He had his phone pinned to his left ear as he heard the endless the way Alhaji was pouring it out on him. It got to the point that he cut him off amidst his outrage and spoke, "I told you, Alhaji, it was Sulaiman's child. I have nothing to do with it, it was just a picture!" He knew yelling at his dad was one of the most grievous things he could ever because no matter how bad his father was, he was still his father. And he wouldn't love it himself to have his child yelling at him.

"Are you trying to yell at me, Yazeed? What the hell is wrong with you? How did she have access to Sulaiman's son if you weren't the one that took her there? Look, I have all the evidence that you're together with this girl, you even took her to watch movies, you ate together with her during lunch, alone in your office, do you want me to continue or just the pictures will suffice?" From the way Alhaji spoke, he knew without a doubt that Hajia had done an immense job today. She had pumped him with lies and words she knew he would surely act up to. Not that even if they were irrelevant he wouldn't act up to them, as long as she was the one that spoke, it was just a straight yes.

"Why are you being like this? I told you, it's nothing. She means nothing to me! Wafiyya took that picture. Please, maybe make this the first time, believe me." He was desperate and afraid all together. He knew if Hajia wanted him to harm Jalilah, nothing could stop them from doing that.

"Yes, Wafiyya took the picture, I believe you. But what is the picture doing all over social media with captions like 'He has finally found love? Congratulations on your baby.'? Yazeed, do you know I've been receiving calls and emails from friends and business partners asking about that? If you still haven't seen what you did is wrong, I'll make you see that myself." The hell he heard? How could this be possible? It had been only four days since they snapped or rather, Wafiyya took that picture. What the hell was wrong with Jalilah?!

"What do you think of doing? Don't harm that girl, Alhaji. Because I'll never forgive you if you do." He didn't know why he was still hell-bent on keeping her safe even though he knew she was the one that made that picture went viral. He was sure all those online blogs in Abuja had posted the picture with a caption they deemed with.

Alhaji laughed, the kind of laughter that unnerved Yazeed even before he spoke. "You don't even know what you want and don't. I have to clear your name, I have to show the world that you aren't in love with her like you claimed. You can't destroy your image and mine as well, you've done that once, but not again." Before he accessed Alhaji's words, the phone had already gone off and he stared at his documents filled the table.

What just happened? What was he going to do? She wasn't in the office, she had gone to Sulaiman's office to drop some files and he didn't think he could wait until she was back before he could vent it out on her. He walked out in angry steps and stormed into Sulaiman's office.

They all looked up to meet his now bloodshot eyes, he lifted his phone to her face and thundered. "What the hell is the meaning of this?!" She was taken aback by his words. She released the documents she was holding and looked at his face and then back to his phone screen.

Jalilah was sure she had never felt weak like she had now, everything stopped in just a matter of seconds and she wished what she was seeing wasn't the truth. She was shaking her head when she looked up to his face again, "I don't know who did this, I don't even know it has gone viral."

Yazeed looked at her and laughed humorlessly, the kind of laughter that sent a chill down her spine, "You don't know who did this? How could you know when it's you that did it? And you're saying you don't know it has gone viral? What the hell is wrong with you? What has gotten into your head to do such a thing?" He heaved out of anger and looked away.

Sulaiman stood up and looked between the two, "Yazeed, what's wrong? What happened?"

He turned to him completely, "Look at what she did. That picture Wafiyya took, she posted it on social media and it has gone viral. Alhaji just called me, Sulaiman. He has been raining insults on me and couldn't believe it when I told him I don't have an idea of what was happening." He handed him the phone, with sizzling anger brewing from his eyes, he turned to face her again. "What were you thinking when you did that? Who told you I was in love with you? And for real, even married and having a child with you? How could you even think so low of me? How could I? Of all the girls to love, stoop so low to fall for you?"

She had heard that sometimes some words were so loud that you could feel them as though they were thunderstorms. She didn't know when she took two steps away from him and took a full view of his face. She couldn't believe those words had fallen out of his lips. This wasn't the person she knew, he had changed, she no more recognized him. 'How could I? Of all the girls to love, stoop so low to fall for you?' Is this what he thought of her? What the hell was she thinking?

She didn't know that she was crying until she tasted the salty liquid of her tears on her lips, and she quickly wiped them away. It wasn't like they were in love for her to keep staring at him and not speak back about something she didn't know and didn't even think of doing. She had to speak for herself, even if that meant she would have to register for NYSC next year.

