A Failed Wish

The smile formed on Matthias's face faded in a jiffy. When he looked at her with a cold glint in his eyes, Leyla felt her heart leap into her mouth.

I'll leave then.

As she spoke, Leyla dipped her gaze into the teacup in front of her, utterly disregarding his presence.

Pardon?

I won't be staying there anymore. I'll leave and won't be a bother in your estate.

Where are you going?

Anywhere.

She clenched her fist which began to shiver, together with the chill she felt. Don't be scared Leyla reassured herself, though she knew it was a fool's errand.

Arvis isn't the only place in this world where I can make a home for myself.

Her words lost none of their venoms, spewing a thorn as sharp as the blow he spat to her. But Matthias simply gave her the cold shoulder, taking her grumbling as a passing whim.

Leyla wanted to flee from her seat and get out of there as soon as possible, but what happened last summerthe day she lost her hat and fell into a freezing river because she refused to eat what he offered her, had presented itself in her mind and pinned her feet firmly in place.

She didn't want to go through that trauma all over again.

As she set her sight on the teacup, Leyla sipped her hot coffee in a hurry. She almost choked, but Leyla managed to finish it in one gulp, until the teacup revealed its bottom. Then, she sucked in a long breath to calm herself.

Leyla. sibilated Matthias, pointing at her.

Lelya stiffened and hurriedly took out the money from her purse and put it on the table's edge.

Matthias scoffed, What's this?

It's money to pay for the coffee I drank. Leyla opened her lips and struggled to get the words out. Her gaze remained affixed on his finger.

Do you think I'm the kind of person who needs someone like you to pay for a cup of coffee?

I don't know about that, but I don't want to receive anything from you.

With that phrase, Leyla felt a chill run down her spine. The trembling began anew as her hands became soaked with cold sweat, and her fingers turned a paler hue. Still, her inquisitiveness won against her, in the end.

Because this place wasn't Arvis, where Leyla Lewellin used to live the life of a poor orphan under his world.

Lift your head.

I don't want to.

Lift your head, Leyla.

Stop bossing me around.

The mounting exasperation tightened her throat. She looked daggers at Matthias with a blaze of indignation burning furiously in her eyes.

I am not your maid.

A sudden rush of reckless courage had obliterated the ripples of dread that had been roiling within her for some time, heating her response.

Maid?

I was obviously raised by Uncle Bill in Arvis, but that doesn't mean that I'm your maid.

Is that so? What are you, then?

I'm a nobody.

The corner of her eyes faintly flushed

I have been and will always be.

A sharp pain seared through her feelings right at the moment. Her emerald eyes were moist with tears as she glowered at Matthias. But even so, she still got a hold of him and even ventured to confront him.

Matthias just held his coffee cup's handle wordlessly. He mused about the day he wished to strangle Leyla Lewellin, and he longed to do so again right now.

The sweltering heat of a late summer day afternoon; when he felt as filthy as his messed-up clothes after rolling around on the dirt ground. When he went ballistic at the acts of a mere worthless woman.

'What if I had strangled you then'

In his mind, Matthias concluded that what he felt at the time wasn't quite as bad as what he was presently feeling. Right now, he felt like a freak. The feeling of being carried away by an inexplicable desire and compulsive obsession over a no-name woman disgusted him the most.

Matthias took the money that she had left on the table and rose from his seat. Then, he dropped it one by one onto her lap.

Take it.

Leyla glowered at him. Taking in her eyes, which turned a livid red, Matthias threw some of his gold coins down her skirt. And this, too.

W-what are you

Thank-you; is what you should say, Leyla.

Matthias scoffed in ridicule.

Similar to how you receive Claudine's money. With gratitude. With courtesy.

Leyla's eyes blurred as he snickered, but she wouldn't let her tears fall. She twitched her lips to counter his severity, yet words slinked and slid off her tongue.

I've taken away your time, even though you're not my maid, so I'll pay you your labor fee.

