The Woman Who Was Almost Me

Time passed, and Dina's plan was working more smoothly than I could have ever imagined. She knew our father far better than I ever realized—his habits, his weaknesses, his every move. It was as if she had anticipated everything. The pressure he had been exerting on Aamz was slowly crumbling under the weight of our scheme.

One day, my father sat down with his co-founder, his voice laced with frustration. "We have to stop the company. He wants to be out of our business, and I can't force him like a boy from an ordinary family. Forcing him is expensive. I just hope we find another one like him in the future."

Then, his tone shifted, and he called for Dina and me. "Dina, Dorsa, come here."

We approached him, unsure of what to expect. His voice was stern, and for a moment, I wondered if he had figured out our plans. But then, he spoke with an unexpected calmness: "Please, go to the office and get it ready for release. Your team head is leaving us, and we will be terminating things."

The words hung in the air, and for a second, I couldn't process what he was saying. The company, the entire thing they had worked so hard to build, was going to end. And yet, it felt oddly like the moment we had been waiting for.

Dina's plan had worked, but now, we were on the brink of something even bigger. The final pieces were in place, but would we be able to finish what we started without everything unraveling?

We exchanged a glance, and for the first time in a while, I felt a sense of clarity. The road ahead was uncertain, but there was no going back. The moment of truth had arrived.

That evening, Dina and Aamz were celebrating at a cozy coffee shop. I joined them, intrigued by their sense of accomplishment.

I asked, "What's next for both of you? What are you planning to do now?"

Aamz leaned back in his chair, a slight smile on his face. "For now, nothing," he said. "For almost seven months, I worked without seeing the rewards. I think I deserve a break. I'll just read books, focus on my own learning. I call it my liberal study—knowledge for the sake of knowledge, not for any practical use."

He was, without a doubt, a bookworm, and it seemed he had finally found peace in the idea of simply reading and learning without the pressure of work. It was a lifestyle I had always admired but never quite understood.

Dina, who had been quietly listening, interrupted with a more pragmatic thought. "Well, I have different plans. There are still people I need to deal with, things to finish up. We can't just walk away, can we?" She glanced at both of us, as if reminding us that our work wasn't entirely done.

Aamz chuckled softly, his eyes still focused on the book he was already flipping through. "Well, you know I don't mind being left to my books."

I smiled, but inside, I couldn't help but wonder what would come next for all of us. Would we finally escape the hold of the past, or would we continue to be dragged into the tangled web of family, business, and the consequences of our choices? The future, it seemed, was as unpredictable as ever.

Aamz leaned back, his eyes distant as he spoke. "I hate plans. I hate having a roadmap. I just want to let things grow wild, see where they go on their own."

Dina raised an eyebrow, clearly frustrated. "And how are we supposed to get married while my father knows you as the guy who left him alone? You think he's just going to accept that?"

Aamz shrugged, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "I don't know. I really don't."

There was a moment of silence between the three of us, the weight of the situation settling in. Dina's frustration was palpable, and I couldn't help but feel the strain of the uncertainty. We had all been moving so fast, trying to escape the past and start fresh, but now, the reality of what that would mean was hitting us.

Dina let out a deep sigh, her expression softening. "You can't avoid it forever, Aamz. We can't just ignore the consequences. At some point, we have to face them."

Aamz seemed to consider her words for a moment, his fingers tapping absently on the table. "I know. But maybe facing them doesn't mean we have to follow the same path everyone expects of us. Maybe it's about finding our own way, even if it's messy."

I watched them both, feeling the tension and the uncertainty in the air. We had all chosen to take risks, to move forward without a clear plan, but now it was clear that the consequences were catching up with us. And maybe, just maybe, it was time to stop letting things grow wild and start figuring out how to tame the chaos we had created.

I was trying to bring up something else. I said, "Now, what about the team that pretended to be your relatives, Aamz? We've involved them in this whole thing. Can we just leave them all behind suddenly?"

I wasn't just asking out of concern for them—I had my own thoughts forming, my own plan taking shape. Dina had been leading everything so far, but this time, I wasn't sure I wanted to follow her next move.

And honestly, I liked the pretenders. They weren't just part of some scheme to outmaneuver my father; they had become something more. They were smart, funny, and had a kind of loyalty that went beyond the money Dina paid them. I wasn't ready to let them go.

