When I Love, When I Hate

Layla sat on the bed, considering the ways out of the mess she and her family were in. She had options, but they were rather few.

She took out her phone, not sure if she could handle all this on her own. She needed someone else’s view on it. She dialed a number and it rang.

“Good morning, Luke,” she greeted, immediately she picked the call.

“Layla calling me before seven in the morning is never a good sign. Layla greeting me first thing after I pick the call is an even worse sign. Layla doing both? There really must be fire on the mountain,” Luke joked. 

Layla chuckled as her mood lightened. Luke had been her friend since they were kids. His mom used to work for the family as a chef, and even after her death, they had both maintained communication with each other.

“So… what’s bothering you? I can tell something’s up, what’s wrong?” Luke asked.

Layla sighed and looked at the ceiling. “I don’t know where to start Luke,” she said with a shaky voice. 

“How about you start from the last time I saw you?” Luke suggested. “Yesterday just before the rain.”

“Okay,” she said and exhaled loudly. “Harison broke up with me last night.”

“What?” Luke was shocked. He was expecting her to say a lot of things, mostly relating to the issue with her grandfather. He hadn’t expected this. “Why? What happened?” 

Layla sighed and began to explain what happened the previous night, from the moment she entered the house till she left.

“What in the world!” Luke exclaimed. “How the hell could he have done that to you? Hope you found a place to wait out that storm last night?” Luke asked, not sure of what to focus on, her well-being or how he was going to make Harison pay.

“No, I didn’t. I got a ride in Ryan’s car.”

“Who?” 

“Ryan Martinez,” she replied.

“Wait? Ryan Martinez? As in Billionaire Prince Ryan?” Luke asked dramatically.

“Yeah.”

“He drove you home?” Luke was beginning to lose sight of the Harison issue. 

“It was his house he took me to, I am there now.”

“What?” Luke exclaimed. “Did he… you know?” Luke asked if they had sex without asking.

“No! God no,” Layla shook her head. “The problem though is that he made me an offer, be his lady in exchange for his help with my granddad and family’s debts.”

“Really?” Luke was surprised. “What did you say?”

“No,” Layla shrugged.

“What? Why?”

“Because it is wrong… it is… I just can’t go and…”

“You still have feelings for Harison,” Luke understood her hesitation. Of course she still liked Harison, it had just been one night. She still probably saw hope that they could get back together, hope that Evelina was just to make her jealous.

Layla sighed. “Haris hurt me, he really hurt me last night, but… I just can’t get up and forget about him. What if there is still a chance we could get back together?” she said. “Sure, Ryan is richer than Haris, but it is not about the money for me. Haris can take care of me, I am not an extravagant person and…”

“Stop it Layla!” Luke raised his voice. “The way I see it, you have three options, go into more debt, but almost no one is willing to loan money to you. Secondly, accept Ryan’s proposal, and third, follow your heart and go after Harison. But I have always told you babe, I hate that dude. I would literally rather have you as a nun than let you marry him, but… if you still want him, then give it one more chance. But promise me, only one more chance. You will move one if it doesn’t work out.”

Layla was hesitant at first but agreed. Alright, here is what you are going to do, call him and set up a dinner date to talk about your relationship. If he isn’t willing to work it out, then you have to forget him. Deal?”

“Deal,” Layla sighed. They talked on for a bit before ending the call.

As agreed, she called Harison’s line and it went through.

“Hey Haris,” she said with the sweetest voice she could find as he picked the call.

“What do you want?” Harison replied with an unfeeling tone.

“Hari, can we please talk?”

“We are talking now aren’t we?” he replied with stone cold emotions.

“Hari… please,” she pressed.

“Ugh… fine, what do you want?” he groaned.

“Could we meet at the Seven Queens Eatery? It was where we had our first date, remember?” she said, smiling at the memory.

“No, I don't remember,” Harison ruined her moment. “I will be free by 7:30 tonight.”

“Thank you,” Layla said with a tone of gratitude.

“Yeah, whatever,” Harison said and cut the call.

