The Broken Tale

A thousand miles away

                      Song: Rauf and Faik AETCTBO

              Layla stood and watched as the men sat down at the table. Ali sat at the end of the table and the others on his sides. Layla stood at the corner, closer to Ali. She felt like a servant, a waitress with little value. She narrowed her lips, knowing that that was what she was now, a worthless slave. That was what Ali wanted her to be, even if she tried to fight him, there was little she could do except try to please him enough so he wouldn't hurt her too much.
"Man, I'm starving. Thank god your wife can cook, Ali." Tony said as he began on the soup.
"Yeah, that bastard, David's wife could only spread her legs. We starved to death." Allen said with a mouthful of lettuce.
Ali laughed and shook his head.
        Layla felt nauseous looking at the manner in which they ate. Samir barely used the spoon at all, he simply grabbed pieces of meat or tomatoes with his hands and stuffed it in his mouth. She noticed that Ali was the only one who used his cutlery and kept his mouth closed as he ate small bits of everything.
"Do you need anything else?" She asked as she went a bit closer so they could hear her through their yells of laughter.
"If only you were on the menu." Tony said with a wink and went back to his food.
Layla grounded her teeth. She hated the way they'd flirt with her as if she was a piece of meat with no dignity. How were they even friends if they could flirt with Ali's wife Infront of him?
        Layla took a deep breath and smiled slightly. She didn't want to agitate Ali or his friends, she knew what the alternative would be.
"I am. But only for my husband, sir." She replied politely.
Samir clapped his greasy hands.
"Who knew little Laili would become a woman," Samir took his eyes off of her and turned to Ali, "you did one hell of a job."
Ali laughed without looking up from his plate. "Wish you could do the same, Melas?"
Samir rolled his eyes with annoyance and grabbed a slice of onion, "I don't satisfy whores, Ali, they satisfy me."
Ali nodded and poured himself a glass of beer.
"It's the way God created humanity. Men at the head." Allen added.
"If you don't need anything I'll be leaving you to your business." Layla cut in.
She couldn't take anymore of their disgusting manners and sexist conversations.
"Where are you going?" Ali asked without looking up at her.
"I just said, the kitchen."
Annoyance was visible in his features as he looked up at her.
"No, you won't. Come here." He replied.
Layla felt her chest tighten. She navigated her mind to think of what she had done wrong? Was he going to hit her Infront of his friends? She contemplated running upstairs but realized that would only weaken her position. What choice did she have? She couldn't yell or fight back with the others here.
She gulped and walked next to him. "What kind of wife leaves her husband's side, Laili?" Samir asked and drank down some beer, "Did your mother ever leave your father's side?"
I'm not like my mother, Layla wanted to say.
But she knew it wouldn't end well for anyone if she did. Everyone needed to believe that she was like her mother.
"Sit." Ali commanded.
Layla wanted to ask where. He wasn't just going to let her sit down like a normal human being on the table, was he? Was he going to make her sit on the floor like a dog?
But she felt slight relief as she noticed him pushing his chair back a little, making room for her to sit on his lap. She sighed and obeyed. She sat on his lap, he wrapped one arm around her waist and ate with the other. She could smell Ali's strong cologne around her. He barely looked up at her as he ate.
Self loathe grew in her by the moment. She hated the way he paraded her around for his friends as if she was an object he owned, she hated the way he would strip her of her dignity and treated her like an object owned not his wife.
"My, my, my," Allen commented, "what a lucky man we've got here."
"Lucky indeed. A woman as gorgeous as the moon serving you and obeying your every command." Tony said.
Ali put down his fork and set his glare at them.
Layla could feel that he too was getting bored by the way they went on and on about her. He didn't mind it, quite the contrary, Layla knew from the day of their wedding that he loved parading her around like his arm candy but he certainly didn't like the fact that he was losing the spotlight to her. She knew he wanted it to be the other way around.
"What happened with that David Brown guy?" Ali asked, changing the subject.
"Nothing. He demands a higher price for the shares." Tony answered with a shrug.
Layla felt Ali stiffen with anger and frustration under her.
That could not be good.
