Can I Be Your Mrs?

10: Words And Embers

He had his phone pinned to his left ear as he heard the endless the way Alhaji was pouring it out on him. It got to the point that he cut him off amidst his outrage and spoke, "I told you, Alhaji, it was Sulaiman's child. I have nothing to do with it, it was just a picture!" He knew yelling at his dad was one of the most grievous things he could ever because no matter how bad his father was, he was still his father. And he wouldn't love it himself to have his child yelling at him.

"Are you trying to yell at me, Yazeed? What the hell is wrong with you? How did she have access to Sulaiman's son if you weren't the one that took her there? Look, I have all the evidence that you're together with this girl, you even took her to watch movies, you ate together with her during lunch, alone in your office, do you want me to continue or just the pictures will suffice?" From the way Alhaji spoke, he knew without a doubt that Hajia had done an immense job today. She had pumped him with lies and words she knew he would surely act up to. Not that even if they were irrelevant he wouldn't act up to them, as long as she was the one that spoke, it was just a straight yes.

"Why are you being like this? I told you, it's nothing. She means nothing to me! Wafiyya took that picture. Please, maybe make this the first time, believe me." He was desperate and afraid all together. He knew if Hajia wanted him to harm Jalilah, nothing could stop them from doing that.

"Yes, Wafiyya took the picture, I believe you. But what is the picture doing all over social media with captions like 'He has finally found love? Congratulations on your baby.'? Yazeed, do you know I've been receiving calls and emails from friends and business partners asking about that? If you still haven't seen what you did is wrong, I'll make you see that myself." The hell he heard? How could this be possible? It had been only four days since they snapped or rather, Wafiyya took that picture. What the hell was wrong with Jalilah?!

"What do you think of doing? Don't harm that girl, Alhaji. Because I'll never forgive you if you do." He didn't know why he was still hell-bent on keeping her safe even though he knew she was the one that made that picture went viral. He was sure all those online blogs in Abuja had posted the picture with a caption they deemed with.

Alhaji laughed, the kind of laughter that unnerved Yazeed even before he spoke. "You don't even know what you want and don't. I have to clear your name, I have to show the world that you aren't in love with her like you claimed. You can't destroy your image and mine as well, you've done that once, but not again." Before he accessed Alhaji's words, the phone had already gone off and he stared at his documents filled the table.

What just happened? What was he going to do? She wasn't in the office, she had gone to Sulaiman's office to drop some files and he didn't think he could wait until she was back before he could vent it out on her. He walked out in angry steps and stormed into Sulaiman's office.

They all looked up to meet his now bloodshot eyes, he lifted his phone to her face and thundered. "What the hell is the meaning of this?!" She was taken aback by his words. She released the documents she was holding and looked at his face and then back to his phone screen.

Jalilah was sure she had never felt weak like she had now, everything stopped in just a matter of seconds and she wished what she was seeing wasn't the truth. She was shaking her head when she looked up to his face again, "I don't know who did this, I don't even know it has gone viral."

Yazeed looked at her and laughed humorlessly, the kind of laughter that sent a chill down her spine, "You don't know who did this? How could you know when it's you that did it? And you're saying you don't know it has gone viral? What the hell is wrong with you? What has gotten into your head to do such a thing?" He heaved out of anger and looked away.

Sulaiman stood up and looked between the two, "Yazeed, what's wrong? What happened?"

He turned to him completely, "Look at what she did. That picture Wafiyya took, she posted it on social media and it has gone viral. Alhaji just called me, Sulaiman. He has been raining insults on me and couldn't believe it when I told him I don't have an idea of what was happening." He handed him the phone, with sizzling anger brewing from his eyes, he turned to face her again. "What were you thinking when you did that? Who told you I was in love with you? And for real, even married and having a child with you? How could you even think so low of me? How could I? Of all the girls to love, stoop so low to fall for you?"