Funny how you'd think you're living your best life in one moment and in just the blink of an eye, the entire world turned its back at you and you're left alone in this life. Scared and in so much agony that you could barely breath. She didn't know where to start from. Yes, she had a life she was living with Abla in it, but now that she was gone, Yusrah didn't know if she wanted that life anymore. She wanted her Nazli back.

Nazli, just like the meaning of the name. It was a Turkish feminine name but had a persian root. Naz meant beauty and li meant to have. And to have beauty, indeed. For having Abla in her life was beauty. And now that she was gone, Yusrah had lost all the beauty in her life. It had never been this dark before, nor had it been so cold and empty. She may have no one, but so long as she had Abla in her life, she knew all would be well.

Three days had come and passed in the blink of an eye. She hadn't slept in those three days, nor had she eaten or even believed that Abla was truly out of her life. And one would think she was able to cry, but she wasn't. As more days passed, as that churn of agony found more place to reside in her chest filling her with so much bitterness and hatred for the whole world. She hated everyone in this world and before she had to think of what to do with her life, she'd keep on hating everyone.

Today Kulthum managed to force something into her stomach, the middle aged woman said that even though she had thrown up, it was still better than none. She still lived in Abla's room, still in that same position and place she had been since the day she died. Hannah had been there for her, that was what she had close to a friend in her life and she was thankful for these two people in her life.

And at the fourth day, Musa called her in the living room and from the look in his eyes, she knew it was likely not a good call. She saw the hatred he had always looked at her with, but this one was new. She sat down on the sofa at the far end of the living room and stared right back at him with equal hatred. She was no longer hiding under the skin of a good person. Since the world had been cruel to her as well, she'd love no one but herself.

"Good afternoon, Baba..." She hadn't even closed her lips when he lifted his hand to stop her.

"The one I've agreed for you to call me that for, is no more. You can either call me Alhaji or whatever your choice." He made sure he was staring right into her eyes before he spoke again, "We both know I'm not your father."

She chuckled dryly and nodded her head. "Yes, that I clearly know, Mr Musa." She had seen the way his demeanor changed at the name she chose to call him and she smirked. Since he wanted it to be like this, she wouldn't have been more glad.

"You've made a good choice at the name." He mused and folded his arms across his chest and she saw something flashed right through his eyes. "I have a few questions and a few revelations for you." She nodded her head for him to continue and he did. "Do you have something to say to me? About Nazli?"

Yusrah shot him a quizzed look. "Why are you asking me this all of a sudden? If she had known she'd die, I'm certain she would have told me not just a thing, a million." She wanted to tell him that she knew she wasn't Nazli's adopted daughter, she was her biological daughter but then she remembered the promise she had made to her. And if the universe would have just been patient enough to let them have that conversation they intended to, she would have known what Nazli had spent all her life protecting her from. But right now, she didn't know and she couldn't trust anyone, just herself.

He chuckled and nodded his head, handling her an envelope. She took it from his hand and stared at it before he spoke again. "You're no longer the COO of this company and in there, is a check with your severance fee. Your main account that's linked with the company has been frozen, it's now our property. And also your car, which was a gift by your mother..." He quickly shook his head, "By my wife and I believe she used the company money to buy it for you. You have only a week to pack all that belongs to you and leave this house, as I can no longer stay with you here."

Yusrah didn't know when the envelope she was holding slipped out of her hands and fell, and that simple act was enough to paint a beautiful yet mischievous smile on Musa's face. "Ah, before I forgot. About your perfume company, I obviously made it clear that it's no longer going to happen. Initially, I wasn't welcoming the idea and I think I have a more befitting reason not to do it."

It took her over a minute before she was able to get a hold of her tongue and she spoke, "What are you trying to say? What does this all mean? All my life, I've had and known no one but my mother. What do you mean?" Her voice was barely a whisper and she stared at him with such an unbelievable expression. She had always known that he was cruel, that he hated her so much, but she had never thought that just three days after the demise of Abla, he'd head out to destroy her life as much as he did now.

