1 Chapter 1

...

...

Layla...

A soft voice came from the end of the side of her bed. She took a quick glance and saw three tall women standing next to each other, facing her and grinning from ear to ear. Layla was trembling and unresponsive, seeing three creatures standing beside her bed. Her body was bathed in sweat. Her mouth couldn't speak as if someone had snatched it away from her so that she couldn't speak.

The three women slowly drew closer...

Closer...

And closer to her.

As her gaze began to fade, she could only see pitch black.

Rings.

She woke up immediately as soon as she heard her phone ringing. She quickly grabbed her phone and checked who was calling her and it was one of her friends named Mary. "Hello-" "LAYLA, WHY DID YOU NOT ANSWER MY CALL?! I WAS CALLING YOU FOR 15 TIMES AND YOU DID NOT ANSWER! ARE YOU OKAY?" Layla was still not fully awake because she just woke up to the phone ringing so she was kind of puzzled and annoyed at the same time.

"What time is it right now?" She asked as she massaged her forehead until she noticed it was sweating. "Girl, it's 10 and a half in the morning and the boss keeps asking why you didn't come to the office meeting today." Layla didn't worry about her not attending the meeting because she wasn't interested in joining the discussion and seeing Petra's presence in the office.

"Layla, if you are not coming to the office right now, he will cut your salary per month because you barely join the meeting." Layla tapped the speaker on and turned the volume up. As she got out of bed, she chugged her phone into the bed. "Are you even listening to me, Layla? Hello?" Layla snorted annoyedly. "I am here, Mary. Just keep talking about whatever you want, I will listen to you." She grabbed the towel from the drawer and ran to the bathroom, leaving Mary alone on the phone.

"Mr Henry was talking about your condition, your life and everything about you nonstop until my ears were bleeding and it was super annoying and you annoyed me as well because your lazy ass didn't show up to the meeting." She stepped out of the bathroom and headed to her cupboard to get her clothes. "If the boss loses his patient because of your laziness, he will fire you without thinking twice." Layla buttoned her black blouse from the bottom up. Then, she brushed her long thick blue hair and tied it in a ponytail.

She walked to her desk to get her bag. "So, are you able to make your way to the office and talk to Mr Henry right now or what? I don't want you to order me to tell him what you say." Layla got more annoying listening to her friend nagging in her ears as she walked to her bed and picked up her phone. "Mary, I will come to the office right now and please don't bark on the call." She tapped the red button to end the call. 'I would rather get fired than work in that place...'

She grabbed her car key remote controller and clicked the button until it made a beep sound coming from the car. She opened the backseat door and threw her bag inside. She closed the door and was getting ready to open the front door when someone called her. Layla clicked her tongue annoyedly. The lady slammed the car door and slammed her butt on the front seat. "I'm not in the mood to answer the phone right now." She muttered. She plugged the key in and started the car.

"Hello, how can I help you?" A voice appeared on the TV screen that automatically turned on when she started the car engine. "Turn the music on, please." It began to search for the last song that she had played yesterday. The song started playing in the background. As she drove toward her office, she thought, "This is more relaxing than listening to her nagging."

***

"See you tomorrow, Heather!" She waved at her friend with her small hand, giving her a big smile. Heather was running like a bunny while fixing her backpack when she said "See you!" "I cannot wait to tell dad about my result!" She stopped running around when she noticed a black car come and park outside the front gate. From the car, she noticed a handsome young man around the age of 30 coming out of the door. Heather began running toward him and screamed, "Dad, you have finally arrived!" The security guard opened the gate so the little girl could finally meet her dad.

Her father bent her back, flexed his arms and was ready to receive a hug from his daughter. Heather slammed her small body to her dad's chest and hugged him tightly. Her dad nearly fell to the ground, but he was able to regain his balance quickly. Then, she separated herself from her father and looked at his face. "Dad, I have a surprise for you." Her dad raised her eyebrows. "A surprise for me?" Heather nodded. "Alright, let's get in the car first and once we are at home, you can show me what the mysterious surprise is." Her dad patted his daughter's head. "OKAY, BOSS!" He laughed at her cuteness.

Once they reached the house, Heather couldn't wait to tell her dad about her results. She tapped her heels repeatedly on the car floor mats in the backseat. "Dad, hurry up!" She said impatiently. "Relax, Heather. I am going to open the door." As he pressed the button to unlock the door. "You can come out now." As soon as she heard that, she opened the door and burst outside into the house. "MOM!" She shouted. She threw her bag onto the sofa and ran to search for her mother. She saw her mom standing in the kitchen, facing the window. "MOM!" Her mom jolted in surprise as she was about to turn around and saw her daughter hugging her back. "Wow, what's going on in here?" Her husband just came into the kitchen and walked to get his drink.

