biological son, but I chose to care for Maryam, who isn't my biological daughter, and I ended up losing her," Mrs. Fatima admitted.

Khalid's anger was evident as he spoke. "And what did you do after losing her? You should have searched for her, right? But no, you just left the country, and Maryam and I never heard from you."

Mrs. Fatima sighed. "Listen, I should have taken care of you, but you have to understand that I couldn't give birth to any child for Uthman. I felt inadequate because Mommy Beauty had a son, and I had none. That's why I pretended to be pregnant and ended up with Maryam."

"Speaking of Maryam, prepare to meet her tomorrow, along with everyone else," Khalid announced.

Mrs. Fatima was stunned. "Maryam? You found her? Don't tell me you took her away from me?"

"Yes, I took her away from you to reunite her with her real father, Alamin. You'll also need to explain to him how his wife died and how Maryam ended up with you," Khalid said, his voice emotionless. Then, he stood up.

Mrs. Fatima was shocked and shaken, unable to move as her body trembled. "Khalid, you've broken your promise. How could you do this to your own mother?"

Khalid met her gaze with bloodshot eyes and asked, "And how could you do what you did to your own son?"