Chapter 61

———————Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

———————————Al- Hussein Orphanage Homes.

Wallahi I really thought tonight was going to be a night to remember but all I wanted to do right now was run out of this hall to my home, crawl up on my bed and cover myself up with my blanket and find a way to get Khalid Olyster out of my life.

He really didn't have to be here.

To make things worse,

WE

WERE

SITTING

ON

THE

SAME

TABLE.

I tried my best to control myself and try to act like I was comfortable but I was having a freak attack right from the time I saw him in the event till now.

All I wanted was peace and nothing else but peace in my life but I guess peace wasn't meant for me.

Moreover, I couldn't question Allah's plans for me so I just had to adjust.

That was the only reasonable thing to do.

I couldn't take my eyes off the beautiful lady he was with. She looked so beautiful in white, as if she was getting married. They looked as if they were at their wedding. Maybe she was his girlfriend.

His Malaysian girlfriend.

Or did he hire her to attend the event with him?

She was probably his hired Malaysian date.

If he really wanted to take someone to this event, Mama Zainab was available.

He didn't need to hire someone this beautiful just to show up to an event with him.

This was more reason to call him disgusting.

I slapped the crazy thoughts of my head as I looked at the two of them right in front of me again. I wasn't supposed to judge or jump to conclusions just like that.

I had no right.

It wasn't any of my business, I had my life to live and he had his. It would be best if he ended up with the girl he was with, he wasn't going to have a problem divorcing me.

We were both going to be happy at the end of the day.

I guess.

I couldn't be at peace if I didn't know who the lady was. If he had someone then why does he want me back?

Why doesn't he want to sign the divorce papers and just let me live in peace.

Right?

Was he trying to punish me or something?.

I was letting too many childish thoughts fill my head. He didn't know I was going to be here so he wouldn't have hired a girlfriend to start with. Maybe she was his friend from somewhere.

" Faryah, they need you up there" Khalifa whispered to me as I snapped out of my train of thoughts. He had already collected Najmah from my laps and It was time for me to give my speech.

I inhaled and exhaled three times as the crowd applauded for me and I got up from where I sat beside Khalifa and right in front of Khalid. " You can do this" Khalifa said to me as I was about to walk away. " I can" I said as I took in his charming smile and that was all I needed to get my head back on track and cleared from thoughts about Khalid.

The applauds made me happy and more confident of myself as I walked up to the stage.

" Hello good evening everyone, Assalamu Alaykum" I greeted as the host handed me the microphone. They answered my greeting in unison and I continued. " It's a great honour to be here today, I was so excited when I got an invitation to this event as a guest of honour. I am very thankful to Mrs Humayrah and to the whole association of Al-Hussein Orphanage homes.

My love for orphans can't be compared to any worldly object. Orphans are gems who deserve extra care and attention, they lose their parents and families at different ages and it's always devastating to be left behind. Many of these Orphans before getting to the Orphanage homes are maltreated and abused in all sorts of inhumane manners, they are forced to grow up traumatized and it hinders their lives in different manners. We all know that taking care of an Orphan is a form of worship because Allah(SWT) describes the righteous in paradise as being those who took care of Orphans in their daily life" I said and paused a little as the crowd applauded me again. " I experienced a traumatizing past when I still young, luckily I found a family that took me in when I was taken away from mine. I honestly don't want anyone to experience what I went through, We all know that Allah's plan is always the best yes but it is our obligation to take care of these Orphans, women and men who are abused in the society, any little thing we do will help them a whole lot and it shouldn't be for publicity or fame, it should be for the sole aim of taking care of Allah's creations and worshipping him. I see all these Orphans as my children and honestly I definitely wouldn't want to see my child lack in any way, that's why we need to take care of these children because we don't know where Allah has planned to put them in the future. To be honest with all of you, if we were to go back in time, if someone told me that I was going to be standing here in a few years, I wasn't going to believe that person but here I am now, standing and boldly talking to all of you about what's right.

