The morning rays slipped through the wide glass windows of the company building, reflecting on the shiny floor and giving the place a special warmth. Rahaf walked in through the main door, clutching her bag tightly, trying to hide that smile that had been on her face since the moment she opened her eyes that morning. It was her second day at the company, but she was already starting to feel as if she knew every corner of it.
Yazan was standing near the reception, talking to one of the new employees. Rahaf had barely taken two steps when his eyes met hers. She paused for a moment, but he gave her a quick smile and said warmly: "Good morning, Rahaf."
She replied, trying to keep her voice calm: "Good morning, Mr. Yazan."
He moved a little closer and said quietly, as if it were a secret between them: "I just wanted to thank you for your effort on yesterday's report. It was very well organized, and Mr. Rayan was really impressed. That's a big achievement for your very first day here."
She felt the warmth rise to her cheeks but only gave a small smile in response. Yazan then turned back to continue his conversation with the employee, while she headed to her desk but her mind stayed hooked on that small sentence he had said.
By midday, Yazan was sitting at his desk going over some contracts when his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw an unfamiliar number but one he knew all too well. It was Karma's number. He hesitated for a few seconds, then picked up and answered:
Yazan: "What?"
Karma: "Yazan… I didn't leave you by choice. I was forced."
Yazan: "We each chose our own path, Karma."
Karma: "But it's not what you think. There are things you don't know."
Yazan: "Even if there were a thousand things, the past won't come back."
Then he ended the call without waiting for her reply and tossed the phone on his desk, trying to ignore that uneasy feeling creeping into his chest.
As for Karma, jealousy didn't spare her from the moment Yazan hung up. He didn't love her the way he used to anymore, and Rahaf who loved him was now in the same place as him. Her jealousy grew even stronger when she opened Facebook, scrolling through her phone aimlessly, until her eyes landed on the page of "Al-Rayan" company. She had been following their page ever since she found out Yazan worked there, after tracking his number. She didn't even know exactly why she had done it but deep down, it was clear: she still loved him.
A new photo had been posted just minutes ago, showing the team of new employees. In the photo, Yazan was standing right next to Rahaf, both of them smiling.
Her breathing quickened, and she felt the heat of anger rising to her head. She couldn't stop herself she went straight to Anas's office.
She entered without knocking and said angrily: "I can't take this anymore. I want to travel to the city and see Yazan. Isn't it enough that you stopped me from meeting him when he left the department, and didn't give me the chance to explain what happened?"
Anas replied coolly, trying to hide his irritation: "Haven't you learned yet, my dear wife, that it's polite to knock before coming in? But tell me what happened to make you this upset?"
Karma burst out: "Yazan… with some new girl, her name's Rahaf. It's obvious they're friends."
Anas laughed sarcastically: "Do you still love him?"
Karma hesitated: "I… no, but… I can't stand to see him with someone else!"
Anas said: "That means you're jealous of him. And that means you love him. Don't lie to yourself."
Karma snapped: "I'm not lying to myself. But I won't let him live his life with someone else."
Anas couldn't take it anymore and exploded at her: "Why, Karma? You still want to live with him? Don't dream about that it will never happen. You're mine and mine alone."
She shot back in anger: "I'm only Yazan's, and I'll never belong to anyone else. Don't even think for a second that I could ever love you. I only love Yazan, and I'll never love anyone but him."
Anas said sharply: "Why? Is Yazan better than me in any way?"
Karma replied coldly: "There's no comparison between you and Yazan to begin with, so don't compare yourself to him. You could never reach his place in people's hearts."
That evening, Tala was lying on her bed, holding her phone and smiling quietly as she texted Sami. Their relationship had taken on the tone of a deep friendship; they talked about their day, their dreams, and even the funny moments that happened at home or university.
Sami wrote: "One day, we'll meet face to face. And I promise the meeting will be somewhere overlooking the sea."
She smiled as she typed back: "Then I'll decide if you look the way I imagined you."
Even though their conversations were full of lightheartedness, both of them could feel that something bigger was quietly forming between them.
Elsewhere, Yazan was standing on his balcony, looking out at the distant city lights, when his phone rang again. But this time, Rahaf's name appeared on the screen. He hesitated for a moment, then answered:
Yazan: "Hello, Rahaf."
Rahaf: "Good evening, Yazan. I just wanted to say… thank you, for making me feel like my work is of such high quality."
Yazan: "I only told you the truth. You truly deserve this job."
Rahaf: "Goodbye, see you tomorrow."
Yazan: "Goodbye, Rahaf."
He hung up, and stayed on the balcony, feeling for the first time in a long while that a small door was opening toward a different life… but his heart was still cautious. For now, he would simply consider her a close colleague and a friend he could rely on.
To be continued…