CHAT OVER DINNER

"So, the doctor really said she is now stable?" Lola asks again the third time.

"Yes." Malik nods forcing some bread into his mouth.

"Thank God." she whispers thankfully.

"But may I ask why you asked Shamim to stay there alone?" asks Asma.

"You even told him to take full responsibility of her, why is that?" Abdullah asks too.

"He needs physical stress to clear his emotional and mental stress."

"I don't understand that." Asma says confused.

"Earlier on at the hospital, I realized he is the most affected with Ella's condition because he was used as a bait to catch his own sister. He even had a fight with his sister because of the lady that was using him. In his eyes, regrets, pains and discomfort were displayed." Malik stops eating and looks at every other person at the dining table consecutively. "If I left him like that, he could have done something really terrible to himself, that was how I came about the idea of stressing him physically so as to clear his mental and emotional stress."

"You surely are a genius." Darifa whispers admiring Malik's great knowledge.

"I am glad I married someone as smart as you are." Lola says boastfully.

"No one could have ever thought that Cassandra could be the spy, she is a good actor." Abdullah comments.

"Please sir, do not spare her." Darifa whispers to Malik. "But I wish to see Jessica and Emerens."

"What? Are you in your right senses? Why would you want to see them?" Asma asks.

"I used to call them my firends, until one day, I realized they were just using me as well." She looks at Asma. "Just as how Cassandra used Shamim."

Malik raises his brows and shrugs his shoulders. "I have actually thought of saying that too, but I had the believe you wouldn't want to see them."

"When can I go sir?" She asks again.

"We can go tomorrow." He faces Abduallh. "What about you? Will you go with us?"

"No." Abdallah shakes his head. "I do not wish to see any of them."

"I will come with you sir." Asma whispers with her voice trembling a bit. "I will like to see what the class bully looks like now."

Malik nods and faces his wife. "Will you like to see them too?"

"Never!" Lola retorts bluntly. "I don't want to set my eyes on them, not after they tried to turn my children into enemies and even almost claimed the life of my daughter."

"I am happy she is responding to treatments now, I wonder what could have happened if something truly went wrong." Darifa whispers and continues eating slowly.

************

"What are you doing here?" Emerens asks her mom but looking down.

"Why else, to see you of course." Idalina whispers with tears rolling down her eyes. "My daughter."

She slowly raises her head and locks eyes with her mother. "What did you just call me?"

"My daughter." She repeats now sobbing loudly.

"You can call me your daughter now? I am your daughter now?" She asks and scoffs. "After ten years of abandoning me and constantly rejecting me, you sit there and call me your daughter?"

"I am sorry." Idalina continues sobbing. "I did all of that because I wanted to separate you from Jessica." She shakes her head. "I knew you being with her will produce nothing good."

"Really? If you had probably accepted me with your open arms, maybe I wouldn't have ended like this." Emerens whispers. "But you preferred to abandon me and get a married to a man that beats you like a punching bag."

"I am sorry, that is all I can say. I don't have any words left to justify my terrible actions. Please, forgive me."

"You don't have to." Emerens whispers. "I don't regret any of my actions, even if I am given the opportunity to start again, I will still stay with Jessica, plan on how to kill Ella and rip out her limbs."

"Please, do not say that." Idalina cries loudly.

"Stop crying, I have accepted my fate. My fate is to live and die with my best friend." She stops for a moment and continues. "I am not like you who deserted her friend because she had a minor problem." She says sarcastically.

"Look, I plan on going to beg Ella and her family, maybe they can spare you." Idalina says ignoring her daughter's insult.

"Is Ella still alive?" Emerens asks with her eyes wide open. "That is not possible, she can't be alive."

"I don't know about that too but I believe we can just plead for help."

"Do not try such nonsense, did I ask for your help?" She turns her head to the other side and close to the door. "Officer!" she calls and a police officer walks in. "I am done with this woman."

"Alright, let's go." The police officer says with nod.

"Done with me? Emerens, why are you like this? You should listen to me." Idalina whispers as if she doesn't want the polce officer to hear what she is saying.

"Go back home and never return here." Emerens whispers then walks out.