08.

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 does he want from you?" Henry dropped his fork.

"He claims Nathan is his son." I sighed.

"Well, is he? I hope you don't mind my questions..."

"No, no...it's fine."

"So?" Henry was quite curious.

"Nathan is not his, and I've told him this, but he wouldn't just accept it," I stated as a matter of fact.

"I still think you should have him reported. A gentleman would never spam you with calls and texts," Henry reasoned.

'Yeah, Ethan is an unrepentant asshole.' I thought out loud. It was just like him texting me with a different number after I had long since blocked his previous number. I could only blame Mrs. Carter for it. I wouldn't have met such a jerk like Ethan without her selfish interference in my life.

Since my return, I had neither phoned nor visited her. She wasn't worth it either. However, I wanted to see Sofia, to know how she was faring. She must be a teenager now, all tall and as rebellious as ever. I decided to visit Carter's house during the week. I was sure that Sofia would be pleased to see me.

"Anything on your mind?" Henry broke into my thoughts.

"No. Nothing. How do you like the food?" I dug into the Caesar salad.

"It's delicious." He hummed.

"Yeah, I like this place a lot. I used to eat here before I left the country..." The memories of Chloe flooded in; the memories of the time when Ethan blatantly denied me the least quality time with him. I had never had lunch like this with him and whenever he pushed me away, Chloe had been there to chat with me over lunch.

I simply wished Chloe had not betrayed me, I wished she had not slept with Ethan.

"You alright?" Henry looked concerned.

"Yeah...I just remembered something."

"Hmm." He nodded.

I looked on as he continued eating. Henry might be trying to stir my feelings into considering another romantic relationship, but I doubted he would succeed.

I calculated that we had met for lunch twice last week and now was making it the third time.

He had not asked me out point-blank, but I knew there was something, other than business, going on in his head.

Any woman would acknowledge that he was a nice man, a nice Scot with smooth chestnut hair, a chiseled face, and a charming smile. He was also wealthy. I knew he owned some large properties abroad. He was a perfect bachelor, but not for me. I was duly passed the age of love and romance by experience.

Leo

"How do I look?" Ariadne was saying this when Jeremy, her secretary, walked in.

"You have a call, Ariadne." He was chewing gum, his eyelashes blinking twice the speed of a normal human being. From the day I met Jeremy, I never truly considered him a normal human being.

He was as preposterous as he was gay.

"Can't you see I'm busy? Who is it?" She frowned.

"I can hear you..." Jeremy had picked up the call and someone was yelling from the other side.

"Fuck, Oliver!" She snapped, snatching the phone from Jeremy, and pulled away from me.

"Where are you? Did you ditch me to go see Leo again?" Oliver howled.

"Having a nice time, Leo?" He yelled.

I scoffed, if only he knew how much I wanted to ditch his sister.

"Oh, stop being a baby and carry on with your life. We came to this world separately, remember?" Ariadne said stoutly.

"But Cynthia was fucked once, and she had us...you should've told me when you were leaving..."

Ah, yes. Oliver and Ariadne were the only abominable twins I knew.

"Bugger off, Oliver. Have fun without me." She ended the call before Oliver could say anything else.

"Have it and disappear. Don't you dare bother me with his calls, if you do, you are screwed, Jeremy." She threatened.

"Off with my head, ah!" He gave a wry chuckle and walked away.

"I'm sorry about that..." She ran her fingers down my chest, moaning softly. I took her hands off me and she frowned.

"You said you wanted to talk. What is it?" I asked, irritation dripping in my tone.

"Can you be unpredictable for once, Leo?" She glared.

"What do you want to talk about? I have some things to take care of..."

"I know right, that endless stuff of yours...are there no better excuses?" She leaned against the kitchen counter, cross-armed, giving me that bitchy smile of hers.

"What is it you want to talk about, Ariadne?" I was beginning to get annoyed.

"Let's get drunk and have sex." She bluntly said.

"Sorry, what?"

She didn't just say that, did she?

"That is what I intend to talk about and that is what I want from you...let's get drunk and have sex..." She began to come close to me.

I clicked my tongue, "You are out of your mind."

"Definitely, I am. Since you have a problem touching me when sober, let's get drunk..." She stood on the tip of her toes and whispered the last clause against my ear, nibbling on it.

"I have to go now." I gently pushed her back. She stared at me for a moment.

"Is something wrong with me?" She sniffed.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with you, Ariadne..."

"Then why, why don't you want to do it? It's been two years, Leo, and you've not even looked at me." She cried.

"We are not together, Ariadne," I clarified.

She was making it sound as if we were together.