He laughed and stood, "I believe you're well educated to know what I exactly mean." He began to walk to the door before he turned to look at her, "Don't forget that you only have a week and until then, continue to live in this luxury you were so lucky to find yourself in but obviously don't deserve." He took a few steps and turned back, "And if you'd stop referring to her as your mother, we both know she wasn't."

That made Yusrah laugh, of all the things she knew in her life, she was glad that she knew Nazli was her mother and that alone was something to take pride in. "You seem to be ignorant of a lot of things. And do you know what, Mr Musa? When karma decides to bite you back, it will be so painful that you can't even bear the pain." She stood up and stared right into his eyes with so much pain and anger and hatred floating in her eyes, "And I don't need a week to evacuate from your house, like Abla has always said, she's one hell of a rich woman. And knowing you, I'm sure she has left a link somewhere even though she died without notice." She laughed mirthlessly, her eyes glowing with anguish.

"But no one has ever died with a notice, right?" She shrugged and flashed him a smile that instantly reminded him of Nazli. "I'll leave your house today. And guess what? It may take years to come, but you'd definitely run to me for help someday. You have to." She turned and left him there, stranded, as she moved directly into her room. She heard when he banged the door and left, and that's when she slumped on the floor.

"Nazli," she whispered softly and palmed her face. She had never wanted to cry so bad in her life like she wanted to cry today. The tears didn't come and she knew more than anyone that she had no time to begin to wallow in self pity. The world didn't pity her, it had been cruel to her and now, she had to look out for herself at all cost.

She began to roughly pack her luggages, she didn't know where she was going from here. She had no friend and Abla had never told her anything about her relatives apart from the hatred they had for her. She hated them for hating a beautiful woman like her Abla. She hated everyone and she would never forgive the entire world. She was done packing and had sat down at the edge of the bed as she thought of where to go when Kulthum walked into the room with tears flowing from her eyes.

She handed her the envelope but Yusrah acted as though she hadn't seen it. Kulthum sat down beside her and took her hand, it felt like the hands of a mother, just that this mother wasn't hers. "Yusrah," Kulthum called out and she was forced to look up at her at the way her voice sounded.

"You've been punishing yourself since her demise, and now the world is punishing you even more. You don't deserve any of this, I know. But the least you could do at this point is to take care of yourself, look out for yourself, love yourself so selfishly that when someone decides to tear you apart, you have such a strong hold on yourself that you won't be brought down to your knees. Your health first, you need to be healthy to fight through all this. And to be healthy, you need to eat, Yusrah."

Yusrah flashed her a tight lipped smile as she felt and stored every word she had uttered. She was going to love herself selfishly from today. She had spent over two decades loving everyone she had crossed paths with. Once, she had even thought of loving Musa as a father figure to her. And now, look at where all that softness and kindness brought her to, her downfall. She'd do everything to make sure all the life she had planned for herself along with Abla had come true, absolutely everything.

"I need to move out of his house, Kulthum. What do you suggest I do?" She asked with a voice so desperate and hopeless that Kulthum shed a few tears. She took the envelope from her hand when she saw the amount written, she wanted to go to him and threw that onto his face. "One million Naira would never get me a house and take care of me for the time being in this city. He froze my account, Kulthum. He took my car, everything."

Kulthum placed her hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly, "I know that we live way below your standard, but you can come and live with me before you have your life figured out. I understand your need to move out immediately that even if I told you not to do that and wait for the week he has given you, you will still do it."

Yusrah shook her head and when she stood up, she felt dizzy that she had to lean on the wall for support. "I can't burden you, Kulthum. I need to find a way." For a moment, she had thought about going back to Istanbul and quickly shook her head. This money wouldn't be enough for her. She had to look after herself even after she went to Istanbul. She was going to start afresh. And it would be easier starting afresh in Lagos than Istanbul.

"I'm not saying that you should stay with me for such a long time, Yusrah. I owe so much to your mother and the least I could do is offer help to her Bebeğim when she needs it. Please, don't say no. Just for a few days until you figure things out." And even though she badly wanted to say no, she knew she could use some help. And if she could get to cry, a lot of things would be easier to handle.

•

Hammad stared at his Abbi with a look of uncertainty. "You don't mean this, Abbi, do you?" He asked, because he couldn't believe that he could do this.

