It was a shock. I looked at Ana and she also looked equally puzzled. Certain things started playing in my head. Random stuff but yet things that means something in retrospect. It's not my place to comment on what I heard. I chanced a glance at Adam. To my surprise he didn't look angry. He didn't look troubled by what he heard nor disturbed. He looked as calm as the sea before a storm.
"How sure are you?" Adam asked Damian.
"Look buddy, I didn't want to break this news to you like this. But still, it is alarming how small companies are set up just to buy shares of your company. They are up to something. But I am not sure how they could when you and Ayah holds the majority of the shares" Damin replied.
Suddenly all the attention were back at me. I tried to blend in to the wall but sadly I was directly seated in front of Adam's view.
"Bring me all the evidence. I want no one to know about this discovery. No one says a word. Damian, get Ted to look after the operations. Since Zue's is mine and yours, I am not expecting any surprises. Ownership will remain the same. I am not going to loose the Regecy conglomerate. Ana and you can come to Regency from tomorrow. You take over IT. Finance fall directly under it as we are automated. Ana will handle the contracts with mom" Adam said after giving me a thoughtful look.
"I can't resign from work within a day" Ana complained.
"I will take care of it Ana. Just get your ass moved in"
"What about Ayah?" Ana asked.
"Damian mom want's to bring Ayah in for board decisions. There has to be more to this. She was trying to get at me for refusing to do a project. But now I believe there is a bigger agenda" he explained to Damian who seems to agree as well.
"Ayah will come to work but will be with me. She will work in assisting me as she should know what is happening if we are to survive this" Adam made the decision. Again, no one thought it was required to consult me. They only inform me of the decisions.
Rest of the conversation was pretty much revolved around Adam's stepfather and Tom. And it was time for dinner.
"Damian, would you stay for dinner with us? I'll make some Italian food" I asked him.
"A wife who knows to cook. Wow! Adam you are lucky b*s*(d"
Adam didn't like the jest. I hope these jesting won't get him angry at me all over again. I am tired of physical abuse and mental games. I wasn't feeling excited by this time. I again had this feeling in my gut where I knew I am going to be used in a way I may or may not approve in Adam's mater plan.
"Damian, don't pretend for heaven's sake as you don't know anything man. Not you. Ana told you everything I believe. Ayah and I just exist. Married by law. That's all" Adam explained.
I felt the rush of humiliation at this. Damian was so nice to me and I felt really heartbroken to have gain his pity instead of his friendship. Damian didn't look happy at what Adam said either.
"I will stay for dinner Ayah, as I have a lot to talk with your a**h** of a husband" he said giving me a charming smile. I smiled in return. And left them to their work.
*******************************************
"Was it really necessary?" Damian asked me.
"What is necessary?" I asked him puzzled.
"You didn't have to hurt her feelings man. If you don't like me teasing you, tell it to my face. That girl sat there looking so vulnerable, and all you could do was just dismiss her like a piece of garbage"
"She is a piece of garbage" I told him.
"You know what Damian, just leave him to be. He is as bad as mom. He is ready to use Ayah but no compassion or at least a little bit of sympathy for the girl. She wakes up everyday at 5 a.m and does everything in the house to keep his life orderly. And all he does is hurt her and insult her" Ana joined in. By this time my head is spinning over everything, I feared I might let it all go on Ana.
"Ana, that's enough"
"Or what? You will treat me as you do Ayah?" Ana jumped at me.
"I am in a f*cked up situation here. And I don't need anymore complication. Damian I need you at the library to go through some official work. Ana, help Ayah"
She didn't say anything. And I proceeded to do my work with Damian.
"So Helen and Tom f*cked behind your back, ha?" Damian laughed when I told him the full story in details. I also told him about Ayah's uncle, the one who is so greedy for money. He took it all in good spirit.
"But why do you treat her badly man? She is a beautiful girl with even more beautiful heart. Why can't you just be good to her?" a sensitive topic.
"She not only killed my dad but partly responsible for this joke of a marriage" I told him.
"But how? She was very young when your dad died. She lost both her parents as well in the same car crash. She suffered more than you did. So why do you keep blaming her?" He asked me.
"Do you know that my dad was a practicing Muslim when he died? It was partly due to her parents influence. He also had me practicing for a while before I got my brain back. The day of the car accident, Ayah's father insisted he wants to get birthday surprise for Ayah. They wanted to buy her a pony. Mom and myself told dad not to go, but he never listened to us when it comes to his friendship with Ayah's father. He wanted to take them to a stable he knows. It was night and raining quite badly. Yet despite our please, he went. And he met his death. Before dad went he told me, after myself, Ayah is the person he loved most. I never understood it" I told Damian the story I have not told anyone.
"So this is the reason you are treating Ayah like thrash? come on man. You are not the same boy who lost his father 20 years ago. And it is not Ayah's fault that your father went with her father looking for a gift for her. And it is not her fault that your father loved her as a daughter. You are angry at that poor girl because you need to be angry at someone" Damian explained. I didn't like his explanation. He doesn't know what it was like to loose dad, then live with mom and her string of lovers before she married the current one. I didn't want to bring it up either.
"Let's get back to work" and we did. And before we knew hours have passed and Ana asked us for dinner.
I, Damian and Ana sat and ate comfortably. The food was undoubtedly good. Ayah served the food, refill it and played the role of a hostess. I don't have to look at her. She didn't join us. She waited for us to eat, ad then cleaned the table. Damian and Ana wanted to go shortly after that. It was a peaceful dinner and afterwards.
I bid farewell to Ana and Damian, stayed outside for a while to smoke. I need to quit this habit of smoking when I am agitated. But looks like it has to wait.
When I went in, I saw Ayah cleaning the dishes.
"Goodnight Ayah"
she looked at me puzzled but replied with a smile.
"Goodnight Adam. Fe amanillah"
YOU ARE READING
Never be the same again
SpiritualHe is Adam She is Ayah He is rich She is destitute He is an atheist She is a Muslim He is arrogant She is humble He lived in luxury She lived in poverty He had love and comfort She was abused and mistreated He didn't have a choice but to marry h...
