Chapter 58: Chapter 58

A PRESENCE THAT WAS NEVER FELT

~~~~~~ EARLIER THAT MORNING ~~~~~~

Abla turned in the little space of a bed, her brows furrowing and her lips pressed from the constant bang on her head. Slowly she opened her eyes, her lips parted from the obvious pain that came with the little movements, she tried to speak, her throat was too dry, her lips parched and rough, the first word that came from her mouth, "W-whe-where is-is ma-m-my s-so-son?."

The doctor read her lips, he looked back at Farouq who had been pacing aimlessly tro and fro the room, "She's awake." he said to Farouq who immediately stopped in his track, a wide grin appeared in his face.

Abla made to cower from fear, pull the doctor to her side to save herself from her father, but there was no need to and she knew that would infuriate him more.

"Get out!" Farouq ordered, Abla winced slightly, grabbing her banging head in her heads, wishing that order was for her and even though it wasn't, she hoped the doctor showed some resistance to her father, in her dreams.

The doctor was trying to say something, about Abla being at the brink of death if she's pushed any further than her current state.

"Now, Old man!" Farouq growled which made the doctor scramble to his feet and run off hastily, pity masking his features over Abla.

Once they door went shut behind him, Farouq moved closer to his daughter, who shifted away from him to the farthest end where the bed would allow, she knew she wouldn't be able to stand with how weak all her body felt, she felt death calling to her, her head banged so hard she was trying to remember everything and that was when it clicked in her mind that the cut on her head had reopened, courtesy of her father.

"Easy lad," he jabbed, an obvious mockery, "You don't want to reopen closed wounds."

"You wouldn't, I know you l-like t-the b-ba-bac-back of m-ma-my palms, you'd on-only call a doctor if you needed a bidding only me could do." she teetered, disgust and pain etched in her voice.

He laughed. The fûcking pyscho laughed.

"Seems like my daughter is getting to know the dark side of her father, you're sick... just like me, when would you come to terms with that, when it would only take you longer to put such talent into full use, ehh?" he pined.

She snarled her teeth, "Exactly like I said, old fûcker."

"So you see, your cousin Rashid and his Prodigal wife," he paused, "Ehh ehhh. I just remembered you don't know what's been going around you lately."

"Yes. With an open head, busted lip, fractured bones, I should be minding other people's business since I'm done managing mine. Ohh yes, while I've been in this heaven saved from hell by my father, I've been so independent and free." her words was filled with hate and sarcasm.

"I'm not about bickering endlessly with you when I know there'd be no successful result, this task is so easy and you're a good actress, there'd be no problem there. You just have to be very close to her, befriend her, get her trust, I know what to do when all those walls have been breached," he paused, scratched the back of his head, "Someone would come to dress you up. You look like shit, so fucking disgusting, you won't be meeting your cousin and his wife, looking so malnourished and so out of game."

"Make sure not to try something funny, a knife to your son's neck, one wrong move and they're slitting his throat, but this time, I'd make you watch physically. Be a good girl." with an evil grin plastered on his face, he made for the door.

~~~~ PRESENTLY ~~~~

"Welcome home Prodigal wife, let's know how long you'd last." The words slipped off Ablas' mouth before she could say Jack, she frowned at herself, cussing herself internally, this was certainly no way of making Janelle feel so safe around her, she'd have said something nice, maybe, just maybe, Janelle wouldn't have shrink, eyes popped out of her socket.

Rashid groaned, seeing as Janelle stood still, like there was no fûcking life in her, he made to pull her to himself, he stopped, he didn't want her to reject him, moreso in front of his cousin whose eyes glinted, awaiting drama.

"It's a joke, welcome Princess." Abla said through gritted teeth and fake smiles, walking briskly towards Janelle as she pulled her into her arms.

"You smell so good, did Rashid tell you that yet?" she questioned, eyes roaming between Janelle and Rashid.

"T-thank Y-you." Janelle replied perfunctorily.

"Seems like my presence is of a great distress to your wife, I'd let her be. For now." she smiled gleefully and throttled away, and that was when Rashids' arms draped around Janelle's hand.

"Baby," He called, urging her head up to meet his face, she was upset, Rashid knew and he didn't like it one bit whenever she was like this, he preferred her being sassy and bitchy, it told him she was okay, but when she looked so vulnerable and sullen, he wanted nothing more than to have her in his arms all through the day, until the people whom he calls family who were seated inside are done with their assessment and go back to their fûcking houses.

