His Secret

Prologue

Khalid slumped onto the soft bed, overwhelmed with despair. The sweet scent of lavender and fabric softener momentarily distracted him from his thoughts. "This is going to be a disaster," he muttered.

Watching his younger brother's dramatic behaviour, Umar stood at the door with his arms folded, rolling his eyes. "You're being too dramatic, Khalid. You have a huge crush on her. I don't know why you're so upset. You're marrying the person you've always wanted," he said. Khalid was both annoyed and upset by his words. He raised an eyebrow before turning away and burying his face in the pillow, letting out a loud groan to release the tension inside him. "Alright, what's the problem?" Umar asked.

Khalid sat up, waiting for Umar to join him on the bed. "I owe her a favour and I've agreed to help her with something," Khalid revealed. Umar was curious and asked, "What does she need help with?" Khalid mumbled a response, and Umar smacked his forehead, shaking his head in exasperation. "Could you repeat that?" he asked, annoyed.

Khalid replied, "She doesn't want much. She just wants to marry Hussein, and I've agreed to help her out as a favour." Umar was shocked. "What?!" he exclaimed. Khalid burst out laughing at his brother's reaction as Umar went through a series of emotional stages, akin to the five stages of grief.