Ayla
The smell of coffee, sausages and baked bread wafted into my nose, making my stomach lurch. My eyes were still closed, but I was aware of my surroundings, including light steps towards the king size bed. I turned, then opened my eyes, coming face to face with Kaleb, with a tray of breakfast in his hands. "Good morning Ayla, I hope I didn't wake you up." Kaleb placed the tray on the bedside table. "I was," I paused, letting out a cough when my throat burned. "I was already up. Good morning." I forced a smile at him as he opened a mini-fridge beside the bedside table. There was nothing good about the morning, just pain, my frail body, nausea and a saturated mind. "Here, take this first." He opened a sealed bottle of cold water from the refrigerator, then handed it to me. I gladly chugged the water in large gulps, closing my eyes as the cold liquid soothed my parched throat. "Thank you," I placed the bottle on the table. "I didn't know what you'd love for breakfast so I made coffee, sausages and baked bread." He beckoned me to sit up. "Thank you, but why doesn't Marise prepare your meals?" I asked. I had never seen Roman in the chicken, even for something as simple as getting a glass of water for himself. He always sent Marise or me to do everything for him, so to see Kaleb cooking was quite surprising for me. "I love making my own food Ayla. Now please eat." He scooted further so that I'd be able to reach the tray. The thought of eating sausages had my stomach lurching yet again, making me cover my mouth. A sick uncontrollable sound came from my throat, just as I felt my stomach contents forcefully rising up. I jumped out of bed, stumbling on my feet towards the bathroom where I emptied the contents. The gagging sounds I made, disgusted me, triggering my gag reflex again and again until my stomach became empty. "Easy Ayla, easy," Kaleb soothed behind me, rubbing my back as I knelt down, my head over the toilet. When I was done I brushed my teeth, rinsed my mouth and washed my face. "Are you coming down with something? We need to get you checked up by the family doctor." The concern in his voice no matter how much he tried covering it with a flat tone was still detectable. "I'm not sick, trust me. I just need more sleep." I couldn't tell Kaleb that I was pregnant, not when he could tell his step-brother. "Then eat to replace what you have lost." How was I going to tell him that the smell of sausages was the trigger without making him feel like I didn't want them? I thought, going back to his overly comfortable mine. Not even my own bed felt so good, perhaps it was Roman's presence that made it feel so plain. "I don't mean to sound rude but, I just want bananas right now and a glass of yorghurt." I lowered my face, only to feel his fingers under my chin, after he sat on the bed beside me. He lifted my face up gently, his eyes looking straight into mine. Unable to hold the contact, I lowered mine to his lips, then his Adam's apple as it bobbed up and down. "You are not rude for asking for what you want, you have every right to make your own choice." If only Roman was half as understanding and patient as Kaleb was, then maybe he would have given us more time. He wouldn't have ended up betraying me with Danica, but the damage was already done. "Okay," I whispered, letting my eyes roam around the room to avoid looking at him. It was the first time that I had really taken in the details on his face, his grey sexy eyes, a light neat stubble, and tempting juicy lips that I wanted so much to taste. 'That's your in-law, stop it.' I chastised myself internally for letting such thoughts about Kaleb occupy my mind for a moment. "Did you hear me?" he asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Huh?" I blinked rapidly. "I'll call Marise to bring the bananas from the central wing because I don't have them in mine." "What if she sees me?" I fidgeted on the bed, making his oversized shirt rise above the middle of my thighs. I could have sworn I heard him take in a shallow breath, but he covered it with a light cough. "Are you scared she'll tell Roman?" He raised an eyebrow. "Yes," I admitted. "Well what if she does. You were out at night alone, with no shoes on, no phone or any bank card on you. He should be grateful that I found you before criminals did." As he spoke, I dreaded seeing Roman again, with Danica in his arms, where I was supposed to be. "You still haven't told me what happened to your face and why you wanted to get ran over," he continued, his words reminding me of Roman's nonchalant look as I was being dragged away. "I fell down and hit my face," I lied, avoiding eye contact with him. "But—" the sound of the door being forcefully pushed open stopped him mid-sentence. Roman barged in, his eyes looking at his step-brother before they landed on me. His lips were set into a hard line with chest pushed forward. "How dare you barge into my room like that?" Kaleb hissed, getting up from the bed. "My own wife? Have you no shame Kaleb?" Roman spat, his eyes warping into a miserable black. "Wait," Kaleb held his hand in the air, then let out a chuckle. "Don't tell me you think that I fucked her," he spoke, shaking his head. "You have always wanted