"Yes, I do and I'm so doing this." Abbi answered with a soft smile and studied him for a minute, "why do you look so down? I expected you to be happy."

Hammad shook his head before he responded. "To be happy that you're giving up on the only thing that makes you keep pushing to live, Abbi? I'm sorry to burst your bubbles, but I'm so sad that I want to cry."

That made him chuckle and he waved at him dismissively. "Making you the CEO is me giving up on life, boy?"

"I thought you so much loved the company that you lived for it? I may have been wrong all these years."

Again, he chucked. But when he spoke, he sounded solemn. "I love the company with every fibre of my being and I live for it. Because my dearest father founded and grown it and I did my part in making it grow and now I'm letting my boy to do it. Why is it so hard to accept, my boy? You're capable, and I'm only a proud dad."

Hammad had a forlorn look on his face when he spoke, "But I want you to live, Abbi."

"Who told you I'll die just because I made you the CEO?" He laughed and shook his head. "There are sharks aiming directly at that seat, Hammad. And if I make the mistake of dying before I save this company by making you the CEO, I don't want to imagine the damage that would be done if someone gets to that chair apart from you."

He only sighed and palmed his face. He knew there were things he was yet to figure out in the business world and the company at large, but his Abbi was hardly wrong, especially when it came to the company. He heard when Abbi made a quick call and before he knew what was going on, two lawyers walked into the room and he recognized them from the legal department of the company.

With his eyes, he asked Abbi; 'What are they doing here?'

Abbi outwardly scoffed before he ushered them in and pointed for them to sit down. "Barrister, can we get this over with? I need this boy to sign and me too, so that he'd walk into his new office tomorrow." And Hammad was literally forced into signing and accepted that position. Abbi kept smiling all along, it was as though after doing this, he had found his peace knowing so well the company would be in good hands.

After they left, Hammad turned to him with a look on his face and he grinned at him. "I'm so sleepy, can you help me lie down?" But before he was able to do that, Fatima barged into the room, startling them both.

"What's with the news I've just heard, Alhaji?" That was the first thing she asked and they both stared at her with a confused look before Abbi recalled that he had asked for a message to be sent to everyone about the new CEO.

"And what's that message you've just heard to have you run here as though you've heard of my demise?" Abbi asked while Hammad helped him lowered the bed and he covered him more with the duvet.

"That you've made your son the new CEO of Labo group."

"And what's the name of that my son?"

She looked quizzically at him, "Are you trying to play games with me? Of course his name is Hammad Idi Labo!"

Abbi closed his eyes as he snuggled deeper into his pillow. "And you said it yourself that he's my son. And the company in question is even called Labo group, I believe no one has more right than him." She was about to speak again when he pleadingly stared at Hammad, "I really need to sleep, Hammad."

"Fatima, you need to follow me outside." He said with a tone so cold that had unmistakably sent a shiver down her spine. For she looked between Abbi that had closed his eyes with a calm look on his face and Hammad that was flashing her a look filled with nothing but hatred.

Wordlessly, she walked out of the door and he followed suite. He closed the door gently before he unleashed the tiger in him. "And what's with the outrage? You should know that this is the last place you should bring your madness to, Fatima."

She gasped and stared at him with unbelievable eyes. "What did you just say?" She asked slowly and the look he flashed her was enough to confirm to her that she didn't just hear him wrong. "You dear call me a mad woman, Hammad?"

"If you'd tell me another synonym of madness, I'd be waiting. Maybe I can use it to show you exactly what you did in there." He said coldly and she chuckled. Still not believing that he had just looked into her eyes and told her that.

"You really know that you're playing with fire here, young man, right?"

"And what if I could douse that fire with just a sprinkle of water?" She was about to speak when he thundered, "Will you just get out of my sight?! And if this is how you'd be acting, I don't want to see you by his side again. His wife or not, I don't care and we all know that."

This time when she laughed, she clapped her hands and hummed softly. "We'd really know who deserves to be by his side and who doesn't. And write it down, you'd regret doing this." She was on her heels even before his brain finished assimilating her words. He stared at her retreating back and hissed softly. He hated her and each time, she gave him even more reasons to do so.