"Ten million isn't enough for that bastard?" He yelled.
Layla could see the muscles on his neck stand up and his teeth grind.
"Allen gave him something though," Samir cut in, "or at least gave his wife."
Layla felt sick as the men burst into laughter. She couldn't see what was so funny about Allen ingratiating with a married woman. And the wife of their business partner, who was probably no less than ten years older than him.
"Let's hope he finds out after we buy the shares." Ali said to them all.
"You're gonna give him how much he wants?" Tony asked with a shocked tone.
"Who said I was?"
Layla stayed silent and looked down at the table as they got deep into their business conversation.
Ali's hand never left her waist. He at one point even pulled her closer as he was discussing a deal they had back home.
Home.
Layla half cursed at him when he talked of that hell as home. After all, he knew it was what they both wanted to forget. From time to time, he'd hold up a slice of cucumber of meat for her to eat.
"There's this party later next weekend, you're coming right?" Allen turned to Ali.
Ali put down his glass and looked at him. "Who's throwing it? Which one?"
Of course, Layla thought, he'd never attend anything without knowing all the details from who was throwing it to who was serving drinks.
"Marcus Mallory. That brothel owner from Dubai."
"Lord, no. I can't take anymore of that animal." Ali answered and poured yet another glass of beer.
"He's right, he barely got out of that fight last time." Tony added.
Layla rolled her eyes, so that was how Ali had gotten that bruise on his forehead a few weeks ago. It was something new to Layla, no matter how abusive Ali was to her, she never denied the fact that he was calm and reserved in public.
"I'm full. Let's go to the living room then." Allen said, "Thank you for the meal, Layla."
Layla smiled, "Anytime, sir."
She felt happy that someone actually thanked her. Since for most of the time, they would come, eat, drink, host gatherings, break things and leave without giving her anything more than flirtatious compliments about her body.
"You, I tell you," Samir pointed a greasy finger at her and Ali, "you have to be the strictest husband in history to be able to smack some sense into a girl like her."
Ali laughed and pulled Layla closer to him. Layla could feel him getting excited from under where she sat. "Like I said, you only need to know which buttons to push."
"Let's go to the living room then." Tony said as he got up.
"I'll go to the bathroom, you guys started without me." Samir said and got up.
Allen followed Tony to the living room and Samir went to the bathroom, leaving only Ali and Layla still sitting at the table.
"You've been a good girl tonight." Ali said, he nibbled on her ear lobe.
"I...," Layla didn't want to spoil it, it wasn't everyday that he wasn't hitting her around, "I wanted to make it up to you. From this morning."
As much as deception had grown to be a part of her life, it was still not something she enjoyed. She loathed herself for being so helpless that all she could do was submit to him. But all she wanted to do was avoid any more bruises. But it was true that it made her happy that she was pleasing Ali, since to her, he was like everyone else in the world, someone who expected her to be perfect in their image and she wanted to be perfect.
"Hm....I must say, that does make me really happy." He said, his hand crept up to her chest.
Layla bit her lip as she squeezed her eyes shut.
       She held her breath as his fingers stroked her chest above her neckline. Even if it had been two years since they got married, she still hasn't gotten used to his touch. She still had the same nervous knot in her stomach and the same urge to run away as she did on the first night they spent together.
"Wait for me upstairs," he whispered demandingly.
Layla wanted to scream and run away, but she knew she couldn't. She didn't move and fidgeted with her hands.
"But...I have to pick up the plates," she coaxed.
"Bring us some coffee to the living room and go upstairs," Ali replied, "you can pick it up later."
She dug her nails into her palms in anticipation, Ali pressed his lips against her temple. But there was nothing loving about the way he kissed her, it was a bribe, a trick, a trap and Layla knew it.
Layla got up and began for the kitchen, she tried not to look back at Ali but she could feel his brown eyes piercing through her as she walked to the kitchen.