to fuck her, do you think I didn't see you eyeing her before you left the city?" Roman stepped forward, daring his step-brother. "So now the thought of Kaleb sleeping with me is infuriating you?" I chimed in, sizing him up and down. "Shut the fuck up!" he retaliated, pointing at me. "Or what? You got my best friend pregnant and as if that wasn't enough you brought her to our home, but when it's my turn to do the same is where you draw the line, right?" I draped my feet over the edge of the bed, looking as he squinted his eyes. "You cheated on Ayla with Danica? Jesus Roman what the hell is wrong with you?" Kaleb pulled his head back, looking at his brother with an eyebrow pulled up. "In case you forgot you are still my wife." The audacity had my insides boiling. "And in case you forgot you slapped me and kicked me out in the cold, at night with nothing but a hundred dollars. Wasn't I your wife when you did that? Did you forget that I was your fucking wife when you went after Danica?" With every word my voice arose, as I walked towards him, my nostrils flaring incessantly. "So that's why you were standing in the middle of the road to get run over." Kaleb stated in realization, as I closed my eyes, trying to push down the burning feeling inside of me. "What are you talking about?" Roman asked, looking at Kaleb then at me. "You heard me you dimwit, Ayla wanted to end it all yesterday because of your selfishness. How could you throw her out like that?" It was the first time since my parents perished in a grisly road accident that someone was defending me against Roman. "She was hurt and alone, so I had to bring her back," Kaleb added. "B-ut," Roman stammered, brushing his hand over his gelled hair. "I am glad Kaleb saved me because it would have been so stupid of me to end my life carelessly because of your selfishness." I breathed, feeling a familiar throb in my temples begin to brew. "You and Danica have a child on the way, you have what you have always wanted. I want a divorce," I deadpanned, raising my face and pushing my chest forward. "How about no?" That voice, so commanding and ice cold. Catarina, Roman's mother and Kaleb's mother walked in gracefully, sizing me up and down from my head to my toes. "Mom?" Both men called, their eyes widening simultaneously. "Imagine my shock when Marise directs me here immediately after my arrival from my wonderful vacation?" She was always a pain in my ass, reminding me everyday that I was useless without her family. "Is it true that Danica is carrying your child son?" She pulled Roman down for a hug, tapping his back twice. "Yes mom," he answered, making her lips stretch into a smile. "I knew she wouldn't disappoint unlike this good for nothing barren woman here." Her words had a lump growing in my throat. So she knew all along that Roman was cheating on me with my best friend and was okay with it. "You two are nothing but conniving evil people," Kaleb spat, moving near me. There was always a wedge between him and his mom and an even bigger one between him and Roman. "Conniving for wanting a grandchild?" His mother faked hurt, placing her manicured hand on her chest. "Oh what do you know about having a child when all you do is fuck around?" she added, making Kaleb's upper lip twitch, while Roman smirked victoriously. "And you." She pointed at me. "My son will not give you any divorce until you repay every cent we spent on your wedding. I knew from the start that you were a gold-digger and so I tricked you into signing an agreement after the wedding." I remembered she had requested my signature for a document she had said was about the family estate. A proof of my addition into the Miller's. "Oh my god," I whispered, placing my hands above my head. "That's right Ayla. From today, you will be working as a maid in this mansion for one year without any pay, as a repayment for the money we have spent on you." Her words had me feeling numb all over. "If you don't, you will be arrested as per the agreement. So the choice is yours; work as a maid, or spent time behind bars."Ayla"Is this how your dead mother taught you how to make chicken fried rice?" Catarina spat, dropping her spoon on the glass dining table with a clink. I ground my teeth, her words making me want to force the food down her throat, and bash her face on the table. It was one thing insulting me, but bringing my mother into the mix was entirely a different one."Get back in that kitchen and make me something else!" She ordered, throwing her napkin at me, pinning her cold gaze at me."What's wrong with this one?" I asked, holding her gaze with my chin tilted upwards."Excuse me!" She squinted her eyes, pushing her chair backward with force as she stood."How dare you talk back at me?" I ground my teeth together, with my mouth sealed shut."Mom?" Danica's voice drifted into the luxurious dining room. Even though it had just been a week, the two seemed to have just clicked. Catarina pampered Nika every time, a treatment she hadn't accorded to me as her son's wife."Hey honey," Catarina repl
