(A Storm of Fear)

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

Morning broke over the outskirts of Kano with grey clouds and a heavy chill in the air. In their modest room, Amir was already awake, quietly watching Munira sleep. Despite the plain mattress, the cracked ceiling, and the absence of comfort, there was peace in that moment — a kind of fragile happiness they hadn't known in years.

But peace never lasts long when you’re at war with power.

Munira stirred, sitting up slowly. Her hand instinctively went to her belly, now clearly showing.

“Good morning,” she said, her voice soft.

Amir smiled. “I’m going to the district office today. I heard there’s an opening for admin support. It’s small, but it’s a start.”

“You don’t have to explain,” she replied. “I’m proud of you.”

Just as he reached for his shoes, a knock came at the door. They both froze.

“Expecting anyone?” Amir asked.

Munira shook her head. “No.”

He approached the door cautiously, opened it — and found a brown envelope on the ground. No sender. No note. Just his name typed on the front: *AMIR MUSA KABEER.*

He opened it.

Inside were printed screenshots — fake emails, edited chat logs, even a forged medical document claiming Munira had been pregnant twice before, and once aborted. On top was a newspaper draft headline:

*“Nurse Caught in Political Scandal: Amir Kabeer’s ‘Wife’ Has a Hidden Past”*

Munira saw his hands shake as he held the pages.

“Amir… what is it?”

He didn’t respond immediately. Then he passed the papers to her.

She read them slowly, her lips parting in shock, her knees buckling as she sat down.

“They want to ruin me,” she whispered. “And they’re going to publish this…”

Amir’s eyes darkened. “This is my father’s doing.”

“But it’s not just about me,” she said. “He wants to shame you too. If this goes out, they’ll call you a fool… they’ll question your integrity.”

“I don’t care what they say about me,” Amir growled. “But I won’t let them destroy you.”

***

Back at the Kabeer mansion, Bashir entered Alhaji Kabeer’s office with a grin.

“The story is set to go live tonight. It’ll hit every major blog. By tomorrow, Munira will be trending — for all the wrong reasons.”

Alhaji Kabeer didn’t smile. “Amir?”

“He’s off the radar for now. But this will force him to come back. It always works.”

***

Meanwhile, Amir stormed into the office of *Barrister Jamila*, a young but fierce human rights lawyer known for taking controversial cases.

He dropped the papers on her desk.

“I want to sue for defamation. This is a political attack.”

Jamila read through them, eyes narrowing. “This isn’t just defamation. This is coordinated character assassination. Who’s behind this?”

“My father,” Amir said without hesitation. “Alhaji Kabeer.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to war with him?”

“I’ve already started,” he replied. “Now I need to finish it.”

***

Later that evening, the blog post went live.

Just as planned, it exploded on social media.

Munira's name trended for hours. Hate comments. Slut-shaming. Accusations. Screenshots circulated. Her hospital board opened an emergency meeting. Sponsors threatened to pull out. It was chaos.

In their small room, Munira sat in silence, her phone buzzing nonstop, her eyes hollow.

But Amir held her hand firmly.

“Let them say what they want,” he whispered. “You’re still my wife. And I will clear your name.”

She didn’t speak.

But she squeezed his hand back — a silent promise that she wouldn’t give up.

Not yet.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***