A great tremor now overtook her. Leyla gritted her teeth, but hot torrents of grief already coursed down her face.

If you don't like it, simply think of it as my sympathy for the poor orphan.

Tears began to tickle her cheek. Deep emotions stirred with no other outlet but through her long-lasting sobs dripping down like a piece of jewelry.

You bootlick a guy who wants to marry you out of pity, yet you wish to sustain your pride for a few coins. How amusing.

Matthias' sneer was like an invisible thread that pulled her over. Leyla gallantly scowled at him, but her total disgruntlement had already converted into tears that continued to rain down her cheeks like a river leaving a dam.

Matthias walked out of the cafe with a satisfied smile plastered on his face.

Leyla Lewellin was a woman who never once smiled in his presence, but she was also the woman who, whenever he came into contact with her, would break down and cry uncontrollably.

'If I can't make you smile, then I will make you cry.'

Her laughter or tears, Matthias loved her in all of her manifestations. If he only could give her pain, he would hurt her as deeply as he could.

'At the very least, you wouldn't see me as a tiny blot in your life.'

Before leaving the cafe, Matthias turned around and gave her face a good stare. Leyla wiped her cheek every few second as she cried; her glasses laid on the table's edge.

Matthias made a wish as his long strides slowly brought him to leave the Natural History Museum.

'May Leyla soon marry the doctor's son, and disappear from my world.'

'And may the tears and wounds I had sculpted, last forever in her memory.'

The sun had already drowned itself on the west skysill, but Leyla hadn't returned to her hotel yet.

Kyle, looking for Leyla at her hotel to have dinner with her, exited the lobby with a worried face. Though she was a little kid no longer, this city was a stranger to her; bad people might be clustered everywhere.

Well, she has no fear, but still..

Kyle took a hesitant stride along the street. His mind was racing faster than his feet. He had assumed she would be at the museum, but it had already closed by the time he had arrived. The search for her had taken him all across town, but Leyla was nowhere to be seen.

'Is she lost?'

Kyle darted past people, buildings, and trees.

'If not, has she met a bad guy?'

Kyle wanted to bury all of the negative thoughts that had crossed his head; he didn't even want to consider the possibility.

It was then that he found her.

Leyla stood before a fountain in the park square at the end of the museum street and dubiously threw a coin towards the statue of the water fountain.

Leyla!

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Her eyes naturally moved towards the direction of the voice that was calling her name.

Uh, Kyle?

Leyla seemed befuddled as if she had no idea that she had scared someone out of his wits.

What are you doing here?

Kyle approached her, brushing the sweat-drenched hair from his forehead.

Kyle, why are you here? How about your exam preparations?

Does it matter right now? You really Seriously, you.

Kyle grabbed her shoulder. He slowly drew a breath and let it back out with a loud sigh. It wasn't long before his daunting gasps calmed down a little.

Are you alright? Would you like to have a seat? Leyla asked; her eyes were drawn to his face with worry.

'Who cares about who now?'

Kyle clasped his heated palms over Leyla's face and heaved a long sigh that sounded more like a mournful laugh. It was then that he noticed that her eyes had swelled and reddened a bit.

Leyla, are you crying?

No, I'm not.

Leyla answered his question in such a hurry as if she had run out of words, which only made Kyle even more sure that she had been crying.

Why did you cry?

I didn't.

Who made you cry?

No one, it's nothing like that, Leyla smiled and gently pushed his hand away. I just, uh, looked around the museum. Took a walk in the park and made a wish.

Wish?

Yeah. I saw everyone doing it.

Leyla gestured with her finger toward the fountain in the middle of the park. People with bright smiles on their faces were throwing their coins into the fountain and making wishes.

I also made a wish for you to get into medical school.

Are you sure you threw it accurately?

Kyle began to chuckle as he pointed to the water bowl the statue was holding. The disappointed moans of those who failed to throw their coins into the pot resounded across the throng.

