Layla
I smoothed the hem of my skirt as he zipped up his pants. His fingers raked through his dark hair, and he drew up the blinds. I watched him intently while he was backing me. I guessed Ethan didn't know how domineering he was whenever we made love, but it was something I had known and lived with since our marriage two years ago. Not only that, but I wondered if other couples came off together because we never did.He was less concerned about giving me an orgasm and always tends to satisfy his dick first as he pleases.He walked over to where I was seated on his desk and pinned his arms on both sides of the table. He slowly kissed my lower lip, and then he nibbled on my earlobe."I'll see you at home." His soft breath tickled my ear."Don't you want to have lunch with me?" I questioned, staring into his formidable sepia eyes, tilting my head slightly at him, a warm smile creeping its way slowly on my lips."I need to sort out some things. You can have lunch without me." He said, moving away from me and going around his desk to seat in his swivel chair.He pissed me off all the time that I craved to spend quality time with him, but if we were not having sex, he was kissing the life out of me. I wanted more than physical intimacy, but Ethan wouldn't understand. He always desired to satisfy his libido first."But you promised me lunch today, remember? We could order in...""Try to understand Layla, the position I hold in this company requires undiluted concern and, besides, you can have lunch with Chloe. She'd be more than happy to have you around." He cut me off before I could finish my sentence.I got down from his desk and turned to him. Undiluted concern? He preferred sex during the lunch hour to having lunch with me, and he claimed it meant his attention was undiluted. I shouldn't be surprised."I'm leaving," I spoke, deciding to drop what was on my mind to say. It was of no use, no matter how hard I tried to make him feel affectionate towards me, and turned towards the exit."Have a nice day." His voice came after. I realized he wasn't the type to re-consider, and he won't.He doesn't know how hurts me with his nonchalant attitude.I was upset, but I was helpless. I knew I was going to see him at home after closing hour, but I was going to have my panties down, eventually. We wouldn't do anything together.As I closed the door behind me, I remembered my father used to be in that same position Ethan now prided himself on. Time had changed!I utterly missed my father, and it made me recollect the day he passed away.He owed his life to an illness and death that took him away. A tear trickled down my cheek. I used to be the Princess who would hop into this same office and do as I liked. It was no longer the same.My phone chimed.It was a text from Mrs. Carter. I wiped my face immediately.'Come to the penthouse right away.' That was what the text read.I imagined what my stepmother could have for me this time. It couldn't be a blind date with a businessman she was targeting in the industry, she had married me off already.It also couldn't be my signature on one of the company's documents, she and Ethan were in total control.I doubted if I was even a latent partner. I couldn't guess the surprise she had for me.My stomach grumbled, I was seriously hungry... I glared at Ethan's door, he was the cause of it all. He often withdrew his words to suit himself, and I didn't think it was fair enough.Anyway, maybe Mrs. Carter might have lunch prepared at the penthouse.The penthouse was right on top of the building and Mrs. Carter sometimes lounged there with her bevy of friends, entertained by several bottles of wine, food, and masseurs.She was the kind of woman who knew what she wanted and always hit right on it.She had been my guardian since I was seven, and she had trained me to be the woman I was.Likewise, she was the most elegant and practical woman I ever knew.My father had gotten engaged to her in Laos when he went on a business trip. As I had accompanied him, from what I could remember, I knew she had been hired to babysit me for a day or two. I never really knew where and when my father met her, although I had happened to come across some peculiar photos of her and her colleagues in waitresses' uniforms.When I reached the room where she especially liked to stay, I knocked on the door."Come in." Her voice came from the other side. It was a sharp voice, one could never spot humor in it. However, once or twice I heard her laugh among her peers. Everyone knew she loved to have fun, despite the fierceness she evinced.She was calmly seated on the velvet sofa that was mounted in the middle of the room, and a wine glass was dangling between her fingers."Your lipstick is smeared all over." Her eyes were fixed on me as arched an eyebrow at me.She quietly watched as I took out my compact mirror from my purse quickly. I felt silly for not having fixed my make-up after I left Ethan's office. My face was usually distorted after his French kisses."So you both still do it in his office?" She sipped carefully. I took my seat, remembering the awkward moment when she had once walked in on us."Actually, Ethan is like that." I flushed.She nodded."I am pleased to know you are being a wonderful wife to him." She said and I nodded.'And he's being a dickhead as a husband to me,' I thought."Why have you called me here? Do you need me to do something for you?" I inquired, I wanted to know whatever scheme she had for me and I hoped I wouldn't be leaving the country forever this time."Georgina's daughter would like someone