I stared at my phone after Bayan walked out, my fingers trembling as I dialed Rolaâs number. The moment she answered, my voice came out sharp, accusing. "Why did you tell Bayan? I thought you were helping me, not messing with me!"Rola sighed on the other end, her tone annoyingly calm. "Dema, if you really want to break Ramiâs cycle of cheating, you have to be brave. Bayan can help usâsheâs been through this before."I clenched my jaw, frustration bubbling up. "Bayan is obviously up to something! Sheâs not here to helpâshe just wants to mess with me!""You donât even know her,"Rola shot back. "You only met her once. How can you be so sure?" I fell silent, my chest tight. She was rightâI didnât know Bayan. But something about her, the way she looked at me, like she already held all the cardsâĶ it set me on edge. "You should at least hear her side of the story before you make up your mind about her." She added.Finally, I let out a slow breath. "Fine. IâllâĶ think about it. Iâll call
I couldnât stay in that mansion for even another second. Not after what Iâd just found out. The maids who I considered my friendsâhad been lying to me this whole time. And TalaâĶYa Allah , Tala. I thought she was different. I thought she was the first real friend Iâd ever had. But no. Just another person playing a role, pretending to care. My hands clenched the steering wheel so tight my knuckles turned white. I didnât even know where I was going. Just away. Away from the lies, away from the betrayal, away from the suffocating walls of that house that had never truly been a home. The road blurred in front of me, tears burning my eyes. I swiped at them angrily. Why did I keep letting myself believe things could be different? That people could be different? I drove until my head started spinning, until the weight in my chest made it hard to breathe. Finally, I pulled over near some public parkâI didnât even know which one. The engine cut, and silence rushed in, heavy and suffocat
The keys to the beach house felt heavy in my handânot from weight, but from possibility. This was mine. Entirely mine. No compromises, no opinions to consider except my own. The salt-kissed air rushed past me as I pushed open the door, the empty rooms echoing with potential. I walked through the bare space, my fingers trailing along the walls, already imagining the colors they would wear. Soft, grey and sky blue? Or maybe something bolder, like the deep turquoise of the ocean at dusk? I smiled. Iâll decide later. Every choice would be mine, down to the smallest detail. The living room was bathed in golden afternoon light, and I tilted my head up, picturing a chandelierâsomething delicate but striking, like crystal droplets catching the sun. Not the kind youâd find in a showroom, but something unique, something that felt like it belonged only here. I crouched, pressing my palm against the cool tile floor. These would have to go. Maybe something in a pale, weathered stone, or hand
I hadnât planned on going back to the office so soon, but my team needed meâand honestly, I needed them too. For the first time in weeks, I actually wanted to step back into that world. I stood in front of my closet, running my fingers over fabric until I found itâthe burgundy suit, sharp and elegant, the color rich against my skin. I paired it with gold: a delicate bracelet, small earrings, and a simple necklace that caught the light just right. No makeupâmy skin was still healing, still tender from the last breakoutâbut for once, I didnât care. The confidence wasnât in the coverage; it was in the way I carried myself today. When I walked into the office, I could feel the shift before anyone said a word. The murmurs, the glances, the way conversations paused just a beat too long. My heels clicked against the floor, steady, sure. "Dema!" Sarah from was the first to speak, her eyes widening. "You lookâ" "Different?" I finished for her, smiling. She shook her head. "Refreshed."
