Chapter 44:

In a heartbeat, the air crackled with tension as my father's figure stood in stark contrast to the once sweet girl who now brandished a menacing black semi-automatic pistol, its sleek barrel pointing unwaveringly at him. The room seemed to shrink, suffocating us in a thick fog of apprehension and fear, the truth unraveling before us like a sinister tapestry of lies and deceit that had torn apart the very fabric of our lives.

 

The fire blazing in Zina's eyes held us all captive, her gaze piercing through us with a ferocity that froze us in place, mouths agape in disbelief at the transformation before us. Her once gentle demeanor now twisted into a mask of rage and vengeance, casting a shadow over the room that seemed to swallow us whole. "Zina, please, you don't have to do this! Put the gun down," pleaded Mohammed, his voice tinged with desperation, but his words fell on deaf ears as she remained resolute in her mission.