"I won't say I'm surprised because your words just told me who you are. Are you naturally this judgmental or you just to be like this now? I told you, I don't know who did this nor did I see this before you showed it to me. What's wrong with you as well? Just because you're my boss doesn't mean you can accuse me of doing something I know I didn't do and I'll stare at you and say nothing. For the first and last time, I wasn't the one that gave those blogs our picture..." She puffed out an angry breath and looked away, palming her face before she turned back to him with her face brewing with wrath.

"I mean, saying 'our' picture feels so haram and disgusting. Go and find out about who posted your picture without your consent and about the caption? To hell with love and everything related to it. Do you think that love is that cheap and easy for me? Do you think even if I were to fall in love, I'd fall for you as well? Don't think so highly of yourself because you feel privileged you're the son of the CEO. You know what? Yazeed Adam Bunza, I don't give a freak. Be the son of the president of Nigeria for I care!" She spatted out and this time, she couldn't hold back her tears, she kept wiping her tears but more kept gushing out of her eyes. She wasn't crying because she was fighting with him, no, she was crying because she was so angry and it was either for her to cry or hit something. And she chose the former.

Yazeed was about to speak when Sulaiman held his shoulder and spoke instead, "I think this is all a misunderstanding, Yazeed. She told you that she didn't know about it either, the best thing is for you to find a way of taking the posts down-"

Yazeed cut him off because he had never been this angry all his life. "What do you mean by a misunderstanding? This girl knew exactly what she was doing. How could the blogs have a picture of what is only in our phones? I'm sure Wafiyya won't do such a thing, neither you nor Ilham, not to even speak about myself. Only her pathetic-love searching and attention-seeking self could do that. And you should better go to those blogs and ask them to take it down."

Ya Rabb, where should she hit so hard on his body so he could feel the exact pain she was feeling? What the hell was wrong with Yazeed? She cleared her tears and tried for the moments she was about to speak, she wouldn't shed a tear.

"Really? Pathetic-love searching and attention-seeking self. You know what Yazeed? You're so full of yourself that it's making me nauseous. How could you think that out of all the people to search love in, I'd search for it where is so empty? You don't have the kind of love I need in people. You lack love yourself to even give it to your significant other. And what the hell made you think that if I wanted to seek for attention, I could do that with your face? Imagine, your face? I'm better than that, please. Also, don't try doing anything bad with me, because wallah I'm not as nice as I appear to be." She rolled her eyes so fierce at him that she knew if she had knives in her eyes, he would have been dead by now.

She turned to Sulaiman with a tired look and her eyes pooling with tears, yet again. "HR, can I have the day off, please? It's so sickening here, and I feel so disgusted with myself to have once associated myself with him."

Yazeed was about to speak when Sulaiman held his two hands up in a begging gesture, "Yazeed, I beg you in the name of Allah. Please don't say a word out, please."

"Assign a new assistant for me." That was all he said before he stomped out of the office and Jalilah slumped on the chair next to her before she broke into tears.

Sulaiman sat down and stared at her as she cried, he had never seen Yazeed got into a fight with anyone but her, and even though he didn't like the words they shared, he knew she didn't do what Yazeed accused her of doing. It took some time before she looked up and cleared her tears, "I don't know what's wrong with him, but I wasn't the one that did that. How could I?"

Sulaiman softly looked at her and nodded his head, "I know, he has anger issues at times. I'm sorry he said all those horrible things to you, please stop crying."

She collected the handkerchief he was handing her and wiped her tears away before she spoke again, "Can I have the day off, please? And please don't ask me to be his assistant again, I can't do that without fighting him off every day."

Sulaiman chuckled and shook his head, "You're so stubborn, Jalilah. I won't ask you to do that because I know he wouldn't let the matter be as well. You can have the day off, like take the remaining days of the week off. I'll send Wafiyya to get you for the naming ceremony. You'd come, right?"

She wanted to say no at first, but Sulaiman had been so nice to her to say no to him. She reluctantly nodded her head and smiled a bit, "Yes, I'd still attend, Insha Allah. It's not the end of the world just because we fight. And thank you for the short leave." After some consoling words from Sulaiman, she finally excused herself and was glad that she had kept her bag in her office today. She picked everything she needed and leapt taking the elevator alone. The worse that could happen was for her to cry in the elevator due to fear, right? She already had enough reasons to cry about.

❤︎

The first words that came to her mind after she had slumped onto her bed with a huge sigh were, 'How could I? Of all the girls to love, stoop so low to fall for you?' They were the most hurtful words she had ever heard in her life, and she felt her eyes pooling with tears. He had never thought he could say this to her or was he lying? She prayed he was lying as she did. Even though part of her words was true, but she knew she was smitten with him. Just not love yet.