      Layla began brewing the coffee. She lost herself in the brown powder slowly spreading across the water and how it soon dominated the once clear water. Layla saw that as her life. She was once a person as well, not a punching bag, she too was once laughing like anyone else, and just like the coffee, once Ali came into her life, abuse dominated her life the way the coffee powder dominated the water. And now she couldn't separate her own life from a use the way she couldn't separate the coffee from the water. She sighed with an aching pain in her chest. "The coffee isn't like me. "The coffee," she thought, "didn't choose to be entangled with the water."
"Are you thinking of her?"
Layla gripped her fingers around the coffee pot as she heard him come inside.
"Get out, Samir."
She felt a strong grip on her elbow, his nails dug into her skin and sent shock waves through her arm. He pulled her around and she was now staring into his brown eyes. Full of hate, full of internal ugliness.
"I know you know where she is, Laili."
He was so close that Layla could smell the grease and alcohol in his breath.
"If I did then I would've taken every opportunity to see her," layla answered firmly and pulled her arm away, "also, I don't think Ali would like to see you grabbing his wife like that."
She turned away from and pulled out a box of white tea cups with intricate blue floral prints over them. He laughed loudly, he was so close to her that she felt her ears ring with the awful laugh.
"Trust me, Laili," he started, "Ali couldn't care less about you. He only wants you because you're pretty. So that he could be be seen as the lucky guy who fucks a goddess."
Layla felt Samir's hand rubbing her neck, it was tickling her in an unpleasant way.
"All you did was for nothing, Laili. You left your prison, but only to walk into another one...and this time, your little Tata isn't here to help you."
Layla kept quiet as Samir left her alone in the kitchen. His words struck her. All you did was for nothing. You left one prison only to walk into another. What hurt her was that he was right. All that she had done, all that she gave up, it was all for nothing. She had broke one pair of chains but she herself allowed another pair to be put on her. Her neck hurt as she tried to grind her teeth against the sobs building up inside her. The pain that she wasn't strong enough to win, the denial that she hadn't lost, and worst of all, the shame that other people knew what she was going through cut through her like a burning knife. The burning sensation of her fingers as drops of hot coffee penetrated her skin brought back her senses, she picked up the pot and poured the coffee into the small cups and dried her tears. She picked up the tray and stopped near the door. She took a deep breath and put on the same mask she had been wearing all night, the fake smile.
         The men were all indulged in what seemed like a funny conversation. Layla could only imagine what it must be, rape? Cheating? Abuse? Stealing? The topics that Layla saw as sensitive and more or less sacred, they saw as jokes. Every time they came over, Layla would be angry and depressed for days in a row.
She kept her eyes on her black heels as she walked inside, both to avoid eye contact as Ali had demanded and to avoid tripping. They ignored her and kept on laughing and talking. She held out the tray for each and both Tony and Samir picked up their cups without even looking at her. Allen smiled and nodded once as he picked up his. Layla liked Allen best out of Ali's friends, because he respected her more than the others and tried to look out for her feelings sometimes.
"Go upstairs," Ali reminded her in a whisper as he picked up his cup.
         She heard their chatter downstairs. The blood in her fingers contracted, leaving her with freezing fingers. What did Ali want that was so urgent? Had she done something wrong? Was he going to hit her? She stood by the window and fidgeted with the curtains. You escaped one prison only to walk into another. Layla caught glimpse of herself in the mirror. Dark hair, blue eyes, plump lips. Her black dress clung to her curves, layla had never found herself gorgeous but she didn't see herself as an unpleasant sight to look at. But one thing caught her attention, her eyes. Scared, nervous, docile and even apologetic. A meer fragment of the woman she'd always wanted to be become.
"Lie down, Layla, I don't have a lot of time."
Ali rushed into the room and shut the door loudly.
"What?" Layla asked nervously.
She got even more nervous as she saw him unbuckle his belt.
"Can't you do one thing without arguing?"
Layla sighed. She knew what he wanted and she knew that It was better to give it to him herself than have him take it from her. But Layla felt relieved, at least he wasn't mad, at least he wasn't gonna beat her. She obeyed. He relieved himself in her in such a hurry that he didn't allow her to undress. Layla took in deep breaths as he lowered his lips to her neck and she focused her mind to counting her breaths.
"Ali, where are you for fuck's sake?"
Layla didn't remember any other time that Samir's voice had brought her so much relief.
