I HATE HER

Lilia took a glance at Andrew and sighed with a faint smile. “Here’s your order”, the waiter's voice drew their attention.

“Oh, thanks”, Andrew muttered and nodded with a smile. The waiter served them and hurriedly turned to the other customers. Just then, Lilia's phone made a beep sound. She picked her bag and rummaged through it for her phone.

Andrew gazed up at her. She seemed to be a bit off and moody with her eyes fixed on her cell.

“Here you go, Miss–”, he eluded with a smile.

“ Huh”, she stared at him with a faint smile and a quizzical look.

“Your coffee”, he pointed to the coffee.

“Oh, sorry,” She smiled, reaching for it. “Thanks”. She took a sip and gently placed it down with an absent mind. Andrew still had his eyes fixed on her though, searching through her with an attempt to lay fingers on what was bothering her but found nothing. The expression on her face made it very difficult, exposing not her thoughts. After a few seconds of endless search, he finally gave up, breaking the silence. “Hey, is everything okay? You seem disturbed ”.

Lilia immediately gave a sheepish chuckle, “Um–yeah,” she paused for a second “everything is –okay–I–guess”, she ended her words. Tears slowly dropped down her eyes.

Andrew stared at her a bit confused and worried. “Why the sudden tears”, he mumbled in his thought, drawing out a handkerchief from his pocket. “Hey, are you okay–why are you crying”, he queried nervously as he handed over the handkerchief to her. “You can tell me whatever is going on with you– trust me”, he mumbled, glancing expectantly at her.

Lilia exclaimed amidst tears, “Why does she always get the best in life. Don't I deserve a happy ending as well?– Can't I also get what is mine?”, She sobs. “ I hate her , I hate her so much”. She exuded.

“Hey, hey, calm down dear– don't be like this”, said Andrew. He moved over to her side of the table and hugged her, brushing his hand through her hair, consolingly. “Shush...everything will be alright”. He said, doleful.

Few minutes later, Lilia calmed down, “ Sorry about what just happened, Andrew”,she cried, feeling embarrassed.

“Nothing to worry about, Li – Hope you're much better now”, he asked, settling back in his chair.

She nodded with a faint smile. “Now, tell me, what was it about? – who were you referring to earlier on?”.

She lowered her gaze a bit and took a sip. Andrew kept staring at her expectantly. She glanced up at him and shuttled, “Are you sure you want to hear this? ”. He nodded with an obstinate determination. Lilia had no option than to let it out since she couldn't convince him to let things be. She sharply sighed, “ It's about Aimscious Nelson”, she eluded with a harsh, derisive chuckle. “She was my bestfriend and because of that bitch I lost everything. Everything, I mean– good life and education.”

She mumbled, feeling resentful and spiteful toward her friend. Every word felt like a piercing dagger, emerging from her heart, exhibiting the pain she felt within.

Andrew stared at her with his eyes fixed, not uttering a word. “ Is it the Aimscious i know?– Mart's wife?”, he thought to himself. “If she is, then i guess, i got a chance to take my revenge on Mart quite easily now”. He scoffed unblinkingly with a faint wolfish look.

Lilia felt nervous and uncomfortable. She gave a faint smile and sprung up on her feet, “Kindly excuse me, I got to use the restroom”, she said and turned to leave.

“Hey, wait”, he held her hand, making her stop in her steps. “Are you leaving?”, he immediately went on his knees. “Sorry if I did something to offend you”, he eluded after realizing how his silence made her feel. “I like you”

She gazed down at him, surprised and speechless. “What are you doing? – there's no need to act like this. I just need to use the washroom, I'll be back”.

He chuckled sheepishly and rose to his feet, feeling embarrassed as he looked around to make sure he didn't draw the attention of other customers around. Lilia chuckled at the look on his face and shook her head. “ I think I like you too”, she replied and strolled off towards the restroom which made him smile. “I'll be right back”.

“Alright, I'll be here, waiting for you”, he said, settling back in his chair as he gazed at her back fainting into the corner leading to the restroom.

THE MART'S MANSION

Aimscious strolled out of the kitchen to the dinning table with a tray of noodles with rice. She set the table and strolled off towards the stairs.

“Honey, dinner is done. Kindly bring the kids when coming”, she called and strolled back to the table. She stood by a chair next to the table with a furrowed eye brow, scanning through her phone thoughtfully with a brooding look.

“Why isn't she still answering her phone?”, she wondered. “Or something happened– I'll have to go find out now”, she mumbled and took her car keys from a desk closer to the dinning table.

Aimscious hurriedly trod towards the door. “Where are you off to mum?”, a voice called from the stairs, drawing Mart who was busily helping his two daughters, Rosita and Rosie down the stairs, attention to the door.

Aims turned to find her family descending with Mart throwing a quizzical look at her. “Where are you going to, mum”, Rose asked again.

“Yes, love, where are you off to?– thought dinner was done”, Mart added, approaching with the kids.

“Yeah, but had to attend to something urgently ”, she answered. Mart looked a bit surprised, “ Is it about Aunty Nina?”.

“No, it's Lilia, I've been calling her line since morning but no answer. I'm worried– maybe something went wrong with her”. She answered, befuddled. “ She called in the morning and wanted to talk to me about something but”, she paused and sighed with a sullen look. “ I asked her to wait, I'll call back and since then, I've been calling her line without an answer ”.

Rosie drew closer to her mother and held her hand and looked up at her with her innocent, sweet smile, “Don't worry, mum, Aunty will be alright”, she said.

Aims gazed down at her daughter and smiled with a nod. “Rosie is right, Aims. She maybe busy with something. Let's wait for awhile and call again after dinner, okay?”.

She nodded. Mart reached for her hand and helped her to the dinning table. “Rosita and Rose, come here, sit next to Rosie. I'll serve you girls ”, said Mart with a smile.

“Okay, dad”, they chorused. Aims looked at her family and smiled. “Hey, take your time, Rosie”, she said to Rosie who almost choked on her juice.