AylaI stood against the door of my small servant quarters space, my heart pounding, still reeling from the shock of my husband's words. "I can't believe you'd stoop so low as far as faking a pregnancy for pity."My head span, making me slide against the door and onto the cold floor, despite my aching joints and muscles. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms as a boiling feeling envoloped me. How could Roman think I was lying about his own child? Instead of hope and love, all he had subjected me to was rejection and insults."Why would you do this to me, Roman?" I whispered, the tugging chest in my pain making me close my eyes tightly.I remembered our wedding day, my trembling lips spreading into a painful smile. My mind pushed one memory after another, each one of them making my eyes burn. Though blurry, I stared at the ring on my finger, a choking sound coming out of my throat. To me it meant everything, but to Roman it was just like any other simple jewelry. Wasn't ther
Kaleb"Absolutely not! Are you out of your mind, Kaleb?" My mom shouted, placing her glass of wine on the oak table."What is wrong with you?" Roman asked, unwrapping his hand from Danica's ugly back. They were in the backyard, enjoying their Sunday, chatting and giggling while Ayla was running up and down serving them and running every errand they wanted."Ayla cannot and will not work as your secretary. She is not going to stop being a maid in this house," my mom spat, while I remained standing unfazed, my hands comfortably pocketed in my pants."She's facing the consequences of being a gold digger," Danica chimed in, chewing her ball gum loudly with her mouth open. I knew something about her was wrong when I met her for the first time before the wedding."Who asked you to talk? This is a family issue; shut up." I dismissed her, letting my lips stretch into a short smirk when her jaw dropped down."Don't talk to her like that; she's carrying my child; she's family," Roman defended,
Ayla "Thank you so much," I whispered, staring at my hands on my lap as I sat in Kaleb's office, right in front of his office desk. It all felt surreal to a point that I had to pinch myself to make sure that it wasn't a dream. I had no idea how he had managed to convince Catarina to let me work in the company, but I was glad I was no longer a fucking maid. "It's nothing, Ayla," he assured, flashing a smile and a wink that had me almost melting. "Where do I start?" Even though I felt so weak, I wanted to start work immediately. The only thing that I was dreading was having to deal with Roman. It was no secret that I would be seeing him in the company, since he was a co-CEO of his father's pharmaceutical company. "About that," Kaleb dropped his pen on his desk, then leaned on his swivel chair, holding my gaze. I fidgeted under his stare, looking everywhere around him but not at him. "Since you didn't get enough sleep last night, how about you rest up? We will officially begin tomor
Kaleb I typed furiously on my computer keyboard, trying to get rid of Ayla's creamy thighs out of my mind. My dick was painfully hard, pressing on the zipper of my slacks, demanding release. I had to press my legs together for some friction, which worsened the situation. "Damn it!" I swore, leaning on the back of my chair, running my hands on my face. "What's gotten you so worked up?" Dean's voice drifted into my ears, making me withdraw my hands from my face. "You fucker, when did you come to Nashville?" I sat up, tapping my foot on the floor. "A few minutes ago, only to find you talking to yourself. Have you suddenly gone mad?" He teased, closing the door behind him. He was supposed to be in Memphis, but his unnaounced travel to Nashville meant that something serious had happened. "No man," I heaved a sigh, making no effort to stand and give him a bro hug. He eyed me suspiciously, trying to decipher what I was hiding. We hadn't been friends since college for nothing; he knew m
Ayla I felt as if a bucket of cold ice had been poured on my head, freezing my brain into place. I could hear Catarina's and Danica's loud, harsh laugh echoing through the air, following me as I hightailed towards my room behind the mansion. I tried unlocking the door, but my hands were trembling, fumbling with the lock. "Ayla!" Kaleb called, an edge in his loud voice as he sounded closer. "Come on," I whispered to the stupid lock, trying to keep my hands steady. "Ayla." Another one followed, louder and rougher, thundering in the air. I tried pushing the door for one last time, but it wouldn't budge. I looked at the right, then at the left, my saturated mind finding it hard to make a decision. In the end, I just ran around the quarters, heading for the backyard. Kaleb's voice kept on sounding further and further as I passed by the swimming pool and got near the first line of trees. The mansion sat on a vast piece of land, with the well-mowed backyard stretching into a man-mad
