Hidden daggers

The woman with the perfect teeth smiled through them as she swallowed the friendly spoken insults of Laila. She didn't quite understand why Laila responded the way she had, as she had never spoken back to her like that before, but she quickly brushed it off in order to focus on her true intentions for visiting. "He. He. He. Yes, well I guess you just got lucky in finding Noah. We don't all have handsome childhood friends who have turned in a success to marry. Speaking of Noah, where is he? I was told he had come home to take care of you for the day." Laila squinted her eyes as she heard this.

"Why would you be informing about where my husband is? Don't you think that is a bit strange?" The woman, whose name was still unknown, played innocent as she said, "Oh, I just wanted to see if I should come over to help out with you since you have been so nauseous these past few days. I didn't want to cause any trouble. I was just concerned about my friend." Laila still found this a bit odd and said, "Well wouldn't have been better to call me then?"

The woman appeared shocked for a moment before she hit Laila's arm playfully as she said "Oh come on. Don't tell me you will get jealous over something so little. I am your friend aren't I? But never mind that, I am here now and that is all that matters, right? I couldn't forgive myself if you distracted Noah from his work, when I was available to help at a moment's notice." Just when Laila thought the woman was finished, she added, "Really Laila, I just can't understand how you can drag such an important and busy man away from his work over a bit of nausea. I would be far too afraid that he or his colleagues would resent me for it. Women have gotten pregnant since the dawn of time, only you are making such a big fuss of it all. If it wasn't for you having such a doting husband, what would have become of you."

Hearing another set of words with hidden daggers Laila's face twisted a bit before she regained her composure and fake smile. "I didn't ask him to come. He just loves me enough to sense when I need him without my asking and dotes on me enough to not care about postponing some work. Money can be made on any day and he knows that. So, he considers my wellbeing and mental state as something more important, like a good husband, who loves his wife, should. But I guess someone without a husband or long-term boyfriend wouldn't be able to understand that. Maybe some day you will be able to experience something as deep and true like this yourself."

Again Laila managed to pour salt on the woman's open wounds and she hoped that this time around the stinging would be enough to silence her. She did not understand how she had become friends with this person or how she had not noticed the woman's intentions before but she certainly noticed now and she wouldn't let her plan succeed. When Laila looked back up she saw that her words had at least seemed to have had part of the desired effect. As the woman sat across from her she looked at Laila with a contorted face that clearly showed her discontent for the current situation. The woman was just about to open her mouth again when Giselle walked in to ask her if she wanted anything to drink, forming the perfect distraction.

"Finally, you have come to ask. I was beginning to think that you people would leave me to starve to death. Really Laila, when will you start training your staff properly or trade them in for better staff. If they don't know how to treat the guests in your home, what use do they have? They will only taint your name as the woman of the house and more importantly it will taint Noah's name as well. Doesn't that poor man have enough on his plate? Now he should worry about what goes on in the home as well, when he has a wife who is home all day?" Then she turned to Laila and said, "Sorry dear, you know I don't mean any offense to you. I just feel bad for you and Noah. I just care too much to risk having people talk badly about you guys over some incompetent staff."

Giselle gave the woman a glare while she was busy talking to Laila about all the things that was wrong, while Laila tried to keep herself from smiling as she watched the faces Giselle was making behind the woman's back. When she turned back around to give her 'order', Giselle quickly returned to her smiling self, though a bit colder than usual. "Bring me a cup of tea and I shouldn't have to ask this but make sure to bring some snacks as well." She ended her words with a shooing gesture and said "Go along now. That water won't boil itself." Giselle gave a small bow and politely responded, "Very well madam Smith. Please excuse me." After that she turned around in swift movement and as Giselle was walking out of the room, the woman added another nasty remark. "Geez, with a body like that, it is no wonder that she is so slow. You should keep your pastries behind locked doors from now on, it is clear that someone can't keep her hands off of them."