My Fiancé Joked About Me in Arabic at His Family Dinner—I Lived in Dubai for 8 Years

The sound of laughter echoed through the Damascus Rose Restaurant's private dining room as I sat perfectly still, my fork hovering over the untouched lamb on my plate. Around the long table, twelve members of the Al-Mansour family gestured animatedly, their Arabic flowing like water over stones—smooth, constant, deliberately excluding me.
My fiancé Tariq sat at the head of the table, his hand resting possessively on my shoulder as he translated absolutely nothing. His mother, Layla, watched me with those sharp falcon eyes from across the table, a slight smile playing at her lips. She knew. They all knew.