No matter the race or age of an Orphan, they are still human beings and they matter a whole lot in this world, to those of us who are capable of helping them out, nothing is stopping us from doing that, I'm encouraging everyone here to keep on supporting this Orphanage home and more orphanages. We are all assisting these Orphans a great deal and they'll always be thankful to us throughout their whole lives. I hope there's this genuine contentment you feel when helping out others because that is true kindness: Giving out and being truly by giving someone part of your wealth. May Allah(SWT) grant us long life so we can help the deprived, Ameen" I was done.

I really hope my words were enough.

I smiled to myself as the crowd applauded and the host collected the microphone from me and I went back to my seat.

They were genuine words from my heart.

" That was an amazing speech by Miss Faryah Mustapha Edwards, honestly it was heartfelt. We are going to be moving on to the next segment of the event, a play from the children titled Bright, give them a around of applause please as they come up" The host said as I walked back to my seat.

" That was a very nice speech my love, I'm so proud of you" Khalifa said and I blushed a bit. " Thank you very much" I answered and played with my baby's cheeks. " You were amazing out there ma'am" The lady that accompanied Khalid commented and I smiled at her. " Thank you very much" I answered and tried as much as possible to control myself from looking towards Khalid.

The play the kids were acting was about racism and how black lives mattered. No matter the skin colour of a person they deserved all their rights as human beings. No one had the right to inflict pain on them because of their colour. Their colour to be honest was very unique and beautiful.

There was no doubt that Black was beautiful.

Their skin always glittered like gold and it made them shine.

They also acted some plays on the struggles Orphans faced.   The kids sang some cute Nasheeda’s, we enjoyed comedy and health talks from invited guests. My night wasn't ruined after all. I enjoyed every detail of it. The food they served us was more than delicious and the desserts we were served made my night, Kuih Cara Manis. It was amazing. I had eaten a lot to be honest, I made sure Najmah wasn't left out too. I'm sure we both enjoyed our night.

" Mr Olyster, please excuse me for a bit, I want to go see some of the kids backstage, I'll be back soon" The lady sitting beside Khalid said calmly to him as she got up from her seat. " Sure, I'll wait for you, take your time" Khalid answered with a broad charming smile that could make my heart melt at anytime. " Thank you sir" She said and walked away from us. Why was she addressing him by sir.

The event was almost coming to an end and everyone was trying to talk to one person or the other. " Good evening" I heard Mrs Humayrah greet as she approached out table. " evening ma'am" we answered all at once and I watched as the nice old woman smiled sincerely at us. " I hope you're all enjoying the event?"

" we honestly are" I answered. " well that's great"

" Yeah very great" Khalid answered with a deep annoying sigh.

" I am so glad you could make it, thank you so much Mr Olyster for taking the trouble to come to Malaysia solely to attend this event" if only she knew.

" Oh it wasn't a problem, I actually came to solve some personal problems here, so it honestly wasn't a hassle" I couldn't stop staring at his glamorous face and fascinating smile.

" Oh my, I hope you've solved them"

" well not quite, but I'm still trying" giving up was definitely going to be his best solution. " oh well don't give up, some of my department heads want to talk to you for some ideas on the scholarship scheme you've been supporting us with, do you mind?"

"No not at all, let's go" Khalid said as he dropped his napkin on the table. " Thank you very much" Mrs Humayrah said as she walked away with Khalid.

" Are you okay Faryah?" Khalifa asked immediately they left us. " well I'm okay, I just wasn't expecting to see Khalid of all people here, with a lady, a beautiful one" I answered as I gulped down my water. " are you jealous?"

" what made you say that?" I asked. " The way you've been staring at him and the looks you were giving his beautiful companion" I was giving her looks. I wasn't even sure anymore. " I'm not jealous Khalifa honestly, I wasn't even conscious of myself looking at them that way"

" it's fine don't worry" He said and looked away from me.

