"My ex." The word resonated round the defending silence of the house. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Was he cheating behind my back?

Why did she come back?

Was he going to leave me for her?.

Millions of unanswered questions swam in my head.

When he noticed my unresponsive self he continued,"But it is not what you're thinking, wifey," he rambled.

My nose flared up. Lying again, how dare he!.

"Then explain to me, what is it?" I said calmly trying to calmed the rate of my beating heart.

"After I was through with the client, she came crying; telling me about her dead father and I was just comforting her, that's all. I swear to Allah, there's nothing between us. Everything was over between us since last year," he defended looking sad.

I was over boiled. I sweared if I was a cartoon, steam would have be trying to escaped from my ears. "Your ex?! Can you hear what you are saying, your ex came to you?" I poked his c.h.e.s.t.

"You of all people? Didn't she have any friends? Anyone but You?! Wait tell me, are you a person who goes around comforting every person who comes to you? No. A Samaritan?" I said angrily. He looked like he wanted to talk but I was hearing anything.

"Let me finish. Don't you dare interrupt me" I warned, pointing my index finger at him. "How would you feel if one day, when you came home from work and see me hugging another man? And not just any other man but my ex?!" I screamed. "Telling you I was comforting him" I said sweetly with mockery.

I saw him clenching his fists with jealousy.

The nerve of him to jealous!

"Tell me, how would you feel?" I said with stream of tears. How I wished it could be raining so that I could pour all my heart out.

"I'm sorry darling, forgive and pardon me," he begged.

"No" I replied.

"Please hunny. I'm sorry" he said softly, holding my cold hands in between his warm hands while I jerked my hands away from his and folded it then turned to stare at the wall.

"Darling, this young man is wronged. Please kindly find a place in your heart to forgive him" he said softly while c.a.r.e.s.sing my hand.

"Do you still want her?" I asked softly. I needed to know if he still loved her or might have a changed of her. I braced myself for the rejection to tell me he was in love with her.

"No" his voice void of any emotion. "I don't love her,you are the only for me. You've captured my heart, senses, eyes since the moment I saw you" he said with adoration. And I smiled,I smiled widely and hugged him then clung him round his neck, wrapping my legs round his waist securely to prevent me from falling.

"I'm sorry for screaming and doubting you" I mumbled at the crook of his neck.

"Issokay to protect you have" he said playful.

"What?" I teased.

"Me" he pointed to himself, "your s.e.xy handsome husband" he wiggling his brows.

"Whatever" I muttered while waving my hands dismissively.

"Chocolate" he said.

My eyes lit up,"chocolate " I screamed happily.

"With..." My eyes twinkled with mischief, "movies" I beamed.

"Not again" he g.r.o.a.n.e.d.

***Next morning***

"Wifey, I'm sorry for yesterday." He pecked my forehead.

"It's okay." I smiled, touching his face.

"Ahem, you know Zainab? She is coming today, with her husband," he said nervously.

"Zainab? I don't think I know her." I replied confusedly.

"Um... My ex," he blurted out not looking at me while I retracted my hand like I was been burned.

"Your ex?" I asked In small voice.

"I'm sorry I told her about the incident and she is coming to know you and settle it," he said.

"Okay," I replied with a height pitch voice.

**some hours later ***

"Assalamualaykum, yusluv," I saw the girl running to meet my husband hugging him like there was no tomorrow.

"Walaykumsalam, how are you, zainbee," my husband greeted her. Wow, what was I  missing out here?

Yusluv?!

Zainbee?!

My ass!

How dare the two of them, using that nicknames and flirting while I was standing.

I was sad, angry, seriously.

I looked at her and I immediately felt insecure because she was taller, curvier, more beautiful than me and had an angelic voice. She was the definition of beauty. Why wouldn't he wanted to comfort her and received her hugs?' I thought bitterly.

"Zainbee, meet the love of my life," I was snapped out of my dwelling thoughts.

"I'm Zainab, Yusluv's childhood friend and best friend," she said proudly with mischief in her eyes.

