"Your father was the total opposite of your uncle. He hates me,Noorie. I don't know why he hated me that much. He was a very nice man before we got married. I don't know why he changed after we got married. He was very good at pretending. I am sorry to say this,but your father is an animal." Salma said to a shock Noorie. She didn't bother to hide the disgust in her eyes. How can a woman kill her husband? Maybe her mother was right. The truth will only hurt her.

"It was an accident." Salma muttered but loud enough for her to hear. Noorie knew she was talking about how she killed her father.

"He was working in Lagos so we were both living there. Just me and him. There was no family member there. Your father treated me like his slave. I lived like a slave in my husband's house." Salma explained with glistening eyes. Noorie stared at her mother wiping away her tears. Whatever her father might have done to her mum,she has no right to kill him.

"It was an arranged marriage so I didn't know much about him. We went to Lagos a week after the wedding. He left me in the house for almost a week. His number was not reachable. I was worried about that animal. I wanted us to work out. I didn't want to make the same mistake I made with your uncle." She wiped away her tears,thinking of the awful memories. Noorie buried her face in her hands. So much drama in a day. Her head feels heavy. She doesn't know how to handle the situation.

"I continued living in misery for months. I told Kaka and Goggo about how your father treats me. They didn't believe me. They said I have to be patient with my husband. They were scared of what people will say. I didn't get to visit them for almost a year and half." She sniffled,remembering how much she suffered in Abubakar's house.

"Your father left home one day and came back after a month or two. I was tired of how he treats me so I decided to question him. I have been keeping quiet whenever he insult or beats me. I was very angry that day. I can remember what he did to me that day."

27years ago....

Salma was sitting on a sofa in the dark livingroom. She was feeling very sick and her husband was not at home as usual. He comes back home after a week or two,but he spent almost two months without coming home.

She heard the doorbell and quickly stood up to open the door. Salma opened the door and looked at her drunk husband. He was very drunk. She almost couldn't recognize him.

"You fool! Why didn't you open the door quickly?" He asked,holding her neck tightly.

"Leave me alone." She said,trying to push him back. His mouth stinks of alcohol. She managed to push him back and ran inside the house. He ran after her,yelling at her. She entered her room and tried to close the door. He quickly pushed the door and she fell on the floor.

"Please don't hit me." She said,covering her face. She was expecting him to slap him but he didn't. She removed her hand slowly and looked at him. He was on the floor,dozing off. She quickly got up from the floor and left the room.

Abubakar is going to beat her if he wakes up. She quickly prepared his food. Maybe he won't  shout at her if she cooks for him. He doesn't complain about the food she makes so she made pasta. That is the only fast food she can make before he wakes up.
...........
"Salma! Salma! Salma!" Abubakar yelled,frightening his sleeping wife. She fell asleep on the sofa after cooking.

"Where is my food?" He asked,glaring at her.

"Let me quickly serve you." She said and quickly walked to the kitchen. She served his food and carried it to the dining table.

He sat down and ate the food,quietly. Salma cleated her throat,shifting uncomfortably on the chair. Abubakar glared at her and continued eating.

"I have been feeling sick for the past one week. I called Maryam to bring drugs for me yesterday. She came here yesterday and confirmed I am pregnant." Salma explained,shivering.

"What nonsense are you saying? I told you I don't want any visitor in this house. Why did you go against me?" He asked,glaring at her.

"I am sorry. I was feeling very sick and your number was not reachable." She said,trembling. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything.
"You are pregnant? Who is the father? So you bring men to my house whenever I am not around?" Abubakar asked,glaring at his trembling wife.

"How can you say something like that? What are you insinuating? That I am having extra marital affair? If there is anyone cheating here,it will be you. We both know you are not faithful." Salma said,glaring at him. He should have never accused her of having extra marital affaire.

"How dare you talk to me like this?" He got up from the chair and slapped her. It seems like she has forgotten who he is.

"Is that all you will do?" She asked,glaring at him. She thought he will be happy after she tells him about her pregnancy but she was wrong. "You can slap me all you want,but that won't change the fact that you are my unborn baby's father." She glared at him one more time and tried to walked away.

