How do girls usually react when meeting an old love rival?
I only had one clear love rival in my long life of 27 years old whose name is Lydia khoujali so i'm really inexperienced in the field.
Actually, after a throughout thinking, i remember having in fact another love rival in the past whose name i don't recall but who gave me a bit of a hard time, i have met this troubling person not with Eliyas but with my ex boyfriend Azziz.
This happened during my first year in college, in the period when he and i still haven't officially started to go out together yet.
Azziz was such an extrovert, your typical flamboyant man on the edge who leaded every protestation that the students ever had, who made encouraging and revolutionary speeches in public and who gave his surrounding motivation even when only trying to throw a joke, he naturally had a whole club of female students fangirling him although he wasn't a much of a handsome man.. rather standing out too much for a female heart to miss.
This particular love rival of mine whose name i don't recall and who i will call "miss J" for convenience was among them.
It was clear to the blind that Azziz and I were "courting" at that time, still this miss J publicly persuaded him, she even confessed to him and when she was refused as predicted she wept about it in front of everyone so much that i suddenly became the public enemy over this matter!
Such a scheming woman who makes her way through the pity and sympathy of others, i had no idea how to deal with her.
It wasn't until Azziz and i started to officially go out and he made it clear to everyone that he was the one to persuade me first that i got miraculously rid of the aftermaths of her continuous weeping shows.
As you see, i was a total failure even in dealing with a crybaby Miss J, so how do you expect me to successfully deal with the scheming and sophisticated Lydia khoujali?
That woman came to the villa first thing the following morning to our return, when i walked down the stairs with Eliyas to have breakfast she was already there, sitting on the chair i usually occupy, wearing eyecatchingly short tennis attire although we were in the beginning of the freezing January, and acting as if she was a queen.
When i saw her the only idea i had in my head was: such a slut!
I really don't understand some people's very degraded self-respet, For example my self-respect with a man will automatically activate after being rejected in my first attempt to confess .. This Lydia doesn't apparently even have any self-respect nor dignity, i heard she was rejected before Eliyas married me, she was rejected when Eliyas was married to me, she was rejected when we were separated.. Still there she was not having a face left and still scheming like a snake.
Seeing her.. I already lost my appetite.
_"Eliyas!" Lydia yelled joyfully as if my husband was the moon that brightened in her sky.
She stood up from the chair, and jumped her way towards the stairs beaming with happiness, and i'm not joking nor exaggerating, that woman in the age of having children jumped and clasped her hands as if she was a child in a kindergarten.
When we were finally down the stairs she was already standing in front of us, looking tall and slender.. Her skin exquisitely soft and fair, her face although beautiful, but not that kind of beauty which sticks in the one's head or make us turn to give her a second look when she's walking by and say: "wow", but you can't rely on my judgement as i have high standards being a daughter of a goddess, compared to the small cute me though Lydia is far more attractive.
it is indeed such a pity and stupidity for a woman to have much beauty and good background yet waste them chasing after a man who doesn't appreciate them.
_" Eliyas! How are you doing?" She asked.
And before he even answered (he didn't look like he was planning to answer any time in the next decade) she excitedly added:
_"you must join us on tennis today! I bet you haven't held your racket in a long time!"
She looked at me next fluttering her fake eyelashes pretending to be surprised with my sight for a moment before she jumped on me with hugs and kisses as if i was her long lost friend, she yelled:
_" i'm so happy to see you again Noursine, how i missed you!"
I haven't missed her.. Not even a bit, for so long i wished i would never encounter her again, because this woman ruined my life once.
In the past i used to courteously greet her since she never showed her true colors in front of me, although i didn't like her, i still preferred not to treat her badly and bring more problems to my already problematic life, but ever since i saw her hugging my husband i didn't feel the need to be respectful with her anymore.
Since i was always such a straightforward person, i casted her a cold gaze and i said:
_" for convenience, if we ever meet again in the future i will pretend i don't know you and so should you, i'm not an impolite person so i will not kick you out of my house today.. But my politeness won't extend for a next time"
Once i finished my words her fake tears were all over her face already and she started acting as if she was the victim of the world.
