I dare you to comment on each paragraph and I might consider an update again😂

KANO STATE, NIGERIA.

"I'll call you back later, Mom. I've got somewhere I need to be right now." Jannah mumbled into the phone to her mother. They've been talking for ages but her attention is totally somewhere else.

"You sound disturbed. What's wrong there? Is everything okay with Imad?" And now she got her mother worried about them. She sighed, she shouldn't worry the already sick woman living all alone oceans apart.

"Nothing is wrong, Mom. I just have so much to do but don't have much time." She partly lied because the truth is also there in her words and maybe her mother heard it too.

"Alright, call me when you're done." And they exchanged adieu before hanging up the phone simultaneously.

Jannah left the bed and ferried to the bathroom to take a quick bath and go see Usayma. The woman is not taking care of her health, she's never gone to the hospital and a woman in her condition shouldn't be left alone with too much stress. If possible, she should take months of break from Imad to take care of herself and what she has going on. It's a surprise how the woman is taking everything with straight face, she cannot do that for the life of her.

She changed into her new fire maxi dress, plunging neckline and cape sleeves. She matched her black slippers with same veil, took the keys to the chamber and phone before she left.

Today, it's either her words or Usayma's and she is sure she will win this battle at long last. She can emotionally blackmail her if it doesn't work out the way she wants it to. They can both be stubborn about the matter, way more than Imad. Two ladies can stand against one another when Imad is not involved.

"You are here again?" Usayma gave her that look from head to toe which she should feel offended to but she wasn't, she is there on a mission. Nothing Usayma does will make her back out, she's gotten ready to go to the hospital not fight.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm standing in front of you." She rounded the couch and sat down in front of her, beaming.

"Yeah, I was trying to be rude. Are you already in love with my husband?" Usayma teased, relaxing back supinely on the couch too, keeping the cup of tea in a saucer close to her. She just awoke from sleep, Imad will not annihilate her.

"I know that and I won't take any offence now because of what is going on with you but later. And no, your husband is totally not my type." She shrugged, still beaming at Usayma like she was rewarded with a lottery from above without buying ticket.

Usayma grinned, liking the bits of comebacks between them. She likes this Jannah girl, if only they met way before now. "Tell me, why are you here today too? I'm tired of seeing you."

Jannah shrugged at this too, looking out for the maids around but they are nowhere to be seen and the one that opened the door for her had slipped into the kitchen -where most the gossips takes place. "I am here to take you to the hospital whether you like it or not. I don't want to hear any excuse, Usayma. Just go stop this stink and get ready. I've already booked an appointment with a doctor a little out of town. I know you don't want Imad to find out even though their hospital is the best one around here. Chop, chop, chop, get dressed."

Usayma stared at Jannah, her jaw hanging on the floor because she never thought this girl in front of her would be so considerate. Their friendship -whatever it is that they have going on- is not as strong as Jannah is currently portraying it out to be. She thought they were just acquaintance but the woman went all overboard with this. She went ahead to find the best hospital in the city for her apart from the one they have there in the palace because she knows she won't want Imad to find out about her situation, just yet.

This actually feels good, it is like having Wafa in a foreign country all over again. It makes her feel nostalgic, this is something Wafa would've done to her if they were still back in Chicago. She's missed her friend terribly, she just wished things had went her way and not the way her heart had wanted. The heart tend to ruin many things and mostly, lives.

She stood up reluctantly, a sigh extricating from her lips. She don't want to argue with Jannah, the woman is so ready to go down on it, she is sure from her determined look. A polemic or diatribe with her is futile.

Keeping the saucer on the center table so she won't end up spilling it all over the couch, she pursed her lips. Now the girl will think she's won this round too huh? But this is about her health and what she has within her, she cannot jeopardize her health at this point. It is malignant.

Her mouth opened to say something only to get closed when a maid barged into the chamber looking disoriented and also haunted with whatever it is she has going. Usayma recognized her as the woman she's asked to note out anything going around in the palace for her and mostly, if it has to do with Imad. She just want to make sure the man isn't making and creating more potholes that can't be forestalled once done. He is a connoisseur after all.

"Forgive me, your Highness. I have a bad news for you." The woman rasped, her breathing coming out in short pants so she dropped both her palms supine against her knees to catch her breath.

Usayma's heart dropped to her stomach, coveting that whatever it is have nothing to do with Imad's health. She can take almost anything but not his health deteriorating again. "What is it about now?" She managed to spurt out though.

The maid looked at the intruder, Jannah, not sure whether she should say it in front of her but Usayma nodded and so she went on. "I just heard that his Highness confirmed still being married to her Highness Amirah..." The woman was cut of with two simultaneous gasps from the other occupants of the room.

