Marrying the son of Asraf 2

🪻Sixty~ 2🪻

"Ahhhhhhhh!" !" Maryam yelled, throwing her phone to the ground, panting as if she had just run a marathon. Her breaths came out in ragged gasps, her shoulders rising and falling with each one. She had just received a message from Aisha—Khalil had found out. He knew the child wasn't his.

"You are just so careless, ah!" she spat, digging her nails deep into her palm, the sharp pain mixing with the boiling anger inside her. Her expression softened for a moment before frustration took over again. She began tearing through her room, searching for something she could use to turn the situation in her favor.

"The hell is it?!" she hissed, pulling open her drawers and flinging her wardrobe doors wide. She paused, breathing heavily, trying to recall where she had kept it. Then her eyes landed on a small box peeking out from the edge of her bedside drawer.

Rushing to it, she snatched it up. Her gut told her what she was looking for was inside. A dark smirk tugged at her lips as she placed the box on the bed and flipped it open. Among a few scattered pictures lay a flash drive.

Gripping it tightly, she quickly reached for her phone and dialed Malik's number. He picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hello!?"

"I need to see you ASAP," she said, her voice sharp and urgent. "There's something else I want to report about the case."

He agreed, instructing her to meet him in his office. As the call ended, she dropped her phone onto the bed beside her. A cruel smile formed on her lips. There's no going back now, Khalil. I've got you in checkmate.

She moved to close the box when a photo caught her eye—a picture of her and Harun. Her blood boiled at the sight of his smiling face. Her fingers trembled, but instead of dwelling on it, she shoved the picture back inside and returned the box to its original place.

Meanwhile, it was already dinner time when Summayyah returned home. She had to report back to the office, and CEO Natasha had given her the green light to seek support from Rahma—without leaving her people behind.

But something felt off in the house. Every time Summayyah approached Rukkayyah, she immediately changed direction, avoiding her. It unsettled Summayyah. What happened between her and Faruq? The house felt unusually quiet. Even Baby Noor hardly cried lately, as if her mother's attention had shifted solely to her—perhaps using Noor as a shield to avoid having a conversation.

Silence hung over them, thick and unspoken. Even when Azman brought up school, Rukkayyah forced herself to smile, but it wasn't real. Summayyah watched closely. Who is Rukkayyah? she wondered. No matter what happened, no matter how upset she was, she always had a soft spot for Azman.

After dinner, Summayyah searched for her, but she was nowhere to be found. She finally turned to Asma'u, who hesitated before answering.

"She's in the garden."

The garden? Why?

Summayyah's heart pounded as she rushed outside. She stopped at a corner when she heard quiet whispers. Peering through the dim evening light, she spotted Rukkayyah on a rocking chair, holding Noor in her arms.

"I trusted them, Noor. I truly believed and loved them," Rukkayyah sniffled.

Summayyah's chest ached. She wanted to run to her, comfort her, but she hesitated. Rukkayyah, however, had sharp senses—she noticed her presence immediately. Yet, she made no attempt to wipe her tears or pretend she was fine.

"Why are you here?" she asked softly. "I left the house for you guys. Why did you have to follow me and invade my privacy?"

Summayyah stepped out of hiding and walked toward her. "Oh, Rukkayyah, please don't do this. Please."

Rukkayyah scoffed. "Don't do what? You left me in the dark! Do you know what all this means to me? I thought we were one family, but we're just people living under the same roof—without truth, without understanding." Her voice trembled. "Why did you feel the need to hide the truth from me? Because you thought I wouldn't understand?"

Summayyah shook her head quickly. "No, Faruq—"

"Don't say his name!" Rukkayyah cut her off sharply, making Summayyah shiver. She didn't even want to hear it. "He's not who I thought he was. How could he do this to me? Marrying illegally? I just— I just can't fathom everything. Why?! Why did you drag me into this mess?!"

"That's the problem," Summayyah whispered. "He never wanted you to be affected."

"Well, I am affected!" Rukkayyah shot back. "You two dismissed my feelings, took my personality for granted, and now that I've reacted, he suddenly wants to explain?"

"Please, Rukkayyah, you have to understand. We never meant to hurt you! Just give us a chance to explain," she pleaded.

Rukkayyah fell silent, finally giving Summayyah the chance to speak.

So, she did.

She told her everything—every truth, every painful moment—without holding back. Rukkayyah's expression shifted as she listened, her brows furrowing, her eyes glued to Summayyah.

Yes, everyone is surprised when I tell them. No one would ever do what I did.

"If I had known, I would have stayed," Rukkayyah admitted, her voice softer now. "But my heart couldn't handle it. You can't heal in the same place you got sick, so I had to leave. I needed to start over, to find myself. Do you know how often I regret my actions? Every single day. I wish I could turn back time. But after I had Azman, I realized... my decision wasn't so bad after all. He helped me find myself again."

She paused, looking down at Noor. "When Azman was tiny, just like her, I felt the same way you do now. But as he grew, I couldn't help but see his father's face in him. They're like photocopies of each other and—"

Before she could finish, Rukkayyah reached out and placed her hand over Summayyah's, stopping her mid-sentence. They stared at each other, pain mirrored in their eyes.

Then, Rukkayyah pulled her into a soft hug, careful not to press Noor between them.

"It's okay... it's okay," she whispered, gently patting Summayyah's back.

Silent tears slipped down Summayyah's cheeks.

Behind them, Faruq had been eavesdropping, but as soon as he saw them embrace, he turned away. Alhamdulilah.

The two women pulled apart, wiping away each other's tears.

Summayyah couldn't help but wonder—why did Rukkayyah love her this much? She was so lucky to have her, first Faruq, and now his wife. May Allah bless this family. Ameen.

They sat there playing with Noor, reminiscing about their lives before marriage. Rukkayyah talked about how unlucky she had been with past relationships, which reminded Summayyah of Halima. Come to think of it, I haven't spoken to her since we left Hanifa's house. She's probably furious with me. And Jamila too!

Her phone suddenly rang. It was Ibrahim.

She answered immediately.

"We've found Williams," he said.

Summayyah shot up in shock. "What? How?!"

"Arif found him. He's in a brothel. He worked with the research team, made countless calls, and tracked him down."

She was speechless. Even the government couldn't find Williams... but Arif did?

Khalil truly had some incredibly smart friends.

That night, she slept in Azman's room, waiting for tomorrow. Waiting for when they would meet again.

And somehow, something inside her was eager to see Khalil.

The mere thought made her smile softly as she turned off the light and drifted off to sleep.

It's getting pretty tensed isn't it🥹
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