17~Chaotic dinner
"You leave me with no choice."
Before Hanan could react, Najib stepped forward, trapping her between himself and the tiled wall.
"Don't you dare." Her voice was low but firm as she warned observing the look in his eyes.
She could already tell what his next action was.
His gaze lingered on her face, then drifted to the lips she was nervously biting.
"Habiba..."
His voice was barely a whisper as he stepped much closer.
Without another word, he crashed his lips against hers.
Hanan's eyes widened.
For a heartbeat...
Her mind went completely blank.
Shock rooted her to the spot.
She couldn't think.
Couldn't breathe.
Couldn't even process what had just happened.
The world around her seemed to disappear beneath the pounding of her own heartbeat.
Then reality crashed back.
Her enemy was kissing her.
She shoved her hand hard against his chest, struggling to break free, but his grip on her shoulders only tightened.
Just as she was about to scream...
The bathroom door burst open.
Faruk stormed in.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
He yanked Najib away from Hanan with such force that he stumbled backward before a crushing punch landed squarely across Najib's face.
Najib staggered but didn't fight back.
Faruk wasn't done.
Another punch.
Then another.
"Faruk!" His mother screamed.
His father and the house staff rushed forward, struggling to pull him away.
"Have you lost your mind?!" His father yelled.
"No!" Faruk snapped, breathing heavily. "He kissed her!"
His furious glare remained fixed on Najib.
"I'll break every bone in your body if you ever touch her again!"
Meanwhile, Faruk's mother hurried to Hanan, who stood trembling beneath the running shower still in shock unable to process what was going on.
"Oh dear..."
She quickly turned off the water.
"You're freezing."
She gently wrapped an arm around Hanan's shoulders.
"Come with me. Let's get you out of these wet clothes."
As they turned to leave, Najib called after her.
"Aunt... please."
His voice sounded broken.
"I just need one minute with her."
Faruk's mother hesitated.
Before she could answer...
"I don't..."
Hanan finally spoke.
Her voice was cold.
She didn't even look at him.
"I don't want to hear another word from you."
She took a step away.
Najib instinctively reached for her wrist.
"Habiba, please..."
SMACK!
Her hand flew to his face.
The loud slap echoed through the bathroom.
Everyone froze.
"Don't!"
Her eyes burned with fury.
"Ever touch me again."
Without waiting for anyone to respond, she turned and walked out.
Faruk's mother sighed heavily.
"I don't know what happened between the two of you."
She looked from Najib to Faruk.
"But violence and forcing conversation won't solve anything."
"I'm going after her."
She quietly left the bathroom.
Faruk shot Najib one final warning.
"If you go anywhere near her again..."
His jaw tightened.
"...I'll make you regret it."
With that, he stormed out too.
Silence settled over the bathroom.
Najib remained standing where he was, drenched and motionless.
Faruk's father let out a weary sigh.
"Najib..."
"I'm sorry."
"You know how Faruk foolishly acts before he thinks."
Najib gave a faint shake of his head.
"No, Uncle."
A bitter smile crossed his lips.
"I'm the one who was foolish."
He glanced toward the open doorway where Hanan had disappeared.
"I should leave."
"Not like this." His uncle placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You're soaked."
"Come and change into something dry first."
Quietly, Najib followed his uncle upstairs like a man who had lost his way.
His thoughts refused to settle.
A baby.
His baby.
A child he never knew existed.
How?
Why did no one tell him?
After the divorce, Habiba had disappeared from his life completely. He didn't see her again until recently.
So how could he have killed his own child?
The accusation echoed relentlessly in his mind.
There had to be a misunderstanding.
A huge one.
And only one person could clear it up.
Abdul.
After the divorce, Habiba had been under Abdul's care. If anyone knew the truth, it was him.
Lost in thought, Najib barely noticed where he was walking until soft sobs drifted through the hallway.
He stopped.
The bedroom door ahead was slightly opened.
Without meaning to, he glanced inside.
Hanan sat on the edge of the bed, crying in Faruk's mother's embrace.
His chest tightened.
He wanted to walk in.
To tell her she was wrong.
That he had never known she was pregnant.
That he would never have harmed their child.
But his feet remained rooted to the floor.
Instead, he listened.
"Loving him..." Hanan sobbed. "...was exhausting."
"It was hell."
"He was never a good husband."
"I accepted him anyway."
"I convinced myself he would change."
Tears streamed down her face.
"I endured the insults."
"The humiliation."
"I even took the blame for crimes I never committed just to protect my mother."
She let out a painful laugh.
"My nineteenth birthday..."
"...was the day I stopped being his wife."