"Don't you ever walk out on me." Abubakar held her hand tightly. He is going to teach her a lesson for talking to him like that. "You said I am the father of that thing right?" He asked,pointing at her stomach.

"Thing? Did you just say thing? Your own child is a thing. I wish I never married a monster like you. I hate you,Abubakar!" She yelled,crying.

"I am your husband and I will treat you anyhow I want to. You claimed I am the father so I can do anything I like to it." He said,dragging her messy hair. She begged him to leave her but he slapped her hard across the face. He dragged her all the way to their bedroom.

"How dare you get pregnant? I am going to deal with you today." He said,unbuckling his trouser. He removed the belt and hit her with it.

"You got pregnant without my permission. I will make sure I kill the baby." He punched her stomach,hitting her with the belt.

"Please don't harm my baby. Please Abubakar." Salma beseeched,trying to cover her stomach. He removed her hand and kicked her hard on the stomach. She screamed,pleading with him to stop kicking her.

"I can do whatever I like with you. Your parents handed you over to me and I will make sure I destroy your life." He didn't stop kicking her even after she lost consciousness. He left the room and went out of the house.

He entered his car and drove out of the compound. Maryam saw him driving out of the compound and decided to check up on Salma. She knew about how Abubakar treats Salma. They probably had a fight for him to drive out like that.

She went inside the house and said her taslim. No one answered her so she went to the kitchen,calling her name. Salma doesn't go out so where is she? She went to Salma's room to check if she was there. Maryam didn't find her there so she went back to the livingroom. She wanted to leave the house when she remembered Salma might be in her husband's room. She went inside the room and gasped.

"Salma!" She called,shocked to see her neighbor on the floor. Salma was bleeding,laying on the floor unconsciously. "Salma are you okay?" She asked,tapping her hands. Maryam ran out of the house and called her husband to help her take Salma to the hospital. They both rushed her to the hospital,praying nothing happens to her
...........
"She had a miscarriage. You brought her here a little bit late. We tried to save the baby,but it was too late." The Doctor explained to Maryam and her husband. Maryam knew there was no way they could save the baby. She is also a doctor and the state she saw Salma in was very bad. It won't be a surprise if she also died.

"How is she?" Maryam asked the doctor.

"We gave her some injections so she is sleeping. You can see her if you want." The doctor replied and walked away.

Maryam sighed,thinking of how to break the news to Salma. She will be devastated. Salma was very happy when she told her she was pregnant. Despite how Abubakar treats her,she was still happy about the pregnancy.

"I think you should go and talk to her when she wakes up." Her husband said and gave her a small smile. Maryam nodded and walked to the room sluggishly. She entered the room and saw Salma on the bed. She was not sleeping. She was staring at nothing in particular.

"Salma!" Maryam called.

"I had a miscarriage right?" Salma asked,quietly. Maryam stared at her with glistening eyes unable to utter a word.

"He said he will kill the baby and he did exactly what he said. What did I ever do to that man? Why does he hate me so much?" She asked no one in particular. Maryam couldn't control her tears. She fell on her knees,crying.

"Can you book a flight for me to Abuja?" She asked Maryam to which she nodded.

"I will book the flight for you,but you have to get well first. I can't let you go in this condition." Maryam said in between tears. She is happy Salma is going back to her parents. She advice her to go back but she adamant.

"Nothing is wrong with me. I know the kind of husband I have. He will come here looking for me. I have to go back to my parents before he finds me here." Salma explained to Maryam.

"I will call my husband. I will tell him to book the flight." Maryam said and removed her phone from her bag.

She called her husband and told him to book a flight for Salma immediately he picked the call. She gave him the information he needed and ended the call.

"Thank you." Salma said and gave her a small smile. Only Salma will smile in a situation like this. Maryam has always envied how strong she is.

"Don't thank me. I know you would have done the same for me." Maryam smiled at her. Her husband called her and told told her he has booked the flight. She should be in the airport by 4pm because her flight will take off by 5pm. She thanked him and ended the call.

"You should get ready. I will take you to the airport. I can help you pack your things if you want." Maryam said.

"Don't worry. I won't go back to that house. My phone is with you right?" Salma asked. Maryam nodded and helped her sit up on the bed.

Maryam's husband came to pick them up at the hospital and they went to the airport together.