Deceived; Chapter 36

*A different point of view*

It's really hard for a father to go through such a painful phase.

Having a daughter sexually assaulted by a male at the age of fifteen hurts more than ever.

I warned her.

I warned her to stay away from strangers, ever since she was a toddler.

I figured she was old enough to make her own decisions.

Business trips.

I hate them. The only reason I do is because it grabs me away from my family. I blame myself for not having a strong relationship with the people I love most.

I get really bored in most of them, especially since all take about three to four weeks.

Actually, as a man of fifty-eight, boredom gets to me all the time.

This situation happened while I was away on one particular trip.

Rania and I never bond, nor communicate.

Although, I still understand her thoughts and emotions.

Girls love because they feel there's no connection between their father and themselves, therefore, they need a man.

I try so hard to please her desires.

Where did I go wrong?

The true story behind this rape charge is still unknown to me.

A friend of mine offered to help me discuss it, and speak of professional lawyers to help us capture this criminal.

I still recall every moment of that day.

And yet, my heart still aches me every time I remember the words of my wife.

I was on a business trip, a quite long one, actually, with my colleagues, happily working.

One afternoon, while my boss and I were having a quick sip of coffee at a nearby café, my mobile rang.

'My beautiful wife' was plastered on the screen.

It was absolutely normal for her to call me, in fact, we speak on the phone everyday for an average of two hours.

With a heart filled with excitement, I clicked on the 'Answer' button.

"Hello, my dearest Zeina"I spoke.

No voice replied, all I could hear were loud breathings.

"Zeina?" I spoke again.

"Talal?" she finally said.

"Zeina! Is everything okay?" I inquired.

"Is there any chance you can return home earlier? Like now?" she asked.

"Why? Why? What happened?!" I replied with a mind filled with confusion.

"I got a call from Shahad, she told me that Rania was sexually assaulted by this boy she barely even knew, please come home immediately! I'm worried, Talal!"

Shahad is my eldest daughter, she's three years older than Rania. My other elder sons are twins, they're off in college.

I didn't bother answering her, but instead, ended the call and stood up from my chair, spoke to my boss, and explained to him.

He insisted I leave the country right away in order to reach Bahrain in time.

I excused myself and was driven by a private driver to the airport.

-

I was told when I reached Bahrain that Shahad found out herself.

Rania's phone was casually sitting on her bed, and while she was admiring the new guest room, in our renovated home, Shahad decided to peek through it, since she wanted answers to her awkward behavior.

I tried to contact some of Rania's friends to find some answers myself.

Non of them actually knew what was going on.

Rania had many friends, however, I tried to investigate among her closest ones.

Abdulla Al-***** was one of my dearest friends in high school with me.

He happens to have a daughter Rania's age, which she never told me about, actually. Non of her friends visited our home.

As I obeyed the directions to Abdulla's residence, I exited my vehicle, rang the doorbell beside the wooden, mahogany door, and was terrified all of a sudden.

I was terrified for one reason.

The reason was unbelievable.

*Ghaneya's point of view*

No words could exit my lips.

After my father explained to me, a few days ago, exactly what happened to poor Rania, I was scandalized.

Extremely shocked.

Her dad is joining my father and I for lunch this afternoon.

They've been friends ever since, but only this situation brought them even closer, because I am her friend.

I was told to greet Rania's father by mine, when I heard the doorbell ring. My father told me to refer him as my uncle. 'Uncle' Talal.

I brushed my messy hair and tied it.

As I was walking slowly down the stairs , I could hear the two mens' conversation.

"Your home is so beautiful! I feel as though I've seen the outside of it. It's very familiar." complemented Uncle Talal.

"That's strange! But you know, many houses are common in looks, here in this neighborhood!" replied my father.

I walked through the hall that lead me to the sitting room with my eyes on the ground, watching my feet move.

However, as I extended my right foot and officially entered the room, my jaw dropped.

The man sitting beside my father looked extremely familiar to me.

He was the man I met up with.

He was the man I loved.

He was Fouad.