He looked sad.

I caused it.

My stupid eyes.

" Khalifa I'm sorry" I said as I moved closer to him. " Khalifa you're the one I love no one else please trust me"

" Faryah I trust you, but not him" He said and faced me fully. " I know it's going to be hard for you to avoid him and I know you still have little feelings for him, I'm trying my very best so you can forget about him completely, I don't want it to be jeopardized, but honestly if you sort out your feelings and you see that he's the one you want to end up with, it's totally fine"

" No, no Khalifa. You're the one I've grown to love, yes I might still feel a little something for Khalid but I want to grow old and be with you, forever, you're the one I love now I'm very sure of that" Gosh he looked so heartbroken. I felt so guilty and annoyed.

I wouldn't have mixed feelings if Khalid hadn't come back into my life again. If only he had just gotten married to Pamela, I'll be fine. We would have all been fine. " Faryah, you're not to blamed for anything honestly, I know you love me, I do but I am just preparing myself for the worst"

" Khalifa.."

" I love you so much Faryah, and I'm willing to fight for you till the end, In Sha'a Allah" Aww. " I love you soooo soooo much too" I said as a tear rolled down my cheek. " Thank you so much for understanding me" I said and he smiled widely at me. " No one will understand you if I don't" He answered as he cleaned my eyes. " Yeah, let me use the restroom quickly please, I'll be back soon so we can get ready to leave okay?" I really wanted to ease myself. " Sure, I'll watch Najmah while you're away"

" Yeah, thank you so much" I answered and got up to leave. I needed to set my head straight and breathe some fresh air.

Khalid

I chatted with the administrative department of the Orphanage that handled the scholarships we offered their Orphans. They wanted to see if I could try expanding the scheme to support a hundred orphans. Originally the scheme was for fifty lucky Orphans that based the computer based test and they were going to study any business related course.

I needed to confirm with Brandon if we could expand it, but I really liked the idea. I couldn't help but stare at Faryah and Khalifa when I left them. I saw her crying. I wonder what happened. The speech she gave earlier as the guest of honour made me admire her even more. Her words were so natural and honest and it all came from her heart. So pure. I really wanted to get an opportunity to personally talk to her, alone. I watched her walk through a room where the waiters came out from and I figured she was going to the restroom. " Uhmm, sorry excuse me, where can I find the restroom?" I asked one of the ladies I was discussing with. " Just take that door, you'll see a hallway by the right that leads to the restrooms for males and female" the lady answered as she pointed at the door Faryah passed through. " Thank you very much" I answered and followed her directions. I pushed the door and went in, the kitchen was right in front of me. I took the right turn and found my way to the restrooms and stopped a little way close to the female restroom to wait for her.

I needed to know why she came to the event with someone that wasn't her husband.

The restroom door finally opened up and I quickly rushed to stop her from her back. I held her arm gently as I turned her around swiftly. She looked scared. " What the hell Khalid, why scare me like that" She snapped as I let go of her arm. " I'm sorry" I answered and smiled a little as I looked at how beautiful she looked again. " What do you want?, isn't it enough that you almost ruined my night?" She asked firmly. " I almost ruined your night, well you ruined mine by coming to an event with someone that isn't your husband, how disgusting" I was angry.

" Oh my goodness, I'm disgusting now, why come to an event with a paid girlfriend Mr Olyster" She was raising her voice. Who was she talking about?. Oh Zarah.

" Zarah isn't a paid girlfriend, she's my secretary" I answered and watched her look at me sheepishly.

The restroom door opened up and an elderly woman walked out, sending death glares towards us. We weren't supposed to be talking here. We couldn't go back into the event. There was an exit door at the end of the hallway. " Come" I said in a commanding manner as I grabbed her and pulled her towards the door with me. " You're bruising my arm Khalid, let go, I can walk" she winced and I quickly let go of her. I didn't want to see her in pain.

