Nour could enter a room without wondering whether someone would criticize her.
And for a few precious hours, I could breathe.
I wasn’t proud of every decision I made during those nights. Sometimes I crossed boundaries I had promised myself I wouldn’t cross. Sometimes I returned home feeling exhilarated, only to be overwhelmed by guilt before sunrise.
But I kept returning to that secret life because it gave me something I couldn’t find at home.
The freedom to make my own choices.
I knew the consequences would be devastating if anyone discovered the truth. In my family, reputation wasn’t merely something people discussed over tea. It was treated like a precious inheritance, something every daughter was expected to protect, even at the cost of her own happiness.
And there was one particular lie I had allowed to grow until it threatened to consume my entire life.
My family believed I was a virgin.
