41~His love won #2
She hurried out of the house only to crash straight into someone standing outside.
The impact made her stumble.
She looked up.
Her blood ran cold.
"Faruk..."
His jaw tightened.
Without saying a word, he grabbed her wrist.
Hard.
Then pulled her away from the entrance and toward a secluded corner.
"What are you doing here?" His voice came out low and dangerous.
"Weren't you supposed to be preparing for our wedding tomorrow?"
"There isn't going to be any wedding." Hanan answered quietly.
"I came to call it off."
For a second...
Faruk simply stared at her.
Then his expression twisted.
"What gives you the right?!" He roared.
Before she could react, his fingers clamped painfully around her wrist.
"So that's it?"
"You want to destroy my life and walk away?"
His grip tightened until sharp pain shot through her arm.
"Faruk..."
She winced.
"You're hurting me."
"And what about me?"
His voice cracked between rage and heartbreak.
"Do you think this pain compares to what you're doing to me?"
"I gave you everything."
"I loved you."
"I was ready to marry you."
"And you throw me away because of him?"
His breathing became uneven.
"What did that bastard tell you?"
"What did he promise you?"
"Money?"
"I can give you more."
"Did he sleep with you?"
"Tell me!"
"What does he have that I don't?!"
Something inside Hanan finally snapped.
She shoved him away with all the strength she had.
SLAP!
The sound of her palm against his cheek echoed between them.
Faruk froze.
One hand slowly rose to his burning cheek.
Hanan looked straight into his eyes.
Now her voice was calm.
Painfully calm.
"Now I understand why I could never love you." She muttered.
His eyes widened.
"It wasn't only because my heart belonged to someone else."
She shook her head.
"It was because of this."
She gestured toward him.
"This mindset."
"This anger."
"This obsession you have."
She inhaled.
"You always wondered why your father respected Najib more than you."
Her gaze hardened.
"Now I understand why... It's because of your ridiculous and cheap mindset."
"I don't ever want to see your face again."
She turned.
Before she could leave...
Faruk yanked her back.
Her chest crashed against his.
He grabbed her shoulders and tried to force himself on her.
"Faruk!"
She struggled.
"Stop!"
His face came closer.
"I love you!"
"I love you more than you could ever imagine!"
"Please... Don't leave me."
He tried to kiss her.
Hanan immediately dug her nails into his arm with all her strength, piercing him hard.
That made him groan in pain and instinctively released her.
She stumbled backward, breathing heavily.
"What is wrong with you?!"
She stared at him in disbelief shaking her head.
"This isn't love."
"If you truly love me... You wouldn't hurt me."
"You wouldn't try to force yourself on me knowing that I hate it."
"You're confusing your obsession with love."
Faruk's breathing slowed.
His anger suddenly crumbled.
"I'm sorry..."
His voice became almost inaudible.
"I lost control."
"I'll change."
"I swear I'll change."
"Please..."
He reached for her hand again.
"Don't leave me."
She gently pulled her hand away.
The sadness in her eyes was genuine.
"My biggest regret... is my coward self."
"I spent so long lying to my own heart."
"I let everyone else's expectations decide my future."
"But not anymore."
She looked directly at him.
"I can't marry you."
"I can't love you."
"And I don't want to keep hurting you by pretending otherwise."
Her eyes softened.
"So please... Forget me."
"Erase me from your life."
"Let this be the last time we ever stand before each other."
"From today onward... we become strangers for good."
Faruk stood motionless.
His eyes slowly reddened.
The veins around his temples bulged as he fought desperately against the tears threatening to fall.
Seeing him like that filled Hanan with guilt.
But guilt wasn't enough reason to stay.
She turned and walked away.
The moment she stepped outside, she saw Najib walking toward her.
"Habibti?"
The instant their eyes met... She ran straight into his arms.
Najib immediately wrapped both arms around her.
"Hey..."
His voice softened.
"I was just coming to get you."
She buried her face against his chest.
Trying not to cry.
Trying not to think.
But the tears escaped anyway.
Najib felt them soaking his shirt.
He gently pulled back.
His palms cupped her cheeks.
"What happened?"
He wiped away another tear with his thumb.
"Did they hurt you?"
"Did someone say something to you?"
She saw anger beginning to replace the concern in his eyes.
Quickly... She forced a smile.
"No."
She shook her head.
"They didn't."
"I'm the one who hurt them."
She lowered her gaze.
"Tell me honestly... Am I a bad person?"
Najib blinked.
