At 14, I was abandoned at the Dubai airport because of a joke from my envious brother.

I didn’t understand what he meant.

When I stepped away to refill my water bottle, he took my passport from my backpack. I didn’t notice until we were at the gate.

“Where’s your passport?” my mother snapped.

I froze. I searched my bag again and again, panic rising like fire in my chest.

“I—I had it,” I stammered.

My brother shrugged dramatically. “Maybe you lost it. Always so careless.”