This chapter is dedicated to TheOmoope

Third Person's POV

No sooner has the words left her mouth did a harsh sound reverberate through the room. Anger flared in her eyes as Huda looked at Laiqa who had just slapped her on the cheek.

"Laiqa!"

However, Laiqa paid no attention to her mother's voice which had a warning undertone. Who does Huda think she was to cause a commotion on her wedding day and then accuse her of murder?

"Watch your tongue around me, Huda! I won't tolerate you making such accusations at my mother or me. Isn't it bad enough that you've managed to steal the spotlight on our wedding day? Now you want to ruin our marriage by accusing us of murder. How shameless of you!"

Everyone in the room listened with rapt attention as they watched the two sisters stare murderously at each other.

However, the look on Huda's face frightened them all. Abu and grandma who had never witnessed this side of Huda were astonished.

Sure, they've heard about the recent rift between the sisters and Sama, but they hadn't expected it to be full of so much hatred.

At this point, Abu was starting to question himself if he had brought up his daughters in the right way.

" Huda, can you elaborate on the accusation? " Aunt Maria asked with a soft voice.

" I don't need to repeat myself! They are all bunch of disgusting ingrates. And to think that I took my life's major risk on their behalf," her voice was scarily calm despite the thick tension in the air.

She let go of the cheek she had been holding due to the slap and faced Sama directly. Huda noticed the subtle clenching of her jaw as she warned her with her emotionless eyes to keep shut.

What are you so afraid of, Sama?

" tell everyone in this room the truth this instant! "

Sama visibly paled. She sneaked a look at her husband to find him already watching her with curiosity and disbelief.

" are you trying to put words in my mother's mouth? She has absolutely no idea on what you are talking about, "

" keep quiet!-" Huda ordered with a cold and authoritative voice. " I haven't asked you to explain yet".

She focused her attention back on Sama. If there was something that she had learned over the years that she had been under this woman's care, it was that she despise confrontation as it made her feel uncomfortable.

" Ummu, what's Huda talking about? "

Tahira who was clueless before was starting to suspect that their mother was ed to whatever it is that Huda had accused her of.

Besides, who was Janan and what was her connection to all this?

Seeing as Sama wasn't going to talk, and was only wasting her time, Huda went back to where she was sitting before and slowly sat down. Sama and her daughter had no idea how they were mentally punishing her right now.

On the outside, she looked arrogant as she sat down cross-legged, but only she could feel the blood pumping furiously at the game both mother and daughter was playing.

"Sama forcefully got me married to Dawud seven years ago," she pronounced each word slowly.

" what do you mean?"

" Grandma, that marriage between Dawud and I seven years ago was forced. I never willingly gave my consent to the union, she made me do it".

The shock was written all over Abu, grandma and Aunt Maria's faces. Why does this sound like a scene straight out of the recent soap operas that Grandma and Ayesha had binged?

" unbelievable! So not only are you accusing my mother of-" Laiqa was saying before she was cut off by a now angry Daud.

"Have you lost your mind, Huda? What did you mean by you were forced into our marriage? You loved and adore me, remember?" He gritted out menacingly.

" will you both just keep shut! Sama was never a mother figure in my life. She played the devil's role in the misery I'm currently in so don't you dare try turning this against me".

The air in the drawing-room stilled as everyone froze. Laiqa and Tahira's husbands were shocked at her outburst.
The Sultans had dramas going on in their household, and judging by the not-so-shocked look each of them had,  this must be a frequent occurrence.

" Huda,  I understand the fact that she isn't your mother and that the bond between you two is likely to be fragile, but what you're saying makes absolutely no sense ". Aunt Maria tried coaxing her.

" You need to relax my dear. I think it's the tension getting to you, take deep breaths, " Grandma said as she finds what Huda said unbelievable.

Sama had always looked after Huda like her own even though it was challenging for her to do so due to the betrayal she had felt when Huda was a little kid. Grandma had always seen the way she took good care of whenever she came for a short visitation and refused to believe that Sama was capable of such a thing.

" This is the exact reason I never told you. Because I knew that you'd blindly support your daughter-in-law than the kid given birth to by a white woman," Huda sneered.

" you are being ridiculous here, Huda. Besides, why would Sama force you to marry Daud? It just doesn't make sense at all," Aunt Maria chirped in.

See, no one believes her. Her father just stared at her like she was saying nonsense, her grandma looked at her in disbelief and Aunt Maria looked like she had lost her mind. She didn't blame them though, she was the outcast in this family.