She looked at her husband. "Can anyone tell me what just happened?" Heather looked at her mother with a smile. 'Mom, I also have a surprise for you!" Her mother covered her mouth in surprise. Her back bent as she rubbed her daughter's head. "You have a surprise for me?" Heather nodded. "What about my surprise?" Heather turned to look at her dad. "I have a surprise for the two of you! Wait here." She sprinted to get her bag in the living room. She opened her bag and took out a white piece of paper.

Then she returned to the kitchen. She hid the paper behind her back and called her parents. "Mom. Dad. I want you to guess what is behind my back." Her mother put her right arm under her chest while her left arm sat on top of her right arm. As she tapped her cheek, she tried to figure out what was behind her daughter meanwhile her father looked out the window. Then, he turned to his daughter and said, "Is it money?" Heather chuckled. "Nope!"

"A... Doll?"

"Nope!"

"Pencils?"

"Nope!"

"Your boyfriend?" Heather turned to her dad, stomped her leg to the ground and said, "Dad, I don't have a boyfriend! And how can he fit in my hands while he's much larger than these?!" As she showed her hands to her father, she didn't realize that she also showed the paper to her dad. She gasped. So are her parents too. "Uh oh... I have ruined it." She lowered her face to the floor, feeling sorry for herself for being careless.

"What is that on your hands?" Her mom asked as she walked closer to her daughter and then rested her hand around Heather's shoulder. "It is my result, mom..." She said as she lowered her head and refused to look at her mom's face because she still was upset. As she looked at her husband's face, he was excited to hear the news. Then, she glanced at her daughter, who seemed upset because she accidentally revealed the surprise.

She patted her daughter's back, trying to cheer her up. Then she asked her daughter if she could give her the paper. "Can I see it?" Heather nodded and handed the paper to her mom. When she saw the paper, it was actually her exam result. She raised her eyebrows. "Well, look what we have here." She looked at Heather and then looked at her daughter's paper back.

When she saw it, she was surprised to see her exam results. "You got all straight A's!" Her father immediately stood up from the chair as soon as he heard that and walked to his wife and daughter. "What did she get?" he asked, looking at his wife as she handed him the paper. "You have to see this!" The man fixed his glasses first before he grabbed the paper. When he saw that his daughter had achieved a successful result, he was filled with joy.

"Great job, Heather!" Her mother exclaimed, proud of her daughter. "Let's celebrate!" Heather's eyes started to sparkle as soon as her father mentioned the celebration. "Are you planning to make a big celebration for me?" Her smile got wider and wider, waiting for her father's response. "Yeah, if you want we can do the celebration tomorrow!" Heather jumped excitedly. "YAY, YOU ARE THE BEST FATHER EVER!" As she ran to her father and hugged him. Her mother sat there watching them hug, which made her even happier. "Well, seems like we will have a big celebration tomorrow so that means I have to make a cake for you." Heather turned around and said, "Yes, make one for me, please!"

---

"Heather, these are your files." He handed the files to Heather. "You have to finish this before summer ends." "Okay, sir." Heather grabbed the files from his hands and walked outside his office. She counted the files while heading to her table. 'Damn... This is a lot of work to do."

In the midst of counting the files, her shoulder accidentally hit someone and all the files fell off her hands. She gasped and quickly picked up all the files. "Oh my God, I am very very sorry! I should have looked at the front rather than counted the files.

"It is okay." Heather stopped grabbing her files and realized that the voice was familiar. She looked up and noticed a tall woman standing in front of her in a black blouse and black skirt. She tied her blue hair in a ponytail, which made her look even more beautiful. "Ms Layla..."

Layla is Mr Henry's assistant and is her foe as well. She respects Layla very much because she treats her very nicely and she helps her a lot. However, even though she looks nice, she can be... Mean as well.

"Do you need a hand?" Heather shook her head and quickly grabbed her files. She stood up and laughed awkwardly. Layla noticed how many files Heather held, and she wasn't sure that she could finish them all before summer ended. "You've got a lot of work to do. What are those for?" She said as she took out her phone from a black bag. "Oh, these are… Uh… F-For the meeting soon! I have been asked to fill in these files with data about clothing materials."

