Once Upon A Sultan ✅

Chapter 33.

-HAKEEM SUNUSI'S POV-

Maroudi, Nigeria.

"Nadine, calm down"

She whipped her head around to glare at me, her body shaking slightly. Her face was puffy, and her eyes red--having spent God knows how long crying her heart out. Normally, I wouldn't mind because I know they'd be crocodile tears. But, not now.

Not when by stressing herself out, she's putting my child in harm too. She's definitely the last person I would want as the mother of my child. But, things happened and I have to take responsibility for my actions.

"Calm down?" She repeated through gritted teeth, her voice husky. "You want me to calm down Hakeem?!" She yelled, and I'm certain even the ones outside can hear her.

Blowing out a breath, I tried to be the cool headed one between us—as always. "Yes. You need to calm down" It's too early for me to go through this drama with her. But, it's never too early for her.

For God's sake it's six in the morning. Shouldn't she be asleep and resting now? I don't have the energy for this. I wonder where she got hers.

I should've expected this though with her being quiet last night. Since the whole glass breaking at the dinner event, she hadn't done a thing that would show her anger. All through the drive home, and even when we arrived, she hadn't done a thing. She simply went straight to her room and silence was all I got.

For a while, I thought she would remain that way. Because, believe it or not, the Nadine I'm seeing these past few months is not the same one I've known all these years. Firsthand, I know from experience that she could be feigning it—which was why I didn't buy the good woman attitude.

I know she isn't—especially after the things she had done.

However, with Zainab's disappearance, and with our child on the way, she is much calmer and less devilish. She didn't spend her time wreaking havoc or promising to make my life a living hell—I haven't heard that from her a while to be honest. Instead, she spends her time decorating the nursery, going though baby stuff and doing whatever expecting mothers do.

For a while, I could swear she's a changed woman. She smiles genuinely—not her fake and I'm planning something against you smiles. A genuine one.

She's much nicer to everyone too—from me, my mother, and literally everyone else surrounding her. They all saw the change too, even if most didn't buy it but she made effort I guess.

Should I say expecting changed her?

In a way, yes. But we all know the true Nadine is still there and was just waiting for something or someone to bring it out.

And alas, came the timer to the ticking bomb that's the true Nadine.

The return of Zainab.

I just came back from praying Subh at the masjid only to hear her breaking stuff and screaming in her room. On instinct, I ran there and to say her room is a mess will be an understatement. She had trashed everything she possibly could and was now standing in the messy pile, crying her heart out.

I'm certain she didn't do it over the night, because I would've heard her.

She scoffed loudly, which slowly morphed into a loud sob. "How do you expect me to calm down, Hakeem? Huh? How do you expect me to calm down when that woman is back?!" She brought a hand where her heart it, and rubbed it as if to soothe the pain.

I blinked, my eyes moving from her to the broken bottles surrounding her. If she takes any step back, she would step on it and harm herself more than she already has. I then took in a deep breath, and leveled my eyes with hers. "Nadine, take in a deep breath okay?" I spoke, my voice low hoping that would lessen her nerves slightly.