"It's a large family in there, tell me you can handle all of it until the day ends, can you?" he asked, looking into her beautiful eyes, at that moment, all the resistance and walls she built around herself began crumbling down. He was treating her like an egg, like she was so vulnerable and doesn't know the meaning of pain, has never felt what it is to be broken, shattered.

"Families?, I didn't... you didn't tell me, I wasn't told about all of this." her voice sounded so broken.

"I had no chance to, but now you know, I need to know if you can handle it or if you want me by your side all through the day. You don't have to stay with the women inside if you don't want to." he said when all he wanted to tell her is she's a fûcking Queen and no one would dare try to mess with her unless they wanted their heads to roll.

Janelle sighed, shaking her head negatively, "I can handle it, it's not something I'm not used to, I ju-just." she stuttered.

"What is it Janelle baby?, Tell me, you really don't need to stay, you need to rest?, Then it's okay by me, I'd tell them you need to rest." Rashid offered.

She chuckled, before rolling her eyes, "Fûck!" he groaned.

"What's the problem?" she asked.

"It's nothing." he said as he urged her in.

ππ ~~~~~~~~~ ππ

Sneering gestures whizzed around the room as the women pushed their seats to the farther end of the room, away from Janelle, and that was how they remained until the end of the meeting, and while everyone offered their opinion and talked, they never gave her an opportunity to voice hers, neither did she care, at the moment all she wanted was to go into her room, her safe haven.

It was time to go, and just as the women had stayed together and away from Janelle, they filed out together, glaring hotly at Janelle.

"Seems like it would take a VERY Long time for the women to have to stay so close to an adulterous thing, and while everyone is scurrying far away from you, you would better stick by me, cause," Abla paused, made clicking sounds with her tongue, She continued, "I'm the only friend amongst the women, who would rather take it slowly to shove your face deep in my àsshòlè." she smirked.

"I'd do well to remember that." Janelle smiled, before walking away, not giving Abla another chance to spurt false words at her, words she didn't even mean.

"I think she's really lonely, beneath the false girl bravado she's putting on like a cloak. Sometimes, I want to lock her lips, but then, it could be the only time she gets to talk somewhat freely, even though the talking seems methodical." Janelle said to Rashid, who had been waiting for her at the far end of the hall, knowing she'd be heading to her room immediately, away from the hot glaring eyes the women had been throwing at her.

"Yeah." Rashid replied, which almost sounded like he groaned.

"Is that all you have to say?, Well, I'll be going back to my room." Janelle sighed.

"Why do you even care?, It's not like she's been good to you, she's always a pain in your ass, if you act so cool and calm, she wouldn't mind sticking your face in the mud."

Janelle turned abruptly, "Well not everybody is all about revenge. And why she would keep calling me a particular name, tell me how that's a fault of mine, Rashid?. I don't want to open old wounds, I just need to rest." She walked past him.

"Goodnight." Rashid said, wanting to hug her, and assure her that everything would be alright, he'd make sure it is, but knowing he has give her a little space, for tonight, just TONIGHT!

~~~~~~~~~

Rashid kept tossing and turning in his bed throughout the night and until morning, he sprang out of bed, wore his robe quickly, heading to Janelle's room, but before he reached there, the maids were scattered all over, which was so unusual, each had a confused look on their face as they bowed their heads.

"What's the problem?, What happened?" he asked Dargok, who also looked somewhat confused.

"It's your wife." he replied.

"My wife?, Janelle!, What happened?" Rashid questioned.

Dargok kept quiet.

"Answer me!" Rashid growled, pushing the door open and walking in, he turned to them, "What happened, where's my wife and why is no one answering me?" he barked.

"She-she, I e-er-erm came to check her this morning, said she w-wan-wants to take a walk around the palace and need an a-alo-alone time to herself, and I sho-shouldn't come with her....." the personal maid whom Rashid had assigned to Janelle stuttered.

"And. What. Happened. da sunan Allah!" he growled, his hands turning to fists.

"We ca-can-can't fi-find her, we've searched everywhere." she mumbled.

For the first time in years, he felt so drained, felt like all his breathe has been sucked off him, felt the air leave his lungs with no thought of coming back.

She was gone, Janelle was gone, for the second time, she left him without a word.