A surge of guilt hit Ryan like a punch to the gut as he recognized his own cowardice.
Curious about Layla’s situation, he asked, “Did you get everything sorted out? Were you able to scrape the money together?”
Layla forced a smile, fighting to keep her composure. “Yeah, I managed to pull it together. I need to get back to work now.”
As she turned to walk away, a sharp, cutting voice sliced through the air.
“Ryan, what’s going on over here?” Margo Powell sauntered up, slipping her arm through Ryan’s and throwing Layla a stare full of challenge.
“Layla, you and Ryan broke up. Can’t you show a little dignity? He’s my boyfriend now.”
Layla was completely blindsided. She stared at Ryan, reeling. Just a moment ago, he’d told her they weren’t an item, and yet here he was with someone else. Making it ten times worse, that someone was her college roommate.
Margo had always flaunted her money and looked down her nose at everyone. Seeing Ryan just stand there, not denying Margo or even trying to pull his arm away, made Layla’s stomach churn, like she’d swallowed something rotten.
It hit her—Ryan must have been cheating on her while they were supposedly still together. Tears welled up in Layla’s eyes. She spun to leave, only to walk straight into a cluster of sharply dressed men coming down the hallway. And there, right in the middle, was her husband, Sebastian.
In that instant, Layla felt like she was floating outside her own body, unable to wrap her head around why everything was crashing down on her all at once—on this day, of all days. She watched Sebastian, flanked by the hospital director and other staff, and quickly pressed herself against the wall to let them pass without a word.
Ryan, seeing Layla on the brink of tears, felt a twinge of pity. He hastily shook off Margo’s arm and started to follow her.
Margo shot Layla a frosty glare before plastering on a bright smile for Sebastian as he approached. “Uncle! What a surprise seeing you here!”
Sebastian’s face stayed hard, an icy aura radiating off him. As he walked by Layla, he noticed Ryan starting to move toward her and inwardly scoffed. What a faithless woman. Married, and still no self-control. If she wasn’t getting tangled up with Mathias, she was with someone else.
He didn’t spare Layla another glance. Instead, he fixed Margo with a stern look. “If you’re here to work, then focus on your job. Any trouble, and you’re out immediately.” His words were clearly meant for Layla, too, even though she refused to meet his eyes as he strode down the corridor with the board members for their inspection.
Margo was truly cowed by her uncle. She quickly promised, “I will, Uncle. I’ll do my best.”
Once her uncle had disappeared with the hospital board, Margo turned back, pulling Ryan closer. With a smug look at Layla, she taunted, “See that? My uncle is the majority shareholder in this hospital. I’d watch my step if I were you.”
Layla stood there in a daze, still trying to process the shock. So Ryan’s betrayal was because of Margo’s family connections? She’d never imagined her own husband was Margo’s uncle. The thought of having to work alongside Margo every day filled her with a heavy dread.
She couldn’t stand to breathe the same air as them for one more second. Head down, she walked away.
Unwilling to let it slide, Margo yelled after her, “Layla, know your place! If you try to get close to Ryan again, I’ll make sure you can’t stay in this hospital.”
Ryan watched Layla’s retreating figure, a hollow sense of loss settling over him, but he didn’t stop her. After all, aligning himself with Margo meant he’d locked in an internship at Sebastian’s company—his future was looking bright.
What good would staying with Layla do? Her family, drowning in debt, would drain anyone dry. Marrying her would be nothing but a never-ending nightmare of obligations.
Back at the nurse’s station, Layla tried to focus on prepping medication, but the gnawing ache in her chest just wouldn’t quit. She kept telling herself it was fine; things with Ryan were truly over. She was technically Margo’s aunt by marriage now, even if no one would ever know about her sham of a marriage.
As long as Layla focused on doing her best for Avianna, Sebastian would still support her and provide a decent life. Why waste a single emotion on people who didn’t matter?
With fresh determination, she threw herself back into work, ignoring Margo, who’d changed into a white coat and joined the nurse’s station. The head nurse, fully aware of Margo’s family pull, treated her with noticeable deference.
By four o’clock, Layla clocked out, ready to pick up Avianna from preschool. Margo watched her take off her uniform, sneering, “Leaving early, Layla? Must be nice.”
Ignoring Margo completely, Layla headed out, which only made Margo’s voice rise with frustration. “Who do you think you are? This is my uncle’s hospital. I’ll have you fired, just wait!”
Layla paid no attention, stepping into the elevator as Margo seethed and turned on the head nurse. “Why does Layla get to leave early? How can you let her pull this?”
The head nurse, looking helpless, replied, “Orders came from higher-ups. There’s nothing we can do.”
Margo couldn’t believe it. With her uncle as the hospital’s biggest shareholder, which higher-up had Layla sweet-talked to earn such special treatment? Next time she saw her uncle, she swore to expose Layla and wreck her career.
When Layla picked up Avianna from preschool, she was quiet and distant the whole ride home. Avianna, noticing her mom’s red-rimmed eyes, asked with soft concern, “Mommy, why do you look so sad?”
Layla forced a smile. “I’m fine, sweetie. Just seeing you makes everything better.”
Avianna hugged her, snuggling closer. “Mommy, you can tell me if something’s wrong. My teacher says talking about it helps.”
Layla wrapped her arms around Avianna, not even knowing where to start. She wasn’t really sad—she’d finally found closure for that five-year relationship, put a period at the end of it. She owed Ryan nothing now. If they crossed paths again, they’d be nothing but strangers.
Just as they neared their little house in the countryside, Layla’s phone rang. It was her younger sister, Olivia Davis.
“Olivia, what’s going on?” Layla asked.
On the other end, Olivia’s voice trembled, thick with sobs. “Sis, Mom and Dad are making me come home for an arranged marriage. They already took fifty-eight thousand dollars as a bride price. I don’t want to marry him. They said they’d drag me home even if it’s kicking and screaming.”
Silence fell over Layla, a searing pain wrenched at her heart. Her nose prickled, her eyes stinging like they were full of sand. She couldn’t wrap her mind around how parents could be so heartless. She’d been forced into marriage at twenty-two, but Olivia was only nineteen and had earned a scholarship to study music at university. And here was their greedy family, ready to snatch it all away.
“Olivia... Mom and Dad said you got married and they got twenty-eight thousand eight hundred as your bride price—is that true?” Olivia asked between sobs.
