We discussed practical things: a safe person to contact, copies of important documents, emergency numbers, and a place I could go if the situation became dangerous.
She did not promise that everything would be easy.
She promised to take me seriously.
For the first time in years, I felt that the truth could exist outside my own head.
Before I left, Huda held my hand.
“Amal, listen to me. You do not have to decide your entire future today. Today, you only have to take the next safe step.”
I repeated those words to myself all the way home.
The next safe step.
It became the only plan I could manage.
For three weeks, I lived two lives.
In front of Khalid, I remained the quiet wife he expected. I cooked the meals he preferred, answered his questions, and avoided arguments whenever possible.
Privately, I began rebuilding the parts of my life he had taken from me.
