4

She remained motionless, her fingers still resting on the door handle; with eyes glistening with unshed tears, she observed the scene before her. His massive office chair stood empty, while the sounds of a little girl’s joyful, high-pitched laughter echoed through the room, breaking the somber atmosphere of the impeccably tidy office.

Mazen had cast aside his air of authority and status among his staff; he was kneeling on the floor, cradling a little girl—no more than three years old—who was playing with him in sheer delight.

Almost instinctively, she walked over to them and gave a soft, polite cough.

"Did I come at a bad time?"

She spoke in a playful tone, though a deep-seated sadness lingered beneath the surface. Mazen was smiling and happy—joy radiated from his eyes; it was the first time in a long while she had seen him look so truly happy.

"Come here, Reem. Let me introduce you to my youngest friend: Lauren, Hadi’s little girl. I brought her in today because his wife is visiting family."

She bent down and knelt right in front of the little girl, who gazed at her innocently for a moment before becoming engrossed in playing with Mazen’s expensive watch—tossing it so it clattered against the floor. He remained indifferent to its value, simply letting her have it as long as it made her happy.

He stood up and kissed her hands like a refined, noble husband

: "Are you alright?"

"Yes... I’ve just finished my visit with the new doctor."

"What did she say?"

He asked expectantly, yet she detected a note of indifference in his tone—as if he already anticipated the outcome and was merely humoring the situation.

"She reassured me that my vital signs are good, as are my test results, and she asked me to schedule an appointment for the..."

He cut her off, quickly rushing over to the little girl, who had burst into tears after bumping into the table while trying to walk.

He held her close, patting her head and tenderly kissing her tiny hands. It was as if fate had conspired against her that night,

highlighting her own shortcomings and placing every possible trigger for her jealousy right in her path.

She stood rooted to the spot, watching them in heavy silence, a painful ache tightening in her chest.

It wasn't the little girl she envied... but rather the ease with which his heart opened to her—the tenderness she had long yearned for, and the family she had always imagined herself a part of.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned her face away before her eyes could betray what she was struggling so hard to conceal. Yet, the sound of the little girl’s laughter—clinging to his neck now that she had calmed down—struck her like another blow.

She offered a faint smile and whispered to herself with bitter irony: "Even my jealousy has become trivial... I’m jealous of a child!"

Then she turned and walked away, trying to salvage what remained of her pride before he could catch the fleeting glimpse of heartbreak in her eyes.