The furniture store is vast, filled with endless possibilities, but my eyes are immediately drawn upwardâto the chandeliers. Dalia walks beside me, her fingers trailing over a catalog as she hums in thought. "That one,"I say suddenly, pointing to a stunning spiral glass chandelier. Its delicate branches twist like a frozen tree caught in mid-growth, each piece catching the light in a way that makes it shimmer like ice. Dalia tilts her head, studying it before smiling. "An excellent choice. Itâs uniqueâjust like you."I grin, pleased. "Exactly what I was thinking." We move to the living room section next, and I run my hand over the fabric of a sleek grey couch. Itâs soft but sturdy, and when I spot the dark green pillows, I know itâs perfect. "These," I say, arranging them against the back. "With that organic wood tableâsee how the grain flows?" Dalia nods approvingly. "Moody and elegant. Now, curtains?"I scan the options, searching for something that ties it all togetherâdeep
I was lounging on the sofa, scrolling through furniture magazines on my phone,saving ideas for the beach house decoration. The more I looked, the more I got excited for Thursday. The door creaked open, and Rami walked in, hands in his pockets, a small smirk playing on his lips. âI took the day off,â he announced. I glanced up, raising an eyebrow. âWhy?â He shrugged. âThought we could go shopping. Unless youâve changed your mind about the whole redecorating thing.â I sighed, tossing my phone aside. âActually, I have. I was just thinkingâthe furniture in the mansion is classic. Itâs refined. Changing it would be a waste.â Rami chuckled, shaking his head. âSo all those hours of browsing were for nothing?â âCall it a change of heart,â I said dryly. âWell,â he said, stepping closer, âsince I already took the day off, we might as well go out. Get dressedâIâm taking you to that new Palestinian restaurant everyoneâs talking about.â A smile tugged at my lips. âFine. But only bec
I clutched the black eyeliner in my hand, my fingers tightening around it like a vice. The second Rami slid back into the car with that damn Kunafa box, I held it up, my voice sharp. "Whose is this?" He barely glanced at it before shrugging. "I donât know. If itâs not yours, maybe itâs my secretaryâs. She came with me to the last meetingâprobably dropped it." Probably dropped it. The words echoed in my head, mocking me. I felt heat rise in my chest, my pulse hammering. "Of course she dropped it," I snapped, my voice trembling. "While she was laughing hysterically at your silly jokes, right?" Ramiâs eyes widened, startled. "Dema, stop yelling. Weâre in the middle of the streetâ" I didnât care. The image of herâwhoever she wasâsitting in my seat, laughing, touching his arm, fixing her makeup in the mirrorâit played over and over in my mind. My breath came fast, my vision blurring at the edges. I couldnât stand it anymore. I dropped into the passenger seat, my voice flat. "Ta
I stepped into the beach house, the salty breeze still clinging to my skin. The living room was the only furnished space so far, so I dropped my bag of clothes near the couch with a tired sigh. Alhamdulliah for the early delivery service, I thought, running a hand through my hair. Without that couch, Iâd be sleeping on the floor tonight. I sank into the cushions, letting my body melt into the softness. Closing my eyes, I exhaled, the tension of the day slowly slipped away. The house was so quietâno city noise, no chatter, just the rhythmic crash of waves outside. The sound seeped in through the large windows, steady and calming, like the ocean was whispering to me. This is peace.For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could breathe.I scrolled mindlessly on my phone, the blue light harsh against my tired eyes. Sleep wouldnât come, and I hadnât thought to bring a blanketâjust this thin coat draped over me like a sad excuse for warmth. Please donât let me wake up sick tomorr
When Dema told me she was pregnant, I didnât know what came over me. My chest tightened, my thoughts raced, and for a moment, I couldnât even form a response. We had talked about having kids many times beforeâlong conversations that stretched late into the night, filled with hopes, fears, and unspoken tensions. Every time, I told her I wasnât ready, that the timing wasnât right, that we needed to wait. And every time, she would look at me with those deep, pleading eyes, her voice soft but unwavering as she explained why she wanted this so badly. She had been an orphan, raised in a system that never gave her the warmth of a real family. She told me how she used to watch other children with their parents, aching for something she never hadâa home, stability, unconditional love. To her, having a child wasnât just a desire; it was a need, a way to fill a void that had been hollowed out by years of loneliness. She feared that if we kept dismissing the idea, she might never get the chance
Love is such a strong word, if you ask me. It's a kind of driving forceâsomething deep and complicated for some people, yet so simple and spontaneous for others. I used to believe that people who have more get more love: people who have more money than others, people who have more influence, more beauty. That's why I didn't believe in love, because I believed it was just another term used to justify capitalistic ideals, a cover for peopleâs lust and greed. And it's trueâsome people do use love to get what they want, or they just don't know the difference between love and ambition. My whole life, I thought that I deserved love because I had money, status, and looks. I had the whole package; I was at the top of the social pyramid. That's just how our world worksâbut again, this is ambition, not real love. Real love is loving someone even when they have nothing. Real love is loving someone for the way they treat you. You can truly love someone for a certain quality about them, and
Love is such a complicated matter. It is very mysterious to me, especially identifying love. Identifying your own emotions is the tricky part. Do you really love this person, or do you just like this person? Do you love them despite their flaws? Do you love them as a whole, or do you just love a specific quality about this person ? Would you still love this person if they lost everything? Would you still love them if they changed? These questions have been on my mind my whole life, and Iâve given up on finding answers. I thought I loved Bayan, yet I moved on with my life just fine after she disappeared. I thought I liked Rola, but when she broke our engagement and left, I didnât feel anythingâI didnât even shed a single tear. But when I realized for the first time that I could lose Dema, it frightened my soul. For the first time, I felt like my entire world would crash. --- Iâve never felt anything like this before with anyone else. Yes, I admit Iâve been with many wo
There were nights when the weight of my fatherâs expectations pressed down on me until I couldnât breathe. Iâd sit in the dark, wondering if I was an embarrassment to himâif Iâd ever be enough. But DemaâĶ she always knew. Sheâd find me, her hands gentle on my shoulders, her voice steady. "Youâre not failing," sheâd say. "Youâre building something heâll never understand." And somehow, just her saying it made me believe it. She never let me face anything alone. Every gala, every meeting, every public appearanceâshe was there, flawless, poised, making me look stronger just by standing beside me. People noticed. Theyâd whisper about how lucky I was, and they were right. When my motherâs birthday came around, and I was drowning in indecision, Dema took over. She planned everythingâthe flowers my mother loved, the guests list, even the cake from that little bakery she used to take me to as a child. My mother hugged me that night and said, "it was one of the best birthdays I've ever had."
