A Vow Of Love (Book #2) (Completed)

Chapter 49: Matters Of The Heart

EMAN HASHIM

I felt him before I saw him. It was as if the very energy around me changed in his presence, warning me, telling me to run. But before I could listen to the nagging feeling in my gut, a hand had wrapped around my wrist, tugging on it roughly. The books and bag in my hand fell to the ground and a high-pitched sound left me.

No, it couldn't escape because another hand was on my mouth, trapping it inside. I was slammed against a wall, my head jerking back, my teeth singing from the impact. My bun cushioned the blow a little and I couldn't help but feel grateful despite the fear eating at my insides.

Angry, red eyes bore into mine and then the smell of liquor hit me. I cringed, trying to take a step away from the man in front of me, the man who refused to leave me alone for some reason. The hand on my wrist tightened to the point of pain and the reek of alcohol I could smell on Shariq's breath became an afterthought.

I tried to scream again but the hand covering my mouth pressed harder as if trying to cut off my life source, trying to suffocate me to death.

"Assalamualaikum, Eman." Shariq breathed. If it wasn't for the fact that my head was still reeling from what was happening, I would have laughed in his face. He was drunk but he remembered the greeting. "Long time, no see." He added, his teeth gritting together so that the words were barely intelligible.

I tried to speak but I couldn't unseal my lips. The palm of his hand was pressed tightly against my mouth, trapping words and sounds inside. I struggled against him but he wouldn't let me go. His hold on his was firm, holding me in place.

"So you still fucking your billionaire husband? Or have you moved on from him too?" Shariq asked, taking a step closer to me. The heat from his body penetrated into mine but unlike when Tariq came close to me, I didn't feel safe or warm. A chill settled over my heart instead, begging for me to get away.

But I was slowly realizing that my ex-fiance was much stronger than me. He was a man after all. My strength was nothing compared to his. If he wanted to, he could kill me right now and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Wait, don't answer. Let me guess for myself." He went on, his words slurring together, bloodshot eyes looking at me with anger and hatred so profound, it made me cower. "You are still with him because he has money. A lot of it. He can buy me and my family if he wanted to. That's what he said, right? That he could buy me and my family if he felt like it?"

I barely heard him. It was getting harder to breathe. Shariq's hand was blocking my nostrils, making it almost impossible to get any air into my lungs.

"Your bastard husband said that he could buy me if he felt like it. Me!" He snapped, getting into my face. I winced despite myself as sharp tears stung my eyes. I didn't know if it was the smell of alcohol that scared me or the fact that he was too close and the memory from the museum came crashing back or the way his other hand was twisting my wrist painfully. Or perhaps, it was all those things. And I needed to get away. I needed to leave. Make him leave.

My heart was manic in my chest, a wild rhythm that I had not experienced before. I tried to bring my other hand up to push Shariq away from me, my vision blurring from the moisture in my eyes but his elbow dug into my shoulder, his eyes widening.

"Don't you dare!" He hissed, low and menacing. I whimpered inwardly, my arm falling back to my side limply. "You listen to me here, Eman. You. Fucking. Listen. To. Me." Spit flew out of his mouth and landed below my eyes. Every part of me recoiled from him but he still held onto me as if with every ounce of strength he possessed.

"Your husband will leave you. Your bastard husband will leave you. He will fuck you and then let you rot on the side of the road because you don't deserve love. A woman like you doesn't deserve anything but what I am willing to give you." His wild eyes looked around before settling on me again. "And when he does throw you out and closes the door to his house and heart in your face, I will pick you up. I will take you with me and I will ruin you. I will fulfil my promise to you, Eman and I will break you so thoroughly that even the Allah you are so fond of won't be able to fix you. Even He won't be able to put you back together."