Mrs.Mariam
I firmly told him, "I am not going anywhere," but all he did was glare at me.

"Why do you act like this?" he asked, gathering his belongings and planting a kiss on my forehead. You can only stay for the weekend, but since you are being obstinate, your brother will be here soon, so get ready. I will come get you on Monday.

"All right, "I nodded to appease him; if he believed that I would abandon him in his troubles, then he was in for more. My beloved spouse, none of us-you or me-are leaving.

My brother warned me to exercise caution because Khalid might become very irate when I called him and pressed him until he revealed half the truth.

Comforting him and staying by his side was perfectly acceptable.

***Night***
My dear husband had not returned, so I was lying down and staring at the ceiling while I waited for him. This was giving me strange thoughts. What had happened to him, and was he okay? It was then that I heard faint voices.

I took off my duvet, carefully opened the door, and stepped outside. I was upstairs, and they were downstairs, but the words that followed made me wince; they were yelling, especially the one whose uncle was standing right in front of him.

His uncle glared at my husband, raising his voice and saying, "It is all because of your parents."

What are you trying to say?Khalid asked in a bewildered tone of voice, "Why was uncle hurting Khalid with his hurtful words when he had told me about his parents and their death?"

He spat again, saying, "Let us reveal it," and I stepped back so they could not see me.

"My brother and his spouse, they were not your biological parents; you were just dumped at our doorstep," he uttered, causing Khalid to stagger back before gathering his courage.

"You were the only son, so they treated you like their own, so much so that they forgot about my own daughter. Worst of all, money was transferred in your name," he remarked angrily, leaving Khalid to stand there alone in his own world.

"I can either work with her or transfer money in her name," Khalid said coolly. I could tell he was hurting deep down because all of these realities were too much for him to process.

Even though the daughter was his ex, Khalid was prepared. Please, Allah, help me bring them back together. Did I make a mistake calling Khalid's uncle twice? I wished for them to make amends. I hope that does not end badly. My uncle assured me that he would take care of everything and move on.

Now that I think about it, Khalid told me about his past; he never even realized they were not his real parents because of their love and upbringing. Khalid's uncle's brother and wife had loved him like their own.

"I wonder why Khalid told him that? My parents never loved me, but your brother and his wife accepted me, so I will always be indebted to them-in fact, even you once loved me."

He heard his uncle laugh evilly and nod at me. "Show off, I even told my daughter to make you fall in love with her and then leave you on their engagement day, but well this was all along her plan she never loved you it was all a game," he said. I knew that his purpose in revealing these unpleasant facts was to clear the air of any misconceptions.

We were wealthy but not wealthy enough that when your father spent half of the money on his wife and she still died, I thought it was a waste of money. He then started drinking, but I never stopped him because of disagreements, and I regret it to this day. My brother and his wife's relationship crumbled like ashes like slow poison.

Khalid punched his uncle as they both fell to the ground after Khalid sprinted quickly in his direction and shoved him.

I tried to calm Khalid down by saying, "Stop it, do not do something you will regret."

With a laugh and a wipe of his brow, he said, "Ow look who we have a pretty little wife."

"What do you want?"Khalid eventually questioned him.

"The position you have been given is mine, not my brother's, who later transferred in your name when he realized he did not want to live; it was all supposed to be mine because I was the head of the family," he said, wiping a drop of blood from his node.

"We can still be one big family, and you can be the head of it; we can forgive and forget the past," I tried to explain, but my husband's eyes widened in fear of what I had said, and perhaps he realized he had told me to go home and I refused.

"No need to explain to him; he wants revenge," my husband said, and as they stared at each other, something flickered in his uncle's eyes, possibly some good memories.

Was he sick? Because he was holding his head tightly?

I said to Khalid, "Khalid, he needs help," but he just stood there motionless, showing no emotion.

Khalid called for a guard and said, "No matter what you have done, we are family." The two of them carried him onto the bed.

His uncle muttered, "I am sorry, Khalid. I am sorry for everything," and then he passed out.

***
There was complete silence while we waited for the doctor, and he kept nothing from me. Khalid was cutting me off, but I gave him a hug because I knew he was in need of solace right now.

"Did I not warn and tell you to go home?" He was asking me if I had not gone as he looked at me the entire time he was speaking. The bitter truth of his life was revealed, and I could see the pain and anger in his eyes.

"Yeah, I did not go because I wanted to be there for you," I remarked quietly. "I have no idea where all the courage comes from," he grinned, widening his eyes.

At least his attitude changed, but as soon as he looked at his sleeping uncle, all color disappeared from his face. I moved to sit next to him.

"Please do not hold anything inside; I will be here for you no matter what, you are not alone,"I did everything I could to persuade him that, whatever had happened, he had been alone.

***
To be continued...

How was twist?