"Ms Layla." Layla and Heather turned around simultaneously and saw a woman watching them like a hawk which made Heather more frightened to see her face. Layla who was on the other side didn't seem to bother her presence as she reached out to look at her phone. She scrolled down to check if she had received a new feed on Instagram.

Heather who was standing in between them, could feel the atmosphere getting more intense. "Layla, the boss is waiting for you in the office right now and please, come to the office right now." Layla snorted annoyedly. "I am not in the mood to meet that old hag man. Can you tell him to meet me tomorrow?" Maria clenched her fist in fury when she noticed Layla refusing to follow her. She pulled out her phone and called her boss.

"Boss, Layla is here but she doesn't wish to see you." Layla rolled her eyes. Heather felt anxious when she saw Layla who did not want to meet her boss. He might fire Layla right in front of her face, and she did not want that to happen. Therefore, she attempted to comfort Layla by talking her into meeting Mr Henry.

"M-Ms Layla?" She called. She glared at Heather while her face was still on the screen. "I-I think you should meet the boss..." Layla raised her eyebrows. "Why?" Her calm, serious voice made Heather shiver. She lowered her head and bit her lip, trying not to expose herself in front of her senior for being anxious. Layla noticed her sudden behavior as she lifted her head and looked at Maria who was still on a call with that old man.

"Alright, boss." She ended the call by pressing the red button and putting the phone down against her left thigh. She looked at Layla who was glaring at her as she raised her left eyebrow and said, "So, do you have any news from that old man?" "Yes and he insists on meeting you at his office right now and please, Layla..." Maria looked at her pleadingly. Layla rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue annoyedly. "Fine! I will come to meet him." Maria and Heather looked at Layla who was walking to the office and then they both looked at each other. Heather was getting worried about her senior. "Is… Is she going to be fine?" She asked. "Perhaps so…"

Knocks

"This is Layla, sir."

"Come in." Layla opened the door and then shut it. She looked at her boss who was staring at her like a hawk. The vein could be seen through his forehead, and he was probably fuming at her. "Do you know how long I have been waiting for you to come?" Layla did not reply to his question as she stood there silently looking at her boss who was getting up from his desk and walking closer to her until he stopped in front of her face.

She could feel their noses touching and his breath. Layla started to feel uncomfortable with him being very close to her. "How long have you not come to my meeting?" Layla cleared her throat and turned her head away from looking at his face. She lowered her voice as she said, "10 times." "I don't think I can hear what you were saying. Can you say it again?"

"10 times, sir."

As he stepped closer to Layla, he asked, "Isn't it fun not coming to my meeting?" She stepped backward as she thought about the question. "Is it fun?" Layla was silent as she lowered her head, facing her heels against Mr Henry's shoes. He became impatient and annoyed with Layla for not responding to his questions. He pushed Layla's shoulder to the wall, grabbed her hands then locked her hands on the wall so she could not escape his grip. Layla was surprised by his sudden action.

"Now, I can see your whole face." Layla quickly closed her eyes and looked away, which made him scoff. Separating his right hand from holding her hands, he placed his hand on her chin and slowly moved it in his direction. Layla's mind began messily. She doesn't know what her boss is thinking right now. She wanted to kick his crotch but because of the narrow space between him and her, it was difficult for her to do it.

"Open your eyes." She refused. She could feel her face becoming redder. This isn't the first time this has happened to her. Her boss likes to flirt with her every day, even on breaks. She told him to stop messing with her, but he didn't want to listen and still wanted to chase her. "Your stubbornness continues... Let's see if you insist on acting like this in front of your boss." He moved closer to her ear as he whispered, "Is this what you really want?"

Layla jolted and shivered. "S-STOP IT!" He chuckled. It is one of his favorite things to tease Layla and that made her think that this could be his weird kink. "Now, tell me. Why did you refuse to come to my meeting?"

…

…

Layla stood silent for 5 minutes before looking at her boss who was still staring at her while he waited for her response. "So?" When she looked at his face, she really wanted to punch him but because he locked her hands on the wall she couldn't do it. "Is it necessary for you to know?" She asked. "Yeah, it is. "I am your boss and I have the right to know about my subordinate's issue," he said firmly. "And is this how you talk to them, holding their hands just to force them to answer your stupid question?"

As he leaned his face closer to Layla's face and kissed her forehead, which shocked her. "What the-" he looked back at her and rubbed her nose with his nose while looking at her. She was baffled by what he did. 'What is going on... WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!' She thought. Her mind is getting messy. Her first thought was never to travel to his office to witness him doing this to her. Then, he grinned ear to ear as he was proud of doing that to his assistant. "You seem enthused about what I am doing to you, hm?"