I stood there, staring at the half-finished rose garden, dirt smeared across my hands, sweat dripping down my forehead. I had never done anything like this beforeânot with my own hands, at least. My whole life, if I wanted something done, I paid someone to do it. But thisâĶ this had to be done by me. Dema had made me that sweaterâknitted it herself, stitch by stitch. I still remember the way she smiled when she gave it to me, how soft it felt, how it carried the weight of her effort. I wanted to give her something just as meaningful, something that showed her I cared enough to try. But what could I do? I didnât know how to knit, or paint, or build. I had no skills like that. Then, as I passed by the flower shop downtown, it hit me Dema loves flowers.I bought every rose they had. Red, pink, whiteâenough to fill the entire side garden of the mansion. When I got home, I called the gardener over. "I need everything readyâsoil, tools, space. I'm doing this myself," I told him. He r
Dema wasnât just my wifeâshe was my first real friend, the first person who truly saw me.Before her, no one had ever asked about the things that brought me joyânot out of obligation or strategy, but simple curiosity. She was the one who listened when I rambled about random historical facts, who remembered the names of my childhood pets, who laughed at my terrible jokes not because she had to, but because she genuinely found them funny. With her, I didnât have to perform or posture. For the first time, I felt like I could just exist and that would be enough. She taught me things I never realized I was missingâsmall, sacred acts of love Iâd never witnessed growing up. She was the first person to cook my favorite meal just because she noticed Iâd had a long day. The first to show me how to hold someoneâs gaze until the world fades away, how to listen not just to words but to the spaces between them. She showed me how to celebrate the detailsâthe way someoneâs nose scrunches when they
My whole life, Iâve known that people liked meânot for who I was, but for where I came from. Growing up, I attended an elite international school, the kind reserved for the children of diplomats, CEOs, and old-money heirs. It was a world of polished hallways and whispered connections, where last names carried more weight than personalities. My parents never let me forget my privilege. "You deserve only the best," they would say, as if excellence were an inheritance rather than something earned. Their words were laced with unspoken rules Only associate with those who match your status. Never lower yourself. Remember who you are.But the irony was suffocating. Even among the privileged, I was treated differentlyâlike some kind of crown prince in a kingdom of lesser nobles. At first, I thought it was because of my familyâs wealth, or maybe my fatherâs influence in certain circles. But the truth was far more transactional. The other children didnât befriend me; they were assigned to me. T
After the storm of anger subsided, the crushing weight of realization settled over me. What had I done? The question echoed in my mind, relentless and suffocating. I had lost controlâcompletely, unforgivably. And now, I had to fix it. But how? This wasnât just anyoneâthis was her. My wife. The woman who had stood by me through every hardship, whose laughter had been my solace, whose touch had been my anchor. And I had struck her. A hard, unforgiving slapâone fueled by a rage I didnât even recognize in myself. The moment my hand connected with her skin, something inside me shattered. I had never been the kind of man who concerned himself with the emotions of others. If I wronged someone, so what? If they resented me, it was their problem, not mine. I moved through life untouched, unbothered. But thisâĶ this was different. This wasnât some stranger, some acquaintance whose feelings I could dismiss. This was the woman I loved. The other half of my soul. Why had I done it? The questi
For the longest time, I truly believed our marriage was perfectâor at least, that it should have been. I thought love was simple: give her gifts, smile at her, and sheâll be happy. I told myself that if I loved her deeply, that was enough. After all, shouldnât love mean acceptance? Shouldnât she love me for who I am, flaws and all? But I was wrong. Looking back, I realize now how little effort I truly put into nurturing our relationship. I took her presence for granted, assuming that as long as I cared for her in my own way, she would stay content. I didnât see the cracks forming between usâthe quiet disappointments, the unspoken frustrations. Love isnât just about feeling; itâs about doing, about showing up every day in ways that matter to the other person. And I failed at that. One of the biggest issues between us was how I acted around other women. She tried, more than once, to tell me how much it hurt herâthe way I laughed too easily at their jokes, the way my friendliness som