The Price Of Revenge

Four

Rumaisa sat back in the chair, staring at the neatly arranged notes spread across the table. Every detail of her plan was there, each thread carefully plotted and every encounter carefully timed. Two days had passed since she arrived in Kaduna, and today marked the beginning of everything.

Her lips curved into a faint, tight smile. Fuad would never see it coming. He would believe she had moved on, that she had forgotten, that she was happy. That belief would be her weapon.

Whenever she thought about the pictures, her chest tightened with fury. He had planted a camera in the room and captured her from every angle while she stood there in nothing but her underwear. The images had circulated, or at least threatened to, and he had not appeared in any of them. She could never forgive someone who would stoop that low just to get what he wanted.

But what did he want? Was it revenge for something she had done? The question had been gnawing at her for two years, but there was no time to dwell on it now.

It was too late for him. She would take action her way, carefully and subtly. He would be drawn in without suspecting a thing, believing every coincidence, every inconvenience and every twist of fate was simply happening on its own.

The door opened, and Jabir stepped inside before perching on the arm of the chair.

He studied her with the careful scrutiny that always made her feel as though he could see through her, but he was also the person she trusted more than anyone.

"Seeing him again. Being near him."

"Rumy..." Jabir's voice softened. "There's a difference between planning revenge and actually standing in front of the person who ruined you. Maybe there are still feelings there."

Rumaisa let out a dry laugh as she sat up and met his gaze. "Feelings? There's nothing there except hatred. There can't be anything else."

Jabir frowned, clearly unconvinced. "I hope so. But understand this. Once you start, you can't simply decide halfway through that you don't want to continue. You have to be certain, Rumy. This isn't a game."

"I know," she said, her voice steady, almost too calm. "I've thought about it enough. I've made my choice."

He studied her for another moment before finally nodding. "Alright. I'll go get dressed. You should too. We need to leave soon."

Rumaisa watched him walk away. She did not know if she could have gone through with any of this without him. Jabir was not just part of the plan. He was her anchor, her safety net, the one person who understood why she could not simply let everything go.

And today, that anger would finally have somewhere to go.

•

Rumaisa knew Fuad's taste. He preferred things that were simple, understated and effortless, so she chose exactly that. She wore a soft bubu that fell elegantly against her frame with a few delicate accessories. Nothing more. Nothing less.

She did not want to look as though she had dressed for him. The outfit needed to say that she did not care anymore, even if her blood simmered beneath the calmness of the fabric.

She stepped outside, the late afternoon sun warming her skin. Jabir stood beside the car, speaking quietly with Rilwan. Their voices carried just enough for her to catch the end of their conversation.

"So maybe you should just go and buy the fuel first," Jabir was saying. "We'll figure out the rest afterward. If I can get what they're asking for, I'll see what I can do. For now, just send me the mechanic's contact."

Rilwan nodded, folding his arms. "Okay. But I'll go after Asr."

"That's fine too," Jabir replied before turning toward her.