From the corner of her eye,  she saw Laiqa let out an inaudible sigh of relief. Huda's eyes turn into slits. So this was what she had expected, after all, no wonder she had such audacity to raise her palm against her cheek.

'I guess I'll have to do it the heartless way then' she smirked at her unsuspecting half-sister and Sama.

" Laiqa was having an affair with Dawud's cousin; Ali. Dawud here caught them red-handed and as a way of appeasing him and burying the secret, Sama and Laiqa forced me to pronounce to you all that I loved him and wanted to be in holy matrimony with him," she revealed all in one breath.

Gasps filled the room. Abu's eyes were feral as he took a glance at the culprits. Sama had her head lowered as the secret which she had protected for the past seven years came upon in less than five minutes.
Laiqa however, held her chin up in a bold manner ready to deny the accusation only for Huda to drop more bombshells on them.

" Even after my marriage to him,  she continued until Ali passed away and she turned towards Dawud. And the idiot that he is, started screwing my so-called sister behind my back!"

This time, grandma's gasps were the loudest as she placed her hand on her chest. She couldn't believe it, her brain refused to believe that her granddaughter was capable of committing such heinous si and that her daughter-in-law who she had always had high regard for for for for for for this and kept on covering for such immoral acts.

" Huda choose your words carefully. We-" Aunt Maria was cut off by Huda.

" so you still don't believe me?" She let out a humourless chuckle.
" fine. Don't believe me, I am surprised that you ever listened to me in the first place. After all, I am a rebel and she's an angel,"

Laiqa stepped forward again, her hands raised, ready to strike again when Huda caught it midair. She held on to it tightly with her righthand before using the other hand to deliver a tight slap.

Laika's husband stood up ready to defend his wife, a murderous look on his face. He had been quiet all this time because he was still trying to digest what Huda was saying. However, he refused to let his wife be manhandled by her sister.

" don't even think of coming closer!"

The twins looked at their mother who started sobbing. The guilty look on her face only confirmed what Huda said. Anisa clenched her jaws. She had always looked up to their mother and finding out now that she was aware of her sister's deed and encouraged her suddenly made her sick. Their mother had always been the one admonishing and cautioning them to stay away from what was haram, and how hypocritical this situation was.

"Sama is this true?" Grandma asked in a small voice scared of what might be the answer.
" I failed as a mother. Please forgive me," she begged in sobs.

Abu who had been silent all this while observing the drama, close his eyes in shame and disappointment.
All this had been happening in his household and he had no slight idea. He failed as a father and the head of his family.
" Would I have known if Huda didn't say this?" He asked, a voice in a monotone, something he only does when he's angry.

" I...I am sorry," Sama pleads.

" answer my question, woman!"

Everyone in the room flinched at his voice.
" Abu-" Laiqa knelt at his feet. However, he stepped away from her. How could have his beloved daughter do this and have no intention of repenting or asking for forgiveness from her Lord and the woman she had hurt in the process; Huda.

" how long were you planning on doing this?"

" Abu-"

" shut up! I never raised you to be an adulterer. I made sure to give all of my children the best. I sent you to madrasah, college and even got you a decent job. What was it you needed that I didn't provide you with?"

" I'm sorry Abu-"

" I've heard enough of that word," Abu cut her off harshly.
The tension in the air was much worse than before at this moment.

Suddenly there was a loud shout from behind the door. Huda swiftly turned and opened the door exiting the room.
She happened to reach there the moment a little girl rolled down the stairs. Her eyes widen and her breath quicken, her pulse racing.
Oh no!
Her thoughts flashed back to a similar scene a year ago. Instinctively, she pushed through the little crowd that had suddenly formed and stretched her arms.
The force of the little girl landing on her arms jerked her backwards and she fell, hitting her back harshly with the last stair at the bottom.
Ouch!
Her eyes involuntarily closed at the pain she felt on her spine. She opened her eyes to look at the girl who was whimpering in her arms. She looked very familiar though.

" What's going -" Mahdi entered the living room, and on seeing Huda with a little girl in her arms, both in pain, he crossed the room to where they were in four strides.

" Mahdi...she's...injured," Huda choked out.

" I can see that, hold on," he assured and then yelled at someone to get the car.
" what are you looking at? Get the car immediately!"

It was at this moment that the Sultans stepped out of the drawing-room wondering what was going on.

Huda was finding it hard to keep her eyes open. Her head was spinning as black dots appeared in her vision. The last thing she saw was someone detaching the girl from her, and Mahdi's lips moving without a sound.

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