28~Im sorry
Vicious eyes glared at them.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say Hanan could almost see flames of fire burning within them.
Those eyes weren't only filled with fury, but they were drowning in heartbreak.
Agonizing tears streamed freely down Amina's cheeks as she marched toward them. Her trembling breaths echoed through the office.
Najib immediately stepped forward. "Amina..."
"Oh, so she is here?" She sneered, her voice dripping with bitterness as she eyed Hanan.
The venom in her tone made Hanan, who was still backed against the wall, instinctively stiffen.
She had no idea why Amina looked so devastated and why her gaze towards her carried so much hatred.
But one thing was certain.
Whatever made her this angry had shattered her.
"Ya Najib..." Amina cried. "Are you so blind in love that you've gone completely astray because of this vile woman?"
She pointed accusingly at Hanan.
"Astray?" Najib sighed.
"Yes!" She cried louder. "Astray!"
Her fists tightened making both Najib and Hanan tense.
Out of concern, Hanan cautiously took a step toward her. "I'm sorry, are you okay..."
"Don't come near me!" Amina snapped, glaring so fiercely that Hanan immediately stopped in her tracks.
"Amina." Najib gently held her shoulders.
"What is wrong with you? Why are you crying like this?"
She stared at him in disbelief.
"You're asking me what's wrong?" She laughed bitterly.
"You're asking me why I'm crying?Really?"
"Yes." Najib answered calmly. "Because until you tell me, I honestly don't know."
She let out another painful laugh.
"You had Hajiya arrested."
"My mother is behind bars right now."
"She's about to stand trial for crimes she never committed... And you're asking me why I'm crying?"
"Are those not enough reasons?"
She wiped her tears angrily before pointing at Hanan.
"You're destroying this family because of this slut!"
"Don't call her that." Najib's voice turned cold immediately.
Amina blinked before letting out a disbelieving laugh. "Wow..."
She slowly turned toward Hanan.
"What kind of evil spell did you cast on my brother?"
"What exactly have you done to him?"
She charged toward Hanan in rage.
Before she could reach her, Najib quickly pulled her back.
"Amina! Get yourself together!"
He tightened his grip on her wrists.
"No!" She snapped, violently jerking free.
"You should get yourself together!"
She shoved his hands away.
"You've completely lost your senses in the name of love."
"Can't you see she's leading you astray?"
"She isn't!" Najib roared.
"It is your mother who's leading this family astray!"
Silence filled the room.
Amina stared at him, stunned.
"Ya... Najib?"
Her voice trembled.
"Is it because she isn't your biological mother... that you are saying something so heartless?"
Najib's jaw clenched. "Yes..."
"Because she isn't."
"And she never will be."
"She isn't even worthy of being called anyone's mother."
"She's a murderer."
The words had barely left his mouth when...
Spat!
Amina spat directly across his face.
Hanan gasped, instinctively covering her mouth.
For a second, nobody moved.
Najib stood frozen, saliva slowly sliding down his cheek.
Amina's chest rose and fell violently as disappointment, rage, and heartbreak consumed her.
She didn't regret it.
Not for a second.
"I don't blame you." She hissed loudly.
"I blame the stupid love you have for that snake."
She shot Hanan a look filled with contempt.
"I remember the day we met again."
"My wedding day."
"You stood there and swore you would destroy him... and destroy this family."
She turned sharply toward Hanan.
"Weren't those your exact words?"
"I... I..." Hanan stumbled over every word.
For the first time in a long while... She felt intimidated.
Amina's piercing stare left her unable to form a proper sentence.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" Amina scoffed before turning back to Najib.
"Ya Najib..."
Her voice broke again.
"Please. Come back to your senses."
"She's doing exactly what she promised."
"She's tearing this family apart."
"Ever since she came back into our lives, we've had no peace."
"First, she nearly ruined my wedding."
"Then she made you turn against Dad..."
"And now he's lying in a hospital bed, fighting for his life with little hope of surviving."
"And now... My Mom has been arrested."
She shook her head as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Can't you see what she's doing?"
"Are you truly this blind because you are crazily in love with her?"
"Get out." Najib muttered coldly, wiping the saliva off his face with a tissue.
"I won't!" Amina snapped. "Not until you answer me."
"Why did you have Munmy arrested? Tell me, what proof do you have that she committed the crimes you're accusing her of?"
Najib let out a slow sigh.
"I don't owe you an explanation, Mimi."
He paused before adding,
"But if you really want your answers, then be at the court tomorrow by ten o'clock."
"You'll get every answer you're looking for."
"Now leave."
