"What the hell does that mean? How is that better than me beating him to a pulp?" The fury in Tife's eyes were unmistaken.

"You're a respected lawyer. I won't let him ruin your reputation, if word gets out about what you want to do. I know you're angry. You have every right to be, but this is the moment to think carefully." It would be a really risky move to approach Victor. I was more worried about Tife's respectable reputation and hoped his hot headed behavior wouldn't cloud his present judgments.

Tife's gaze held mine for a couple of seconds, then he gave a retired sigh and pushed himself back on the sofa. "So what now? Should we go together to Imade's place and tell her?  She'll need the support from both of us, when the news gets out."

"We can't tell her." My calm tone made Tife's wispy eyebrow pull together.

"Come again?"

"This has to be between us. It's importan—"

His laugh turned sardonic. "What the hell are you even spewing? Not to tell her? How the hell would she leave that dead weight then?"

I growled at him. My own anger blazed through my words. "Let me finish. Jesus. You think I don't want to rush to where he is and hurt him badly. I set them up and it's making me so furious. I already feel like crap, but this isn't time to think about myself. This is about Imade."

"Fine. Talk." The stern tone in his voice rose again.

"Thank you. Imade's still recovering, from everything that happened years back. She's still so insecure and it's the first time I've seen her happy in a relationship and it's breaking my heart that she has to go through this. I'm afraid she won't handle it well and I'm scared that it would be my fault. I don't want to hurt herself."

"Imade has grown up. She's not the fifteen year old she used to be."

Tears glistened in my eyes and pain stung through my words. Memories of that night played like a movie in my mind.  "Some days before her wine shop opening. I saw something again. On her hand. I think she's cutting again. Imade's self harming again, Tife. She tried to hide it with make up, but I could see it. That's why I set her up with someone on her wine shop opening. Because I was scared she was doing it out of loneliness. She had been stressed about the opening. Maybe that's why she did it. That's why I've been too afraid of telling her the truth. I didn't want her to hurt herself again."

Tife's face went still. Raw emotions plagued his sight. "She did? But she's taking her pills. I thought she was getting better after everything."

"That's why we have to take care of this discreetly. If she finds out, God knows what she'd do to herself this time."

"And you're sure he's really married. We can't afford to break apart a relationship that actually had no problem. We can't risk a misunderstanding." Tife, once more wore a dejected look on his face. He probably felt stuck on what to do about his sister. I felt the same way, but I needed to do everything I could.

I explained, giving details about all the research I put in. "Completely sure. I checked his Instagram page and obviously, it had no proof of a wife or child. But I did get the name of his wife from my employee. I just checked the name Gloria Akin and I got everything I wanted. There were pictures of them. Cuddling together. Hugging. Smiling lovingly at each other. It was hard to look at. I even saw the picture of their baby. The little girl couldn't be anything more than two years old. I made sure  to check if they weren't siblings or cousins. Gloria and Victor Akin are a married couple."

"Whatever plan you have better work, because I don't think I can stand the idea of him being around her." He said, in a surprisingly calm tone

"Me neither. If my plan looks like it's going downhill, then we'd do whatever you want and hope she'd take it well."

"What do you have in mind?"

My lips tightened into a grimace. "Our plan begins next week Sunday. Since we'd all be going home for easter, I think it'll be the perfect moment to begin phase one."

He cocked his head. "Phase one?"

"Victor's coming to your parents place for Easter. If we can make your parents encounter with him awful, then it would be the first step to his complete annihilation from our lives."

"What do you think his plan has been all along?"

"I don't care anymore." I growled, without realizing it.  Tife's eyebrows arched up and my cheeks flamed at his calm disposition. I cleared my throat and spoke flatly. "All I know is that I would ruin whatever his evil mind had planned. He chose the wrong person to trick. "

"You're so diabolical right now. I actually like it." The corners of his lips tipped up and my pulse raced at his sight.

I chuckled. "No one messes with my best friend and gets away with it. No one."

.....

Imade raised her eyebrow. "What's with the look on your face? It looks like you have something to say."

"What look? I don't know what you're talking about." I grunted.

Imade snorted at my words, but said nothing. She sipped on the straw of her orange juice and busied herself with her phone.

The thought of Victor irked me, and I ended up saying. "Screw it. I do have something to say."

She raised her head to look at me. "I'm listening."

"I don't like Victor for you."

She gave an amused smile. "You're joking, right?" When she saw my serious look, she sobered up. "Oh God, you're serious. What's up? What did he do?"

"I just have a bad aura about him. I get negative vibes around him." I chose to say. I didn't think I was ready to tell her the truth. But judging by the furious expression Imade had worn, I almost wished I did.

"What are you talking about? YOU set us up. You didn't get any weird vibe, until NOW? I can't believe you're saying this."

My words dripped icily. "I know what I'm saying."

"Well, I don't know what you're saying. You were even the one that advised me to let him meet my parents, even when I was afraid to do so. You've helped me with A LOT of dates etiquettes and outfits I needed for my dates with him. Now all of a sudden, you're getting bad vibes?"

I voiced out my opinions with irritation twisting through everything I said. "As your best friend of almost fifteen years, I'd love for you to listen to me. You're the one in love. You won't notice anything." I emphasized some words, holding her gaze with unwavering intensity. "I'm your eyes and ears, during your love sick moments. I would SEE and HEAR everything you're being ignorant about."

Her face tightened as she grabbed her bag firmly. "Well I'll SEE you tomorrow, because I can't let myself HEAR the things that are coming out of your mouth. Happy Easter's eve, bestie." Then she angrily walked out of the small restaurant, where we were having our Saturday lunch.

I settled in my seat and frowned. I can't believe I thought I could convince her to break up with him. I had just ended making her mad at me and driven her deeper into the hands of that asshole.

......
Imade's upset with Nara. Yikes, let's all hope for the best.
Xoxo
Jasmine