Chapter 46

We had been patrolling the ER since Yusuf had been rushed in. The doctors and nurses were going and coming out of the room. They were carrying out some tests on him. One of the doctors came out and told us he was fine, but we should wait a few hours for the medical report.

Yusuf's mother had called Khadijah. The wedding had been postponed because of Yusuf's unexpectedly collapsed, and she called her husband to come to the hospital.

Yusuf had been moved to a private room after he had regained his breath but hadn't opened his eyes yet. The doctor said we could go meet him in the room, but no shouting, and he told Yusuf's father to see him in his office.

We entered the room, saying our teslim. Yusuf was lying on the bed unconscious, with the IV connected to his bloodstream. His face looked pale.

Yusuf's mother sat beside him on his bed, crying softly, urging him to wake up while I stood at the corner looking at his mother.

I was the cause of this.

If I had stopped when he told me to stop, this would not have happened.

If I had not visited him...

Too many if's were going through my mind.

Ya Allah, the giver of health, please heal him!

The doctor had said not to trigger him, but I had done the opposite.

This was what his mother was protecting him for.

I felt guilty.

If I...

Khadijah barged in without greeting anyone and glared at me with so much hatred.

What have I done? I thought.

You caused her wedding to be canceled today, my brain replied.

"Why was he not taken to the family hospital? And why was he not given his drug when he was having his episode?" she scowled at Yusuf's mother, who was crying.

"Erm.." she cut me off.

"I'm not talking to you," she clenched her teeth, "I'm talking to her," she growled, pointing to Yusuf's mother.

"When Sophia came this morning, she was talking to him when he started holding his head, then I told Sophia to bring his medicine, but it slipped and fell, and when we were coming, we thought the family hospital was too far. That was why we brought him here," she replied, wiping the tears.

"What?" she exclaimed loudly.

"You," she yelled at me, "You are always the cause of everything. The drug should have calmed him down, but you let it slip," she said with so much venom.

"You destroyed my plan. Since the first day I saw you, I knew you were an abomination. You let the drug slip when there was only one more hour before I achieved all my plans, but you..." she lunged at me and clawed my face with her artificial manicured nails.

"I've been planning this for so long that I couldn't wait to rejoice," she cried, and at that moment, Yusuf's mother coughed painfully, using her handkerchief to cover her mouth. As she removed it, there was a bloodstain on it.

I went to her worriedly, "What happened?" I asked.

"Oh dear, it has been a while that I've been coughing blood, but it will soon go," she smiles and starts coughing, then Khadijah starts laughing maniacally.

"It will never leave you," she smiled sardonically while I stared up at her like she had grown another head.

"What do you mean?" she asked her in between her coughing while I patted her back.

"Because the Aconitum flower that I planted in your room is poisonous, and as you inhale it, it is deterring your health. It will kill you slowly," she sat on the extra chair while picking her nails.

"God loves your son sincerely. He was supposed to have died because the drug he was using was mixed with benzodiazepines, propranolol, and lead. It's true he didn't remember you when he woke up, but with the use of that drug, his recovery would be slowed down," she sighed, rubbing her forehead dramatically.

"I remembered you straight away when I saw you five years ago when Yusuf was rushed in after his accident. I knew the opportunity had come for me to destroy your family as mine was destroyed by yours. Yusuf was not supposed to be in a coma for two years, but I used those two years to plan. The nurse in charge of Yusuf that time was indebted to me, and I told her to do anything to keep Yusuf in a coma when she was transferred. That was why Yusuf woke up. She didn't have any choice but to do it. Your family doctor was also part of the plan because I had the sex tape of him and the nurse with me. I told him to lie to you guys. I told him that you should not let me be triggered and I should be his personal nurse so that I could monitor him how he should be using the drugs.'' I was a sobbing mess. I was sobbing hysterically while Yusuf's mother was coughing, cursing her in between her coughing, but Khadijah just stood up and walked around the room as if it was hers.

"Then I heard that Yusuf had a son. I convinced Yusuf to let me write an application letter to be a teacher so that I could be familiar with kids. Do you know what?" She directed her question to me.

"Your son's accident was not a mistake," my breath hitched, "because I was the one who hit him, and it was intentional. I wanted him gone," she smirked. "But by the time I reached home, Yusuf had gone to donate his blood because..." she paused, "this witch," she shouted, glaring at Yusuf's mother, "told him that one of his favorite pupils was in need of blood, blah blah..." she trailed.

"But you came along," she sneered at me, "I was supposed to have gotten rid of you."

"Why are you doing all this?" Yusuf's father whispered in disbelief as he was coming in.

"Because I do not want any Umar's bloodline alive. I wanted them to die as my family did," she shouted breathing heavily.

"You killed my family," she pointed an accusing finger at Yusuf's father. "You made me an orphan," she shouted. "Yoruba people say, 'Eni to su le gbagbe sugbon Eni to ko o let gbagbe (You can forget that you hurt or wronged someone, but the person you wronged or hurt could never forget).' You've forgotten. Fifteen years ago, because my father stole from you, you removed him from his workplace. The money he wanted to use to pay for my mom's health. But because of your selfishness, you fired him. My mother died. My father died because of the pain and depression. I dropped out of school and became a beggar. I came for revenge. Your family will pay for it because Yusuf would have already been diagnosed with poison in his system. Your wife also will soon die, and I know the pain of your son and wife's death will raise your already high blood pressure. You will be depressed, and you will die afterwards, and all your properties will be mine, but this girl came to ruin everything," she snarled and pushed me to the wall. I hit my head on the nearest wall. She tackled me on the floor while choking me, screaming, "die!" I was thrashing on the floor, trying to push her off, but her strength surpassed mine.

"Security!" I heard in the background. I felt my consciousness slipping as she was choking me tightly. People were entering and shouting, but my hearing and sight was not working.

My breathing slowed down, I couldn't feel my body and I succumbed into the darkness, but not before hearing...

"SOFIA!"