She could remember the exact disgust he had on his face when he told her that he couldn't love her, and anger began brewing into her heart that she felt if she would be given the chance to, there was nothing that could stop her from beating Yazeed black and blue until he was taken to the hospital. She wished she hadn't said yes to Sulaiman about going to the naming ceremony, because she couldn't trust herself enough. She might not have cooled down before then and would do something horrible which she might regret later.

She heard the soft shrilling of her phone as it rang, a part of her wanted it so bad to be Farha, but sadly it was Wafiyya. She picked the call nonetheless, trying as much as she could to sound as lively as Jalilah would have sounded. "Hey, Wafiyya, how are you?" She asked, and she heard the sigh Wafiyya exhaled.

"Sulaiman asked me to console you, Jalilah. I'm so sorry for what happened, even though he's my cousin I can't defend him in this. I've already spoken with the blog handlers and they will all take it down, I'm so sorry."

Jalilah chuckled softly, "You weren't at fault to be apologizing to me, Wafiyya. And thank you for that too. Just that I don't know how the picture got leaked."

"I don't know either, just calm down okay? And enjoy your short leave doing all the things you love."

Jalilah smiled and nodded her head as if she could see her. "I'll make sure I enjoy, thank you, Wafiyya."

"I'll call you on the naming ceremony day, make sure you're ready."

"I won't dare be ready for that. Thank you." They bade each other goodbye and Jalilah sighed before she stood up from the bed and walked into her bathroom. For today, she would spoil herself to the extent that her body will beg for some time to rest. She let the shower poured upon her, not minding the fact that she was drenching her hair in the process. She just wanted to feel numb from the hurt of what Yazeed did to her. She didn't want to call Farha now because she was sure she would say something along the line that would make her sad or even cry.

When she was done bathing, she wrapped herself in her towel and walked directly to the kitchen while hushing a soft song to herself. She had always told herself that whenever someone disappointed her or hurt her feelings, she wasn't going to dwell much on that, because people tended to disappoint you every time in your life, and she wouldn't risk being unhappy her whole life. She knew she had a good heart and deserved to be happy, so she was giving herself that.

She brought out all the junks she knew she had in her fridge and jars, brought a yoghurt out and walked back to her room. A lot of thoughts were trying to jumble her brain but she fought so hard to straighten her thoughts on how she was going to enjoy her short life to the fullest, she would gain some weight, hopefully. When she got to her room, she placed the tray on her bedside drawer and walked into her closet to get herself one of her favourite baggy dresses. She let her hair open to dry and turned the lights off, time for her favourite Korean oppas.

Whenever she was sad or she was feeling down, she didn't watch new movies, because she wasn't sure of what the movie was about, whether it was going to add more to her sadness or ease it off. She tends to rewatch the old movies that she knew were full of hilarity to make her laugh until she forgot her pains. As she surfed through her list of movies, she opted for 'Fated to love you'. She could remember her expression when she first watched the movie, she had never laughed for a Korean drama like she did that day. Even the way they laughed made it so hard for her not to.

She played the first episode and hit the pause button before she took her phone out, she realized if she didn't get this out of her chest there was no way she was having peace. Even though she wasn't ready to have this conversation now, she would just send her a text and ask her to call her later. She stared at the blank message box and thought of what to write that will pique Farha's interest.

''How could I? Of all the girls to love, stoop so low to fall for you?'  These are the exact words he said to me, Girl. We fought, that picture got leaked. Call me after Isha prayer to hear the full details. I'm sad and watching a movie to feel better. Love you.'

❤︎

She was walking around in the kitchen, making her dinner with her phone pinned to her left ear. "I don't even know what to say to you, Farha. You have no idea how hurt I was, I couldn't stop myself from crying, you know how I am whenever I'm angry and hurt." She had been having this conversation with Farha for all she could remember, it was late at night, but to them, that didn't matter. Even though she had no work to go to tomorrow, she knew Farha had, but she didn't mind as well.

"My concern is, why would you cry in front of his sick ass, Jalilah? You're so much better than that, I didn't want him to think you feel bad because you guys fight. But you know what? Aside from that, wallah I'm so proud of the way you handled the situation. The words you uttered to him, I'm sure his sick and pathetic self will be thinking about those words all night. Such an idiot, how could he say all that to you? How dare him, Jalilah? Jalilah couldn't control her laughter. Like she knew this was probably the way Farha would act or even more, but with each word they had shared, she made sure she had insulted Yazeed times without number.

