The call from Nana had left my hands shaking, but my grip on the steering wheel was firm. I sped through the streets, my car cutting through the evening traffic like a knife through butter. I wasn't reckless, just driven. I knew the roads well, and I knew how to handle my car. Fatoo needed me, and nothing was going to stop me from getting to her as quickly as possible.

Fatoo. My dear, sweet Fatoo. She had always been the gentle one, the kind-hearted soul who saw the best in everyone. It infuriated me how men like her fiancé took advantage of that kindness. He had toyed with her emotions, made her believe in a future together, only to shatter her heart when he decided he was done. Just like that, as if she were a disposable plaything.

I could feel the anger boiling inside me. It wasn't just for Fatoo; it was for every woman who had ever been made to feel like she was less than she was. Men like her ex and mine were the epitome of selfishness and cowardice. They used women to fill their egos, to pass the time, and when they were bored or found something new, they discarded us without a second thought.

I knew this feeling all too well. I had seen it in the eyes of too many friends, and I'd felt it myself. The hollow emptiness that comes when you realise you meant nothing to someone who meant everything to you. It wasn't just heartbreak; it was a deep, aching wound that took pieces of your soul with it.

Fatoo's ex was just another name on the long list of useless, stupid men who played with emotions like toys. He didn't deserve her tears, but she had given them to him anyway. She had loved him deeply and truly, and he had crushed her spirit without a second thought. It was unforgivable.

As I approached the restaurant, I kept on praying for Fatoo. I knew she would be a mess, her beautiful eyes swollen from crying, her spirit broken. But she had us—she had Nana, Mina and me—and we would help her through this. We would remind her of her worth, of her strength, and we would help her rebuild what that man had tried to destroy.

And by Allah if I lay eyes on that freaking piece of shit, I am going to show him how much of a pain in freaking ass I can be.

I parked the car and took a deep breath. This wasn't just about comforting a friend; it was also about me being able to be of good help and not relieve my own past experience.

As I walked towards the entrance of the restaurant, I spotted him. Malik. Fatoo's ex. He was stepping out of his car with another woman by his side. My breath caught in my throat as I noticed her swollen belly—she was at least seven months pregnant. The sight of him laughing and acting carefree made my blood boil. He had shattered Fatoo's heart, left her in tears, and here he was, parading his new conquest without a hint of remorse.

I wanted to attack him right then and there, to let my fury explode and give him a piece of my mind. But no. That would be too easy, too simple. I wanted to humiliate him, to make sure everyone in that restaurant knew exactly what kind of man he was. Yes, I was that petty, and I knew it. But some men deserve nothing less.

I followed behind him, my steps quick and silent. The restaurant was busy, filled with the hum of conversation and clinking cutlery. He didn't notice me as he walked in, his hand on the small of the woman's back, guiding her to a table. I watched as he helped her into her chair, all smiles and charm. The bile rose in my throat.

I recognised the woman to be Raliya. Our nemesis back in university. Back then she got on everybody's nerve in Nile University. Especially Fatoo and it was all because of men. Even now, she was pregnant with a man who used to be with Fatoo. This is some kind of obsession. I bet they aren't even married.

I waited, counting the seconds until he settled into his seat. My heart pounded in my chest, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. When he finally sat down, I didn't hesitate. I walked straight up to him, my eyes locked on his smug face.

"Malik!" I called out, my voice sharp and loud enough to cut through the noise of the restaurant. He looked up, his expression shifting from confusion to recognition, and then to fear as he saw the fury in my eyes.

Before he could react, I launched at him, my fist connecting with his jaw in a powerful uppercut. The force of the blow sent him sprawling back in his chair, his eyes wide with shock and pain. The restaurant fell silent, every pair of eyes turning towards us.

"That's for Fatoo!" I shouted, my voice echoing in the hushed room. "That's for breaking her heart and treating her like she was nothing. And that's for parading your new pregnant girlfriend around like some kind of trophy." I landed two more blows on his already misconstructed face.

The woman next to him, Raliya in all her fake glory, gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in horror. Malik struggled to his feet, his hand clutching his jaw, his eyes blazing with anger and humiliation. He looked like he wanted to run me over with a truck. Too sad. He doesn't have the guts to do it.

"Don't you dare say my name," I hissed when he called my name. "You don't deserve to speak to me. You don't deserve to even be standing in my presence at all after the shit you pulled. All this time you were having an affair and with who? Raliya of all people? The person whom you know hates Fatoo with everything in her? Tsk tsk." I spat on him.

By now, the entire restaurant was watching, whispers spreading like wildfire. I turned around, my heart pounding with a mix of anger and satisfaction. I caught sight of Nana and Fatoo at the corner table. Nana's eyes were wide with shock, but Fatoo—Fatoo had a small, grateful smile on her tear-streaked face.

But I wasn't yet done with him.

"You deserve to rot in the bottomless pit of hell, you stinking piece of cow shit and—"

"Enough!" Someone had the guts to cut me off? Mid sentence?

I turned to see who the fool who interrupted was only to clash eyes with the most beautiful pair of hazel eyes I've ever seen.

It was the man with the ugly toes!