The exit door led to the back of the hall, I could see butterflies and fireflies around the back. It was beautiful. " Wow" I exclaimed as I walked out through the door.

" it's beautiful" I heard Faryah say and I turned to look at how she smiled gracefully at the beautiful sight. " just like you" I answered and she looked at me.

" There's nothing wrong with Khalifa accompanying me here" She said as she stood in front of me. " There's everything wrong, he's not your husband Faryah, you're not supposed to show yourself around with your male mistress when you have a husband you're not divorced from, does that sound ethical to you" I couldn't control my anger anymore. " what is wrong with you, I have every right to do what I want to do Khalid, we're going to get married soon whether you like it or not, so my life isn't your business anymore"

" it is my business, it very much is, I can't bear to see you with another man. It drives me insane"

" I don't care if it drives you insane, I don't care if you go crazy, I'm tired of being nice and considerate to you Khalid, I'm tired"

" So you'd rather be seen playing around, sleeping around with a guy that you aren't married to" I snapped and I felt a sharp pain across my face. It hurt a lot. " I'm not going to let you or anyone talk to me like that again, you hear me?, I chose to move on from you because I don't love you anymore, I don't Khalid" I didn't control my words. " I'm sorry Faryah" I replied and I tried to hold her arm but she snapped it right out of my hold. " I'll see you in court" she was going to pursue the case in court.

Oh no.

" Faryah please" I begged as I tried following her but she slammed the door right at my face.

" Mr Olyster" I heard Zarah call from around me. She stopped me from chasing after Faryah. " Zarah" I called as she walked closer to where I stood. " you should sit down" she said as she gave me a small smile and I followed her to a bench that was inside the Nur garden.

The flowers and butterflies were so colourful and it made life feel so peaceful. The lights made everything shine so bright and I was mesmerized. I sat down beside Zarah on the bench as I looked at the place.

" You didn't need to say she was sleeping around with a man sir" She interrupted my beauty gaze. " I know, I can't control myself and the words that leave my mouth when I'm very angry" I answered and she sighed a bit. " I saw that" she answered and looked around the garden.

Lashing out at Faryah ruined my chances of getting her back. Now she was going to pursue the divorce case in court and there was definitely no way I was going to win. I was going to end up losing her. All I wanted now was to cry my eyes out and pour my heart out to someone. No matter who the person was, I just needed someone to listen to me. Zarah wasn't a bad option.

" I love her so much you know, I honestly don't want to lose her" I said out loud as a I felt a warm substance roll down my cheek. " what happened to the both of you?" I wasn't scared of telling anyone that anymore. It was the truth after all. " I maltreated her and didn't trust her" I started and told her everything that happened.

" You sent her away and you're the one looking for her now" Zarah said immediately I was done talking to her about Faryah. " Yeah, the saying " you never know the value of what you have until you lose it" is very true" I answered as I looked at the beautiful stars in the night sky. " You shouldn't give up on her if you know she still loves you, but if you're not sure about that, seeing the love of your life happy with someone else is enough to please you" She answered and I pondered on what she said. That's what everyone was talking about. " I guess she wasn't meant to be mine in the first place, I'm going to lose her at the end of the day" I said and sighed. Talking to her made me feel a bit better. At least I didn't cry in front of her. " You'll be fine Mr Olyster, by Allah's grace"

" Yeah" I answered and heard my phone ring. It was Ethan. " let me take this" I said with a smile as I ended the call.

" What's up Ethan?, how're you?, how's LA" I said into the phone immediately I answered the call. " Bad, everything is bad man, every single thing" he sounded worried. " what's wrong?"

" there were explosions, massive explosions in almost all our warehouses around the world, aren't you current on the news, check it"

" what do you mean explosions?"

" what does explosion mean dude, you need to come back to LA as soon as possible Khalid, I can't handle this alone, Brandon is nowhere to be found" oh mu goodness.

Things couldn't get any worse.