Chapter 8

• 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, rubbing the side of her arm, soothing her. I rolled my eyes, then let out a light sarcastic laugh.
• "Ayla's name is the one on a legal marriage certificate; as far as I know, she's the one who is a part of this family whether you like it or not." I unpocketed my right hand, running it over my face.
• "So listen up." I looked at my mother, then at my stepbrother intently, letting them see the seriousness in my eyes.
• "From tomorrow Ayla will be working in the company as my secretary," I stated with finality, making sure they got me loud and clear and understood that I absolutely meant it.
• "No way! The agreement she signed—"
• "Didn't specify which work she should do." I cut mom mid-sentence, satisfied when she coiled back on her seat.
• "I read it, clause after clause, and it just says she should work in the family to repay, and the company is our property." I smirked when she huffed, while Danica rolled her eyes.
• "You just wanted her to work as a maid because you are evil and you relish in people's problems." I knew I hit a nerve when she stood up, eyes warping into a miserable black.
• "How dare you? This is the second time you're calling me evil, your own mother." She placed her hand on her chest, faking hurt.
• "Oh, come on, mom, drop the act. We both know why dad didn't live the company to you; he knew you would be the worst employer." I deadpanned, watching as Roman stood, chest pushed forward.
• "Don't talk to mom like that, have you no respect?" Roman stepped forward.
• "Well, maybe she should start respecting herself; she has changed tremendously since dad died." Mom had gone from bad to worse, always flaunting money and expensive jewellery to her friends. She didn't want to associate with those she thought were beneath her, including me.
• "What did you want me to do? Cry every day over a dead man? I have my life, and I chose to move on and enjoy it to the fullest," she chimed in, shrugging her shoulders without a care in the world. Yes, it had been around 2 years since dad passed on, but there wasn't an ounce of respect or emotion in her voice as she referred to him as a dead man.
• I squinted my eyes, looking at her as she acted so nonchalant about her supposed love of her life. There are times I felt like she actually loved it when my dad died, and it was one of those times.
• I remembered what my dad told me in his dying bed: "Prepare your own meals in your wing, stay alert and aware, and always remember that in this world, trust is a game."
• He repeated the statement twice while wheezing, clutching my right hand tightly. It felt like he was trying to pass a message, one that I had struggled to understand. Could he have been referring to my mom?
• "I have taught Roman that too, focussing on his happiness should always come first. Life is meant to be enjoyed; I mean, you are doing that too with the multiple whores you bring into my mansion." She was trying to make me mad, but I wasn't going to give her what she wanted.
• "Well, you can enjoy it without mistreating others. Ayla has been nothing but a good daughter-in-law to you; she doesn't deserve the treatment you are happily subjecting her to," I spat, then turned to Roman.
• "And you." I pointed at him, shaking my head, swallowing the urge to punch him and put some sense into his brain. It always felt like he was being directed by mom on what to do, even on matters to do with the company. He was spineless; without my mom, he would be just useless.
• "Ayla has been a good wife, but you betrayed her with her friend, who, by the way, doesn't even come close to her beauty." Danica scoffed, her nostrils flaring.
• "I just hope you won't regret your decision later," I warned, something about Danica still not feeling right at all.
• "Why would I regret? I have everything I have always desired, or aren't you happy that I'll be getting an heir to dad's wealth soon?" He sat down, wrapping his hand around Danica's shoulders. She leaned on his side, but she wouldn't meet my eyes.
• "If she could betray her best friend just to be in your arms, what else can she do to get what she wants?" I turned to leave after that, satisfied with the silence that followed.
• Instead of going to my wing, I went to the central one to look for Ayla. Marise told me she was in Roman's bedroom doing some cleaning, so I decided to wait up in the living room. Minutes later she came down, her eyes darting everywhere, her breath laboured.
• "Ayla breath," I was on her side in seconds, holding her.
• "Marise?" I called her, guiding Ayla to the couch.
• "Yes sir...Jesus Ayla, what is it?" She joined us, untying Ayla's apron. She then unbuttoned her blouse, revealing her cleavage that for a moment had my mouth watering—that is, until another wheeze pulled me back to reality.
• After minutes, she started breathing properly, but her eyes were all glossy and bloodshot at the same time.
• "What happened up there?" Marise asked, rubbing Ayla's back.
• "I was clea-ning wh-en," she coughed in between the words.
• "This can wait until you feel better," I urged, but she shook her head.
• "I was looking for my pregnancy kit when I stumbled upon an envelope that wasn't there before I moved out." As she spoke, she wrapped her hand around her throat, making subtle choking sounds.
• "Ayla, please stop," I begged, but once again she shook her head, determined to talk. Yes, I was curious to know what made her react the way she did, but her health and stability were far more important.
• "They got married; they did it," she whispered, burying her face in her hands.
• "Huh? What do you mean?" I asked.
• "Danica and Roman," she swallowed loudly, then whispered, making my jaw drop while my eyes just widened.
• "I just saw their marriage certificate."