FOREVER WITH YOU

Chapter 35: Jealous?

She thought to herself, "Hmm, so they haven't left yet. 

Tasleem immersed herself in thought for a few seconds, the damp cloth forgotten in her hand. The scent of wood filled the air as she opened the cabinet and took out a tea set. She carefully brewed a pot of hot, fragrant tea, the steam rising in a delicate plume as she carried it from the kitchen.

As she opened the door to the living room, the men's conversation became clearer. Just as Tasleem was about to exit the dining room with the tea pot, she heard Habib's voice calling, "Rayyan?" After a brief pause, Rayyan casually responded with, "What?"

After receiving Rayyan's response, Habib asked without hesitation, "Did you notice that Maryam has feelings for you? She even called me about it yesterday." Maryam was actually Rayyan's secretary.

Tasleem's back tensed, and she froze mid-step. Though she knew eavesdropping was wrong, she couldn't help but strain her ears to listen. She wanted so badly to know Rayyan's response.

This time, Rayyan remained silent for what felt like an eternity. After a weighted pause, Habib prodded, "Didn't you notice?"

Tasleem still didn't hear Rayyan's response, but the sudden ring of a phone broke the silence.

After a brief moment, Rayyan's emotionless voice cut through the air. "No, I don't!" 

Habib's tone turned impatient. "No? Seriously?" He pressed on, incredulous. "Oh, my! Do you really not notice that she has feelings for you?"

Rayyan responded, "I told you, I didn't know she had feelings for me. And if I did, I'd marry her." 

Rayyan's statement was a joke. He knew she had feelings for him, but the truth was, he found her infatuation repellent. He only played along to keep the atmosphere light in front of his friends.

Tasleem trembled uncontrollably, her mind reeling. The casual way Rayyan discussed his secretary's feelings was unnerving. Emotions clogged her throat, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. She struggled to maintain her composure, but her eyes welled up with tears.

It wasn't that she liked him, but she felt disrespected. They were married, and he should have at least respected that. With no courage to walk out of the dining room, Tasleem picked up the teapot and took a step back, just as Rayyan's voice, muffled by the snack in his mouth, drifted through the air. "Maryam was a lovely person." 

"Maryam was a lovely person..." Tasleem's fingers quivered, and the teapot slipped from the platter, shattering on the floor with a crisp, sharp sound. Khalid, who had been closest to the sound, spoke up first. "What broke?" 

Tasleem realized she'd lost control, and she hastily dropped to her knees to clean the scattered shards.

As Tasleem was cleaning the shards, her fingers moved too quickly, and the sharp porcelain sliced into her skin. Tasleem's arm trembled slightly, the subtle pain evident. Khalid noticed the small cut on her fingertips. "Oh, you have a cut on your fingers?" he asked worriedly.

As Khalid asked, Rayyan appeared in the doorway, his eyes locking onto Tasleem's injured fingertip. The cut was shallow, a mere scratch, but a tiny droplet of blood had already formed. 

Before Rayyan could make a decision, Khalid extended a hand to Tasleem, who was squatting on the floor. "Tasleem, get up. I'll take care of it."

Rayyan thought to himself that Tasleem seemed to be close to Khalid. When they were having lunch, Rayyan needed rice, but Tasleem served Khalid. She also smiled at Khalid and told him to let her know if he craved any type of food. Which she never did to him.

The one time he asked for Pasta, she intentionally ruined it.

Rayyan squinted his eyes, he hadn't made a decision in his head yet. He suddenly reached out and wrapped his hand around Tasleem's arm, pulling her gently behind him, blocking her from Khalid.

Tasleem, already reeling from the conversation between Rayyan and Habib, felt a sharp pang in her chest as Rayyan's hand encircled her arm. She felt a flutter of unease and pulled herself away, freeing her arm from his grasp.

He wanted to tell her to find a bandage, but the words caught in his throat. His gaze fell to his empty hand, and for a moment, he was frozen. After a few seconds, he realized what had happened.

Rayyan was suddenly enraged. He pointed at the door with a cold look, yelling at Tasleem, "Go back upstairs if you don't want me to help you. Stop humiliating yourself here."

Rayyan sounded harsh. Khalid felt bad about how Rayyan shouted at Tasleem. He frowned and said, "Tasleem, you must be tired after cooking lunch for us. Go upstairs and get some rest." 

Tasleem looked down and tried to control the mist in her eyes. She could barely smile at Khalid. She turned around and hurried away after saying sorry. 

With Tasleem gone, Habib's voice edged with disapproval. "Rayyan, what are you doing?" The last time Hamid had spoken out, Rayyan had turned on him. Now, Hamid jabbed Habib in the back with his finger and whispered, "I've tried to persuade him not to treat her like that, but he just loses his temper."

They had just thought they would see his angry face, but Rayyan was unexpectedly calm. He remained standing there, staring at his hand, as if he was thinking of something. Hamid and Habib found it incredible and looked at each other. But they didn't dare to say anything, for they were just confused by his action.

About a minute passed, and Rayyan moved his head, his sights returning to the present. He gazed at the bright sunlight outside the window for a while, then stepped toward the living room wordlessly, sat on the sofa, took out his phone, and started chatting.

Khalid, Yasim, Hamid, and Habib left before it was three o'clock in the afternoon. The lively villa returned to silence all of a sudden.

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