“And if I don’t?”
He stepped closer.
“Then we will discuss what happens to Lina.”
He walked away.
I waited until I heard the bedroom door close before I let myself tremble.
That night, I did not sleep.
At dawn, I sent Huda one message.
I need help sooner than we planned.
Her reply arrived within minutes.
I am here. We will take the next safe step together.
The next afternoon, Khalid took me to his parents’ home.
His mother, Fatimah, greeted us with the same warmth she had shown me on our wedding day. She was a dignified woman who loved her grandchildren and took pride in keeping the family connected.
His father sat in the reception room with a cup of Arabic coffee beside him.
I had always respected him. He spoke little, but when he did, people listened.
Khalid explained that I had become emotional, that I was making ordinary disagreements sound serious, and that I had allowed a neighbor to interfere in our marriage.