"Yes, we are," she raised her voice. "We fucking are!"

I sighed. I had wanted to avoid an outburst such as this one, but it seemed inevitable.

"I keep waiting for you, waiting for the time you will look at me with love, I keep..."

"Stop waiting, Ariadne."

"Are you seeing someone?" She choked with tears.

"No..."

"Liar! You are seeing someone, Leo. You are seeing someone, don't fucking lie to my face. I'm not that stupid not to figure it all out!" She bellowed. I caught Jeremy peering through the window when our eyes locked, he scuttled away.

"Fine, I'm seeing someone. I am leaving..."

"Who is she? Who is the bitch?" I stopped in my tracks.

"Do you think I'd tell you who she is? So you could go after her and harass her?" I turned to face her. Her eyes were already red with pure malice.

"I want to know who that motherfucker is." She gritted.

"Find it out yourself." No sooner had I walked out than a loud crash came from the kitchen?

A servant hurried past me, while I felt unconcerned with her rage.

"Are you okay, miss?" I could sense the concern in her voice.

"Fuck off!" Ariadne howled.

From then on, I knew, in Ariadne's mind, a war had truly begun, a conflict, a vendetta against an anonymous woman, the anonymous woman who had stolen my heart over and over again.

Layla

When I had thought Ethan had finally stopped acting because of his immaturity, he appeared in the hotel where I had lodged, very much prepared to get the truth out of me. Thankfully, Henry had taken Nathan with him.

"I do not want to see or talk to you. I thought I made it clear the other day."

He was standing mute in front of me.

"Call security please, he is unwanted here." I turned to the receptionist.

"He's..." She stammered.

"You should know that this hotel is a subsidiary corporation of mine." He boasted, to my utter shock. How could I not have known?

"So, Layla, where is my son?"

"He is not your son. You are not even worthy of being anyone's father, you'll be that child's eventual doom." I blurted.

He scoffed.

"Of course he is. I won't mind the succeeding statements. Where is he? Did you lock him up? You can't keep him from me for too long." He smirked.

Damn him!

"I'll call the cops on you, Ethan. Buzz off!"

"Oh, be my guest." He mocked, and I wanted to punch him in the face so bad.

"I'm leaving this hotel right now." I attempted to rush back to my room, but his voice stopped me.

"Running away as usual," He blew a raspberry.

"Considering my son's height and the time you fled from the States, he should be around four. I remember fucking you a week before. We conceived him then."

I shut my eyes, I thought I would go berserk, but I didn't. It was some sort of talent that I possessed, but then I hated it, especially during a time like this.

"I got laid right after..." I meant this to be a blow to him, but he just burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"You think I'd believe you..." He said amidst the laughter that irked my ears.

"You, Layla? Got laid? How did that happen? You hate sex!" He yelled.

"Of course, I hated sex with you!" I snapped.

Ethan scoffed.

The receptionist was quietly watching. I was sure she was torn between shirking her duty by leaving her desk and the excitement of watching until the end. It must be a perfect melodrama for her.

"Suddenly, you like to joke, uh?" He chortled.

"I don't care what you call it, but I don't want to ever see you again. It's not a warning, it's a threat. It wouldn't end at the police station if you turned deaf ears, Ethan." I didn't wait for his response, because I didn't want one. I dashed up the stairs, and I didn't know when tears started rolling down my cheeks.

It was certainly time I left his damned hotel for my house.

Henry drove Nathan and me down to the house I had bought earlier that week. I had delayed moving in since there were still some adjustments to be made to the house. However, it was going to be a safe haven for Nathan and I.

I was going to make sure of it. All the Ethan's in this world, as many as they could be, wouldn't be able to reach us.

"We have a big house, Mommy." Nathan chuckled as I brushed away the snowdrops on his hair.

"Yes, it's big, and it has a lot of room for your toys. Come see your nursery." I took his hand and showed him around the house.

"Lovely, isn't it?"

He nodded smilingly.

"Should we order something? I bet you are hungry." Henry was walking towards us.

"Sure. Would you like some salmon tartlets, my boy?"

"Yes." He chirped.

"Great," I ruffled his hair. "You could order some pizza for me." I turned to Henry.

"Okay, ma'am."

I chuckled.

"Mommy, is Uncle Henry going to stay with us?" Nathan queried. Glancing at Henry, I was unsure of how to answer. Henry was being supportive, but I didn't want to get into a romantic relationship with him. I wanted to have him only as a friend. I hoped Henry knew how I felt.

"No, Nathan. But he will visit from time to time, all right?"

He nodded.

"Sure, I will." Henry wore a wry smile.

I knew we would have to talk eventually.