A walk on thorns

Chapter 13| From Frying Pan...

Sabrina's POV

For the past ten minutes, I had been standing there, battling against Mukhtar, trying to pry him away from my sister. Anisha begged me to go away, but I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. She was my sister, and this… this animal wasn’t going to get away with hurting her.

The tension in the room was suffocating, the air thick with fear and anger. Mukhtar’s rage was palpable, and every word out of his mouth was a threat. It felt like we were locked in a cage, the walls closing in with every passing second.

"Listen to me, Mukhtar," I said, my voice cold, cutting through the chaos. "You can't manipulate the police when they arrive here and catch you red-handed. You better open the door now, or you’ll be sleeping in jail tonight. And before you decide to act stubborn, let me remind you of something." I stepped closer, my voice sharp, cutting into him like a blade. "Your name, your reputation, your family, they all matter. I hope you can make a wise choice now. And even if you bribe the cops to let you go, trust me, I’ll be there to record how they arrest Mukhtar AbdulSamad Waziri. Do you know what 79K Instagram followers can do?"

There was a tense silence, thick and suffocating. Then, finally, I heard the creak of the door unlocking. Anisha’s voice came through, weak but pleading, asking me to leave. As soon as the door cracked open, Mukhtar tried to grab me, but I wasn’t going to let him take control. In a split second, I swung the pestle with everything I had, slamming it into his hand with all the force I could muster. The sickening crunch I heard told me I’d done some real damage, probably a dislocation, if not worse. But did he deserve any less? Hell no. This was the least he could get for what he’d done.

He howled in pain, pulling his hand back, but his anger was unstoppable. He lunged at me again with his other hand, but I was ready. I swung the pestle again. This time, he flinched and moved back, eyes wild with rage.

"What the hell are you doing, Sabrina?!" Anisha shouted, her voice laced with disbelief.

He glared at me like a starving predator, and I felt a cold shiver run through my spine. Anisha stood behind him, her clothes torn, her bloodied face twisted in confusion and fear. She was shaking her head at me, telling me to leave, but I wasn’t about to turn my back on her now. Not after everything he had done to her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you dirty little rat?!" Mukhtar spat, his hand grabbing my left arm with a grip so tight it felt like he was crushing the bone. I fought back, my arm throbbing under his cruel hold, but his power was unmatched, and his rage made him stronger.

"Compose yourself, or I’ll crack your skull against this wall!" His roar reverberated through me, sending a shockwave of fear straight to my bones. But I wasn’t backing down.

"I will not!" I shouted back, my voice fierce, my body trembling with adrenaline. His face twisted in confusion, like I’d just slapped him with words he couldn’t comprehend.

"Mukhtar, please…" Anisha begged, her voice breaking. "For the sake of God, we are sorry! I’ll go home and apologize to Hajiya again, but please, don’t hurt Sabrina. She’s just a child!"

A laugh, bitter and mocking, escaped my lips. "Is that what this is about, huh? A damn apology? Wonderful!"

"We are not sorry, and it will happen again!" I snarled, my voice shaking with fury. "Unless they stop coming back here with that disgusting attitude, nothing will change. I’m not sorry, and I’ll never be sorry for standing up for my sister!"

Anisha’s eyes popped open in shock, while Mukhtar’s face twisted in rage. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"What did you just say?" Mukhtar hissed, his grip tightening on my arm. He was incredulous, like he couldn’t understand that anyone would dare defy him.