Shadow of Doubt

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

These days, I wake up everyday with a smile on my face because I finally know what it's like to be in love and be loved back with the same intensity.

It has been a week since Sa'ad let his guard down and admitted the fact that he loves me. While we agreed to give it two weeks to see where this would take us, I didn't want to pressure Sa'ad into making a decision. I've decided that if he ends up saying this was something he could give up, I'd let him go without a fight because what was the point? It was obvious he loved me but if he wanted to go ahead with his marriage with Hauwa, it's probably because he loved her more than me.

I may love him but I wasn't willing to shatter my self esteem in the process, I've done enough of that in my past relationship. It was hard to build myself back up. My feelings for him were as clear as daylight, he knew it and I knew it. There was no need for me to do more, it was now up to him to make his decision and get all of us out of this mess and suspense.

Hidayah called me earlier that she was coming to visit and I was performing ablution when I heard the door to my bedroom pushed open, I knew it was her.

"I just saw Mr. Sa'ad outside." A mischievous smile was placed on her face the minute I stepped out of the bathroom, making me roll my eyes. "He was being extra friendly to me, perhaps it's because he knows he'll be seeing a lot of me from now on."

"Well, hello to you too." I said to her with a shake of my head as I moved to my praying corner and she sat down on the bed. "Feel free to join me." I told her and she gestured for me to carry on.

She was here to get the whole story of how everything happened between Sa'ad and I but I took my sweet time praying Zuhr prayer and throwing in distracting topics in between until she got frustrated.

"Ya ishe ki," she was now glaring at me and I was holding back my laughter. "What's he going to do with Hauwa now?"

"I don't know." I said truthfully, losing hope all over again. I hate that I was anxious about all of this.

"And he didn't say anything?"

"No, just that he'll talk with daddy when he gets back."

"Daddy has been back four days now." Hidayah stated the obvious. "What's he really doing?"

"Well-" my phone pinged with a text and I looked at it, it was a text from daddy. Asking me to meet him in his living room. Daddy would call me anytime he wanted to see me, what changed today? My anxiety just tripled as I got off the bed and turned to Hidayah. "It's Daddy, will you be here when I get back?"

"Dama I'm sleepy." She said as she adjusted her position on the bed and I shot a tight smile at her before I stepped out of my bedroom and made my way towards Daddy's wing, I made a pitstop at the kitchen to drink water because my throat felt dry and I lost all appetite.

As if I was asked to look outside the window, I did and I saw Sa'ad driving out of the compound in the car he came with, which means he was done with work for today. He normally texted whenever he was leaving, especially now that things were different between us. I was upset but I refused to let my anger cloud my judgement so I dialled his number and he picked on the first ring.

"Hey, something came up and I had to go home." He said the minute he picked up.

"Hope everyone is okay." I said to him and he hesitated before he answered.

"Yes, just a patient and they might need my help."

"Hauwa?" I asked and his silence confirmed my suspicions. I felt bile come up my throat but I decided to act against it. "Allah Ya bata lafiya-"