Ali pulled off of her and pulled his jeans back on, gesturing for her to sit up and pull her dress down. Layla barely heard two knocks before Tony and Samir burst inside with Allen following them.
"Oh," Tony stopped with a smirk, "so that's what's been taking you so long."
Layla kept her eyes on the floor but she she could feel their eyes scattering all over her body. She had her own reasons for hating Ali's friends, and the fact that they were disrespectful enough to burst into a married couple's bedroom like children was only one of them.
"What do you want that couldn't wait?" Ali asked, sounding rather annoyed.
"We have to go." Samir answered with his hands on his hips, "but clearly you're a little...busy."
"Give them a bit of privacy, would you?" Layla looked up to Allen leaning against the door frame, "But, Ali. We have to go now, we just wanted to tell you that your meeting in Athens has been rescheduled."
Layla's eyes bolted to Ali the second she heard the name of Greece. She felt excitement, hope and fear mix and collide inside her.
"To when?"
"Next Monday."
Next Monday? That was in a week.
Layla clutched her dress so tightly that she feared that the little fabric covering her thighs would tear by her own hands. Ali nodded, his mind clearly wandering off.
"We have to meet with that tycoon from Riyadh tomorrow morning." Allen added and straightened his posture.
"Alright. I'll see you at six then?" Ali said absentmindedly
Allen nodded, "Six is good."
"Well then. Enjoy whatever you were doing." Tony mocked with a wink as they left.
They left the room, shutting the door behind them.
Layla only stared at Ali cupping his jaw and staring at the floor absentmindedly until she heard the glass front door of the mansion shut. Once she was sure they were gone, she turned to Ali.
"G-Greece? Ali, y-you remember that-" she started.
"I'm not stupid Layla," he said paying much attention to her, "don't worry, Samir won't be coming."
Layla felt fear leaving her mind a little, she always had the same problem. One of the most precious things on her life was in Ali's hands. And all she could do was beg and wait to see if he'd take it away from her or not. She always made herself feel better by reminding herself that that precious jewel was one of the few things he could threaten her with.
"Ali? C-can I ask you something?" Layla's voice sounded like a terrified child in her head.
Ali looked at her with little paitence in his eyes.
Layla forced the words out, "Can I come with you?"
Layla knew he wouldn't let her get anything that easily. He held her in an impossibly long and dreadful gaze, Layla thought that she would burst out in tears if he held her any longer.
"Is it for her?" He asked calmly.
Layla sighed and nodded.
"I thought so...," he sighed and sat down next to her, "tell you what? Since you've been such a good girl tonight. I'll take you along and give you two days alone with her. How's that?"
"Th-thank you."
He shook his head with a sigh and got up. "What have I said about the crying, Layla?" He said annoyingly as he texted on his phone, "You have a week to get ready."
"You're leaving?" Layla took control of herself and looked at him blankly.
"I'm meeting up with a friend." He said and returned her blank stare.
"Oh...a friend." Layla flashed him a small and forced smile and lowered her gaze to the floor.
"I want you to sleep in the guest room tonight. In case we decide to hang out in here tonight."
Layla nodded obediently.
         And with that, he left without saying anything more than demands. She may not love him, but Layla didn't want to be disregarded like that. She didn't like to be paraded around like his dog on a leash and then, kicked out of her own room so her husband can sleep with different girls.
        But either way she knew she had little say.
        Layla sighed and got up. She left the room and locked herself in the guest room, taking her toothbrush, a pair of shorts and a camisole with her. She threw her things down on the bed and drew the curtains.
       Ali had insisted on living in a large mansion in the countryside, and Layla loved it. It was one of the few things she truly loved about her life as an Elmar. The air was carried around in breezes, she slid open the window and stared out. Stars dotted like the sky like sprinkles, she smiled and marveled at their beauty, at the beauty of the night.
       She remembered how her mother always used to tell her that the day was the time to be productive, that the day as the time that one could see the beauty of humanity. But the night was a calmer time, and one could see and feel the beauty of nature. Layla always felt happier, more alive during the night. She giggled at the thought, it was what she was named after.