~.~.~

Five minutes to the agreed time, Layla was already seated at the eatery. She had reserved the same spot they had sat in on their first date. She was doing everything possible to make sure she could at least restore one or two warm memories for him. She even wore the dress she had worn that night. 

She checked her watch after a while and it was already 7:50 but no sign of him.

“Maybe he is just running slightly late, he did say he’d be free by 7:30, maybe he meant he’ll be done with other plans by 7:30. He should be here in a while,” she made up an excuse for him in her head.

8 o’clock, 8:30, customers came and left and some even returned, but no sign of Harison. 

“Ma’am, someone made a 9 o’clock reservation for your table,” a waitress came to inform her. “We will be needing this space.”

“Alright, I can just wait at another table,” Layla smiled wryly as she changed tables.

By 9:20, she felt ridiculous as the other couple were already done with their meal and leaving. She had been here for two hours now and nothing. She could hear the waiters murmur and the customers that had been there with their companions since she entered looked at her with pity.

Layla felt tears well up in her eyes. She felt stupid for even considering this. She stood up and quickly left. Harison was off her list of options, her love for him was now in the past. Now she felt only hatred for him.

She went straight home, she had talked to someone and they had agreed to dedicate an aspect of their party to fundraising to help her granddad. She had to prepare for the party.

~.~.~

Harison walked into a party hall, he had been invited to represent his father. He went alone because Evelina was busy. 

He had just greeted a few people as his father had instructed and was on his way to the bar when he saw Layla walk into the hall.

She was dressed in an armless, black, silk gown that hugged her skin tightly. She wore a sleek silver high heel and silver jewelry to match. It was the dress Ryan had given her recently. 

Harison watched her join the party, mesmerized by her looks. He didn’t even realize when she found her way to him.

“See something you like?” she said, snapping him out of his lustful thoughts. “Well, I do,” she said and intentionally brushed her hand against the bulge in his pants, making him extremely self-conscious.

“What do you want? What are you doing here?” Harison said, looking uneasy.

“Well, like I said, I saw something I like,” she said and took out her phone from her silver purse. “Remember how you said I was boring for not wanting to make you spend?” she asked as she clacked away on her phone’s screen. “Well, you were right. That was boring. So, I looked up your net worth last night and I found out something, ten percent of your net worth is five million dollars,” she said and feigned a shocked expression.

“Now, I am not really greedy, but I don’t want to be boring either, so… I want to have ten percent of that five million.”

“What? Are you mad?” Harison was taken aback.

“Maybe,” she shrugged. “But I know your father will be gods-damned furious when he finds out…” she paused and leaned in closer to his ears and whispered, “… that his son has been having sex with his wife.”

Harison stumbled back at that, almost falling into a tray of champagne.

“What the hell kind of accusation is that?”

“Why don’t we let your father decide?” she said and played a video and showed it to Harison.

His eyes widened at the sight.

“What a shame. Having sex with your stepmother,” Layla shook her head. “I wonder what your dad would do when he gets this video,” she shook her head and sent the video to his father on W******p.

“Wait, stop!” Harison yelled, attracting attention. 

“Well, I am using a 2G network so it is moving very, very slowly. Let’s see if you can transfer five hundred thousand dollars faster on your 5G network,” Layla smirked.

Harison was sweating as he hurriedly took out his phone and began making the transfer. He kept making mistakes, but eventually it went through.

“Done, it is done, cancel it,” he showed her proof. 

She smiled and canceled the video transfer.

“Thank you, sweet thing,” she smirked and tapped his face.

“Why are you doing this?” Harison asked her as she turned to leave.

Layla turned to him with a smile. “Because, when I love, I love with all my heart, and when I hate, I hate with my head and heart,” she smirked, blew him an air guess and vanished into the crowd.

Up in the gallery Ryan nodded slowly as he watched them, he didn’t catch everything, but from the little he heard, he understood Layla better, she was a fighter, and he liked that, but so was he. He wanted her for his reasons, and he was going to get her.

He took out his phone and placed a call. “Do it, now.”