Lahat ng Kabanata ng Behind A Smile : Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Consciousness flickered back, a slow tide pushing against the darkness. She was still lying where she had passed out. Wincing, Zynah pushed herself upright, her whole body aching. As she began to maneuver to their room—their room? Why was she even sharing a room with the monster? Why couldn't she muster the courage to escape from the house and his life for good? A butter laugh escaped her lips. The answer was simple — she had nowhere else to go. As cruel as he was to her, he was the only person who considered her family in the whole world. She had no one else to run to for help. With a shaky hand, Zynah grasped the doorknob and twisted it as gently as she could, revealing her supposed husband in bed. The brightness of his phone screen shone on his face. He didn't look up from his phone, oblivious of her return. She heaved a small sigh of relief for it was exactly what she wanted and needed— invisibility. This way, she wouldn't have to deal with his condescension, even if it would be

Zynah flinched at the tone of his voice, but within a split second, she regained her composure. "The neighbor was here." She replied, curtly. Bilal didn't move, his gaze a dark storm cloud gathering above her. "The neighbor!" He echoed, anger dripping off his tone. "Did you just say that?" He questioned, taking a menacing step forward and invading her space. Zynah swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. "I said the neighbor was-" The sentence died on her lips as his callus palm struck her left cheek mercilessly. "How dare you! After giving you an order, you defy me?" He jabbed a finger towards his chest, his whole body taut with anger. She remained silent and it only infuriated him further. His brows furrowed and he gnashed his teeth in exasperation. "No one! I repeat, no one can ever come into this house henceforth, without my permission. You cannot go out either." He spat; his voice laced with venom. "Is that perfectly understood?" All Zynah could manage was a small, almost im

The pet name, "Zee," a nickname she used to love but had grown to hate. It was a sweet melody from the past, one that she desperately wanted to silence. Bilal tightened his hold, a possessive gesture that sent chills down her spine. Before she could grasp what was happening, his lips were already on her neck, trailing kisses down to her collarbone. Panic jolted her awake. With all the strength she could muster, she shoved him back. "Please don't touch me," she begged in a quiet, but firm voice. Bilal's brows furrowed as he took a step closer to her. "Why shouldn't I?" He hummed. "I'm your husband, aren't I?" He asked, the entitlement thick in his voice. Zynah met his gaze in a silent plea. "Please...stay back." "Why should I?" A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes, the possessiveness morphing into suspicion. "Have you been seeing someone else?" He seethed, snatching her arm forcefully. A humorless scoff escaped Zynah's lips. "That's ridiculous! With me practically a pri

"Yes." She responded, the word dripping with condescension, followed by an eye roll. "Nazmeera. The one and only!" Zynah's chest fell and her heartbeat accelerated - Nazmeera at their doorstep? Things were definitely going to get uglier for her now. She could recall just how much she was hated by her. Nazmeera, Zynah recalled, had been a relentless tormentor the last time she visited them, making Bilal seem like an angel. She raised a brow, questionably. "Are you going to let me into my brother's house or keep me standing by the door?" Wordlessly, Zynah moved aside, giving way for her to go in. The way she left her luggage by the door for her to carry in, did not go unnoticed by her. She never stopped at nothing to make her life difficult and this time was not going to be an exception - she knew this all too well... And just as suspected, the queen bee issued her first decree. "Take my luggage to my room and be very careful with them as I have breakable things in them." N

"What in the world do you think you're doing?" Zynah shrieked, her heart hammering frantically against her chest. The amount of blood oozing out from the fresh cut made her dizzy. "Exactly what you see." She smirked and within few seconds, her face scrunched up in pain. "Bilal!!" She bellowed. "Please save me!" The sound of Bilal's heavy footsteps sent shivers down Zynah's spine. Bilal appeared in the doorway, a whirlwind of concern. His gaze darted towards his wife first, taking in her trembling form, before averting to his sister. His eyes widened when he saw her bleeding arm. "What the hell is going on here?" He boomed; his brows tightening. Silence, thick and suffocating hung in the air. "Will someone give me an answer immediately?What's happening?" He moved closer to Nazmeera and grabbed a hold of her hand. "How did you get injured, Nazmeera?" Whimpering, Nazmeera spoke. "It's nothing, Bilal... I don't want you to get mad at —" "Nothing?" he roared. "You're bleedi