I had been trying.
Trying to endure.
Trying to stay quiet.
Trying to survive in a house that was slowly suffocating me.
But I wasn't blind.
I knew what they were doing.
What happened this morning in the living room replayed in my head over and over again—the accusation, the search, the way the jewelry was "found" in my room like it had been waiting there all along.
It wasn't a mistake.
It was planned.
They wanted me out of the main house.
Out of Zayn's life.
And they succeeded.
I was moved to the boys' quarters—far from him, far from everything that once felt like mine.
At first, I was depressed.
Broken.
Because deep down, I thought maybe I deserved it.
Maybe this was the consequence of loving someone I wasn't meant to have.
But then something changed.
I realized something.
They didn't just want me gone.
They wanted me destroyed.
And that—
That was something I would never allow.
"I've had enough," I whispered to myself that night.
No more silence.
No more taking whatever they threw at me.
No more pretending I was weak.
If they wanted war—
Then they would get it.
Two days later, I was back in the main building, doing my usual work.
Quiet.
Focused.
Invisible.
Or at least… I tried to be.
"Still here?"
My hands stilled instantly.
I turned.
Lina.
Of course.
She stood there with that same smug smile I had come to hate.
"What do you want?" I asked flatly.
She laughed softly, walking closer.
"You really have no shame, do you?" she said. "After stealing from this house, you still show your face here."
"I didn't steal anything."
"Oh please," she rolled her eyes. "We both know the truth."
My jaw tightened.
"You planted it."
Her smile widened.
But she didn't deny it.
Instead, she leaned closer, lowering her voice.
"You should have just left when you had the chance."
My hands clenched.
"You think you've won?" I whispered.
"I know I have," she said confidently. "Zayn is mine. He always has been. You were just a mistake he made out of pity."
That hit.
Hard.
But I refused to show it.
"You don't even believe that," I said.
Her expression flickered for a second.
Just a second.
Then it hardened again.
"You're a thief, Samirah," she continued loudly now. "A desperate one at that. You couldn't get his money the right way, so you tried stealing it."
My anger snapped.
"Enough!"
Before I could stop myself—
My hand moved.
I slapped her hard.
The sound echoed through the hallway.
Lina gasped dramatically, her head snapping to the side.
And then—
She smiled.
Just slightly.
My heart dropped.
No…
Before I could process it—
She stumbled backward.
Right toward the stairs.
And at that exact moment—
"Samirah!"
Zayn's voice.
I turned.
He was standing at the bottom of the staircase, eyes wide.
And i'm sure all he saw—
Was me hitting Lina.
Lina clutched her cheek, playing the part perfectly.
"Zayn…" she whimpered.
That was it.
The trap was complete.
He rushed up the stairs immediately, his expression dark with anger.
"What the hell was that?!" he demanded.
My chest tightened.
"She provoked me—"
"I don't care!" he snapped. "How dare you hit her?!"
My heart shattered.
Because he didn't even ask.
Didn't even try to understand.
"You're taking her side?" I said, my voice shaking.
"She's my fiancée!"
That word.
That one word—
Broke something inside me completely.
I laughed bitterly.
"Of course she is."
"Apologize," he ordered.
I stared at him.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me," he said coldly. "Apologize to her. Now."
Silence.
Heavy.
"No."
His eyes darkened.
"What did you say?"
"I said no," I repeated, my voice stronger this time. "I won't apologize for something I didn't do."
"You just hit her!"
"Because she set me up!" I shouted. "She planted that jewelry! She's been manipulating everything and you're too blind to see it!"
"Enough!" he yelled.
The force of his voice made me flinch.
"I'm not going to stand here and listen to you accuse her of things you can't prove!"
Tears filled my eyes.
"I'm losing you…" I whispered.
He froze slightly.
But I didn't stop.
"I'm standing right here, fighting for you, and you keep choosing her," I said, my voice breaking. "Every single time."
Something flickered in his eyes.
But it wasn't enough.
Because the next thing he said—
Pushed me over the edge.
"Maybe that's because she's the one I love."
Silence.
Dead silence.
And just like that—
I snapped.
Before I could stop myself—
I pushed him.
Hard.
"What is wrong with you?!" I cried.
He stumbled back slightly, shocked.
"I'm right here!" I shouted, tears streaming down my face. "Why can't you see me?!"
His expression changed.
From anger—
To shock.
Because this…
This wasn't something a maid would do.
This wasn't normal.
"I don't care what you think you remember," I continued, my voice trembling. "But this isn't real. None of this is real!"
"Samirah—"
"I'm done begging," I said firmly. "I'm done watching you choose the wrong person over and over again."
My chest heaved.
My entire body shaking.
"I won't fight for someone who refuses to see the truth."
Silence filled the space between us.
Heavy.
Tense.
Uncertain.
Zayn looked at me like he didn't recognize me at all.
Like he was seeing a completely different side of me.
And maybe he was.
Because the quiet, patient, forgiving Samirah—
Was gone.
And in her place…
Was someone ready to fight back.