Ayla"No, you're coming with me." Kaleb steered me in the direction of his wing when I tried to walk to my room."But—""No buts, Ayla. You haven't had dinner, and I know you don't have food in your room, and you don't want to go to the main kitchen. So how about I fix some leftovers for you?" As if on cue, my stomach rumbled, making me drop my eyes to my feet."At least I know you are hungry." He chuckled, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand."I know right now you might be feeling like you're the unluckiest woman on earth," he began, his voice soothing."But trust me, Ayla, it is going to get better," he added, making me press my teeth together in thought."When?" I stopped walking."When is it going to get better? Can't you see that my husband is expecting a child with a woman who was my best friend, and that they are even illegally married?" I heaved, the feeling of lightheadedness returning."I don't know, but you just have to keep on pushing for the sake of my niece or nep
Kaleb"What's going on between you two?" Dean asked the moment we got inside the office after a meeting."Between me and who?" I acted clueless, taking off my coat."Don't act dumb. You think I didn't see the way you two couldn't even look at each other out there?" He wiggled his eyebrows, sitting at the chair opposite mine in the office."I don't know what you are talking about," I lied smoothly."Come on, Kaleb. You've been keeping me in the dark since I came from Memphis. What's really going on?" Dean switched from playing to being serious, making me sigh as I sat down."Ayla came across an open tab of pure porn in my TV browser," I finally revealed, pinching the bridge of my nose."But you don't watch porn, or am I missing something?" He leaned on his chair, rotating it as he studied me."That's the thing, Dean, I don't watch, but..." I let out another sigh."Since I came back, I haven't had sex. I was horny one day ago and decided to just try watching Smut. I didn't even know I h
Kaleb"What the hell, dude, did someone die?" Dean's loud voice filled my ears, making me scrunch my face up."Lower your voice." I forced the words out, holding a whole bottle of Hennessy in my living room, seated on the sofa."Seriously? You missed an important meeting with investors to drink yourself to stupor?" he barked, walking towards me."I haven't seen Ayla either, and no one is picking up their phones. Are you guys okay?" he asked."Ayla?" he called, looking around."Good luck getting an answer from her," I muttered, taking a big gulp of the liquid. I barely felt it as it burnt my throat; after all, the burn was nothing compared to the tugging feeling in my chest."It's 11 for goodness sake, Kaleb! When have you ever missed work just to stupidly drown yourself with alcohol?" Dean attempted to snatch the bottle away from me, but I hid it behind me, giving him a wavering glare."She has refused to talk to me," I said, my voice shaky."Who, Ayla?" Dean probed, sitting beside me
AylaI pressed a fist on my trembling lips, my thoughts spinning in my head. Kaleb's mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. All I could feel at that point was a barrage of emotions that left my body crumpling in on itself."A child," I uttered in a low yet shaky voice."Now I get it...the messages." I swallowed hard, past a growing lump in my throat."Baby, I can explain." I could now hear his voice from afar, filled with hesitation and heaviness.I forced a painful laugh out."Explain what, Kaleb?" I asked softly."How many motherfucking times did you have the chance to come clean? I asked you if everything was okay. You denied knowing anything about the number, over and over again," I whispered the last part, pushing myself off the bed. My body felt as if it had been hit by a bomb, but then I couldn't stay another minute near such a lying coward."You know the worst part?" I closed my eyes, listening to my heart beat as it seemed to slow down."You never thought to
Kaleb"What was that?" I shouted at Amanda over the phone in my bedroom at the mansion."What was what Kaleb?" she sweetly inquired, her nonchalance over the matter making my patience thin."You know fucking well what I am talking about." I was minutes away from hunting her down and putting her in her place."Well consider that a warning love," she responded, giggling at the end."What?" I asked."When the results come, and you find out that indeed you are Leo's father, I expect your unwavering attention and participation in his life," she explained, her tone of voice becoming more serious."What is that supposed to mean?" I leaned on the wall, my emotions all over."You cannot be there for Leo while you are parading around and investing your time in that good for nothing poverty ridden girl. So, I will send her a message containing every piece of information you have been hiding from her. Trust me I know that you haven't told her a thing about our son." My grip around the phone tight
Ayla"Baby, please talk to me," Kaleb begged as I walked out of my office. It seemed he had been standing by the door, waiting for me to step out."You haven't said a word to me since yesterday, Ayla," he added, following me as I headed straight to the cafeteria. I had woken up before him and had used an uber to get to the office, without eating anything."I won't stop following you until you talk to me or let me explain myself," he muttered behind me.I hadn't slept a wink, wondering why he would lie not once but twice. What was so important that he couldn't have told me? I had a mild ache in my head, and I had to keep swallowing the urge to cry."Good morning," Randolf greeted us confidently when the elevator opened. He moved a little bit back to allow us some space as we got in. Instead of answering, Kaleb gave him a nod, while I bit down the urge to call him on his scheme with Roman.From the way he was carrying himself, he thought that he had covered his tracks very well."Are yo
