Maya did it.
"My mum? Are you insane or what?"
"I'm not, I..." Liya tried explaining herself but Jude cut her short by shouting at her to keep shut.
"My mum isn't even here. She is back home in California!" He yelled at her.
Jude wasn't finding it funny, his mum? how is that even possible? Yeah, she dislikes Maya but stabbing?, She isn't that low.
He moved close to Liya, grabbed her, and shook her violently "Prove it. Prove it to me."
"Let me go you are hurting me." Liya cried out in pain.
Jude freed her and pushed her to the sofa. He hit his fist on the wall and came back to Liya.
"Liya, are you blaming my mum for your mistake and foolishness? how dare you lowly thing lie to my mom. Did you forget we saved your family business from extinction? How dare you call my mum with that filthy mouth of yours." He shouted, raised his hands to hit her.
"It's not her," Liya screamed to make sure he heard her.
"It's not her." He repeated what she said to be sure he heard her well.
"Yes. I made a mistake, it's not your mum." He raised his brow "Then who?"
"Maya. She stabbed herself."
"Right." Jude scoffed and sat back on the sofa. Liya stood up to him "You have to believe me." She said to him.
"First, my mum, now Maya? listen to yourself why did Maya stab herself? why?"
"Because she wanted to implicate me!"
Jude burst out in laughter, he stood up to her and touched her forehead feeling her temperature.
"Are you ill?, should I take you to see a doctor? just a day in the cell and now you don't know what you are saying, is the cell that horrifying?" He asked.
"I don't need a doctor and I'm okay," Liya shouted pushing his hands off her. She took the bottle of water on the table and drank it in frustration.
"Liya, Maya wouldn't hurt herself. You don't know her, she is incapable of doing that to herself."
"You don't know her!" She snapped her finger at him. "She did it and I'm sure."
"Why did you say you will kill her then?" Jude asked with all seriousness.
"That was anger taking control of me, I never meant that. She threw a ceramic plate at me, I said those words in pain and anger."
"mmm." He nodded his head.
"So?"
"So what?"
"Maya, she did it herself. You should question her."
"Or... You did it and you are trying to blame her."
"No, why would I do that?"
"Exactly, why would Maya stab herself? First, my mum who isn't in this country, now Maya. You should rest."
"I'm not lying, I'm being framed. When the police come, I will tell them the truth."
"Which is?"
"Maya did it."
"And they will believe you? you are being wicked and selfish. Maya was stabbed, and she just got discharged today, you don't care about her, do you ask about how she is? all you care about is yourself. So selfish." He blurted out in disappointment.
"Now you want to frame her saying she stabbed herself. Someone who is recovering from an injury? give yourself a break!"
"But... she"
"Shut up! and also no police is coming anymore, the case is closed unless you want to go back to your cell."
Liya went to the bathroom to cry, she regretted confronting Maya, picking a fight with her, and saying those words to her. She caught her husband cheating on her with his secretary now she is being accused of something she didn't do.
"Oh God help me." She said in tears.
She cleaned her tears and came out, she went straight to the bed weak. Jude could see through her puffy eyes that she was crying in the bathroom.
'What a weak woman, all she does is cry. "He said to himself.
"Maya would have fought back till she got to the root of this, but Liya does is to cry like a baby. " He stood up irritated by her and left for Maya's room.
Jude knocked at Maya's door thrice before she opened the door for him." What do you want? "She rolled his eyes at him.
"Hey babe. "He said to her scared of her shutting him out." Look I'm sorry for what happened, can I come in? "
Maya loved the way he begs her, it made her powerful and in control. She wants to torment him more by pushing him away, after all, he chooses his wife over her.
"Come in. "
"Thank you " Jude came in, he hugged her immediately and tried kissing her but Maya pushed him away.
"What are you doing?, I'm not your wife. You should be doing this to her, not me. "
"Don't talk like that, you know I love you "
"After humiliating me? you must be joking. "
"Humiliated? When did I humiliate you? "
"In the hospital, earlier in this hotel, in front of people, the policemen and... "
"I'm sorry, I did all that to avoid rumors. If I had paid a lot of attention to you, people would have been suspicious of us. You are my secretary, we have to be mindful of how we relate in public ."
"Really? After your useless wife stabbed me? , you know what? you should leave." She said pushing him out of her room.
"Wait...listen to me... wait, "Jude said trying to stay but Maya opened the door and pushed him out.
Jude had to book another room as neither his wife nor mistress chose to open the door for him.
The next morning, they flew back, throughout the journey no one said a word.
Liya had her eyes on nature, viewing the sky, and sea and sometimes when she was tired, she slept.
While Maya was on her phone all through, Jude tried talking to them but they ignored him.
"Is this a setup ?"He thought and smiled.
...
"What ?, She was stabbed!"Madelyn shouted, shocked to hear Maya was stabbed.
"Yes, mum," Jude answered with his head facing the floor.
"They claimed Liya did it."
"Liya... Madelyn paused.
"How is that possible?, Liya wouldn't do that, Are you sure she wasn't framed ?"
"I don't know, that's what the police concluded, after all, they were fighting before the stab."
"Liya what happened?"She asked her daughter-in-law.
"I didn't stab her, I didn't even touch the knife "Liya defended herself.
"What about the CCTV cameras shouldn't Maya know who stabbed her or was the person in a mask?"
"There was light out causing darkness during that period, isn't it strange mum? It can't be mere coincidence."
"It can't be, it must be a planned work ." Madelyn nodded her head in approval of what her son said.
"That's why she did it, she planned with some people to kill me, "Maya yelled at Liya pointing her fingers at her.
"Be careful of your words young woman. Don't yell in this house know your place You are a mere secretary that can be fired anytime while she is his wife. Get that straight in your skull."
"Mum it's okay."
"No, it's not, she needs to know her place. Liya dear, did you stab her?"
"No mother-in-law."
"Then she didn't do it, finished."
"Mum, Liya suggested Maya stabbed herself to frame her which I don't believe because how will Maya stab herself? it doesn't sit right."
"What ?"Maya said in astonishment.
"Liya said that ?, Liya why did you conclude on that ?"
"I don't know I just thought so, she might do that to herself to put me in jail."
"Are you crazy? , why will I do that? , you think I would harm myself with a knife? , c'mon give me a break."
"I think Liya is right," Madelyn said.
"Why do you say that mum, Maya can't harm herself."
"Ma?" Maya Called out.
"I'm a woman and you don't know how devilish a woman can go to get something especially a desperate one like Maya. Maya might be desperate to take Liya's place so she resorts to getting rid of her by framing her even if it means stabbing herself."
"That's ridiculous, I don't believe that." Jude stood up in annoyance.
"I can't believe this," Maya said and left to her room in tears.
Jude wanted to go after her but his mum stopped him.
"She is just pretending trying to draw pity attention. let her be."