to go shopping with her and, as it is, no one else is available but you. Do you mind?" She gazed at me."No, I don't." Georgina was Mrs. Carter's best friend, who had a naughty ten-year-old daughter called Sofia. Many times, I have babysat her, and she was really difficult to handle, but I couldn't tell this to my stepmother, it was not something she'd like to hear. Not when she was having Sherry."All right, go on...lest I forget to call the laundromat, I need to speak with the manager." She mentioned. It was always like this and I had to do this and that.She has her kids for crying out loud, why must I be the one to do everything?"Sure, ma'am... I have a feeling a secretary would be more efficient at these things... and they would get paid and--" I paused in my speech, trying to see if she could get my message, but her sharp gaze was almost tearing my flesh and I shrank."I'm sorry." I quietly apologized and looked away.She rose to her feet."You have been a good daughter since I became your guardian," she caressed my face."Are you backsliding on your duties, darling?" She raised my chin and forced me to look at her in the face."No ma'am. I just feel like a secretary will..." I tried to say."That's enough. Be nice and shop with Sofia, she's waiting." She said, finally, and excused herself while I cussed under my breath.As I stepped out of the elevator, I saw Ethan talking to one of the employees. I tried waving at him but felt he didn't see me, so I tried to get his attention, but soon more employees gathered around him, and I wasn't able to see him at all.It was often like that. Ethan was suffocated with work and everything about the company, I even felt underutilized.And as for my stepmother, she was usually uptight about duties and responsibilities. I was getting bored by it, but I was quite helpless.Perhaps I would be relieved a little when I had kids of my own to look after. Talking of kids, I yearned for one, and I couldn't believe I was still without a child despite Ethan's efforts at a passionate sex life.Ethan and I lived in a luxurious house in LA. It had everything, but I still felt it was lacking in some ways.~~~It was a long day after shopping with a naughty girl like Sofia, I slumped on the sofa. I pray I don't have a stubborn kid like her in the future.I didn't even bother to switch on the lights, apart from the one in the lobby. Likewise, I shut my eyes and I didn't know when I would doze off.Moments later, however, I thought I felt someone hovering around me, I thought I was in a dream until I was startled by a slow, sensuous stroke across my upper thigh.My eyes flung wide open.The lights were still off, but I knew it was my husband who was with me. I knew his scent."Are you awake?" He asked softly."Yeah. What's the time?" I yawned and sat upright. Ethan gave his hands a clap and the lights came on."9:15," he responded."When did you come home? You just disappeared after lunch.""You mean after 'lunch'?"He chuckled."It's okay, laugh as much as you want. I'll be in the room." I stood up to leave, but he grasped my wrist."Are you going to shower?""Yeah?"I knew what he was driving at."Let's shower together." He gave his dash and slammed his lips on mine.Slipping into the Jacuzzi tub, I let my body submerge in the warmth of the water. My eyes were weary, and they had been so tired for the past week, babysitting Sofia. Babysitting that girl was like watching over the devil.I could hear Ethan's faint grumbles coming from the bedroom. I guessed he was frustrated by something he wouldn't naturally share with me. Sporadically, I felt useless in my marriage. Other than my full participation in bed, I wasn't required to do anything else. I was so irrelevant, and it caused a sore feeling in me. I shut my eyes, and then it came vividly to me... the day I was introduced to Ethan. He was quite handsome, I had felt a tingle within me, and he had not restrained from flirting with me, which made me feel that getting along with him was the best choice, not like I had the option to reject him if I wanted to. I can remember what he told me when I told him about my desire to run the company after my father's demise."It's not that I find women inc
The doorbell rang while I was baking a cake in the kitchen. Removing my mittens, I rushed to the main door and there was a sturdy man clad in a blue pullover with a bouquet of yellow roses."Good morning ma'am. You have a package." He handed over the flowers and I collected them. I wondered who could have sent me flowers on that morning. It couldn't be Ethan, or was it, Dylan? Seriously, I thought Chloe had been busy joking when she had phoned earlier today to tell me that Dylan had requested my number, and she had given it out. But how did he find out the location of my house? My best friend must have given it to him. My phone chimed, it was a text from an unknown number and it read;"Good morning, gorgeous, it's Dylan from the restaurant. I hope you love the flowers. Read the card."I couldn't help but chuckle. What did the card say? I found his handwriting to be quite stylish when I read;'I really can't help myself, Layla. You are a beautiful woman and, although you are married,
