Twisted Shadows

Chapter 4: Shadows in the Mirror

The hours passed heavily, breaking the silence of the pharmacy as noon arrived. I left the assistant pharmacist in my place and moved with the silent steps of a shadow toward the city center, where my husband Houssam’s luxurious engineering office was located. Under my ordinary coat, I was wearing Raghad’s exact olive-green leather coat, hiding my eyes behind her wide sunglasses with their distinct black frame.

I stood at the corner of the street opposite the massive glass building, monitoring the exit gate with my sharp eyes. Not much time had passed before Houssam walked out with Nadine, the mysterious interior designer who shared a deeper secret with him behind the crowds. He was moving his hands with sharp nervousness while showing her something on his phone. His features were tense, and signs of lack of sleep were clearly visible on his pale face.

I walked behind them with cautious calm, taking advantage of the crowded Damascus street. When they stood waiting for their car in front of the traffic light, I bypassed them with steady, deliberate steps, letting my shoulder lightly brush against Nadine's shoulder. At that exact moment, I raised my hand and slowly pushed down the sunglasses, letting Houssam’s eyes look directly into mine!

I caught a glimpse of pure terror exploding in his eyes in a flash. His body froze completely, the file of papers fell from his hand onto the wet sidewalk, and his breath hitched in his chest as if he were seeing a ghost emerging from the shroud of darkness. Before he could utter a single word or comprehend the psychological shock, I put the sunglasses back on, turned quickly, and vanished into a narrow, crowded commercial alleyway without him daring to pursue me.

I returned to the pharmacy quickly, a cold smile of victory appearing on my face. The game had grown and was now operating at the highest levels of intelligence. Houssam would now not only suspect anonymous numbers, but he would doubt his own sanity, his eyesight, and the very walls of his office! He would think that Raghad was stalking him like a shadow everywhere, and that his end was approaching fast without him possessing a single shred of evidence against me, while I sat behind my glass counter with my full innocent coolness, waiting for his return home tonight.