The Broken Tale

Tonight

Brian tried as hard as he could to help her have fun for the rest of the day and forget about the conversation. He took her out to have ice cream and eat at her favorite restaurant, later he took her out for a walk by the shores. But no matter how hard he tried, both he and Layla knew that there was no fighting away the ever lasting voice in the back of their heads that reminded them of the plans they had and what awaited them.
There just seemed to be no escaping from pain. It was always there, only adding wood to the fire of anxiety that burned in them. But whatever they felt, there was no going back in their minds.
The night had fallen and stars were already twinkling up in the sky when Brian finally pulled over close to the mansion. Both stared out at the road ahead in silence. Anxiety and fear had stopped nibbling away at them and had swallowed them both whole. Brian's hand reached down slowly and took hers without looking back at her.
"It'll be okay." He whispered to her, "It'll work. Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's impossible."
He seemed to be saying it more to himself than he was to her.
Layla swallow nervously. She turned to him and wrapped her arm around his neck.
"We have to do it either way. I can't stand being without you anymore."
She put his hand on her belly; coincidentally, the baby moved underneath their hands.
"Our baby can't be without you anymore." She said tearfully.
He ran his hand through her hair gently, sending soft shivers down her spine.
"She won't be." He whispered, "Keep your phone with you all the time and try to stay as far from Ali as you can. The less he sees, the better."
Layla nodded slowly, uncomfortable at the reminder of what she had to do.
"I already know for fuck's sake." She thought, "Why does he have to remind me?"
       But she stayed silent. Layla already knew all too well of the pressure that had been mounting on Brian and all for who?
None other than her.
The baby too but where did the baby come from?
From her.
She blamed herself for everything, for where they were, why they were hurting and what they had to do tonight.
      There was no hiding her nervousness from Brian. His blue eyes saw through Layla's stoic face, they were the one things that were able to see how she felt. As if her feelings illuminated different colors for him to tell.
      He noticed her silence, twitching lips and watery eyes. He let out a deep sigh as if he was alright himself, as if he too was not nervous. He pressed his lips against her forehead.
"It'll be okay, Laili. I promise it will. I know it's hard, I swear I do, I get why you're scared and I am too."
His voice started shaking but he tried to stay together.
"That's what I've been sweating over for months." He continued shakily, "I've been worried about how you will cope for so long. I tried to think about any way I can make it easier for you but there is only so much I can do for you alone, my love. You've bee fighting alone for so, so many years, Layla, you've been strong for long."
He leaned over closer to her, his breath brushing against her ear.
"You have to stay strong for tonight as well, Layla, just for tonight as well."
Layla swallowed nervously, her fear still there. But it was only then that she felt Brian's warm arms holding hers.
...So warm when all was so cold...
How was that even possible?
She looked up back into his eyes.
Tonight.
"...just tonight..."
        The door shutting behind her was the loudest noise Layla had ever heard. The house was still in the same state as she had left it, as if not a single soul had been or was there now. Layla did not know whether to be happy that Ali might had been asleep and she could get away easier or if she should have been horrified at the draining silence.
"Just take your ID, passport, and get the blue briefcase from Ali's office."
She remembered all that Brian had told her.
          She knew that all she needed would be in the office. Her steps creeped up the stairs though she had never heard them creak before. All the doors to the other rooms were closed, only adding immense pressure to Layla's already poisoning fear.
           She prayed and hoped that Ali would not be in the office or asleep in their room or anywhere else.
           Layla tiptoed through the silent, always dimly lit hallways. The office door that was merely a few feet away from the staircase seemed miles away. Her heart beat and thumped with rage in her chest with every step she took. As she finally reached the door, she almost lost her balance. The baby was kicking against her body wildly. Layla leaned against the door frame, groaning as comfort became a thing of the past.
"God." She said under her breath between curse words, "Could you have chosen a worse time to kick my ass?"
