Loving You Better

Chapter 78

Sumayyah

"Akeela?"

Sumayyah looked down disparagingly at the woman before her.

She was bloody near perfect.

Shit.

"Yeah?" Akeela looked up, confused to see this woman where it should have been Yusuf across from her.

Even Akeela's bloody voice was beautiful. It was any wonder Yusuf used to be in love with her. Her face was small and slim with perfect set lips and a dainty button nose. Everything about her was gentle and elegant whereas Sumayyah was...

Well...

A hurricane.

Fuck it.

"I'm Yusuf's wife." Her smile was tight, her voice more so.

Akeela's eyes widened prettily, utterly mortified to have been caught in her position. "Oh."

"Yeah."

Sumayyah sat down sliding her chair in with every bit of authority she had ever possessed before simply assessing the woman before her.

"I-"

"Rather don't." Sumayyah cut Akeela off. She wasn't much in the mood to head any garbled excuses. What else could the woman provide except those?

Akeela looked almost afraid of the woman across from her. She looked as if she had dressed for battle in her Versace business suit, a severe bun that rested high above her neck and heels that were made for a bloody runway model. Akeela had never, ever thought Yusuf would go for her type. He was always so casual and laid-back...

Never had she assumed he would marry a woman who would order her coffee without looking at the menu or ask for the bill as soon as her cup was laid down before her. "I called you here, so the bill's on me."

Akeela paled. She suddenly felt highly inferior to this woman. Clearly money was no longer and issue for Yusuf if his wife was anything to go by.

"No, it's-"

"I'm paying." Sumayyah cut her off once more. She was resorting to dirty tactics. She had used the same thing a thousand times before on clients who needed to be dropped a peg or two. Cut them off at every turn and make them think as if even their words alone were wrong.

"Thanks." Akeela smiled meekly, looking down as she stirred her coffee. Sumayyah hadn't even bothered with sugar to need to stir her drink...

"So you've been messaging my husband." Sumayyah cut through every ounce of bullshit they could have possibly raked with small talk.

"Uhm, well," Akeela licked her lips, her face turning red as she tried to find that last ounce of courage within her to admit to her indiscretions.

"Yes, you have been. I've read them." Sumayyah silenced her protestations with a lift of her hand. "I also read the tons of messages my husband sent you asking you to leave him alone."

Akeela was simply stunned into silence.

She couldn't say anything because she really had nothing to say.

"Let's be very clear here." Sumayyah took a sip of her now cool coffee, "Yusuf is my husband. We have a daughter together. He's not this guy that I like and he's not my boyfriend." Her gaze held Akeela in place, allowing her to hear every last word. "He's my husband."

"I know that he's your husband." Akeela said, allowing herself to drown in her own guilt.

"No, you don't." Sumayyah bit out. "If you did. You wouldn't have messaged him in the first place."