But the sheikh did not love them. He broke them.

For him, every woman was not a wife but a thing, a possession. On the back of each, he left a red mark – a symbol of belonging.

It was not just an ornament: the mark meant they had lost their freedom forever. None of the wives had the right to leave the harem or even contact their families.

So it went on for many years. But then one day, she appeared.