That evening, dinner felt heavier than usual.
Everyone was gathered around the long dining table—Mrs. Kareem at the head, Zayn to her right, Lina beside him, and me standing quietly nearby helping the staff serve.
I tried not to look at them.
Tried not to notice how close Lina sat to him.
How her hand kept brushing his arm.
How she smiled too brightly every time he spoke.
But I noticed everything.
Every painful detail.
Halfway through dinner, Mrs. Kareem set down her glass and cleared her throat.
"There is something important I would like everyone to know."
The table went quiet.
Zayn looked up. "What is it?"
Her lips curved into a pleased smile.
"We will be hosting a gala next weekend."
Lina immediately beamed. "A gala?"
"Yes," Mrs. Kareem replied proudly.
I frowned slightly from where I stood.
A gala?
"For what occasion?" I asked before I could stop myself.
The moment the words left my mouth, all eyes turned to me.
Mrs. Kareem's expression sharpened, clearly irritated that I had spoken out of place.
Then she smiled.
And I instantly knew I wouldn't like what came next.
"To celebrate Lina and Zayn's engagement."
Everything inside me froze.
My tray nearly slipped from my hands.
"What?" I whispered.
Zayn frowned. "Engagement?"
Mrs. Kareem turned to him, her smile softening. "Yes, darling. Before your accident, you proposed to Lina. We never got the chance to celebrate because of… the unfortunate incident."
My stomach dropped so violently I thought I might be sick.
No.
No, that wasn't right.
That wasn't possible.
Zayn had never proposed to Lina.
He had proposed to me.
I was there.
I remembered the night.
The rain.
The trembling in his voice when he asked me to marry him.
So why—
My eyes darted to Lina.
And the way she avoided my gaze told me everything.
She was lying.
She was letting them lie.
She was helping them rewrite his entire life.
"That's not true," I blurted out.
The entire room went silent.
Mrs. Kareem's face darkened instantly.
"Excuse me?"
I looked directly at Zayn.
"You never proposed to her."
The words came out before I could stop them.
Sharp.
Emotional.
Desperate.
Zayn stared at me, confusion flashing in his eyes.
"How would you know that?" he asked slowly.
My mouth opened—
Then closed.
Because I couldn't answer.
Not without saying too much.
Lina quickly jumped in, her voice light but strained. "She doesn't know what she's talking about. She probably misunderstood something."
"No, I didn't—"
"Enough."
Mrs. Kareem's voice cracked through the room like thunder.
She stood slowly, glaring at me.
"You forget yourself far too often," she snapped. "Know your place."
My chest burned.
But I couldn't stop looking at Zayn.
He was staring at me now.
Hard.
Like he was trying to understand why I looked so hurt.
Why I looked like my whole world had just shattered.
"Leave the dining room," Mrs. Kareem ordered.
I didn't move.
"Now."
My hands trembled violently.
I set the tray down before I dropped it and turned quickly, walking out before anyone could see the tears burning in my eyes.
I barely made it to the kitchen before I broke.
My breathing came unevenly.
My chest ached so badly it felt impossible to stand.
They were erasing me.
Piece by piece.
Moment by moment.
And the worst part—
He was letting them.
Because he didn't know.
He didn't remember.
A few minutes later, footsteps approached behind me.
"Samirah."
I turned.
Zayn.
His expression was unreadable.
Concerned.
Confused.
"What was that about?" he asked softly.
I laughed bitterly.
"You wouldn't understand."
His brows furrowed. "Then help me understand."
Tears filled my eyes instantly.
"You're celebrating the wrong woman," I whispered.
His face tightened.
"What does that mean?"
I shook my head quickly.
"I can't do this."
I tried to walk past him.
But he grabbed my wrist gently.
Not enough to hurt.
Just enough to stop me.
"Every time someone mentions Lina and me," he said quietly, "you look like it destroys you."
My breath caught.
He stepped closer.
"Why?"
I stared up at him.
At the man who once promised forever.
At the man who had forgotten giving it to me.
And with tears burning in my eyes, I whispered—
"Because that should have been me."
Silence.
Heavy.
Deadly.
His grip loosened instantly.
His eyes widened slightly.
And for the first time—
Realization flickered across his face.
Not understanding.
Not fully.
But suspicion.
Questions.
"Samirah…" he breathed.
But before he could say more—
Lina's voice echoed from the hall.
"Zayn? Everyone's asking for you."
The moment shattered.
He looked toward the door.
Then back at me.
Still stunned.
Still confused.
Still searching my face like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
But eventually—
He stepped away.
And left.
Leaving me standing there, trembling, with one terrifying thought in my mind:
He was starting to question everything.
And if he kept pulling at the truth—
Everything would fall apart.