Then let out a quiet laugh.
"What kind of question is that?"
He rested his forehead against hers.
"Habibti... You're the kindest woman I've ever met."
"You carry everyone else's pain like it's your own."
"That's why you're crying, not because you made the wrong choice... But because making the right choice hurts someone."
He smiled gently.
"So don't ever call yourself a bad person again."
Her lips trembled.
"Thank you. You have no idea how much I needed to hear this."
He kissed her forehead.
"Come. Let's leave this place."
She nodded.
Together they walked back to the car.
The drive home was unusually quiet which felt disturbing for Najib as he stole several glances at her.
She stared outside the window, lost in thought.
He could read her expression, he could see that she was feeling bad for calling off the marriage which made him concerned.
Finally...
"Do you regret ending things with Faruk?"
She answered without hesitation.
"No, I don't."
"In fact... I feel relieved."
"Then why do you look so sad?" He asked softly.
"You've been like this ever since you came out."
She sighed. "I feel guilty. I broke his heart... But I don't regret leaving."
"I just wish it didn't end this way."
Najib reached over and intertwined their fingers.
"You don't have to justify your decision to me."
"I know your heart, so let's leave the past where it belongs and focus on us."
She smiled.
A genuine one this time.
"Okay."
After a brief silence...
"I love you." She whispered.
Najib smiled. "Not more than I do, Habibti."
He lifted her hand to his lips.
But his kiss stopped halfway.
His smile vanished.
His thumb traced the fresh marks around her wrist.
His jaw slowly clenched.
His voice became dangerously calm.
"Habibti."
He looked up at her.
"Who did this to you?"
Silence.
"Habibti, what is this?" He asked asked, his thumb brushing over the fresh marks.
His brows slowly knitted together.
Those marks wasn't there before.
"Oh... it's nothing." Hanan quickly withdrew her hand, forcing a smile as she rubbed the bruises.
They were the marks Faruk's fingers had left behind.
If Najib found out...
She knows things would spiral beyond repair.
But she was too late.
He had already figured it out.
Without another word, Najib slammed the car into reverse.
The tires screeched against the road as he sped back toward Faruk's house.
"Najib!" Hanan gasped. "Turn the car around!"
"Faruk did this." His voice was terrifyingly calm.
"I swear to God... I won't let him get away with it."
"Najib, please!" She grabbed his arm.
"Turn back."
"No one lays a hand on me..." His grip on the steering wheel tightened.
"or on what belongs to me."
"He should know that."
His jaw clenched so tightly the muscles visibly flexed beneath his skin.
She had not seen him this angry in ages.
"Please..."
She shook her head worriedly.
"Don't do this."
"For my sake... please turn the car around."
He ignored her.
Instead... He pressed harder on the accelerator.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"Najib..."
She reached for him again.
"If you love me..."
His eyes remained fixed on the road.
"If you truly love me..."
She swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Then listen to me."
"Please."
"Please..."
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
The moment he saw them...
He cursed under his breath and slammed on the brakes.
Silence filled the car.
He closed his eyes.
Took a slow breath.
Then another.
When he finally spoke... His voice had softened.
"I hate those tears on your face."
He turned toward her.
"They hurt me, Habibti."
He gently wiped away the tears on her cheeks.
"They're the only reason... I'm pretending those bruises weren't caused by that scumbag."
He took her injured hand again.
His thumb carefully traced the red marks.
The anger returned to his eyes
"Thank you for listening..."
She whispered.
"I know you're angry, but it isn't worth it."
"It is." He looked up.
"My anger is completely justified."
"I've tolerated enough from him."
"I respected his father, so I kept overlooking his nonsense."
"But every man has a limit."
"And Faruk has reached mine."
"I know." She squeezed his hand.
"But hurting him won't undo what's happened and I hurt him that's why he reacted this way."
"And fighting him will only make the hatred between both of you worse."
"And I don't want to become the reason for that."
She sighed softly.
"I've already hurt him enough."
Najib smirked. "Who said anything about fighting him?"
She blinked. "Weren't you about to?"
He gave a short laugh.
"No."
"I was going to bundle him inside my boot and drive him straight to the hood and have his attitude reconstructed there."
He said it without hesitation that Hanan stared at him before bursting into laughter.
"You still own that scary place?"
She laughed, suddenly remembering the terrifying day she ended up there herself because of his temper and since then she knew how scary he could be when he's angry and that's why she was scared just now.
He glanced sideways at her.
"Don't change the subject."
"I'm not." She smiled.