"This is your last chance. If you mess up again, I won't repeat myself. Hmm, I won't even tell you what will happen next—you already know."

He didn't wait for her to respond and hung up the phone.

Mama, who was steaming with anger, wiped the sweat from her forehead, worried that the girl might expose her secret. She quickly got up and went to the courtyard, calling out for Khadija.

Khadija, who had just fallen asleep after crying, heard her name being called. She hurriedly got up and went to Mama, trembling with fear. She said, "I'm here, Mama."

Mama, with anger in her voice, said, "I'm tired of your disrespect. You're making me lose my dignity. If you think you're so special that you won't follow my rules, then you'll have to leave this house."

Khadija stared at Mama in shock. Mama nodded and said, "Are you doubting me?"

Khadija shook her head in denial.

"Even if you are, remember where your mother is now? She has vanished. You should follow my lead, or else you'll face the consequences, I swear."

Khadija started crying and said, "Fear Allah, Mama. Remember, there's a day you'll return to Him and you'll reap what you've sown."

Before she could finish her sentence, Baba entered, asking, "What's all this noise about?"

Mama began to cry, even letting her nose run, saying, "Khadija insulted me, saying that I sent her mother into prostitution and that she's been disrespecting me."

Baba widened his eyes in shock and said, "Khadija said this to you?"

"Yes, Baba. She's lying," Khadija responded.

"You hear that? She just lied."

In a fit of rage, Baba charged at Khadija and started beating her. She cried out, begging for mercy.

Mama stood aside, laughing. When she saw that the beating was getting intense, she started pleading with Baba, saying, "Please, stop hitting her. Let her live with her own bitterness. She'll have her turn at suffering."

Baba only stopped after he had thoroughly beaten Khadija. He warned her, "If you insult Lube again, you'll end up like your mother, wandering the streets. You shameless girl."

He stormed out, still fuming, while Mama followed, saying, "May Allah calm your heart. Please, be patient."

Once he left, she turned to Khadija and said, "Khadija, it seems you don't want us to part peacefully. But since this is what you want, let's see how it goes."

She went back inside, singing and even swaying to her tune.

Khadija, feeling sore all over, went back to their room filled with clutter and continued crying pitifully. Two things weighed heavily on her mind: her mother being accused of prostitution and the harsh words Baba had said, which hurt her deeply. But there was nothing she could do about it.

**Rewrite:**

"This is your final chance," he warned. "If you mess up again, you won't get another warning. And trust me, you don't want to know what comes next."

He hung up before she could respond.

Meanwhile, Mama, anxious and sweating, feared that the girl might reveal her secrets. She rushed out to the courtyard and called for Khadija.

Khadija, who had just fallen asleep after crying, heard her name and hurried to Mama, trembling with fear. "I'm here, Mama," she said.

Mama, seething with anger, said, "I'm fed up with your disrespect. You're making me lose my dignity. If you think you're so special that you won't follow my rules, then you can leave this house."

Khadija stared at Mama in shock. Mama nodded and asked, "Are you doubting me?"

Khadija shook her head, indicating no.

"Even if you are, remember where your mother is now? She disappeared. You should follow my lead, or else you'll face severe consequences."

Khadija started crying and pleaded, "Fear Allah, Mama. Remember, there's a day you'll return to Him and you'll reap what you've sown."

Before she could finish, Baba entered, asking, "What's going on here?"

Mama, feigning tears and letting her nose run, said, "Khadija insulted me, saying I sent her mother into prostitution and she's been disrespecting me."

Baba, shocked, said, "Did Khadija say that?"

"Yes, Baba. She's lying," Khadija responded.

"You hear that? She just lied."

In a fit of rage, Baba charged at Khadija and began beating her. She cried out, begging for mercy.

Mama stood aside, laughing. When she saw that the beating was getting intense, she started pleading with Baba, saying, "Please, stop hitting her. Let her live with her own bitterness. She'll suffer her own fate."

Baba only stopped after thoroughly beating Khadija. He warned her, "If you insult Lube again, you'll end up like your mother, wandering the streets. You shameless girl."

He stormed out, still fuming, while Mama followed, saying, "May Allah calm your heart. Please, be patient."

Once he left, she turned to Khadija and said, "Khadija, it seems you don't want us to part peacefully. But since this is what you want, let's see how it goes."

She went back inside, singing and swaying to her tune.

Khadija, feeling sore all over, returned to their cluttered room and continued crying pitifully. Two things weighed heavily on her mind: her mother being accused of prostitution and the harsh words Baba had said, which hurt her deeply. But there was nothing she could do about it.