"Layla Najma Roni," she whispered to herself as she traced a pattern between the stars.
           Layla Najma translated to Starry Night. She sighed and her gaze fell upon a dark patch in the sky. A dark empty patch with no end, no light at the end. She couldn't breathe as she thought, as if there was a rock on her chest. That patch was just like her life, a dark, empty void with no light, no hope.
Just a tale.
A tale that one would know what she went through, she would die and everyone would continue their lives without noticing, all her suffering. This tale of a girl who was forced to give up everything, it would be nothing more than broken up pieces of a lost tale.
       She thought of her, the person she started all of this with, what she was doing when Layla was being beaten, what she was doing when Layla cried herself to sleep? Was she suffering the way Layla was? Was she happy? Layla sighed as she felt her thoughts consuming her.
But Layla couldn't know that her thoughts could travel thousands of miles. That her thoughts would travel thousands of miles to the place she so deprately wanted to be. In Athens, a young brunette girl was sitting by the window, and she too was losing herself in the colorful dusk sky.
"Talya, have you seen my headphones? Talya? Talya, are you asleep again?" Talya heard Emmet calling from down the hallway.
"No, but you always leave it in the kitchen, check there." Talya replied to him.
She sighed and pulled herself away from the sky and left her room. The hallways were dimly lit, Talya had always hated that about Emmet, he always kept the rooms dimly lit. She heard all the guys laughing downstairs, she sighed and kept her distance from them and went to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of soda and sat down, she gripped the glass so tightly that she was afraid it would break in her hands as the memories flooded back. But as she was getting lost in her thoughts, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Talya? Are you alright?" Emmet's voice startled Talya, as she was still in the aftermath of her thoughts, she couldn't find her voice to reply, instead she just nodded.
"Oh, well that's great," Emmet smiled and walked to the refrigerator, "I thought you were having one of your episodes again."
Talya frowned, it was embarrassing enough when she'd break down Infront of him, but to have him say it to her was even worse.
"No, I was just thinking." Talya mumbled slowly.
"Is it the same thing again?" Emmet asked and brought out two bottles of vodka from the freezer.
"I just...," she stopped and sighed, "I just...miss her..."
Emmet put the bottles down on the counter and looked at her, leaning against the fridge door.
"Talya, I don't think that's all that's wrong."
Talya hated how easily read she was, she remembered how her mother and siblings used to tell her that she was an open book, and how they were worried that everyone would play with her emotions someday.
"Well," she but her lip, contemplating how to tell him, "I'm just really tired of living, Em."
She saw how that hit Emmet.
"What? Why's that?"
"I just...Emmet, I'm just so useless."
Emmet's patient green eyes made her feel warm inside, she grinned at how ironic Emmet was. He had curly brown hairand green eyes with a little bit of stubble on his face, he looked so goofy yet he was so patient and understanding.
"Why would you think that?" He asked calmly.
"Emmet, I can't go to university, I have to stay in hiding for the rest of my life, I can't ever have a job better than a waitress," her breath was going short, "what future will I have? Will I have to live in fear forever?"
Emmet sighed, he pulled out a chair and sat down next to her.
"Talya, you're safe here. And you'll always be." He said with a grin.
"I can't stay here forever you know."
Emmet took her hands in his and smiled at her.
"Why not? You're in Cassandra's place, remember? You can stay here forever, Talya. This is your home as much as it's mine."
Talya couldn't stop herself from smiling. She thanked God that she had found a friend who could understand her, and help her feel better. No one had been able to do that ever since...her.
"Thanks, Emmet."
"Always," Emmmet replied and got up, "now come on, the guys are waiting in the living room."
"I'll bring the vodka, you go sit." Talya added as she got up.
"You're the best, Koritsi." He said and left.
Talya laughed at his quick change of mood. She put the two bottles on a tray along with four glasses and went to the living room.
Archer and Hayden were sitting next to each other across from Emmet. Archer was laughing at whatever Emmet must've said since Emmet was grinning while Hayden was texting on his phone. "Hey, hey, hey, Talya comes bearing gifts!" Archer said with a laugh as Talya entered the room. "That's right, Honey, I'm the new Santa Claus." She replied playfully as she tried to set down the tray with balance.