Of course I made it, said Leyla with a proud smile on her face, I'm really good at this thing.

I know, I can already imagine it.

It is already dinner time. Are you hungry? Let's make one more wish before we go.

Leyla made a beeline for the fountain, holding a shiny gold coin in her hand. Kyle, to her surprise, obediently trod on his heels from behind.

Leyla! Do you seriously want to throw your gold coins there? To that fountain? A penny-pincher like you?

In lieu of responding, Leyla pitched the coin with all her might. Unluckily for her, the gold coin hit the edge of the bowl and bounced off towards another side. She gasped and frowned, dismay enveloping her face.

Leyla, are you really good at this?

Why don't you believe me? I successfully threw all of my coins in one fell swoop just now!

Just how many gold coins did you throw, huh? Kyle asked in a giggle at her slipshod feat that wasn't like her at all.

Okay. Since I've already given a big donation to the Ratz's fountain today, I'll toss in one more coin.

Are you going to throw another one? That's enough! Don't do it!

Kyle snatched the coin from Leyla's grasp, leaving her to scowl and lunge for his hand in annoyance. It must be spent!

You may say that, but how many gold coins have you already thrown in there?

It's the value of money.

Is there money that needs to be wasted for nothing like this?

There is! Layla shrieked.

Enough! Don't throw any more money. It's a waste. If you want to squander money, let's go and get some ice cream.

You really do look like Leyla Lewellin when you say that.

Whatever. Kyle shrugged his shoulders and put the coin back into his pocket. Let's go.

He knew Leyla would reject his hand, but Kyle still extended his to her. Leyla lightly clapped his hand and seized the lead by taking a small step ahead of him.

Kyle was moving quickly to catch up with her

Hey, what did you wish for?

I wished for Uncle Bill's well-being and happiness. Then for you to get into college and become a good doctor. And I wished to be a decent grownup. That's all of the wishes I had for us.

Then what's the last one?

Hmm?

The last wish of your failed attempt.

That's

Leyla's face suddenly grew sour.

It's a secret. She abruptly shook her head in disgust and widened her stride.

Kyle just chuckled cheerfully, his face lighted up with interest.

Let's get something delicious to eat, shall we? I've been frantically running around searching for you, and now I'm starving to death.

Dr. Etman heaved a sigh before he opened the bedroom door.

When he switched on the light, he saw that his wife was already lying on the bed. She had been like this ever since Kyle and Leyla had left for Ratz to take their exams.

Dear, dinner is ready. Let's go.

Don't mind me.

Her voice sounded icy, which contrasted with her lackluster appearance.

I understand how you feel, but.

No. You don't. The generous and benevolent Dr. Etman would never understand.

Her eyes were ablaze with anger.

But dear, you also like Leyla, don't you?

Yes. I know. Leyla is a good girl. If it weren't for you and Kyle, I would have continued to like her.

Marrying Kyle won't change Leyla, dear. It's just that Kyle will marry that good girl that he truly loves.

You might think of me as an exorbitant snob, but marriage is a reality. This marriage is degrading our son, and you're allowing it to happen!

Dear, the world will keep changing. Someone's social status will soon become an outmoded value.

Mrs. Etman arranged her long, flowing hair into a bun and pulled it up neatly before getting out of bed. She stared at her husband with an upset face; she didn't exactly look like someone who had been starving for days.

In a world where people live, social status won't disappear. Even if the title is no longer in use, something else will separate society's social classes in the future.

Dear

And whatever the standards are, the fact that Leyla is not a good fit for our Kyle will never change. Ever.

Rounding off the talk with those bitter words, Mrs. Etman walked past her husband.

Dr. Etman watched his wife's back, who had left towards the garden, and smiled faintly to the maid, who was standing there looking confused.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Becker. Please clean the dinner table.

With a sigh, Dr. Etman followed his wife into the unlit garden at this hour of the night.