Her friend Maria

If it weren't for the shiny piece of jewellery in her hand that was supposed to be the answer to her problems, Laila would think that everything that had happened today had been an illusion. A figment of her imagination, driven by her desire to escape from her current troubles. After sitting back down and thinking about the words the man had said, while staring at the golden ring in her hand, she couldn't help but feel that his words confirmed her suspicions about her husband.

The appearance of that man at this exact point in her life couldn't be a coincidence, right? Especially not after learning what kind of being he is. His offer and words could only mean one thing, right? That he had offered her an escape. A do over of the poor decisions she had made in her life. After sitting another few minutes on the bench where an amazing and unbelievable opportunity had been presented to her, Laila stood up and continued walking towards the house of her friend Maria. Whether she would use the ring the man had offered her tonight or if she would save it for another day, would all depend on the information and clarity her friend Maria could provide her.

Maria was an amazing person and one that had been her beacon of light more than once when she was still getting used to the life as a socialite. Despite Maria not being a part of the social circle that she had entered when she got married to Jake, her friend knew all that was going on with the people that were. Maria knew the gossip in their small but prosperous country before any other person that she knew. So, if her husband had indeed cheated on her and anyone had seen them, Maria was sure to know about it. With her direct and rational thinking, Maria would be able to provide her with the clarity that she needed in her currently cluttered and chaotic mind. There was no one she trusted more than Maria with what was going on in her life and no one that could silence the voices in her mind more easily.

After another twenty minutes of walking, Laila could see the warm, yellow bricked house on the top of the hill where her friend lived. Maria's house was a lot smaller than Laila's house. It was located near the outer border of their country, which was where the poorest of their country lived, and it was by no means an impressive house to live in. Even the paint chips were falling from the windowsills and doors. But, to Maria the house was priceless and every time Laila came to visit, she could easily understand why Maria was so fond of the house.

The house was high up the hill and full of windows. Letting the light of the sun flow in from all directions. Making it a bright house and one that is nice and warm. Since she loved to bake, the house always had a sweet scent. And on the days she didn't bake, one of her neighbours was sure to have made something delicious that would flood the street with its tempting smell. As if this wasn't enough, Maria had filled her house with the most comfortable furniture one can imagine. They might not be anything to look at, but as soon as she stepped inside and sat down on Maria's white sofa, covered with soft, fluffy pillows, it would feel as if she was being hugged by a sea of kittens.

However, the house itself wasn't the only reason why Maria had never felt the desire to move over the years. Her kind and loving neighbours played a big role as well. The people that surrounded her, would always help her and one another. Despite not having much to spend, they would be sure to share whatever little they did have. Everyone would go out of their way to greet you and you were showered with kindness the moment you entered the neighbourhood. It was so welcoming, that you never wanted to leave.

Walking in these streets and seeing the way the people here behaved, always reminded Laila of the neighbourhood she had grown up in. Back when she was a teenager, she wasn't able to appreciate what it had to offer and could only see her neighbours' kindness as meddling. Her immaturity had prevented her from recognizing how great the people that surrounded here were. But, when she lost her baby, there wasn't a single one of them who didn't reach out to her and offered their help. After that, her appreciation for people like them grew and she began coming to Maria's house more often in order to surround herself with people that are able to give without expecting anything in return.

But even if they didn't expect anything, Laila made sure to give back what she had received. She would do so by picking a few random houses after every visit, to slip an envelope of cash in. She also had someone she knew, do the same in her old neighbourhood. Since she had so much of it anyways, or at least her husband did, she decided help them in this way. What better way to repay their kindness, that they seemed to have an abundance of, with that which they lacked and she could never all spend? The more she came around here, the more it made her appreciate the simple life. Especially now that she had actually experienced the life that had always seemed to draw her in and mesmerize her in the past. Only after living the life of glitz and glam, could she see that having money and wealth wasn't all that it is made out to be.