Mona Stories · Read & Watch
He says he wants to protect his family and stop what is happening. He is also afraid that the recordings Rawan possesses could destroy his marriage.
A job and a place to stay
Hazem describes himself as 28 and Rawan as 31. She had married a petroleum engineer whose work provided a comfortable life but kept him away from home for long periods.
Hazem, meanwhile, had worked for a delivery company after graduation. When he lost that job, he spent several months unemployed before applying to a large company near his brother-in-law’s workplace.
His brother-in-law helped him get hired. The opportunity created a practical problem: commuting from his family’s home would take hours in each direction.
When their father started looking for an apartment, Rawan suggested that Hazem stay in her villa. Her husband was away, there was room, and the arrangement would help Hazem settle into his new job.
He accepted, intending to find a place of his own once he knew the area.
Loneliness inside a comfortable home
Rawan’s children were excited to have their uncle staying with them. Behind the warm welcome, however, she described a marriage in which she felt increasingly alone.
Her husband traveled frequently. Even when he returned, she felt that work mattered more to him than being at home. She wondered whether he had another relationship and said that money did not make up for the absence of affection.
Hazem initially understood these conversations as a sister confiding in her brother. He reassured her that he would remain nearby and help.
Soon after he arrived, they went out together for the evening. They had dinner, went to the movies, and returned home late. Back at the villa, they drank alcohol while the children were asleep.
Rawan’s complaints about her husband became demands that Hazem take his place. The relationship crossed a serious boundary that night. Hazem later described his actions as a decision he deeply regretted.
It did not stop with that evening. What he did not know was that Rawan was recording their encounters.
A secret follows him into married life
Eventually, her husband returned. Hazem settled into his job, moved into his own apartment, and later married his brother-in-law’s sister. He says he loves his wife and does not want to resume the relationship with Rawan.
Years later, Rawan began contacting him again. She said she was still lonely and wanted him to come back.
When he refused, she sent him videos of their earlier encounters. She attached messages to the recordings and reminded him that she could bring their past into his present life.
Hazem told her to seek a divorce rather than continue living in an unhappy marriage. She rejected the suggestion, unwilling to give up the financial comfort she enjoyed.
His attempts to set a boundary did not end the calls or the pressure. Distance between their homes offered little reassurance because he believed she had the money and determination to reach him whenever she wanted.
An unresolved question
Hazem ends his account frightened and unsure whom to tell. He recognizes that his own choices created the secret, but he also wants the threats and demands to stop.
Mona leaves his question open to the audience. The narrated account does not provide a neat ending or explain how the situation was ultimately resolved.
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Original Mona Stories narration. Playback controls are set to English; available audio and captions depend on the video.