Chapter 4, The Ex

I was sprawled on the couch, a Spanish textbook open on my lap, trying to wrap my mind around the difference between "ser" and "estar." Rami had insisted I learn some Spanish and French for our upcoming business trips, and while I appreciated the push, I felt like I was drowning in verb conjugations. The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting a warm glow over the room, but it did little to ease the tension coiling in my stomach.

Just as I was about to give up and scroll through my phone instead, one of the maids knocked lightly on the door. "Miss Dema, you have a visitor," she said, her tone polite but somewhat cautious.

A visitor? I glanced at the clock-who could it be? My heart raced as I pushed myself off the couch, smoothing down my hair and adjusting my shirt. I opened the door, and there she stood.

The girl who walked in was stunning-young, rich, and effortlessly stylish, with perfectly tousled hair and a designer outfit that screamed money. She looked like she had just stepped off a fashion magazine cover. But it wasn't just her looks that struck me; it was the icy demeanor she wore like armor.

"Hi," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "I'm Rami's ex." The way she pronounced his name felt like a dagger, sharp and deliberate. 

I blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Oh," I managed, trying to keep my composure. "Nice to meet you."

She rolled her eyes as if my politeness was beneath her. "Nice? Really? Is that how you want to play this?" Her lips curled into a smirk that made my skin crawl. "He broke up with me two months ago-out of nowhere. And then I hear he's married now? To you?"

I felt the air thicken around us, the weight of her words pressing down on me. Married? It was as if she had thrown a bucket of ice water over me. I had known Rami was serious about our relationship, but marriage? Just like that? 

"Look," I said, trying to regain some semblance of control over the situation. "I didn't know about any of this. Rami and I are-"

"Are what?" she interrupted, her voice sharp. "Are you really in love? Or just playing house with my leftovers?" 

Her words stung more than I wanted to admit. I could feel my heart racing, anger bubbling beneath the surface. "You don't know anything about me or what we have," I shot back, trying to stand my ground against her icy glare.

She laughed, a sound devoid of humor. "Please. You think you're special because you're the new flavor? Just wait until he gets bored." 

I could feel my cheeks flush with a mix of embarrassment and rage. Who did she think she was? I didn't want to engage in this petty rivalry; I just wanted to understand what was happening. 

"Why are you here?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.

"To remind you that you're not the only one who can walk into a room and claim someone," she replied coolly. "Just remember, Dema, every rose has its thorns." 

With that, she turned on her heel and strode out of my apartment, leaving me standing there in stunned silence. The weight of her words hung heavy in the air, and suddenly, the Spanish verbs that had seemed so daunting before felt trivial compared to the chaos swirling in my mind.

I paced the living room, my heart still racing from the unexpected encounter. The sunlight streaming through the window felt almost mocking in its warmth, a stark contrast to the chill that had settled in my chest after meeting Rami's ex. I barely had time to process everything when I heard the front door open and close. 

"Dema?" Rami's voice called out, filled with that familiar warmth that instantly made my heart flutter. I rushed to meet him, trying to shake off the tension that had wrapped itself around me like a vice.

"There you are!" he said, his face lighting up as he stepped into the room. But his smile faltered when he noticed my expression. "What's wrong?"

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to say. "I met your ex," I blurted out, unable to hold it in any longer.

Rami's brow furrowed, and he ran a hand through his hair, a gesture I recognized as his way of preparing for something uncomfortable. "Oh? What did she want?"

"She just... came in here and started throwing shade at me," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady despite the anger bubbling beneath the surface. "She said you broke up with her out of nowhere and that I'm just the new flavor of the month."

Rami's expression hardened, and I could see the tension in his shoulders. "Don't let her get to you," he said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "She's probably just jealous."

"Jealous?" I echoed, feeling a mix of disbelief and irritation. "Why would she be jealous?"

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair again. "because, me and her were engaged for almost a year and in the end it didn't work out, and then I married you in less than a month, the reason I left her is that I didn't understand her anymore. It was like she was all surface, no depth. Everything was about appearances and status." His eyes met mine, and there was a vulnerability in them that made my heart ache. "I felt like I was losing myself trying to keep up with her."

I studied him for a moment, searching for any hint of insincerity, but all I found was honesty etched across his features. "So you broke up with her because you thought she was shallow?" 

"Exactly," he said, his voice firm. "I needed someone who could challenge me, someone who wasn't just focused on the superficial stuff." He stepped closer, closing the distance between us. "someone who could actually add something to my life, you're a smart girl, keep up the good work and I might consider making you a manager or get you involved in the business" 

His words washed over me like a balm, soothing the sting left by his ex's visit. "But what if she's right?" I asked quietly, my insecurities creeping back in. "What if you do get bored of me?"

Rami shook his head vehemently. "No. Don't even think that way. You're not like her at all." He reached out, taking my hands in his. "you're a good girl, our marriage is built on equal benefits and matual interests"

I felt a bit relieved by his words, it was dispelling some of the doubt that had taken root during our earlier conversation. "It just... it caught me off guard," I admitted, squeezing his hands tightly.

"I get it," he said softly, his gaze steady and reassuring. "But don't let her get into your head. She's part of my past, and you could be my future." 

I nodded slowly, letting his words sink in. The shadows cast by Rami's ex began to fade away as I focused on the man standing before me-my partner, my boss I admit. In that moment, I knew that I didn't have a conventional marriage, some might even say that I'm more of an employee to him than a wife, but I was willing to work on that, I could feel him slowly openin

g up to me, could it be that a spark was starting between us.