Chapter 22

"You don't like the gift?"

"It's not that you don't like it, you don't understand what I mean at all. I'm just confused by your attitude, who am I to think of giving me a gift like that?" Layla felt so emotional. She still hasn't moved on from the open betrayal committed by John and Sophie. She didn't know since when the two people had a relationship. She felt hurt because when she had to be trapped with a strange man she had only just met after her crazy husband rented her to him, she had to see that the only friend she trusted the most actually stabbed her in the back.

Her tears just flowed, she had to admit that she felt very broken and hurt. No matter how bad John treated her, she loved him as a wife. She tried to do everything she could to make John happy, but she still ended up the same as John's other ex-lovers, namely being sold to a rich man as payment for all the luxuries he had given them while they were together.

"Did I make you sad?"

"No, I just feel that I am so stupid. So stupid that I feel like I want to die."

"Is this about your husband?"

"It's my fault because from the start I married him because I was very ambitious about becoming the wife of a rich man. I've worked hard for years to earn money. However, no matter how hard I try the results are always the same. I'm sorry, Mr Schneider. Maybe you're right, a woman like me doesn't have anything else that I can be proud of other than my face and body. I'm not smart and I don't have any talent either. A woman like me will only be a partner for a man, I won't have any more value than that."

Her tears flowed freely even though she tried to wipe them away many times because she felt like she was crying in front of someone who shouldn't have to know all the dark stories of her past.

Lucien looked at her with a cold expression as if he didn't feel touched at all even though Layla was crying in front of him. He just kept quiet and waited until Layla stopped crying.

"Let go home!" He said after seeing Layla start to stop crying. Layla raised her face and looked at Lucien who had moved from his place.

"Shall we go home now?"

"Yes, after this I want you to do something for me."

*** 

Los Angeles, United States

February 13, 2019

"Do you want to buy chocolate for John?"

"Actually, I want to make my own chocolate. But what I know is that Jonathan doesn't really like sweet food. If it was a Valentine's gift, he would definitely prefer to be given a bottle of champagne or his favorite wine." Layla said while sipping the warm tea in her cup.

In front of her, Sophie smiled as if thinking about something. She was confused about how the wife of a millionaire like John still thought about small things like giving chocolates on Valentine's Day, which seemed very childish.

"I think a man like John doesn't need a gift like that. You know he can buy everything he wants. As a wife, you should be the one who gets gifts from him."

"But he has given me gifts too often. I think there's nothing wrong with a wife giving her husband a gift once in a while. I heard that homemade food or cakes will be much more impressive."

"Don't tell me, you're starting to take your marriage to him seriously."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Layla! Everyone knows your goal in marrying John Weisz. Because you're tired of being a commoner."

"Who told you that? I married him because I really love him!"

"Don't joke, Layla! It would be better for you to lie to me. I know you often date other men secretly. I once saw you enter a five-star hotel with a middle-aged man who is known as a rich businessman." Sophie smiled sarcastically, revealing everything she knew. However, Layla realized that someone else had seen her leaving with a man who was not her husband.

Layla was silent for a moment, trying to think hard to find the right reason so that Sophie didn't know what really happened to her. Because it was impossible for her to tell other people that her marriage to John was not like a normal marriage.

John often asks her to accompany his business clients to dinner and even asks him to provide sexual services so that his clients agree to a business collaboration and this has been happening since the end of this year, which means it has been going on for two months.

Although initially she felt shocked by John's request which she felt was very inappropriate. However, John always managed to persuade and convince her that all this was so that his business collaboration could run smoothly and he could give her luxurious gifts.

"No, you're wrong! I didn't go with those men based on my wishes. But with John's approval. The men you saw were relations and business clients who John hoped would enter into a cooperation contract with his company. I was only asked to accompany him to dinner, just that!"

"Really? I think it's strange for a husband to ask his wife to accompany his client to dinner together and even into the hotel. Do you just agree?"

"I don't think it's any of your business at all. Why do you know all that anyway? What does it have to do with you?"

"Hahaha...come on, Layla! Don't be so angry. As your friend, I'm just curious, but if you say there's nothing wrong, I can understand. But still, in my opinion, you have to be careful because he could just marry you to use your body and beauty to influence his clients."

"No, my husband would not do something like that. He is a very good man and he loves me so much."

***