"You see what I'm telling you huh?" Usayma flapped her hands around, her words directed to Jannah whose eyes are still so wide.

The maid interjected, she don't want the news to leave her head before delivering it. "That is not all, your Highness. Three ladies are currently with their Majesties in the throne room talking about the same issue and his Highness is summoned by the King to be present in the throne room. It is rumoured that the girls are her Highness Amirah's sibling and friends. Prince Imad is about to be sentenced, your Highness." The maid kowtowed.

She has been acting nothing short of a spy and jumpy little elf. She keeps following people that are talking about Amirah or Imad around the whole palace. If this throng don't have good recent news for her to feast on, she moves to the next until she gets all the recent updates she wants. She works in the main palace which means she can get all the information there. The hosts mostly work there, keeping eye of their masters and mistresses.

"Okay, Imad is totally beyond my league. He hid this fr you too?" Jannah is still not back to her head, maybe her cranium manage to freeze while she was absorbing the information through a wrong fistula.

Usayma shook her head in disbelief. This is what Imad has had planned all along that he looked so relax with his personal assistant getting married, huh? Even sending her souvenirs as congratulations which never reached her because Nazir blocked all the aperture he could use for her to get it. She knew he had a plan up his sleeves, he is that smart and intelligent even in business grounds.

But she didn't expect this! She never would've expected something close to this!

How could Imad ruin this girl's life because of some frivolous revenge and heartbreak he cannot get over? Why is he being so adolescent like that? She almost, almost thought he's forgiven and forgotten everything that has happened between Amirah and him but clearly not.

That man is a monster, nothing short of that could defined his satanic tactics!

"Imad is such a kid." Usayma muttered in disgust because that is the only thing sipping through her veins. Her nose wrinkled her and lips curled into a snarl, she can't believe this.

This time, she won't put any blame on Amirah no matter what she's done in the past. She's betrayed him, yes but he should've focused on getting better other than plotting quibble revenge. How could he think of such bestial move on someone he's loved? She visibly shuddered, shaking her head because another wave of nausea hit her, she's gotten used to pressing it down so she did this one too. Imad is beyond her, just like Jannah had admitted.

"Isn't this guy mental? Because seriously, who would hide this only to bring it out to the public when she is about to get married? What if she's gotten married before he came back? Does this guy think before he does his actions?" Jannah questioned no one in particular but Usayma was ready to answer her.

"That is why I keep my eyes on him, we cannot forestall his moves no matter what we do. He should do what he thinks is right. I'm so proud of these girls that came to report him. He deserves every single thing that comes his way." With that, she stood up and went to take bath. He won't ruin her day like this, it is now his problem and she's washed her hands off his matter.

"He does deserve it all. Poor Amirah." Jannah plopped down on the couch

*~*

"I don't know why you guys flipped off my advice few weeks ago. Get those huge cables used to beat adulterers and hit him. His head is clearly shaking from being married at an early age." Falak's eyes are bulging out as she glared at the princes around her in denunciation for not taking the advise.

Falak Muhammad is Imad's stepsister and is known for being a drama queen. She is a paediatrician, something she was challenged to do and turned out to love it. She is amongst the top three best ones in Kano State and topping it off in the whole country too. Her love for children made her more passionate about her work, being a cognoscente at the field got her assistant head of the paediatrics ward. And she is ready to do as she's advised.

Her husband will be there to justify and endorse her words that she is not kidding at all about flogging the heck out of Imad. They are just underestimating her words sometimes. He is the only one that went through something she's planned for their first night when he visited the bathroom more times than he's ever in his entire life. She gave him laxative to punish him for rejecting her love and that is just the modicum of the things he's been through. He won't change that for anything though, it makes them who they are.

"Calm down, drama queen. I regret not doing so too but your brothers are boring." Asad chirped, rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt for emphasis. Showing his muscular arms and veins she's called branches.

He's always been the talkative among the whole princes, the one with great sense of humour that will definitely make you feel welcomed amidst the austere looking males. Being an architect, he'd rather spend his time whole in his chamber with his darling wife -Inayah- whom he is currently missing right now. But his brother will have to learn a lesson or two today or he will change his name.

He should be there designing a company for surfeit of cheddar instead cleaning his youngest brother's shit. The guy has been trouble right when he was younger.

"You guys don't listen to me anyway. Now I won't chirp in. Someone even hid the secret behind this failed marriage for whole three years. I won't be disappointed!" She shrugged her shoulders knowing very much whom she is referring to. He only shook his head, she won't permit him to live off this now.

