FOREVER WITH YOU

Chapter 19: Allergic?

Habib laughed, standing up. "Fine, fine. I'll leave you to your kingdom."

Rayyan Smiled wryly and shook his head.

Secretary Maryam walked in, her 10-centimeter heels clicking on the floor, with a laptop in her left hand and a sheaf of documents in her right.

As she entered, Habib said his goodbyes and nodded at her and left.

Secretary Maryam said, "Welcome back again, president. I'm glad you're back."

Rayyan nodded and said, "Um."

"I've prepared the latest updates and reports for your review, sir. Would you like to review them now?"

Rayyan leaned back in his chair. "Yes, get on with it."

Maryam bent forward slightly, handing Rayyan the document. "Here's the report, president," she said, walking him through the presentation on her laptop.

Rayyan nodded thoughtfully, scanning the data. "Not bad, Maryam. Your analysis meets my expectations."

Maryam smiled. "Thank you, president."

"For your dedication, I'm doubling your salary, and a bonus will be added."

Maryam's eyes dropped as she slowly nodded, a hint of sadness creeping into her voice.

"Thank you, sir," she whispered.

Maryam had been hoping that her hard work and dedication would finally earn her the love and admiration she had been craving, but instead, he was offering her a salary double and a bonus.

Her heart ached, realizing her feelings for Rayyan would forever remain unrequited.

Rayyan waved his hand dismissively. "That's all. Get back to work."

'Why did I expect more? He's always been clear about our professional boundaries.'

Her breath hitched, and she sadly turned, the soft click of the door echoing through the silence.

Rayyan spent the afternoon in back-to-back meetings. As the last one adjourned, he gathered his belongings and exited the office at 5 p.m.

After a 30-minute drive, Rayyan arrived home, pulling into the parking lot with precision. He expertly maneuvered his sleek, luxury vehicle into its designated space, then adjusted his cufflinks before entering their upscale building.

As Rayyan entered the parlor, Amira rushed out of the hallway and accidentally bumped into his chest. Her purse slipped off her shoulder, and Rayyan swiftly grasped her arm.

"Amira, slow down! What's the rush?"

Amira's voice trembled. "Ya Rayyan, Tasleem's sick."

"Ohh! Has Khalid been informed?"

"No, we're taking her to his hospital now. I need to check if he's still at home."

"Oh! Okay."

Amira hastily exited the parlor, her footsteps echoing in the sudden silence, as Rayyan strode purposefully upstairs to his room, the door closing softly behind him.

Amira reached Khalid's part, where she met Ummi. "Ummi, is Ya Khalid at home or has he already gone to work?"

"He just left, but I think he'll be returning soon. Why are you looking for him? Is everything okay?"

Amira said, "Tasleem is sick, we are taking her to Ya Khalid's hospital."

Ummi nodded. "Subhanallah."

With a brief goodbye to Ummi, Amira returned to their part and headed to her room. From the doorway, she called out, "Mamie, ya Khalid's already left for work, but ya Rayyan's just returned from the office."

"Go call him," Mamie replied.

Amira ran out and returned two minutes later, followed by Rayyan.

Tasleem was rushed to Khalid's hospital, where she was immediately admitted to the emergency room. The nurses swiftly transferred her to a bed, attaching monitors and IV lines as Khalid oversaw the process. The sound of beeping machines filled the room. After an anxious half an hour, Khalid emerged from the emergency room.

"Khalid, how is Tasleem?" Mamie asked.

"She's fine," Khalid said gently. "It was severe menstrual cramps that caused her to faint. Insha Allah, she'll be alright when she wakes up."

Mamie nodded gratefully. Her worried expression softened, replaced by relief. "Alhamdulillah," she whispered.

Khalid continued, "I'll prescribe some pain relief to manage her discomfort."

Mamie nodded. "Okay."

"Ya Khalid, can we see her now?" Amira asked.

"She'll be transferred to the VIP Suite. Once she's settled, you can see her."

Amira nodded, struggling to hold back her tears.

"Where's Rayyan?" Khalid asked Mamie.

"He left as soon as we arrived."

Khalid smiled wryly. "Only Rayyan would leave without saying goodbye."

Mamie smiled.

"I'll get back to work." He said, and headed to his office.

•••••

As evening fell, Tasleem's eyes fluttered open, her gaze slowly focusing . With gentle care, the nurses carefully transferred her to the VIP suite, where she settled into the plush bed, the IV drip still attached to her hand, her face still pale and weak.

Mommy, Ammie, and Ummi visited Tasleem at the hospital. Ammie and Ummi settled beside Tasleem on the hospital bed. Mamie gestured to the empty chair. "Hajiya Fatima, please sit."

Mommy's expression turned adamant. "No, thank you. I'm terribly allergic to hospital chairs."

Ammie raised an eyebrow. "Allergic?" Ammie knew that she's saying all those words because it's Khalid's hospital.

Mommy glared at Ammie, "Yes, hospital chairs make me break out in hives. I won't risk ruining my skin with polka-dot rashes. I'd rather keep my skin flawless."

"But they're always cleaning them," Ummi said.

Mommy shook her head. "That's exactly the problem. They're never thoroughly disinfected. I reacted to the lingering germs."

Ammie hummed, "Um."

Mommy glared fiercely at her and hissed, her breath barely audible. She glanced at Tasleem "Hmm.. just a little pain and you're admitted to the hospital? What a waste of money."

......

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