After I had saved myself from suffering the tragedy of an allergic reaction to cauliflower, I caught a plane to Kenya, in Eastern Africa. Ethan was still extremely furious, he wouldn't even accept that he was mistaken to have forgotten about my allergy. I could have an attack for all he cared, I shouldn't have ridiculed his ignorance in front of a strange man. Now, he made me begin to feel guilty for even having had prior knowledge about the chocolate bars being made with cauliflower. I know Mrs. Carter loved to use vegetables in her desserts. It was quite unusual, but I had known it since I was a child. She called it healthy confectionery, and she fed all but cauliflower to me because she knew I was allergic to it.Georgina abandoned her daughter to spend some quality time with her African heartthrob. He was called Chege and he was a bachelor, quite younger than Georgina."You should try as much as possible to enjoy yourself over here." Georgina had winked at me when Chege's bachel
I didn't know I could safely make it to the Memorial Park. My life had suddenly been thrown into a wild turmoil. I felt I had lost my way. However, my legs brought me to my mother, to her safe bosom. My weary eyes could identify her among the thousands of souls buried on the ground. On the lichened headstone were carved the words; Madea William Carter. That was the mother I knew up until age seven. She had left me in this scary world too quickly. My father, I knew, was kilometers far away from where my mother was buried. I had come to cry on their shoulders, but I was feeling so ashamed of myself. I felt so ashamed about having been betrayed by two trusted people in my life. Their betrayal reduced me to nothing... Amidst my tears, I noticed someone was putting flowers on a grave very close to my mother's. He was all dressed in black and his skin was pale. I guessed there was someone more mournful than I was. He stared down at the grave for a moment before extracting liquor from
Ethan was convinced that I was ready to sign the divorce papers and shoved the documents across his office desk."You look great." He smirked while I was agonizingly compressing an outburst. I knew he'd love me to howl and scream like a mad and deprived woman, but I wouldn't, no matter what, I won't give him that satisfaction and act strong.I managed to put on a tight-lipped smile. However, I wanted to ask him the questions that were heavy on my heart. Afterward, I would sign the papers."Did you ever truly love me at any point in our marriage?" I tried to make my voice as firm as possible, but to my dismay, it came out shaky.He scoffed."You want to know?" He asked in the most condescending tone. I mutely nodded. I stared deeply into his eyes, I wanted to maintain those gazes of ours and watch him answer the question I had an answer to already.I shouldn't expect any consolation from his answer, but the sentimental part of me did. The woman who had given her all expected it."W
In my four years in Africa, I have learned something; that happenings in life could not be predicted at all. I had only been in Kenya for two weeks when I started to feel nauseous and dizzy. I had thought I was ill with depression, I hadn't known it was all morning sickness. However, when I didn't see my period, I immediately got an inkling that something was definitely not right. I got a pregnancy test and to my utter shock and surprise, I was pregnant. At first, I hadn't know how to respond to this revelation that I knew would entirely change my life. Nonetheless, I was subtly grateful. Though I had no idea who the father of the baby was, I had chosen to keep it."Mommy, see!" Nathan pointed at the painting we were both standing in front of."I see a dog and a cat and a little girl!" He chirruped. The painting was abstract, but my dear son saw all of these aforementioned things. It was all from his perspective..."Yes," I was saying excitedly. "I see them too. Do you see a litt
During my first trimester, I frequently had awful mood swings, which I couldn't control. I would suddenly be excited about my pregnancy, but then I would immediately recline into utter sadness. I had believed I was not myself throughout that period, but I had often engrossed myself in my designs, and it had provided some sort of relieving distraction. My phone blipped again, and I was forced to add his number to my prohibited list."What's that?" Henry asked. I guessed it was written all over my face, and I was annoyed."It's nothing." I was pissed off."Layla, I know something is wrong. What is it?" Henry persisted and I sighed."It's a disturber," I was forced to say."Shouldn't we report him or her to the police?" He chewed."Him! And sincerely, I don't want to be connected to him in any way," I stated."But he wouldn't stop bothering you...""I know, it's just that...""What?" Henry questioned, and I stared at him, making eye contact with him."He's my ex-husband," I said."What
LeoLately, it was crazy how work couldn't even distract me from thinking about her, it was like I was under her spell, like I was caught up in the thick web she had created. Celine was saying something, but I couldn't catch it. She tapped my desk frantically, bringing me back from my reverie."I'm sorry about that...what were you saying?" I adjusted my tie and coughed slightly."You have a meeting at two, sir." She repeated."Sure. Remind me, with whom?""Mr. Zhou, sir." She said."All right. Is that all?" I adjusted my seat."And, Mrs. Cooper phoned..." Nana came in."Hmm-hmm." She cleared her throat. I sighed."I was just about to tell the CEO about your--""As you can see, I'm here now." She cut Celine off and took her seat on the couch."I'll excuse you now." Celine walked out. I watched how Nana's eyes trailed after her with the utmost disdain."What's the matter now?""Her shoes make a hell of a noise." She dexterously tucked a trespassing strand of hair away. I rolled my eyes.