"No..." He chuckled as he leaned his face back to her ears and again, it shivered Layla to her spine. "I don't believe that." She could feel his hand tracking from her face slowly down to her collarbone which made her tickled. There were tears from her squeezed eyes. She was afraid that he was going to do something unexpected happen to her that she didn't want to witness it. She was crying for help inside and begging someone to come to the office right now.

He tapped on her collarbone with her index finger repeatedly while staring at her like he finally found his true love, smiled and that made her blush even more. She started to feel very uncomfortable with his stare as she said, "Y-You should stop doing this, sir. What if someone comes in and sees you being naughty to his assistant." She started to move her hand that got locked by him and her body as a sign for him to release her.

He scoffed in disbelief after he heard what she said. "Isn't that will be good news for both of us? They aren't going to stop us from what we're doing. Instead, they will support and be proud of our relationship." Layla was about to gag when he said that. She isn't interested in liking someone or having a relationship with someone especially him. 'You better wake up from reality than still fantasizing about this stupid romance thing, you prick!'

Layla could feel his warm palm on her cheek. "I know that I am very old to be with you and I know you still can't accept me yet but I will wait. I'm not going to give up, Layla Wilson." He looked into her eyes as if he really meant by his words. Her boss was very handsome, attractive and kind. All women wanted to be his wife but he rejected them all and all he wanted is Layla to be on his side.

Before she worked under his company, Layla met him at her workplace. She worked as a bookseller in that store. Henry asked if any interesting books would be great to read when it was raining. "Yeah, I know where the books are. Please, follow me upstairs, sir." She brought him upstairs and when to this one room. She showed him the room with one thousand books in there. She introduced a few books to him. "I don't know if you are interested in the romance genre but I think it will be great to read this and..." As she took out the book that was covered with a green pattern and showed it to him. "I think you should try to read this first and let me know if you are into this story or not and if you aren't into this genre, perhaps we can find something else.

As she handed the book to him, she said, "Or has something changed your mind about it?" Henry shook his head and took the book from her. "No, and I will try to read this book first." He smiled. "Well, that is great to know. I will wait for you downstairs at the counter. Have fun reading!" She walked to the door and closed it. That's how she first met Henry.

When Henry met her, he was astonished by her gorgeous look until he couldn't stop looking at her. When she opened her mouth and started to throw the words like a rhythm playing in his ears, his heart felt warm. After that day, he decided to come to the store again just to see her and he frequently came over on his breaks. Until his name had been listed as one of the famous customers in the bookstore.

Then, he took his first step to befriend Layla. It was really hard for him to be friends with her because she was always busy talking with her customers every time he saw her meanwhile he also busy with his meetings. But no matter how difficult it was, Henry would never give up to reach his lover. He suddenly remembered that he needed a new assistant that has good quality and was capable enough to handle the job and when he looked at Layla. She seemed perfect to fit in.

'I think this is a great idea for me to get closer to her... I hope she will accept to work with me."

"Layla." Layla was awake from spacing out then she looked at him and noticed that he released her hands but still stood closer to her. "W-What, sir?" He placed his hands inside his pocket and bent his back. "Next time, please come to my meetings. If you refuse to come again, I will do worse than this." As he straightened his back and walked to the door and opened it. "It is nice to talk with you, Ms Layla Wilson.

Layla still stood there leaning against the wall looking at him as if she didn't know what to say. Should she say thank you to him, be angry at him or kick his crotch? But there was something that bothered her which made her didn't want to leave him and wanted to accompany him for a while... 'Is this all because of his flattering words...?'

On other hand, Henry noticed her still looking at him as if she was thinking about something else. In his thought, Layla wanted to accompany him. Henry cleared his throat which made her surprised. She quickly fixed her high ponytail and her blouse then walked to the door and stood in front of her boss. "I will leave now." He nodded at the door. Layla sprinted out of the office and went to the restroom. She washed her face several times and said, "I HATE YOU OLD HAG MAN!"

Henry was looking at her back until she vanished after she entered to the right. He chuckled and closed the door. He walked to his chair and sat. He reached his hand to his table drawer and opened it. He took the silver bracelet that had his name and his lover's name on it. 'H&L," He felt warm just by looking at the bracelet that Layla gave him years ago and then he wore it.

'Doesn't it feel great if we could hang out together again like we used to... I miss talking to you, Layla.'