A Woman Who Shook a Man’s Soul (The Cup of Sin)

Chapter 3

A Woman Who Shook a Man’s Soul

The Cup of Sin

Chapter three

By Hadeer Khalil.

The sterile scent of antiseptic still clung to the air as Nada and Hatem stepped out of the examination room. The hospital corridor stretched ahead of them—long, bright, and unnervingly quiet except for the distant beeping of medical monitors and the occasional echo of footsteps against polished floors.

Only minutes earlier, a doctor had finished examining Hatem’s injuries. The cuts on his knuckles had been cleaned and wrapped carefully in white gauze, and a faint bruise colored the side of his jaw where he had taken the worst hit. Nada had insisted he get checked, even though Hatem kept repeating that it was unnecessary. But she had refused to listen. Now they were finally leaving.

The corridor lights cast a pale glow over them as they walked toward the exit. Hatem moved with steady steps, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other occasionally flexing as if testing the stiffness in his bandaged fingers. Behind him walked Nada.

Or rather… She wasn’t exactly walking behind him. Instead, she walked backward. Her back faced the direction of the hallway while her eyes remained fixed on him, her steps light and careless as she moved in reverse like a mischievous child who trusted the world not to let her fall. Hatem noticed immediately. His brows knitted together in annoyance.

“Nada…” he muttered under his breath.

But she only smiled wider. Her long hair swayed behind her shoulders as she continued walking backward, her gaze locked on him with that familiar playful sparkle that always meant she was about to start something. Then she tilted her head slightly and spoke in a voice dripping with affection.

“Hatoumi… my love.”

Hatem exhaled slowly, patience already thinning. He rubbed the bridge of his nose before answering, his eyebrows tightening with irritation at her childish antics—behavior he tolerated from no one except her, and even then with difficulty.

“What do you want now, the end of my patience?” he replied dryly.

“Go on… speak. I’m listening, Your Highness.”

Nada’s eyes lit up immediately.

She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly as she continued walking backward, her smile growing mischievous.

“Hatem, my love,” she asked with excitement dancing in her voice,

“do you remember what the day after tomorrow is?”

Hatem blinked. His steps slowed.

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he studied her expression, confusion settling across his face. What kind of question was that?

He looked at her carefully, suspicion creeping into his thoughts. All this dramatic introduction…

Just to ask him what day came after tomorrow? He sighed quietly.

“Of course I know,” he answered after a moment, his tone calm but puzzled.

“It’s Monday.”

Nada froze mid-step. For a moment she simply stared at him. Then her lips slowly pursed in frustration. Her eyebrows pulled together as irritation replaced the playful shine in her eyes.

“Monday?” she repeated with disbelief. She crossed her arms dramatically and huffed.

“So Monday doesn’t remind you of anything important that happened… or something that’s going to happen?”

Hatem frowned slightly. He genuinely tried to think. His gaze drifted upward as his mind searched through the endless list of responsibilities occupying his days—meetings, deadlines, contracts, reports. What was she talking about? He replayed the calendar in his mind carefully. Then suddenly his expression brightened.

“Ah!”

He snapped his fingers softly as realization struck.

“Yes, of course,” he said with renewed certainty.

“Monday reminds me that I have a very important meeting with a company we’re planning to partner with.”

His voice grew more serious as he continued.

“Father practically swore he’d skin me alive if I’m late. That deal is extremely important for the company.”

He looked back at her gratefully.

“Good thing you reminded me, sweetheart.”

Nada stared at him in silence. Her expression hardened slowly. Her eyes widened in disbelief before narrowing sharply with rising anger. If irritation could ignite fire, the hallway would have burst into flames.

“A meeting?” she repeated flatly. Then she threw her hands up dramatically.

“A meeting?!”

She shook her head in disbelief.

“That’s the important thing you remembered?”

Hatem blinked. Her reaction confused him completely.

“Uh…”

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“Nada…?”

But she cut him off with a sharp wave of her hand.

“That’s enough, Hatem,” she snapped.

“Just stop talking.”

Her voice carried a mixture of wounded pride and frustration.

“Honestly, it’s my fault for even trying to talk to you.”

Hatem stood there staring at her, utterly baffled. A deep crease formed between his eyebrows as he tried desperately to understand what had just happened. Moments ago she had been smiling. Laughing. Teasing him. And now she looked like she was seconds away from declaring war.

He rubbed the back of his neck again, still trying to piece together the situation. Her sudden anger made absolutely no sense. What did I say wrong?

From his perspective, the one who had every right to be angry was him. After all... He was the one who had just been punched. The one who had gotten hurt.

The one who endured all of it just to earn her forgiveness for being late by a single hour—an hour he had been forced into because of work.

Yet somehow… She was the furious one.

Meanwhile he stood there completely lost, wondering what invisible mistake he had just committed without even realizing it.

“Nada…?” he said cautiously, stepping closer.

“Did I miss something?”

But the look she gave him made it clear. Whatever he had forgotten…

It was clearly something very, very important. And judging by the storm building in her eyes—He was in serious trouble.

Hatem watched her carefully for a moment before speaking again, his voice softer this time, almost cautious.

“Then tell me,” he said. “Maybe I forgot something.”

Nada let out a frustrated breath, her chest rising sharply as she glared at him. Inside, irritation burned like a slow fire. Did he really forget… or was he just trying to annoy her? Her mind churned with suspicion.