"I better not get coal again, Santa." Archer said without taking his eyes off of his phone.
"If you don't put that thing down then you bet you're gonna get some coal," Talya answered as she poured vodka into each glass, "okay come take your fills."
Each of them took their own glass and Talya sat down next to Emmet.
"Talya's gone badass." Hayden said and winked at Talya.
"I always drink, Hayden, where have you been?"
"You don't want to know," Archer cut in.
Talya rolled her eyes but she couldn't help but laugh as the guys around her burst into laughter.
"By the way, Hayden, can you take over my shift tomorrow night?" Emmet said as he took a sip.
"Tomorrow night? Why?" Hayden asked suspiciously.
"Cassandra is visiting with her friend." Emmet answered.
Talya's face began to visibly glow with excitement.
"Cassandra is visiting?" Talya asked excitedly.
Emmet laughed, "yes, she's introducing her friend to the ancient city of Athens."
"Her friend?" Hayden asked.
"Yeah. Her name was...," he snapped his fingers in frustration as he thought, "oh yeah, Bicara. Bicara McCauthur."
"What are you? Her stalker? How the hell do you know?" Hayden looked annoyed as he asked.
"She's my sister, man, and you can bet she loves spilling tea, including ones about her own friends." Emmet replied with a shrug.
"I bet Talya is excited for her to get back." Archer put down his phone and looked at Talya.
"I haven't seen her in almost a year, of course I'm excited." Talya said and shrugged.
"Also, Archer, are there any jobs available in the company you work at?" Emmet asked.
Talya looked at him knowingly, he was trying to help after what she had told him in the kitchen. She knew Archer would be able to get her a job somewhere, since he was a well known lawyer and worked with different companies but she had always been too embarrassed to ask him. She was barely twenty, and she didn't go to college so all she had was her high school diploma and a few waitress jobs at restaurants, it was always an embarrassment to be around Emmet, Archer and Hayden, who were all handsome Twenty-five year old men with college degrees and well paid jobs. She always felt so little and ignorant around them even if they were kind and indifferent to her.
"I can ask Alex and see what's available," he replied, "do you have anyone that needs one in mind?"
"Well," Emmet looked at Talya and then back to Archer's waiting brown eyes, "I feel like Talya needs a better and more secure job, don't you think?"
Talya felt relived that he didn't say that she asked him for one, she didn't want to sound even more desperate and pathetic than she already did to them.
"If that's the case then I can find you a job anywhere else." Archer said and set down his glass, "if you get me another glass of that."
Talya thought she'd burst from excitement. She got up, grabbed the glass and bent down to fill it up. She filled it up halfway through and handed it back to him.
"I'll owe you one," she said and sat back down.
"We'll think of that once I do get you one," he winked as he drank it down. Ding dong, Talya almost grabbed her ears as the bell rang. She frowned at Emmet, he smiled embrassingly since she had told him to change that bell.
"I'll get it." Talya said and got up.
Talya cursed at Emmet and the door bell while she walked down to the front door.
"I swear to God if-" Talya started as she swung open the door.
"Someone's angry."
Talya grinded her teeth, not again.
"Oh...its you." She said limply.
"Aw, not much of a greeting, Tata."
Talya hated Shiola, she was yet another thing that made Greece unbearable for her. Shiola just strolled inside and threw her furry white coat into Talya's arms.
"Be careful with that, Tata Honey, it's more expensive than anything you'll ever own." She said with a smile and walked like a phantom inside. She threw the coat in the small wooden closer by the door and stumbled inside, cursing the whole way there. Shiola was already sitting next to Emmet and cuddling up to him. Talya hated Shiola, because Shiola was everything Talya wasn't. Shiola was tall, dark skinned with a long river of dark hair, her black crop top and yoga pants clung tightly to her curves. She wasn't like Talya who was short for her age, skinny and shy. But she reminded herself of how life would never be what she wanted.

End of chapter two!
Hope you all enjoyed that!
Thank you so much for reading!
I love you all:)))))))
Adios!