"The fact that he was so full of himself and could think so low of me was what hurt me, Farha. I still couldn't believe he said that to me, you know? Of all the hurtful things he had uttered, that hurt me the most." 'How could I? Of all the girls to love, stoop so low to fall for you?' "I'm sure I'm beautiful, right? Just because he thought he was the son of a rich man doesn't make him the only rich person, he doesn't know me or where I came from, I doubt if he could remember I'm from Adamawa, Farha. Or just because I smiled at him makes me a daughter of a low background? Or so he thought?"

Farha shook her head as if Jalilah could see her, "I don't think he said that because he thinks you aren't rich, no. Even though defending him will be the last thing I could do, even if I were to be taken to a court as his witness for suspected murder and I know he wasn't the one that committed it, believe me, I will still say he was the one. Such an idiot, bragging bullshit of a man! And are we talking about beauty here, miss? You know you're incomparable when it comes to that, for wealth, may Allah have mercy on the soul of Baba, but he's just dead in your hearts, his wealth still lives, baby girl. Don't think low of yourself because of that he-goat. Can we stop talking about him already? Because if we do, I might take the next flight to Abuja."

Jalilah had been laughing so hard since Farha started talking, that was why she didn't pick any of her calls nor replied to her messages because that time she wasn't ready to speak about it. Because if she spoke about it then, she might just end of crying her eyes out and that will outrage Farha to the point that she insulted the living daylights out of her, look for his number and rain unending insults on him until she felt satisfied with the way he made her best friend felt. She loved this beautiful and crazy soul with all her soul.

"You know I love you, right? You always have a way of making me feel better, Farha. And the way you insult him to make me feel so happy and sad at the same time because I wish I had thought about all these when I was retaliating, it would have been a very sweet comeback, what do you think?"

"You would have been suspended already. And you'll finally have the chance to practice ballet until your body hurts and when it's time for passing out parade, Mama will hear a different story." They burst into a peal of laughter, oh poor Mama.

"I hate you, idiot. How about you? What's going on with your life? How's Nura? We've been talking about me that I barely noticed I didn't ask you anything."

Farha snorted and Jalilah knew that she had hit a nerve, "Girl, he's so persistent. I've told Baba already and he had told his parents that I'm not interested. But the guy is all over me here, I don't even know what wrong with him anymore. We'll have this conversation later, you said you're going to the naming ceremony, right? Will you be fine?"

She pondered over that question more than she wished to care, will she be fine? That was something she didn't know either. She didn't know whether she will be fine or not, but one thing was certain, she would live through it. She wasn't going to kill herself just because she no more speaks with him, would she? "I don't know, I feel like sending Sulaiman a text and telling him that I wouldn't be able to make it. But then a part of me wants to go to the naming ceremony."

Farha was silent for a moment before she spoke, "I don't think you should deprive yourself of what you want because of him, Jalilah. Do you want to go? Fine, just make sure you ignore his sick ass. Be at your pengest self, look so beautiful that you know it would be a torture for him to even look at you. He might have said all those words that made him seem like a hard guy and that he didn't care about you, but we all know it's just a face. No one can ignore such a beautiful Adamawa lady like you."

"So this means?" Jalilah asked with a half-smile as she slumped on her living room sofa, turning the volume of her television to its lowest before she began munching on her food.

"We're going to the naming ceremony, girl. But mind you, ignore his freaking life. Don't even let your eyes wander to where he is, but stolen glances are agreed because as much as I hate to admit it, he looks so handsome that you can't look at him, idiot."

Jalilah threw her back and laughed, nearly choking on her face. They kept conversing, talking about everything and nothing until Farha became so sleepy that they had to end the call and Jalilah continue watching her television. She got bored with it and she knew the only thing that could take her mind of it was ballet. She went into her room, changed her clothes into her dancing attire and smiled, she had missed wearing her dancing attire. She turned all the lights off and walked into her living room, suddenly excited to start dancing. Ballet had always been therapeutic to her soul, after Farha.

She couldn't believe that all the days she had spent only watching, eating junky foods, talking to Farha and Mama on the phone, painting and practising ballet, it was finally the naming ceremony day. She received Wafiyya's call when she was asleep because she hadn't slept early the night before, watching a movie that she felt with just an eye blink, she would miss a part of her soul.