Dina leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "You're getting too attached, Dorsa. It was just an act, and now that Aamz is free, we don't need them anymore."

"But they need us," I countered. "We pulled them into this, and we can't just disappear like it never happened. What if they actually liked being part of something bigger? What if they want to stay?"

Aamz, who had been quiet, finally spoke up. "Dorsa has a point. And honestly… I kind of liked having them around too. They're good developers. If we leave them, they're just going to scatter, and who knows what happens to them after that?"

Dina sighed, rubbing her temples. "So what do you propose? Keeping them around for what? We don't even have a company anymore."

I hesitated for a second, then said, "What if we make one?"

Both of them looked at me, surprised.

"A real one," I continued. "Not under my father, not with any lies—just us, building something for ourselves. You hate plans, Aamz, but this wouldn't be a strict plan. It would be freedom. Our own space, our own rules."

Aamz exhaled slowly, considering. Dina looked skeptical but intrigued.

Maybe, for the first time, I was the one leading the way.

Aamz said, "No, not a company, Dorsa. A freelancing group. We'll take on small to mid-sized projects. One of you can handle tracking the work, and I'll distribute the tasks for each project—keeping the core development for myself."

Dina nodded slowly. "Not bad, at least as a temporary setup. And it lets us keep up the act. This way, my father and his co-founder will be even more convinced and won't bother thinking about you again."

I could see it now—our little team, not just dissolving but evolving into something real. Maybe it wasn't a traditional company, but it was something of our own.

Aamz stretched, looking at us. "But listen, I'm not running after money. If we do this, it's for experience, for building something interesting. Not just for cash."

Dina smirked. "That's where we differ. I want money. Lots of it."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Then I guess we balance each other out."

The decision was made. Now, all that remained was to see where it would take us.

Soon, I found all of us gathered in a park, discussing three potential projects.

Aamz was leading the session, which was unusual for him—he was never the social type. Yet, here he was, standing in front of seven or eight of us, speaking with authority.

He began, "Project One—too complicated for us right now. The stakeholders don't even know what they want. It's a trap, and we're not falling for it."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Project Two—fits our skills and team size. We'll move forward with this one."

A few approving murmurs went around.

"Project Three—we're rejecting it just because Kaveh was the one who scouted it. Haha."

Kaveh rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed but staying calm. "Very professional, Aamz. Very professional."

Aamz smirked. "We all have to make judgment calls, Kaveh."

The atmosphere was light, but the decisions were real. We were officially moving forward, not just as a group of pretenders but as a team.

Aamz then said something shocking: "About earnings—40% of any income is mine. The remaining 60% will be split among the rest of you."

Silence fell over the group. No one had expected this. Aamz had always been the type to avoid leadership, the kind of person who gave away his salary to help a friend. But now? Now he was claiming the biggest share.

Kaveh crossed his arms. "That's… a lot, Aamz."

Dina raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She was observing him carefully.

I finally asked, "Since when do you care about money this much?"

Aamz shrugged. "I don't. But if I'm leading, distributing tasks, and doing the core development, then my cut should reflect that."

It wasn't unreasonable, but it was unexpected. The Aamz we knew had changed.

Still, no one openly protested. One by one, everyone nodded, accepting the terms.

The freelancing team was officially formed—but something told me this was just the beginning of a new story.

That night, I went to Dina's room, curiosity eating at me.

"How do you interpret Aamz's behavior today?" I asked.

She leaned back on her pillow, a proud smile spreading across her face. "I'm proud of him."

I raised an eyebrow. "Proud? He's changed, Dina. He's not the same selfless Aamz we knew."

She chuckled. "That's exactly why I'm proud. He's finally learning to stand up for himself."

I wasn't sure if I agreed, but before I could argue, she changed the subject.

"By the way, I want to ask you something."

I felt a shift in her tone.

She grinned mischievously. "I really want to see my little sister find her other half… uhum…"

Then, before I could react, she set the trap.

"Kaveh? Yes?"

I stared at her, speechless.

Dina burst into laughter. "Oh come on, don't look at me like that! You two have good chemistry."

I rolled my eyes. "Dina, stop."

She smirked. "I'm just saying… I've noticed things."

I shook my head, but deep inside, I couldn't ignore the small, nagging thought—had she really noticed something, or was this just another one of her tricks?

Dina looked at me with warmth in her eyes. "I'm your sister. I love you. I want to see you happy. Tell me."

