The Last Twilight

In the fifth year of their marriage, Layla Turner insisted Jules Fanon take on an assistant out of nowhere.

“His name is Roland Presley. He’s the son of a friend of mine and has just graduated from university. He’s young and naïve, though he has a bit of a temper. Be patient with him and help him out if there’s anything he doesn’t know about.”

Roland met Jules’ eyes. He seemed to be in his early twenties and was rather good-looking, with a cheerful and bright personality.

He stood behind Layla and greeted Jules, “Hello, Jules. My name is Roland Presley.”

During that first meeting, Jules hardly suspected that this young man would eventually turn out to pose a grave threat to him.

Three months into the job, he received a text from Roland: [Jules, there’s something I’d like to ask you about. Would you mind coming to my house?]

Having promised Layla that he would look after Roland, he went over to the appointed address without even thinking about it.

Upon arriving, he looked up at the French windows on the second floor only to see Layla, his wife of five years, being entangled with another man.

The man was none other than Roland himself, the assistant Layla had appointed to him.

Standing outside the house, Jules could hear Layla’s voice.

“It must be nice to be young...”

Roland’s voice was hoarse and restrained. “Madam, I’ve been telling you I don’t want to be the other man. Why did you come again?”

Layla frowned irritably and rebuked him, “Who says you’re the other man?”

Roland’s expression suddenly stiffened.

He stopped to protest. “You’re still married to Jules, aren’t you? What does that make me, if not the other man?”

Layla snapped. “For the last time, you’re not the other man. If it bothers you that much, I’ll have Jules sign the divorce papers as soon as I get home, how about that? Also, I want you to call me by my name from now on.”

“Alright. L-Layla…”

Jules stood rooted to the spot downstairs. He felt as though an invisible hand had clenched around his heart, squeezing the breath out of him.

Once, Layla was the most desired woman in the city, with suitors lining up for blocks just to see her face. However, she was also notoriously known for being a free-spirited hedonist and had a reputation for never staying in a relationship for more than a week.

Five years ago, she fell in love with Jules, whom she met at an advertisement poster design competition.

Nobody expected her to settle down with anyone until she fell for Jules and became committed to him.

The first time she brought Jules home to meet her father, her father remarked derisively, “He’s from a small family and doesn’t have the right to be with you.”

Layla immediately grabbed Jules by the hand and stormed out of the house without another word.

Even when her father threatened to disown her, she did not even look back.

When they finally walked out of the house, she turned to Jules and vowed, “Jules, you’re the only one I ever want, and I’d be nothing without you! My family’s wealth doesn’t mean a thing to me as long as I have you!”

Eventually, they got married, and with time, Jules managed to prove his worth, which finally got Layla’s father to acknowledge him.

Over the years, Layla had always proven herself to be an attentive lover.

She knew Jules had a bad habit of chewing on his pens whenever he was working, so she kept many pens in various colors in his desk drawer. Furthermore, she took the time to sand down the caps of all his pens until they were perfectly smooth, ensuring he wouldn’t hurt himself when biting on them.

Her phone was filled with his pictures, and her password as well as bank credentials were set to his birthday.

Jules tended to get cold easily in winter, and although Layla was just as sensitive to the cold, she would always press his legs against her own to warm him with her body heat, even if it meant letting her own legs grow cold. Despite that, she never frowned at having to care for him.

All it took was just five years for her to lust after another man and to divorce him.

Rather than leaving, Jules waited for her to come downstairs.

Three hours later, Layla finally emerged from the house with a content smile.

Upon noticing Jules standing in the shadows, her smile stiffened, and she yelped, “Jules? What are you doing here?”