Chapter twenty one

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   Toni tried to blink her eyes open, but found it hard, her eyes felt heavy. Her whole body ached for some reason, she placed her hand on her tummy, trying to feel if she hadn't lost her child. That was when she felt something like a drip in her hand, meaning she was in a hospital.

   "Your baby is fine." She heard a distorted voice say from afar.

   Was she dreaming? Everything felt so insubstantial, like she was floating over whatever chaos of voices she heard speak in the room after the first voice spoke. Toni remembered leaving home in anger after what she found out. She remembered getting out of the car because she needed air, and she remembered she had walked to some lake and sat beside it, gazing at the water. What happened next and how she ended up at the hospital was what she couldn't bring herself to remember.

   She opened her eyes again, this time slowly, and she was able to. She saw several heads peering over her, she looked at her right side to see her mother. A feeling of warmth spread over her as she saw her sitting there, Allah knew all she needed now was her mother's presence. Beside her mum was seated Ummu, Toni couldn't express how she felt with the woman's presence, but she didn't feel hostile towards her. For all Toni knew she could have being aware of her son's plan to divorce her and marry Azeezat, he was her son after all, but a part of her told her Ummu couldn't do that.

   The love she felt from the woman was too sincere, but it could be faked also, Nasir had faked his. Like mother like son. Toni saw the emir sitting beside Ummu, and that didn't put her at ease, she felt profound hatred for the man. Seeing how nothing on this side except her mum was making her happy she turned to her right side to see Nasir. Her heart jumped happily at his presence before she remembered what had happened again, then everything went down the drain. How could she still love him so much after everything he has done to her?

   The defining moment came when she saw Azeezat seated beside Nasir, it was at this point she realized what they were all doing at the hospital. It wasn't because they cared for her, it was because they wanted to see if their child was okay, and check if it was possible to take out her baby now. Her heart ached so much as she felt tears pull at her eyes. A feeling of dread settled in the pit of her stomach as she made to stand up.

  Both her mum and Nasir reached out to help her. She swatted Nasir's hand away in fury, she didn't need that fake loving anymore. She sat upright, while her mum helped to prop a pillow behind her back. Toni rested her hand over her belly, as though trying to shield her baby from Nasir.

  Toni turned to look at him and Azeezat seated together. "When is the wedding?"

   "What wedding?" Nasir asked, feigning ignorance.

   Toni gave a dry chuckle, feeling bad and hurt about her situation. "I guess the most important question I should ask is where are the divorce papers?"

   "Omotoni..." Nasir started saying, moving closer to her.

  Toni held her hand out to stop his movement and cut him off. "You couldn't even wait for me to wake up, and here you are, already planning of ways to take out my baby and give it to..."

   "That is not true, Omotoni. Give me a chance to explain to you," Nasir pleaded in that pathetic tone of his.

   "What do you plan on explaining?" Her voice raised, as tears rolled down her eyes. Toni felt her mum's hand on her shoulder, definitely to give her emotional support. "Don't worry, Nasir. If it's the baby you want, I will give her to you."

   Toni heard gasps from all over the room, especially from her mum, who must think she had lost it. But she hadn't, she just couldn't take this anymore. She would give him his baby, and make sure she never saw him, or came back to Nigeria again.
  
    "You can't do that, Omotoni," Nasir said.

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