Love And Revenge✔️

Ten

"I'll call you back as soon as I can. Don't freak out. Maybe he doesn't know. Why do you still worry about him? Look, I'll come see you later, okay?" Mutassim ends the call.

Sarah, who had been eavesdropping just outside the door, steps inside.

"You called me?" she asks casually.

"Yeah," he replies, lowering his voice. "I need you to talk to someone, and I don't want Rumaisa—or anyone else—hearing about this. You understand?"

She nods immediately. "I understand."

Rumaisa was lying down, watching Superfly on her laptop.

"Let's talk," Sarah said, sitting down beside her.

"What? Don't disturb me," Rumaisa replied, not looking up.

"It's about Yaya Mutassim. I think something is off," Sarah said, pressing pause on the video and turning to look at Rumaisa eagerly.

"What? Tell me," Rumaisa asked, now fully attentive.

"I heard him talking on the phone... saying, 'Stop freaking out, it's not like he knows, stop worrying about him. I thought you don't care about him. I'll talk to you later.' And then I went in," Sarah explained.

"That's really odd. But who was he talking to?" Rumaisa asked.

"I don't know. Even if I did, I wouldn't have told you," Sarah said firmly.

"But why were you there?" Rumaisa pressed.

"He just asked me to get something from his car... outside," Sarah answered.

"He was talking to someone who was probably freaking out about something, that's for sure."

Rumaisa shrugged lightly. "It's probably nothing. I shouldn't bother with it," she said, picking up her laptop again.

Flashback.

Rumaisa and Fuad were seated in the living room, talking.

"Do you know how many times I called and you didn't even pick up your phone?" she asked, pouting.

"Sorry, I left my phone in Walid's room," he replied.

"Why do you always leave your phone in Walid's room? All your friends meet up there. You never know who might get hold of it. But you have a password, right?"

"What? You know I don't have one. We're guys—we know everything about each other, so I don't really need to keep my phone with me all the time."

"Really? The last time you left your phone with your friend and went home, you didn't retrieve it until after two days."

"Were you worried?"

"Of course! When it comes to your phone, you're so careless. What if someone saw something?" she asked, frowning.

He chuckled.

"There's nothing to see. I don't keep anything inappropriate on my phone. You never know who might pick it up."

"Then at least don't leave it lying around," she said firmly.

"Look, Rumy, I get it. But sometimes, you just forget you have a phone when you have nothing to hide. My sister leaves her phone lying around when she has no subscription, and I leave mine because there's nothing to hide. You know that—since you've taken my phone before to check it," he added, teasing.

She turned her head, a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I noticed," she admitted softly.

"But how am I sure you didn't clear anything before I came?"

"Touché," he said, grinning. "Well... you're not entirely wrong, but I think you know I have nothing to hide."

"But at least try to keep it close from now on."

"Sure thing, beautiful. How about we go to the cinema?"

"Which one?"

"The one near your house—it's better. Maryam and Sarah can come too. I'll invite Walid and Jabir."

"Okay, I'll call them," she said, getting up to grab her phone.

When she returned, Sarah was already seated next to Fuad. He looked annoyed, but Sarah just smiled.

"I'm back," Rumaisa said.

"Oh, do you need anything else?" Sarah asked, still smiling.

"No thanks," he replied through gritted teeth. Sarah got up and walked away.

"Is everything okay?" Rumaisa asked, concerned.

"Nothing I can't handle. Did you call them?"

She nodded, smiling.

Since then, Rumaisa noticed something had changed in Fuad's behavior—subtle, almost imperceptible to anyone else, but clear to her. She asked Sarah about it, but Sarah only shook her head, saying nothing had happened. Rumaisa decided to let it go.

•
•

Present Time.

Mariam was sitting in the backyard on a rug, her son Kamal sprawled in front of her, playing with his toys, when she spotted Sarah walking toward them.

"Oh, Sarah! It's nice to see you. What brings you by?" Mariam asked, smiling as she brushed her hair back.

"I'm not here for pleasantries," Sarah said quickly, a serious look on her face. "I came because it's about Rumaisa."

Mariam frowned, tilting her head. "Okay... what about her?"

"It's about her revenge plan," Sarah began, taking a seat beside her. "I don't think it's a good idea anymore. I... I think she's taking it too far."

Mariam blinked, surprised. "Wait... what do you mean? Of course it's not a good idea. I've been saying that all along. But why are you suddenly agreeing with me now?"

Sarah hesitated, then said in a low voice, "Because... Rumaisa and Fuad are getting married."

Mariam froze, her mouth slightly open. "What? They're... getting married? Are you serious?"

"Yes," Sarah said firmly. "It's part of her plan. I don't know exactly what she's trying to do, and she won't tell anyone. I just know that if this goes on, it could hurt her more than anyone else."

Mariam's hand went to her mouth. "Over dinner... last week? That's when it happened? She planned this all along?"

Sarah nodded. "I think so. I just wanted you to know before it's too late. I don't know what she wants, but it's bigger than anyone realizes."

Mariam leaned back on the rug, running a hand through her hair as she processed the news. "I can't believe it... she actually did this. And didn't tell a soul?"

"No," Sarah said softly. Then she looked down at Kamal, who was happily building a tower with his blocks. "He's growing fast. He's such a sweet little boy."

Mariam smiled, watching her son. "Yes... he's my little chocolate sunshine," she said fondly, and for a brief moment, the tension lifted from her shoulders.

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