Purple Romance

Maria watched how Ad-Din ate the food and she couldn't help but drool over him. She could never have imagined the reason why he didn't allow her to eat the food.

Ad-Din was left with the last bit of pasta on the plate and looked at the face of the woman. Her gaze was like daggers as she glared at him. He decided to teach her a lesson.

'Do you want?' he asked. Maria nodded and lifted the fork that was in her hands. She thought he was making fun of her so she swiftly snatched the plate and rolled the pasta unto her fork. Ad-Din watched her knowing the next thing she was going to do after eating it.

Maria tasted the pasta, planning to savour the taste before chewing it but what hit her wasn't a good taste but rather a salted pasta in her mouth. She blinked her eyes thinking something was wrong. She chewed the pasta and touched her throat and stood up. She ran into the kitchen and spat the food out into the dustbin before rinsing her mouth with water.

Ad-Din walked to her with a glass of wine and handed to her saying 'drink this, it will lessen the taste of the salt in your mouth'.

Maria snatched the glass and drunk all the wine before looking at him and asked 'why did you do that? You clearly knew the food was salty yet you forced yourself to eat it all. What if you fall sick or get indigestion?'

'You are still the worse at cooking. Looks like you haven't changed that much in the last 8 years, Maria Portia Lee.

I just wanted to know that you haven't changed before giving you the promotion. You can start work on Monday, Paul will let you in on what you need to know' Ad-Din said and turned to go and Maria spoke.

'You are wrong'. she said.

Ad-Din stopped and waited for her to continue. He had his back towards her.

'I am not married. You have misunderstood me'.

Ad-Din turned and looked at her at once. He felt like he had just been hit with a bolt.

'What about that man you live with and the child?' Ad-Din asked.

'There is a reason that I can't explain to you right now but that is all it is. I am not married and I don't a child. She is my niece'.

'Re…really?'

'Yes. I thought I should tell you the truth now that I will be working for you. I don't want to start on the wrong note though is too late to say so. You hate me, right?' Maria asked

'Yes, you are right. I hated you so much but is being 8 years. I have lived through worse situations. I admit, my actions so far have being childish and petty. I really wanted and wished I could hurt you as much as you have hurt me, but I realised something. Is useless, I can't even hurt you because I will be hurting myself.

We loved each other once and even though our relationship ended on such a note 8 years ago I haven't been able to get a closure.

Tonight I came because I wanted to hear your reasons for doing that back then but is been 8 years already. Is too late to go back to 8 years ago and I have gone through so much pain to want to live that again'.

'I know. I don't have any excuses'. Maria said.

'I came today to get a closure and I just did. Now that things are no longer awkward amongst us, I hope that you will make good use of the opportunity I am giving you Miss Lee and work hard towards achieving your goals. I am also part of the reason why you couldn't get a job all these years. Take it that I am repaying you back for all the harm I caused you 8 years ago.

I don't go back on my words so you have the job, not as an errand girl but as an assistant secretary. You will assist Paul in his work. The job you applied for requires people specialised in marketing and you don't. The truth is, everyone working in this company has at least a bachelor or master's degree in their field of work and the competition is fiercer than you think.

The business world is a dog eat dog world and there are people who will stop at nothing to get what they want. I am not doing this because I feel pity for you. I am doing this because I hope that you don't still remain the same Maria from 8 years ago.

Is not too late to start a new chapter. A lot of things have happened and I know moving on is the hardest to do but it is also a necessity so I hope that you will use this chance I am giving you to build yourself and improve upon your capabilities.

People will always look down on you but if you don't look down on yourself and work hard, people will see your effort and the ones who are for you will help you to grow.

8 years ago, you were the one who showed me the light and I want to do the same for you. off course, I am not doing this because I can't let go or I still have feelings for you. I am doing this because I believe that you can grow and be a better person than you already are'.

'Why are you still so nice to me?' Maria asked.

'Because I hope that you will become a person who lived in the present and not in the past.

Call the man you are staying with to come and pick you. I would have taken you home but I am now your boss. See you on Monday Miss Lee'.

Ad-Din said and his mouth curved into a subtle smile before he went towards the door. He heard Maria saying.

'Thank you, Mr. Denarius. I won't let you down'. Maria said with a renewed hope.

She smiled to herself. She couldn't still believe what happened was real. She looked at the man's retreating back and couldn't imagine he would be so cool. It turned out it was all in her head.

Truth was, Maria couldn't find anything wrong in what Ad-Din told her. He was right about everything. She was still stuck in that moment 8 years ago. Her career then and the accident. Though she claimed she had moved on, it was clear she didn't put much effort in making herself better.

She had made up her mind. She was going to be someone who lived in the present while not forgetting the past because they were all part of her. She picked her bag and left through the back door.

Ad-Din leaned on the wall as soon as he walked out of view and touched his beating heart saying 'that was so cool of you, Ad'.

He looked inside and saw Maria leaving through the back door and murmured 'was I too harsh on her? I hope she didn't take it the wrong way?' he smiled and was about to go when something stroke his mind.

'Wait. I think I almost forgot something important. She said she wasn't married? She never got married. Why does that make me happy though?' He smirked and walked out.