--
Yusuf's voice was ice-cold. "You're not Amina Musa. I've seen her Instagram. She doesn't flinch when spoken to. She doesn't hide behind her veil like she's afraid of the air itself."
Zainab's lips trembled. Her heart pounded in her chest like a drum of guilt and fear.
> "Please… just give me time," she whispered. "It wasn't my choice."
Yusuf narrowed his eyes. "So, they sold me a lie. And you agreed to live it?"
She looked down. "I didn't agree. I was forced."
There was a long silence. Yusuf stood there, watching her — like a puzzle he didn't know how to solve. Then, without a word, he turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
---
Scene 2: A Lonely First Night
Zainab sat alone on the luxurious bed, feeling like a prisoner in silk sheets. Her phone had been taken. Her parents weren't answering. Her dreams of becoming a doctor now seemed like distant stars she'd never touch.
She cried softly into her pillow, wondering if Amina was out there, free — while she was locked in a stranger's house, married to a man who didn't want her.
---
Scene 3: Yusuf's Dilemma
In his private office, Yusuf paced angrily.
> "This was supposed to be a business transaction," he muttered. "Not a drama."
He checked the contract again — it had Amina Musa's name. But the face he married didn't match the fire and boldness of the girl in the photos.
His assistant, Farouk, entered. "Sir, should I begin annulment procedures?"
Yusuf paused. "No… Not yet."
> "Why?"
"Because now I want to know the truth."
---
Zainab awoke to find a maid in her room.
> "Good evening, madam. Alhaji says you should come down for dinner."
Tired and anxious, she dressed modestly and made her way to the dining room, where Yusuf sat at the head of a long glass table, reading a newspaper like nothing had happened.
He didn't look up when she sat.
> "From now on," he said calmly, "you will not lie to me again."
Zainab nodded. "I promise."
He finally looked at her, expression unreadable.
> "We're married. But we're strangers. So here's the rule: No love. No drama. Just stay out of my way. Understood?"
Her voice cracked slightly as she replied:
> "Understood."
But deep in her chest, something began to stir — fear, confusion, and the tiniest spark of something else she didn't understand yet.
---
To Be Continued…