PROLOGUE

MONSOON THEN

LAYLA

*He left her.

He left her.

He left her.*

He promised he would never do that, not him, not again. He's not her father. He's not her mother. Or maybe it's just her illusion. She called him, lying limp on her bed, hoping he would come running to her and say, "It's all over now. We are leaving this city. You, me and our child."

Then she realised that he never knew he had a child. She never told him. She sent another text.

*Where are you?

I miss you.

I need you.

This is not funny anymore.

I love you.

Did you hear about what happened to me?

Is that why you are not responding?

I can understand if your feelings change because of that. I will always love you. I deserve a chance to explain.

Please don't cut my voice. Please give me a chance.

Leon, please. Hear me out.

God, this is not how I want to break the news. I am pregnant. **

She waited for another two** days before she sent another text with trembling hands. She never thought she could see a day where she had to prove herself.

'It's yours.' She typed with tears welled in her eyes.

It's been a month since I've known. It's yours. I'll take a paternity test. Please. I need you. I need you here. I can't sleep. I don't know what to do.

She waited again. All her messages were seen and that gave her hope. But no reply came back. Just like that, the little hope was extinguishers before it burned brightly.

He left her. He knew what happened to her. He left her anyway. She doesn't want to believe it. Maybe soemthing happended to him. Maybe something terrible, like an accident or worse, someone might have killed him. She squeezed her eyes shut. No, he is stronger than that. Also, he read her messages. He didn't reply.

He did that before, didn't he? He called her annoying, left her on read many times. But those times were different. They weren't in love back then. Her life was not on stake back then. Now it is. She knew she would die if he never come back.

For the one last time, swallowing the humiliation, she typed again.

*Have you ever loved me? Is there any moment when you said you loved me and mean it? *

The reply came back at once.

Two letters, One word, two lives, one heart shattered in seconds.

She started at his reply in big bold letters - NO.

Just like that, Layla lost her last hope. And she could never mend her broken heart. She became numb. She couldn't see anything, hear anything, and understand anything. All the tears vanished that day. They never came back, at least not for him.

She became angry. That's all she knew; angry at him, angry at the world, angry at her parents, angry at herself, and everything.

She wasn't going to hope again. She wasn't going to trust again. She promised herself that she would never believe in the illusion of happiness. In this world, everything is a facade.