My mother-in-law soon stormed towards us with flames of rage flying from her face and she yelled addressing me:
_" how despicable! How dare you speak to Lydia this way! .. She came first thing in the morning the moment she heard you're back to welcome you and you have the heart to treat her this way? Haven't these years taught you anything?"
Lydia who was displaying her most heart wrenching act of crying whispered as if she had no more power to speak:
_" don't speak to Noursine this way aunty please, i was on the wrong, i did so many mistakes in the past and Noursine still can't forgive me, i accept all her words.. It's my fault"
My mother-in-law looked at her sympathically and said:
_"if you cry like this what face will i have when i meet you mother next time? How can i tell her that her kind daughter was bullied in my house and under my watchful eyes?"
Watching them acting so fake again i already started imagining the scenarios from years earlier repeating them selves, me being scolded and insulted day and night.. And strange people being treated as kings and queens in my house.
I just wanted to walk pass them and head to my work, but i haven't yet moved when a hand held mine tightly, and the man standing beside me who was silently watching the whole show fixed me in my place and refused that i move.
I turned to look at him, his face was cold as usual.. Not a single emotion could be distinguished.
He raised his arm all at sudden and gestured for the butler who was amid the chaos still surveying the servants as they prepared the breakfast table.. He asked him to come.
Once the butler came closer to us, Eliyas calmly ordered:
_" please show this woman to the door and remind the villa guards to never allow her come inside again"
His tone cold and imposing, sending chills all over us.
For a moment, may allah forgive me, i thought he was talking about me, it was exactly as that feeling in the school when a teacher is scolding a student with a loud voice and hurtful words, although the teacher isn't directing his words at you the crawling fear and the uncomfortable feeling still haunts you.
But my mother-in-law's scornful words confirmed to me that " yes.. That witch was truly kicked out of the house!"
_"Eliyas! How.. How dare you!!" The old lady yelled at the top of her lungs.
At this point, the shock look on lydia's face was priceless.. It was so big of an event that even Ines and mr belguassem left the breakfast table and came towards us at the bottom of the stairs.
_"Eliyas.. How could you?" Lydia called his name with a broken voice.. This time round.. it was a real broken voice.
You see, since that man always treats me humanly i always forget how ruthless and heartless he is, well.. Actually he've been ruthless with me before, that man.
He looked at his mother unperturbed and then he said:
_" Mother.. I believe this woman's only relation to this house is her friendship with my sister Ines, therefore i don't see any reason for me to have her in my house against my and my wife's wish, if anyone is objecting to this decision you can join her out i'm not holding anyone back"
Without accepting the escort of the butler, Lydia just stormed out of the villa in tears.. Still the old butler followed her to make sure she truly left the place and probably to inform the guards to never permit her again.
As for the atmosphere inside the Villa, the chaos went overboard with all parties yelling and expressing their displeasure and hatred, they were so loud that even Nana who still had the habit of doing a Quran morning reading session was interrupted and she joined the big fight as well.
I naturally didn't speak, i seldom take part in these sorts of fights because there's just no point in wasting my energy and nerves and still be labeled as "the bad person" no matter how the conditions were.
words like:
"Lydia should have been the lady of this house" .. "your wife turned you against us" .. " are you planning to kick us out of our house?" .. "Ungrateful".. Had been all said to Eliyas.
He patiently received all that, without saying a word back to them.
I wonder how this cold son was brought up in the villa, i bet he never had any childish tantrums nor threw a fit .. And even when his mother tried to insert some morals into his head he must have eyed her coldly and said with his little kid's voice: "i'm afraid you're very incompetent therefore i shall learn from the Quran and books, you're motherly tutoring is not needed" well, because this is the only reasonable explanation for him not following her distorted logic.
When his parents finally had no left power to argue any longer, Eliyas who was holding my hand calmly all along started walking pass them towards the door, totally ignoring all that have been told.. This walk of his made his mother who was drained of energy cast us an unpleasing look with only god knows what's on her head.