“I’m not—”

She didn’t get to finish her sentence. Suddenly, Hatem’s expression changed. His eyes widened as he noticed what was happening behind her.

“Nada, watch out—!”

But the warning came too late. Because Nada, still walking backward and too absorbed in her argument with him, collided directly into someone walking down the corridor.

The impact was strong enough to knock her off balance. She fell hard to the polished hospital floor. For a brief second she sat there in stunned silence, her mind blank from the sudden shock. Then a loud shout exploded above her. A pair of glasses had been knocked off and now lay on the floor beside her. And the owner of those glasses was furious.

“Are you blind?!” the man roared in a booming voice that echoed through the corridor. “Or are you just completely stupid?!”

The volume of his voice seemed powerful enough to shake the very walls of the hospital. Several nurses nearby froze in place. A few doctors turned their heads instantly. Even patients waiting in chairs looked over in alarm. Nada’s shock evaporated instantly.

And in its place… Her temper ignited. Hatem quickly stepped forward, extending his hands to help her up from the floor. He held her by the arms as she stood again, but he remained strangely silent. He didn’t know what to say. Or what to do.

The entire situation had escalated too quickly. Meanwhile Nada’s face had turned bright red with anger. She pointed a finger sharply at the man in front of her.

“I’m not the blind one,” she snapped.

“You’re the stupid one!”

The man’s jaw tightened violently. His teeth ground together with fury as he stared down at her. His name was Mazen. And very few people in this hospital dared speak to him the way this girl just had.

“How dare you,” he hissed, barely restraining himself.

“Who are you calling stupid, you lunatic? If you were a normal person, you wouldn’t walk like an i***t down a hospital corridor.”

Nada folded her arms across her chest defiantly. Her chin lifted with proud challenge.

“The only stupid person I see here,” she said coldly, “is you.”

Mazen blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then he slowly pointed a finger toward his own chest in disbelief.

“Me?” he said, his voice rising with stunned outrage.

“Are you talking to me?”

Around them, hospital employees exchanged nervous glances. Everyone in the corridor knew exactly who Mazen was. And they also knew one important fact: No one insulted him and walked away unharmed. Yet here stood this fearless girl… Arguing with him like he was just another random stranger on the street. Nada nodded firmly, her arms still crossed beneath her chest. Her eyes were sharp, fearless.

“Yes,” she replied without hesitation. “I’m talking to you.”

Mazen’s anger intensified. “Listen carefully, you ridiculous girl,” he said, leaning closer.

“You’re going to apologize. Nicely. And then I’ll decide whether I forgive you or not.”

Nada burst into sarcastic laughter.

“Oh please,” she said mockingly. “That’s not going to happen.”

Then her eyes moved deliberately toward his upper lip. She tilted her head and smiled with exaggerated innocence.

“That’s way beyond your mustache—”

She paused dramatically. Then added sweetly,

“Oh wait… sorry. You don’t actually have one.”

For a moment the entire hallway went silent. Mazen’s face darkened immediately with rage.

“Local,” he muttered with pure disgust.

Hatem immediately stepped forward, panic creeping into his voice.

“Alright, everyone, that’s enough,” he said quickly. “People are starting to stare.”

Indeed, the hallway had turned into an audience. Doctors, nurses, patients, receptionists—everyone was watching.

“Hadem…” he added quietly, tugging Nada’s arm.

“Come on. Let’s go.”

But Nada ignored him completely.

She didn’t even glance in his direction. Her focus remained locked entirely on Mazen.

“What did you just call me?” she demanded sharply. Her eyes flashed dangerously. “You called me local?”

She stepped forward.

“Fine then,” she said with dangerous calm. “I’ll show you exactly what ‘local’ people do.”

Then suddenly she lifted one foot. And reached down toward her shoe. Hatem froze. His eyes widened slowly.

“…What are you doing?”

Nada removed her shoe calmly, completely unfazed by the dozens of shocked witnesses around them. Her smile was dangerously sweet.

“I’m going to show him,” she said, her voice dripping with venomous satisfaction, “what locals do to people like him.”

Hatem stared at her in absolute disbelief. Every second she managed to surprise him more than the last. Where had this woman come from? Which planet had she descended from? Mazen watched her with open mockery, the corner of his mouth curling in disdain.

His eyes moved down briefly to her hands as she struggled with the laces of her sneaker, clearly trying to untie it in a hurry.

But the stubborn knot refused to cooperate.

Nada muttered under her breath in frustration as she tugged harder, her fingers working impatiently at the tangled laces while anger burned in her eyes.

Hatem stared at her in pure disbelief.

“...What on earth are you doing?” he whispered.

But Nada ignored him completely.

Her full attention remained fixed on Mazen.

Mazen, meanwhile, crossed his arms lazily, watching the entire scene with cruel amusement.

Then he tilted his head slightly and spoke with cutting sarcasm.

“Didn’t I tell you?” he said coldly.

“Local.”

His gaze swept over her again as she continued fighting with the stubborn laces.

“And honestly…” he added with a mocking shrug,

“what I’ve seen so far is more than enough, Local.”

Nada’s fingers tightened around the laces.

Her jaw clenched.

And the entire hospital corridor seemed to hold its breath…

waiting to see what she would do next.

To be continued…