Kaleb"I can't believe you really agreed to this," Dean spoke in a low voice beside me at the private clinic, in the waiting bay."She offered, so I agreed because I need to prove that, that child is mine, and DNA is the only accurate way I know," I defended, supporting my upper body weight with my elbows on my thighs."Exactly, offered." He waved his hand in the air, probably out of frustration."Why are you not asking yourself why Amanda would just volunteer for a DNA test even before you asked her to?" The tone of his voice changed to something I couldn't quite explain."Because she is telling the truth maybe. That boy could be my son, I mean he's four years old and Amanda left five years, ago, while she was in her early pregnancy stages," I paused, wondering whether I was trying to convince myself, or my best friend Dean."Yes Amanda, fucking broke me but if that child is mine, he deserves to have a father in his life," I finished, the thought of being a father making me feel thi
Ayla"Something is not adding up here," I spoke softly to myself, staring at one of the printed records. Kaleb had demanded the files from Randolf, who had no choice but to hand them over to me. I still remembered the way he glared at me sharply while I picked the files with Kaleb on my side, smiling victoriously. I could feel my heart pounding as I looked at line after line, and that is when I noticed that some transaction entries had been rounded off to neat figures."Did someone you know get lost?" Dean asked when I entered his office after one knock, carrying the files and a laptop."Well, if money qualifies as someone, then I think much of it has been lost," I answered, opening the files."I need your help." I sat down, looking as he pulled one of the opened files."What am I looking at?" He asked in all seriousness, pulling his chair closer to his desk."These payments, they are too clean, and some of them are very little compared to the amount of money a company of such magnitu
Kaleb "I would have never thought of something like this if it weren't for Ayla." I rotated on a swivel chair in Dean's office, looking as he compared the vans further on his monitor. It was on Monday, two days after the shooting fiasco at the mansion. I was yet to visit Marise, too, held up. "Me too, at least we have a connection between Roman and Rex. The question is, does Roman know that Rex is Ayla's uncle, and what business exactly are they contacting?" Ayla and I had asked similar questions, and we were willing to uncover every layer of secrets slowly by slowly. "With everything that is happening, I am beginning to think that I don't really know Roman and Mom like I've always thought I do." Things all of a sudden were taking turns that I really couldn't have anticipated. "First it was Amanda, then Randolf, now Marise and Rex. We haven't even uncovered what all of them are up to, and yet things keep on getting complicated," Dean pointed out, pausing his hand movement on the m
AylaThe mansion was utter chaos as Catarina screamed all over, insisting that there was an intruder. The police had arrived and scoured the entire compound, including the forest, and no one turned up. There was no sign of forced entry into Marise's quarters, and the guards on both entrances had not opened up for anyone."Ma'am, how did you know that your housekeeper had been shot?" One of the detectives asked.We were seated in the central living room with two detectives, Danica and Kaleb. Roman wasn't back yet, and Kaleb was yet to tell me what they had discovered about him. But that could wait until the current situation was under control."I heard the shot," Catarina answered, her eyes widening a fraction as if she was reliving the whole ordeal."I quickly got up and looked through my bedroom window, and that is when I saw a man running out of Marise's quarters, into the back," she added, rocking back and forth."I was so sc-are-d," she stammered, her body visibly trembling. Somet
Kaleb"Is it possible that Roman knows we are onto him?" I asked Dean as we waited by the diversion from the mansion that led to the highway for Roman."Chill, dude. It's only 10 minutes past 11," Dean scoffed, tapping on the steering wheel of his Mercedes S-class."Fine." I exhaled deeply, my eyes on the road."You should tell her," Dean spoke after a minute or so of silence, staring right ahead."Huh?" I shifted on the seat."Ayla, she deserves to know about Amanda and the child. She will not stop looking until she finds out who's texting her; we both know that," he carefully stated, his voice low."You think I don't know that?" I pinched the bridge of my nose just as Roman's BMW zoomed past at a high speed."There we go, told you he'd come." Dean followed him at a distance into the highway, making sure not to lose sight of him.It didn't take long before he veered off the main road into a dirt road that had trees on either side. There was no sign of any homes or cars, just the soun