"That aside please. What should be done? Is the sentence okay? I feel like he should be punished some more." The King chirped, keeping aside his Boris Palatnik walking stick to cross his hands.

"Is he home? Has he left to go get her back or not?" Humaid, Imad's cousin and the second oldest prince in the home inquired. He is an architect too, works mostly for foreigners that want their business built in Nigeria.

Suwaid stood up with ease, galore of rage influx to his gait and left the room to go get Imad so he won't miss him. The guy is about to leave to go bring his wife but they need to give him a few gifts to exhibit. He asked a guard to immediately go get him and that is what happened. Imad came, his eyes fixated on the ground as they walk back inside the family meeting room.

No one said anything when the came in and the men stood up to round Imad up in the middle of the gargantuan room.

Huzaif was the first to throw the punch, landing straight across his jaw with a sickening sound that didn't extract any form of sympathy from anyone in the room. Imad's figure rolled back, staggering on his feet only to get hit right behind his knee, by Suwaid, eliciting a genuflect but didn't land on the floor. Asad came next from the side to punch his rib, just enough for him to feel the pain for several days but no further damage.

That is how all of them continue hit him anywhere and everywhere they could get. Masrooq threw one to his nose and it bled almost instantly, none of them stopped or tried stopping it. He deserves this and if they were cables there, they would've used it to whip him.

The King and Queen are sitting behind with Falak and Shaddad -whose attention is currently on his patient that's suffered from cardiac arrest but they manage to tend to him quickly and he is now convalescing in the hospital- quietly watching the scene. Even the mother didn't stop them from doing what they feel is right. The guy needs that wake up call or keep making such grievous and dragging their name in the gutter.

Then it was Harith's time to scold at the top of his lungs while breathing heavily from directing the punches on Imad nonstop. "Is that how you were brought up? To hurt and ruin women? Why didn't you come to anyone of us if you wanted to play a game? Why go for a woman?" And then another one to his stomach, he doubled over and spurt out blood on his shirt.

"If you don't bring her back with the respect and dignity she deserves, I will do something much more than this. This will be a walk in the water!" Suwaid kicked him on his leg, he kneeled down to the floor.

Imad wanted to keep quiet because he deserves this but he couldn't just permit them to ruin him like that. He thought they were going to do it the minute he disrespected them when he came back but they gave him space which hurts more than this beating he is getting. Seriously, he loves his family to death and them ignoring him and giving him the space he needed was totally unwelcomed.

"You don't know what she did." He grunted from his kneeling position only for Yazid to haul his leg against his back.

"Even if she killed you in the past, Imad, you have no jurisdiction to do all of those things you've done. She is there on bed suffering, capitulated! And if she dies or if anything gets worse, then it is no one else's fault but yours! You will forever be labeled as a murderer and banishing you won't come close to what you will face from me."

Yazid took it more personal because his wife, Marawiyyah has been raped by many men once upon a time. Though she's strong and came out without any mental illness, it doesn't mean she's annihilated thinking about it once in a while. He hates it and this is almost more than what she's been through. This is a woman getting ruined by her own husband and she doesn't even know they are married. There is nothing worse than that he believes.

Women should be treasured not destroyed!

They rolled back their sleeves to it's place and left the guy hanging all alone in the middle of the room all bloody and in pain. If not because of the Queen there, they would've done more damage honestly. There is no way they will beat her son to pulp in front of her, he should be lucky. Falak is just there eying him with contempt, he never listens. Then the never expected happened.

No one expected Shaddad to stand up or even make his way toward a lonely Imad scrunched on the floor but he did anyway. That presence of his that demands attention, his gait that takes everyone mental focus and aristocratic appearance that makes him drip with debonair. Yeah, no one could miss all those things and if there is a way, Falak wanted to jump on his bones right then. What? He is her husband after all, no?

He squatted down in front of him, the move itself looking elegantly made. "I didn't want to say anything about this and usually, this is not my scene. But if you don't go back to your wife and make sure she is alright, I will not threaten you. But your heart will be at my mercy." With that, Shaddad patted his back in a hard way, enough for Imad to hunch back then stood up, gestured for his wife to come to his arms and they left.

Imad stared at the little girl beside Amirah on the mattress. He felt the connection like an avalanche and there is no way what he felt is wrong neither could his guts be telling him lies. This girl is related to him by blood!

I love the way I'm feeling now!😹 (Wallahi the song just came up when I finished reading)

Imad got what he deserves, I enjoyed writing that part. Jannah was expecting this anyway😹

Secrets upon secrets. Which girl is this again?😹

Hahahahaha, Usayma with her own secrets, Amirah with her own whole suitcase, Imad baggage of his trouble. E chokeeee!