| ACCEPTANCE |

Quarante et huit

The door opens and I enter without her ushering me in. "How are you?" I impatiently ask while she warily shuts the door. "Fine, what's going on?" She crosses her arms across her chest. "Did you quit or were you fired?" She sighs. "What did he do you you? Are you hurt?" I walk up to her and she shakes her head. "He didn't hurt me, I'm fine." She takes a step back away from me.

"I also mean mentally, emotionally." She stares at me in the eyes for a few seconds before she walks to the sofa. "I'm fine...thank you." I hear her weak voice. "But he did try to. Who is he? What's his name?" She takes a deep breath, shaking her head. "I won't tell you."

"And why in god's name would you not?" I throw my hands in the air in frustration. "Because you'll confront him, insult or threaten him and it'll just make it worse for me."

"How does that make it worse for you? He tried to assault you and justice is making it worse?" She scoffs. "There is no justice here, mustapha. He's very influential. Step on his toes and he'll crush you. I did my research on him, his family is too powerful."

"So? There must be a weak spot. There always is and I won't be one to sit back and watch you be wronged." I walk towards the door, fully aware she's against it but she'll thank me later. I feel her hold my arm, coming to a halt. I turn to look at her.

"Please Mustapha, don't. This is why I didn't tell you. I don't want it to get worse." I chuckle. "That's how life is. Gets worse before it gets better." She shakes her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

"These past few weeks have been hell for me and I just want peace. I need it and I don't want you to get dragged into this. You'll just get harmed maybe, you know these people. Please, Mustapha. I'm pleading with you."

"The minute he touched you, I was dragged into it. I really don't care. I want to know, even if I don't do anything which I doubt, at least, I tried my best." She leans her head on my arm as I feel a wet spot on my arm.

"I just want peace, please just let it go." She sobs, making me calm down. "Okay, I won't do anything. I'll just stay useless." I say with my teeth gritted. "I won t do anything." I add but she continues sobbing. I pull her to my chest, hugging her. "He won't dare come close to you again. Okay?" I kiss her head.

*********

"He's selfish. I expected more from him." I hiss, clenching my fist. I feel useless, weak and incompetent. Laila is so hellbent on letting them go and having peace.

"He is but his karma will catch up to him. It's all time." She sniffles,letting out a sigh. I look at her, her eyes fixated somewhere. A tear slides down her face as I wipe it away. "Hey." I try to be calm and not showing how outraged I am. She raises her head to look at me.

"It's going to be fine. I'm here if it counts." She smiles weakly. "I keep on dragging you in even when I told you I never need your assistance again." I lightly chuckle. "You just can't get me out of your life. I'm here to stay, woman." She raises her brows, smiling.

"For someone who can be kicked out, you have a lot of guts." I shrug, holding her chin up. "You've always liked my guts, what happened now?" I hold the eye contact we're sharing as I feel the tension growing between us. "I don't know, you tell me."

"I don't read minds, I'd like to remind you." She keeps silent, staring at me in the eyes. I feel like pulling her in and giving her a passionate kiss. The frustration I feel and how much I missed her.

I see it in her eyes, her expecting a kiss but I place a kiss on her cheek. I pull away, glancing at the watch. "I better go." Coincidentally,my phone starts ringing and voiced out Maryam's name. She hangs her head for a second then raises it with a tight lipped smile. "She must be worried."

"I doubt it." I silence my phone, shoving it back into my pocket. "I know she is." She says firmly then swallows. "It's getting late anyways." She shrugs. "I better go, call me if you need or want anything or want to talk."

She gives me a tight lipped smile before I kiss her on the forehead then left the house. I enter the car, holding the steering wheel tightly. You're almost there, you'll soon be with her. Don't ruin it now. Very soon. I lean back, letting out a sigh. What has she done to me? I see her step out of the house with a puzzled look on her face.

I turn on the car, driving out of the premises.

Rashad's point of view.

I scribble down the draft for the report when my phone rings. I pick the call, putting it on loudspeaker. "Im listening."

"I need to dig deeper. The only information I have is his closest friend is also into assaulting women. He apparently assaulted his sister in law." I furrow my brows, disturbed by their obsession with assault. "That's not information on him because he's covered his tracks quite well. I'll get back to you when I find something." 

"Okay." I hang up, remembering what that woman told me which makes me scoff. That's the problem with people sometimes, helping them. I shake my head, taking up the papers when I remembered how her confidence plummeted the minute she was reminded of the scandal. How ashamed and embarrassed she was for something she didn't do and has to live with it.

Problem is, I can't be emotional and decide to put the name of my company out, I've worked too hard and I still am. My phone rings as I pick it up to see sumayya. I answer, putting it on speaker so I can multitask.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Rashad?" I hear her cracked voice which made me worried immediately. "What's wrong?" I pause everything I was doing. I hear her sob quietly making me stand up. "I'm on my way." I take the phone and place it on my ear, walking to the door.

"Rashad, don't."

"You're not talking me out if it."

**********

She sniffles, hanging her head while I sit, waiting for her to feel better before explaining what's wrong. Seeing her in this condition makes me angry. "I'm sorry." She apologizes, pulling her scarf to cover her face more.

"Don't be. Are you okay now?" She shakes her head. "No, Rashad. I just-I don't know what to do." I lean forward to focus on her more when she raises her head up to see her with a purple eye, busted lip and swollen eyes. I sit in shock for a few seconds before shaking my head. "Where is he?" I stand up.

"Rashad-"

"Where is he, sumayya?!" I shout at her in anger. "He's not here, I don't know where he is." She whimpers and I hug her. She holds me tightly, sobbing on my chest. "When are you leaving?" I ask when she pulls away. "Im not."I furrow my brows. "What do you mean 'you're not'? Do I have to remind you what pain you're feeling? He's assaulting you!"

"But I love him! I can change that." I scoff, looking at her in disbelief. "You can't change a person like that and look what you have to go through! Make it make sense!" She shakes her head. "I'm not leaving him." She stubbornly sits with her arms across her chest. I stare at her, not having a single idea what to say to her. "So why did you call me?"

She keep quiet. "You know it wouldn't please me to hear he's beating you to a pulp and I would feel worse if I don't do anything about it but you told me anyways, for what?!" She flinches as I realize how I've been killing myself over her when she doesn't care about me the tiniest bit.

"I don't know what you want me to do because I can't be here consoling you over something you can stop but you just don't want to. I won't console someone who doesn't even care about meor herself. You've never truly asked, 'how have you been?' for the longest time. Whenever I see your call, I know you want something but I answer it anyways."

She doesn't bother to glance at me. "I've been wasting my time longing for someone who doesn't even exist." I nod. "I hope you gather enough strength and courage to face the truth, call me then. I'll pick up the kids since that's what you obviously called me to do." I turn, about to leave but I stop.

"Sumayya, I might have a soft spot for you but don't you traumatize my kids or sadden them because of a decision you make. You should only be accountable for your decisions. Wallah, scar them and you'll never see them again." I warn before leaving the house.

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