Once we walked out of there and we sat inside Eliyas's car alone, he looked at me before starting it and he said:
_" I should find a new place to send them to"
_"what nonsense!" I yelled in objection.
I looked at him seriously while saying:
_"this place had been their home since ever, you already have much enemies Eliyas, do you want to make an enemy out of your family as well by kicking them out? Do you want to make an enemy even of the angels in this place and curse us!"
He sighed tiredly and then squeezed his temples while explaining:
_"they have been on my bad side for a very long time now Noursine, they are ready to pull all the strings to devoid me of everything, i'm already having my worst enemies living under my roof, but to keep them close to watch their movements carefully is something and to let them insult my wife is something else."
_"What do you mean they are your enemies?" I asked logically.
He smiled sarcastically.. He looked at the villa's large door beside us and then he said confidently while turning again to see me:
_"tell me Noursine, what do you think i wanted most in this life?"
_"money" i answered a bit startled with his question.
A little side note: that man is very handsome!
I have never met a person whose gaze was as confident and distant as that of Eliyas's, his eyes are large and dark.. The sort of darkness that makes you feel intimidated and shaken to the bones with fear seeing it. There's no warmth in his beautiful features.. Not at all, a poet can write a whole divan about every single detail of his and still his poetry will be empty of emotions to the end.. That is Eliyas Filladi, the most powerful man in Algeria.
And he was looking at me with that icy beautiful face at the moment.
_" i didn't just want money.." He corrected me " if i wanted just money i would have chosen other ways to get it,instead of just money what i aspired for a very long time were 2 unchanging goals, the first was to own Filladi co in front of father's watchful eyes, and the second was you Noursine Saadat, now when do you think Belguassem Filladi decided to bring you to my life and use you as a pawn to control me?"
The me who was nervous about both his very close face and the way he just coldly admitted i was his most important second goal was rendered speechless, I just gulped and tried to breathe rhythmically.
No matter how long i'll get exposed to such dose of manhood i will always remain vulnerable in his seductive proximity.
Seeing that my lips were sealed and my cheeks were burning red, the serious man beside me just decided to answer his own question saying:
_"we were forced to marry right in the time when i was collecting resources and funds to take over everything, you were brought here as a reminder to me that he could still manipulate my life with ease, maybe you don't know about this Noursine, but in the time you were lying on a bed's hospital between life and death the people inside this house took advantage of my weak state and they acquired some of the small companies that were under my command, it was a small blow, but things could have been much worse if i was not alert"
With every word he was saying.. I felt goosebumps, still i rightfully asked:
_" wasn't Nana the one who suggested the marriage?"
_" she had always treated me as a brother of yours, if a marriage was not initially suggested by father i hardly guess she would think of this idea"
I really had no words to say, since i had that sudden realization that the people around me were indeed heartless and frauds, Nadir's words jumped to my head: "be careful of that family"
Eliyas must have sensed the fear i started to feel, he gave me a reassuring smile and said:
_" they really can't do anything right now, i fixed everything for your return"
_" why didn't you tell me about this before?" I asked.
He didn't answer me, he just started the car and drove towards the company..
For some reason, Eliyas preferred to drive his car personally lately.. In the past he always used a driver, and invested the wasted time in the congested streets in working, ever since we started living together again i was mostly driven by him to and from work.
It wasn't until long minutes had passed and we were stuck in a traffic jam that he finally said:
_" back then, i thought even a wind blowing on our window will make you leave."
Since i stopped thinking about the whole matter that we earlier discussed, it took me quite a while before i linked his words with the last question i asked.
When i turned to look at him again i found that he was still focusing on the road, his face emotionless although his words were unmistakably full of regret, I sighed.. And i asked:
_"you thought i would leave you if i knew?"
_"hmm"
_" we both had no trust in one another, did we?" I asked next as i laughed in pain.
He sighed, and then whispered:
_" we both didn't"