She groggily got up to her feet and walked to her bathroom, after she took her bath, she came out of the bathroom with her robe wrapped around her body. She knew it will take her a lot of time before she could be able to go back to her normal self, she was so sleepy that she wished Wafiyya will call her to tell her that she would be hereafter two hours or even three. But instead, when the call came, she told her she was at the door.

She slipped into her flip flops and walked to the door, after she had unlocked it, Wafiyya stood there staring at her with half glare and half-smile. Jalilah sleepily smiled at her and side hugged her. "I'm so sleepy, Wafiyya. Will you wait for me to sleep for at least thirty minutes or so?"

Wafiyya broke their hug and lightly smacked her shoulders, "Wallah you aren't serious, Jalilah. So I'll just be sitting and waiting for you as you sleep? Come on, you need to get ready, I don't want you to miss anything." She closed the door behind them and dragged her further into the house.

"Where is your room?" She turned to ask and ignored all the whiny looks Jalilah kept flashing her. She motioned to the room and Wafiyya dragged her inside again. She pushed her onto the vanity stool and stood up, staring at her face while she began opening Jalilah's makeup kit. "You know you can't go there with your face looking like this, right?"

"Why do I need to beautify my face? I just need to sleep, Wafiyya. Okay, before I agree to allow you to apply anything on my face, can I sleep there? Can I have somewhere that's less noisy and sleep? Because I really can't be my normal self unless I sleep."

Wafiyya was silent for a while before she nodded her head, "We are all out in her courtyard around the parking lot, so her room is so silent that you can sleep forever if you want. I'll take you there to sleep, but you have to promise me something as well."

Her face broke into a grin and she didn't mind when she nodded her head, "What is it? Agreed already."

"If I come to wake you up, you will. Deal?" She nodded her head and pulled her face forward so Wafiyya could apply the makeup on her.

She kept saying, "It shouldn't be too heavy, Wafiyya, make it light." But Wafiyya didn't pay heed to what she was saying. She even turned her back to the mirror so she couldn't see what was going on on her face. And when she was done, she turned her so she could face the mirror and Jalilah had never been so amazed.

"Oh my god, are you sure you're the one that did this on me, Wafiyya? I can't believe this!" She kept grinning and turning around so she could have a better view of all the edges and contours. "It's so beautiful! I was thinking of wearing an abaya, I'm sure you have noticed almost all my clothes are either abayas or those Islamic dresses and gowns. But I feel like it will be wastage if I wear an abaya with this look."

Wafiyya grinned and asked, "Where is your wardrobe? I'll choose what to wear for you." She pointed at the wardrobe for her and waited until she came back holding a navy blue lace. She had only worn it once, and that was because Mama had been complaining that she didn't wear whatever she bought for her.

"This will look os good on you, it will compliment your fair skin. Quickly get into it and I'll tie the headgear for you." She excused herself walked into the bathroom, changed before she walked out, she was so eager to have a look of herself as well.

"Oh my god, I've never thought this is the way I look in these clothes." She swirled around laughing as Wafiyya smacked her back lightly with a laugh.

"Hausa attires look so good on you, Jalilah. Even though those abayas give you a classy look that it's so hard to look at you once without looking at you again. Sit down so I can tie this thing and we can leave."

She chuckled and sat down, she watched through the mirror as Wafiyya turned her into one of those Arewa brides she saw on social media. She kept grinning even when she was done and helped her draped her veil the way it was done. She chose a bag and her heels before she asked Wafiyya to take a picture of her, she wouldn't let Farha miss this amazing look.

Wafiyya kept staring at her with admiration as she kept telling her how amazing she had look, and how she would probably bring back her makeup business and make her model, because, man! She had never done such beautiful makeup. They walked to her car and before Wafiyya started the car, she sent all the pictures to Farha.

On their way to Sulaiman's house, chatting away with Farha, more than ten messages popped into her phone at one. She read the first one, 'Girl! Make sure you take a picture of him while he's drooling. Because what?! A freaking goddess!!! Girl, you're so beautiful that it hurts my eyes just staring at your pictures, imagine what seeing you would make of him. Please, who born this fine girl! I mean, we've been searching for an epitome of beauty while it's my freaking best friend....' Farha, she just had no choice but to love this soul.

First fight, eh? Yazeed can say hurtful things💔

Ehen...the book is finally up on OkadaBooks and Selar, that's for those who can't wait for our daily updates, lol. We have 20 more chapters to post! I promised to post half the book here and y'all will find the complete book on OkadaBooks and Selar!

So, if you can't wait for the half, just run over there and finish reading everything at once! I'd love y'all reviews💕