Selida knew exactly what she owed her aunt. The first year's rent, a job recommendation, and an endless series of dinners at which her gratitude was the favorite topic. Now she was thirty-one and managed purchasing for the family business, yet still felt like a guest who should be careful not to take the last piece of cake.
When their business partner Vedad began inviting her to dinner, the family was delighted. He was wealthy, entertaining, and knew how to improve the mood at a table. Selida saw something else: the way he flirted with her married cousin Merima whenever conversation grew dull. She did not want to date him. Her aunt called it insecurity that a good opportunity could cure.
Then Vedad helped Selida's brother make a business contact. The family immediately turned the favor into an argument. Selida thanked him but did not change her answer. At the office, she heard that she thought too highly of herself. At a family lunch, she received a joke about remaining alone if she insisted on perfection.
A few weeks later, Merima's husband came to the office looking for Vedad. He had discovered their affair. Merima admitted it had lasted months, including the time when Vedad was sending Selida flowers. The hallways filled with whispers. Her aunt closed the office door and said the most important thing was preventing public shame.
She asked Selida to confirm that she had known about a separation Merima and her husband had supposedly agreed on long before. She had known nothing, because no agreement existed. She said she would not lie. Her aunt replied that perhaps all this could have been avoided if she had accepted Vedad and settled him down. Selida stared at the folder between them, trying to understand how someone else's affair had suddenly become another unpaid debt of hers.
She opened the folder and submitted a request to complete her departure paperwork. For several months, she had been considering a job at another company. Now she signed the offer and rented a small apartment. She told Merima she could help find a counselor and transportation, but would not rewrite dates or make excuses for Vedad. For the first time, her cousin spoke to her without a patronizing tone.
Before the move, her aunt brought a box of plates. She stood on the threshold, unsure how to enter an apartment where no one owed her anything. Selida invited her for coffee. She thanked her for the plates and left them unpacked while they talked. There was still much to clarify, but this time she held the conversation as an adult woman in her own kitchen.