I thought this girl was up to no good. All what I wanted to do was to snubbed her but my mama and religion didn't taught me like that.

We must be nice to our visitors.

"I'm Sofia, Yusuf's wife," I said and she smiled.

"Okay, let's get inside," he clapped his hand and gestured for us to get in.

I sat beside Yusuf and Zainab sat beside her husband - Khaleed.

I stood up from the couch. "Let me go get the food ready," I walked towards the kitchen.

"Oh wait, Sophy, let's go together. We can chat and they can talk, man to man," she walked towards me and winked at my husband- my Husband!. I was already feeling a ball of anger and jealousy but I prayed to Allah to give me sabr.

"Sofia, how did both of you meet?" She asked curiously.

"We met by Allah's grace," I replied shortly. I was not here for questions and answers.

She held my hand forcefully. "Little girl I'm talking to you." She gritted her teeth, making her looked like the stepmother in Cinderella.

I tried to remove my hand from her grasped but I couldn't; she held me in a strong grip. She was really strong for a female. I thought.

"Zainab, please release my hand. I need to check what I'm cooking, and you are hurting me," I pleaded out. She was letting the memory to resurface.

The memories I wanted to keep hidden.

The memories that haunted me.

She laughed at my weak state. "Yusluv can never be with you or love you. He is created for me, only me. He's just deceiving you, he only loves me. I'm his Zainbee. And if you want to test it out, you can. He only loves, believes and trusts me," she still held me in her strong grip and eyes glistened with pure evil.

"Leave me alone, you manic. He can never love you. I'm his wife. He's mine not yours," I seethed.

Ya Allah!

The last string of sabr cut.

As I raised my hand to retaliated, I saw my hand was been held by Yusuf.

"Sofia, what's wrong with you? Why did you slap her?! I told you there was nothing between us."

"But she's the one that slapped me," I said trying to removed my hand from his hold when I glanced at her and saw her crocodile tears while holding her cheek.

"Sofia, I can't believe that you can stoop so low like this. You slapped her," he said while shaking his head.

"I didn't."

"You did."

"I swear, I didn't."

"You did."

"You don't believe me?" I asked.

"I believed you but all of this is pointing towards you," he said.

"I hate you. Even if I had done it, you were supposed to stand by me" I snapped at him while retracting backward.

"That's what a husband is supposed to do. I hate you!" I said and ran out of the house with pool of tears.

????????????????

Author note: key to relationship is trust,talking, faith, belief. And always give each other benefits of doubt. If he did something bad or that hurt you; try to reason why has he done this?. And when your other half did something wrong try to call the person down and talk. Don't hold grudges. And always watch or study your partner what upset he/she. Don't let your ego ruin your relationship. Don't be too big or proud to say sorry with sorry,some relationsh.i.p.s that has been broken wnt had. And when you notice your partner is angry at you, try to sit he/she down and talk to her/him with sweet and soothing voice or buy/ do what you know that could appease he/her. And try to be romantic, call each other different pet names, take each other out to park,ice cream shop,shopping etc. It builds relationship. Know what makes your partner to smile or happy;if she likes to cook,try to stay with her even though you aren't doing anything. If he like playing games, try to take some minutes out of your time to sit with him. If both of you are angry with each other settle the conflict that day,don't let it stay up night over the second day. And Don't compare your relationship to another. And we males,when we are coming back from work or office try to buy maybe #100 worth of sweet or anything edible home for your females. Wallohi I know she will appreciate it. Wallohi females aren't stubborn, or bad is just that we males don't know what they want. They want attention, caring, love, respect and there's a writeup or paragraph I read in a book that says,« I've been taught to teach all women with respect. You give a woman something and she will make it 10× better. You give a woman a house, she'll make it a home. You give her groceries, she'll make you a meal. You give her kindness and love, she'll give you her heart. I don't think anyone realises the care abd love a women deserves. You women are amazing. And some of you don't realise how amazing you are. Like you » drafted from Sold to the Mafia by unknown3211, chapter 32: To my best ability, I will protect you.

While we males,we love to be in control,always demanding but that's not good.

I hope with the little I said I hope.....