If I Can Hate You, Why Can't You? A Nigerian Story

If I Can Hate You, Why Can't You? Chp 78

What? Divorce? Did he hear her correctly? He snapped his head up almost to the point of cracking, "what? Divorce?"He couldn't believe his ears. 'Divorce?All of a sudden?'

"Yes! You heard me right, I want a divorce" she said adamantly. At first, he thought she was joking, maybe because she was still in shock and so mad at him she couldn't really think straight. But now, as he looked at her face he knew he was damned, she was dead serious.

"Babe? Wh... what are you saying? Divorce? What do you mean?" His mind was suddenly floating in the air. He couldn't think straight anymore.

"I can't be with a man that takes no consideration of my feelings and toys with it whenever he sees fit. I'm not a toy Abdullah, I just didn't understand you anymore. Each time I try to think that all is well, you pull a stunt and we are back to square one. I'm tired and I can't continue like this. You've put me through so much pain already and I've had enough. I'm tired." He had nothing to say to her. Come to think of it, she was right all along and still is. The more he thinks about it the more speechless he becomes. He badly wanted to defend himself but he knew the moment he opened his mouth, he was going to sound so foolish in her ears.

'Damn Abdullah! You've gone too far'

"Kulthum please listen to me, I promise I didn't mean to hurt you in any way whatsoever. I didn't know you would take this the other way I promise. You know I will never cheat on you, you know that. Why should I have an affair when I have you as my wife? I have no damn reason to do that. But divorced? Oh Kulthum, please, don't say that please"

"Okay, I won't talk about divorce anymore" he almost heaved a sigh of relief but was cut off amid sighs. "But we need some time apart" she shifted back, she backed away from his attempted hold wiping her tears without a care in the world that her makeup was messed up.

"Please don't leave me" he whispered, his legs gave up on him and he fell to his knees bowing his head dejectedly. "Please, don't go. Just tell me what I can do to make this right. You can slap me as much as you want, you can stop talking to me, hell, you can even ignore me all you want, but don't go. Don't leave me alone." She felt a pang in her chest but this time, she wasn't going to give in to her heart's demand; she'd done enough damage to that fragile organ. She turned around and left for the door and when she pulled it, it opened freely without any hurdle and came face to face with Alice. She glared at her and was about to leave when she said,

"Here" she gave her the room key. She collected it and went straight to the room seating on the floor. She cried and cried till she cried no more. Just then the door opened and in walked Abdullah. He stood by the door calculating his moves and what to say. He knew she wasn't ready to listen to him, not now and not anytime soon. He walked quietly towards her and kneeled in front of her preparing what to say.

"Kulthum please," he started, she stood up and was about to leave his presence when she heard him speak.

"I love you Kulthum!" She stood still in her spot with her heart accelerating over the normal rhythm. She slowly turned around to face him. "More than anything, if you leave me I don't know what I will do" she was beyond dumbfounded, what she had always wanted to hear from him ever since she got married to him. She waited for almost two years just to hear him say those three flimsy magic words and he eventually did say it but now, it was of no use to her. She refused to be blackmailed by him.

He stared at her completely at her mercy. He had no idea what to do next, nothing! He decided that he was going to allow her to decide whatever she wanted to decide.

"Oh Abdullah," she whispered, stooping down to his level. 'What happened to the 'she refused to be blackmailed by him? Damn you Umm Kulthum' she thought, rolling her eyes inwardly.