She buried her face in her hands.
"I swear, Aunt..."
"Najib is a monster."
"He killed my baby..."
"He tried to kill me too but he didn't succeed and now he's back to try again."
Faruk's mother gently stroked her back.
"No, dear."
"I don't believe Najib would do something like that."
"I wish you were right." Hanan cried even harder.
"But he's a murderer."
Standing outside the room, Najib lowered his head.
For the first time...
He truly understood the depth of her hatred.
And strangely...
He couldn't blame her.
He had been a terrible husband.
Cold.
Cruel.
Neglectful.
Even after recovering his memories months ago, guilt had haunted him every day.
But murder?
No.
That was one sin he could never remember committing.
With a heavy sigh, he quietly turned to leave.
Only to find Faruk standing behind him.
Their eyes met.
"I hope you're satisfied watching her cry."
Faruk's voice was ice cold.
"You've seen what you've turned her into and you don't feel guilty or regret do you?"
"And after everything you still have the nerve to act innocent?"
"I'm innocent Faruk." Najib Sighed.
Faruk chuckled. "You expect me to believe you?"
Najib didn't answer.
He simply walked past him.
"If you truly regret what you've done..."
Faruk continued.
"...then leave her alone."
"Forget her."
"Forever."
Najib stopped.
Without turning around, he replied quietly,
"That's impossible, I can't."
He finally looked back.
"Searching for her was torture."
"I spent three years wondering whether she was alive."
"Now that I've found her..."
"...I can't lose her again."
"Never."
With that, he walked away, rushing into his car, he hits the road with one person in mind.
Abdul.
He had to meet him to explain things.
An hour later...
Najib arrived at Abdul's house.
Unfortunately, Abdul was away on a business trip.
Only Nanny Ann was home.
"Nanny Ann." Najib said immediately, "I need you to tell me everything you know about Habiba."
She hesitated.
"I'm sorry, Najib."
"I don't think I'm the right person."
"You should wait for Abdul."
"I can't." His voice carried desperation.
"I've been calling him, but his phone is unreachable."
"Please."
"I already know she was pregnant."
"I just need to understand why she believes I killed our child."
Seeing the pain in his eyes, Nanny Ann sighed.
"Sit down."
Najib quickly obeyed.
Before speaking, she asked softly,
"Do you remember everything now?"
"You lost some of your memories after the accident..."
"I did." Najib nodded. "But they fully returned a few months ago."
"That's good, and now listen carefully." She folded her hands on her lap.
"Three years ago, Abdul found Habiba after a terrible car accident."
"She had suffered a miscarriage that almost killed her too."
Najib slowly clenched his fists.
"According to everything she believed..."
"...you were the one behind the accident because you didn't want the baby and she claimed to see you running her over."
His eyes widened.
"No..."
Nanny Ann nodded sadly.
"That was what she believed."
"And Abdul couldn't convince her otherwise."
Najib sprang to his feet.
"Why?"
"He could've called me!"
"He tried." Her answer made him freeze.
"He found out the truth the same night you had your own accident."
"You were fighting for your life."
"The doctors warned everyone not to trigger your memories after you woke up."
"So Abdul stayed silent."
"He sent Habiba abroad, hoping time would help her heal."
"But instead..."
"She returned with revenge in her heart."
Najib rubbed both hands over his face.
"So all these years... Abdul kept this from me?"
"He was trying to protect you." Nanny Ann sighed.
"He was afraid remembering everything too soon would worsen your condition."
Najib laughed bitterly.
"I was going to be a father..."
"...and nobody told me."
Silence settled between them.
After a while, Nanny Ann spoke again.
"There is something else."
Najib lifted his head.
"A man named Musa."
"He used to work for you."
"He confessed everything to Abdul."
"He said Zaitun paid him to kill Habiba."
Najib stared at her in utter shock.
"What?"
His voice was barely audible.
"Zaitun... tried to kill Habiba?"
"Yes."
"And according to Musa, she wasn't acting alone."
Najib frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Musa claimed he worked for both Zaitun... and Hajiya, your step mother."
Najib's expression darkened.
"Hajiya knew?"
"I can't prove it but I strongly suspect she did as Musa claimed."
Najib leaned back heavily.
"So much happened under my own roof... and I knew nothing."
Nanny Ann looked at him with regret.
"We also made mistakes."
"We should've told both of you the truth."
"Instead..."
"We allowed Habiba to believe you caused the accident."
"We failed both of you."
Najib remained silent for a long moment.
Finally, he spoke.
"When Abdul comes back..."
"Please send him to me."
"I need every detail."