           It really did amaze her how much confusion her child had brought her. Over the past five months, Layla had been completely unable to decide whether she was happy and loved her unborn baby or whether she was tired of carrying a ticking time bomb that only added to her mounting pressure.
            She ignored the baby's kicks in her belly and quietly went into the office, shutting the door halfway through to not make much noise. She looked around the room with a sigh.
Blue briefcase.
Ali had never really allowed her into the office except when she would dust a few things under his watchful eye of course. So she had little idea of where it could be.
            But as she looked through the papers and files of text in the drawers, she remembered the only time she had accidentally stumbled across their ID's when she had been cleaning.
"The damn safe!" She thought to herself.
She quickly ran to the furthest corner of the room and rapidly located the camouflaging panel that hit the safe that was embedded deep into the wall. She pulled it off and set it down by her side as quietly as she could.
             All her hopes were quickly dashed by the keypad.
"Stupid!" She bellowed in frustration, "Stupid, goddamit!"
She looked at the damning keypad that was now the smallest and largest obstacle in her path.
             She thought of what might Ali set the password to. Layla's best guess was trying dates of events that may have held some significance to him and hope that he did not set a random code.
But what mattered to him that much anyway?
Layla went through all the memories of everything she had seen or learned about Ali in the past four years of their marriage.
                One event easily popped into her head. It was in the name itself.
Their marriage!
But she was still a little hesitant. Could their marriage matter as much to him so that he set it as a code? There was only one way to find out instead of wasting her precious time.
                She quickly typed in the date with nervous, trembling hands. As she typed in the date, she could not help the feeling of uneasiness. She could not believe it had been four entire years since this monster and her family had snatched away her soul, she could not believe where she was now. Though it was still awful, Layla couldn't help but smile at the progress she had made. At least now she was no longer a helpless, battered wife with no prospect of a future, no hope and no purpose, at least now she had her unborn baby and Brian to fight for.
At least now she had hope.
                So lost in her thoughts was she that for a moment she didn't realize that the code she had entered was incorrect. She mumbled curse words under her breath as she tried to think of anything else that could hold any slight value to him. Family? No. His business? Not by a long shot.
Then what?
As hard as she thought, there was only one other thing that came to her mind. Slowly, she typed the numbers on the keypad, biting her lip nervously. If this was not it then she might as well give up. What else could matter more than the day his son died?
                She shut her eyes as she typed in the last digit, unable to bear the fear of what she would have to do if it was not correct. But underneath her hand, she felt the door loosen up and open. Her eyes bolted open. She wanted to jump, scream and cry in relief. But instead, she took advantage of her earned time and quickly opened the safe.
                 Piles of cash and files stated back at her. Cash, money and jewels had become a normal part of Layla's life. Not only was she used to them but now she hated it for one reason alone.
It was worthless.
What use had her diamonds done for her when Ali beat her unborn baby out of her? What good had her cars done for her when Ali and her family held guns to her head?
                 She didn't need the cash nor the money. It was dirty and contaminated with Ali's touch. Even if she starved, she would not feed herself nor her baby with Ali's money. Death was a much more favorable option to her. Instead she grabbed her ID and passport and shut the safe, covering it with the panel as well to make it as how it looked before. She bolted to her feet and looked around the room, stuffing the ID and passport into her pocket carefully.
"Okay, briefcase, briefcase. A blue briefcase."
She looked around cluelessly. Brian never told her what that briefcase contained or why they needed it but he did say it was important and she should not leave it unless she absolutely had to.
                 There was not but a sign of that blue briefcase amongst the shelves of antique vases, book shelves, files and coffee tables. Layla had never even seen one normal briefcase in the office let alone a bright blue one as Brian had explained.
"Did you want something?"
Layla froze instantaneously.
It felt like a stone was dropped into her stomach.
Her back to him feet away, she still felt his breath blow across to reach her shoulder as if it were yet another technique he used to mock her by merely breathing.
But tonight was different.
Tonight, he was not dominant.
Tonight, she would finally truly fight back.