My heart was pounding. I hesitated for a moment, then finally whispered, "Y… yes!"

A huge grin spread across her face. "You damn smart, Aamz," she muttered under her breath.

Without another word, she grabbed her phone and quickly typed a message.

You won!

Then, before I could react, she pulled me into a tight hug.

It felt nice—having a sister who was so supportive, so excited for me.

I pulled back slightly. "Dina… what exactly did he win?"

She just winked. "You'll see."

My stomach flipped. I had a feeling things were about to change.

At our next work session, Aamz was talking less than before but still leading with his usual humor. At one point, he said:

"As for software testers, we have Dorsa, who can spot a bug like an eagle… and Kaveh, well, he's just like a clueless user who somehow stumbles upon the most critical issues. Haha!"

Everyone laughed, even Kaveh, who shook his head with a smirk. No one felt bullied—it was just Aamz's way of keeping things light.

As the discussion continued, I found myself stealing glances at Kaveh. He was focused, taking notes, occasionally exchanging looks with me. Dina noticed and nudged me playfully under the table.

After the meeting, Aamz leaned back and stretched. "Alright, we have a plan. Dorsa and Kaveh, you handle testing. I'll work on the core logic. The rest of you, check your tasks. Let's get moving."

As we wrapped up, Dina whispered to me, "So… are you going to talk to him, or should I?"

I blushed. "Dina, stop!"

She grinned. "Fine. But don't let a good chance slip away, little sister."

Dina said, "I have no doubt he likes you too. Just make him confess while you two are testing software."

She then smiled mischievously and added, "I can't wait for the time when the four of us go out in the evenings, spending time together..."

It felt unbelievably nice to be a subject of Dina's attention. For so long, everything had been about her struggles, her plans, her love for Aamz. And now, she was genuinely excited for me.

The thought of Kaveh confessing made my heart race a little. I wasn't sure how to bring it up, but I knew one thing—I wanted to.

But weeks passed, and things remained unchanged. The team finished the first project and moved on to the second, but nothing between Kaveh and me had developed, except for our testing sessions.

It was hard to see no progress, yet it was still sweet to see him every day.

Dina was still incredibly supportive, never letting me fall into hopelessness.

One evening during our session, I saw Dina and Aamz whispering. I heard Aamz say, "That is not acceptable. They must connect soon. Leave it to me."

Dina asked, "What do you want to do?"

Aamz ignored her and typed something on his laptop for a few minutes. Then, with a little smirk, he said loudly, "Look, everyone. The first version of the core API I wrote is ready. Now, only Dorsa and Kaveh can access it. Send requests to it and test the response together, right now."

The others gave a brief, puzzled look before going back to their tasks.

Kaveh and I began testing the API. We sent a request, and the response was: You two love each other. Now, both of you confess by sending the second request in the following format...

My heart skipped a beat as I stared at the message. It felt almost surreal.

I was frozen. Kaveh turned pale. Aamz, once again, said loudly, "Come on, Kaveh! I'm watching my screen waiting for the second request. You stupid boy! I don't have all day to wait for you!"

To everyone else, this was just another moment in the routine.

I watched as Kaveh copied the format from the first request and sent the second one. A second later, Aamz exclaimed, "Haha, congratulations!"

Before he could say more, Dina suddenly interrupted with an excited laugh, stopping him.

"Wait, wait!" she said, her eyes wide with anticipation. "I want to see how this turns out. Let's not rush it."

Aamz looked a bit surprised but nodded, leaning back in his chair with a grin. "Okay, okay, let's see what happens next," he said, as everyone shifted their focus to the screen.

That was the simple way we finally started our journey.

Kaveh seemed like a really good guy—respectful, good-looking, and everything just seemed to fit between us.

Good days began to unfold, and for a while, everything seemed to fall into place.

That evening, Aamz made two bank transfers for us, and as he said goodbye, he added, "Use this for the first gifts to each other. Anything in advance is on you both."

Then, he left, and the room felt quieter.

As Aamz left, Dina and I sat in silence for a moment, both processing the generosity and the unexpected shift in our lives. The weight of the day lingered, but there was a sense of relief. For the first time in weeks, everything felt like it was finally falling into place.

"Thank you," I whispered to Dina.

She smiled softly, her eyes filled with warmth. "We're in this together, always."

The future still felt uncertain, but in that moment, I knew we had each other, and that was enough to face whatever came next.