Without waiting for a response, he grabbed her by the arm and escorted her toward the door.
She struggled against his grip.
The moment she reached the doorway, she turned around to face Hanan.
A bitter smile spread across her face.
"Habiba Aliyu."
Her voice was frighteningly calm.
"I swear... I'll make you pay dearly for this."
"And I curse the love he has for you."
"It will rob you of your happiness just as you robbed us of ours."
She smiled even wider.
"See you in court."
"We'll find out who truly wins."
With that, she slammed the door behind her.
Bang!
Silence followed.
Hanan swallowed hard.
Her lungs suddenly felt heavy.
She struggled to draw in a proper breath as Amina's words echoed repeatedly in her mind.
Her knees gave way.
She dropped to the floor, clutching her chest as fear engulfed her.
Najib immediately rushed toward her.
"Habiba..."
Before he could reach her, she scrambled to her feet and staggered backward.
"Don't..."
She clasped her hands together pleadingly.
"Please don't come near me."
Tears blurred her vision.
"Three years ago... You ran me over."
Her voice trembled.
"And when I came to see you about my pregnancy... Zaitun told me you didn't want to see me or my baby!"
She pointed accusingly at him.
"Even Mr Charles told me the exact same thing!"
"So why are you doing this?!"
"Why are you trying to ruin innocent lives?!"
She yelled every word.
Najib, however stopped listening halfway through.
His brows slowly knitted together once she mentioned...
"Mr Charles?"
He repeated under his breath.
His thoughts raced.
That can't be right.
Zaitun could have lied...
But Mr Charles?
How?
I wasn't even in the country that day.
I never knew she was pregnant.
So how could he possibly have told her that?
He looked back at her.
"I can believe Zaitun lied to you..."
"But Mr Charles?"
"How is that possible?"
"Huh?" Hanan scoffed bitterly.
"So now you're pretending not to know?"
"You expect me to believe you didn't send them?"
"I didn't."
His voice was firm.
"I swear."
"Liar!" She shouted.
At that exact moment...
The office door burst open.
Mr Charles rushed inside, panic written all over his face.
Without hesitation, he fell to his knees.
Clapping his hands together, he bowed his head.
"Please forgive me..."
He looked from Najib to Hanan, tears filling his eyes.
"Sir Najib... Miss Habiba."
"Miss Zaitun forced me to lie that day."
"She convinced you that Sir Najib refused to see you and that he knew you were pregnant."
"I swear it wasn't what I wanted."
"She threatened to have me fired if I didn't obey."
"Oh my God..." Hanan suddenly burst into a loud laughter.
It wasn't laughter from amusement.
It was from disbelief.
Pain.
Frustration.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she laughed.
"How much longer are you going to lie for him?"
She shook her head.
"Did he promise to raise your salary for acting out this little drama?"
Mr Charles lowered his head. "I know you have no reason to believe me."
"I know my words mean nothing after everything that happened."
"But I have evidence."
He slowly lifted his gaze.
"I can prove Sir Najib wasn't even in the country that day."
"He never knew you came."
"He never knew about your pregnancy."
"And he certainly knew nothing about the accident."
Hanan's laughter faded.
Her expression hardened.
"Fine."
She folded her arms.
"Then show me."
"Show me the evidence."
"Because right now..."
"I don't see a single reason to believe a word coming out of your mouth."
"Take this."
Mr Charles extended a brown folder toward her with trembling hands.
"It's the partnership deed from the meeting Sir Najib attended in Paris... the same day you had your accident."
"You'll find the flight records, meeting agenda, attendance register, photographs, and the official dates inside."
"You can verify everything."
Hanan hesitated before collecting the folder.
Her fingers trembled as she opened it.
The first page...
The date.
Her eyes widened in shock.
"No..." She whispered.
She hurriedly flipped to the next page.
Another document.
The same date.
Another.
Another.
Photographs of Najib shaking hands with foreign partners.
Conference pictures.
His boarding pass.
Hotel reservation.
Everything pointed to one undeniable truth.
He had been in Paris.
The entire day.
Her breathing became uneven.
She hurriedly checked the date again.
It matched.
Exactly.
The same day.
The same date she had been run over.
She could never forget the day she lost Little me.
She continued flipping through the documents.
Every page shattered another piece of the hatred she had carried for three years.
Slowly...
Painfully...
Her certainty began to crumble.
But it wasn't enough.
Not yet.
She slammed the folder shut.
Without warning, she grabbed Najib by the collar.
"So if you weren't the one who ran me over..." She growled through gritted teeth.
"Then who the hell did?!"