Chapter 3 - The Bad girl

"The engagement between Miraz Hasan and Lisa Akter annulled?"

The newschannel was showing this headlines repeatedly along with interview of Mr. Hasan.

Of course Mr. Hasan knew that they shouldn't break the engagement without any reason otherwise people will blame them for abandoning their friends in needs.

However, he still chose to do so. Because appeasing the shareholders was more Important than optics. People's point of view could easily be manipulated. But if the Hasans associated themselves with a drowning ship like the Akters, his position as a CEO would be in jeopardy.

If one was to choose between his friend or himself the choice was obvious. Right?

As for Lisa, she didn't have time to be sad or to grieve, her thoughts were interrupted by a loud "thud" sound and her nother's panicked voice.

Looks like the hope of association between Hasans and Akters is the thing that kept her father going. Without hope, he lost all his mental strength. He could no longer take it and suddenly fainted.

Fortunately they lived near hospital and could reach the hospital fast. Lisa suspected that her father had a heart attack. She was panicking inwardly. But the doctor explained that it was due to exhaustion and sudden panic attack.. Lisa and her mother sighed with of relief.

"I don't believe it". Lisa's mother mumbled, " 30years of friendship, and that man didn't even blink his eye when he turned his back on us."

Lisa was crying silently.

She never felt so useless.

When her brother was born her family was not that rich yet, so he had to contribute to the family to some extent.

He knew the meaning of hardship and struggle.

When the company began to earn decent amount of money, only then Mr. And Mrs Akter planned their second child and thus Lisa was born.

Lisa's brother Liton was a reminder of their past full of hardship and Lisa was a reminder that how blessed they where to reach the position they were today.

So naturally Lisa became apple of their eye and a was pampered endlessly.

Her parents thought that they could protect Lisa well.

Their attitude, however, prevented her growth, made her dependent on others.

She was not spoilt, but she was stubborn; she was not proud, but she would never initiate a conversation ;

For this reason, she didn't have many close friends in their circle to whom she could ask for help.

she was not a tyrant, but if she decides something, no one can change her mind and she would act on her impulse without consequences.

Her impulsive character lead her to drop out of her college.

Reason? Because she found business studies boring.

She dropped out of business school and started to major in architecture.

Her family also supported her. Because if the circumstances hadn't changed then she wouldn't have to worry about her career as she wouldn't lack any job anyway.

May be for this guilt, when her parents arranged marriage between her and Miraz, she didn't object.

But now, because she lagged behind in her studies, she hadn't graduated yet and she was practically useless when it came to business.

Lisa finally couldn't take it anymore and broke down.

"I am so sorry mom. I wish...I really wish I had been more useful. If I hadn't quit business school halfway I wouldn't feel so useless now. The company would have been in chaos. Please forgive me."

Mrs. Akter froze seeing Lisa like this. She never saw Lisa crying like this.

"Don't worry mom, I will try to do anything something. I will not be useless anymore. You don't worry. Ok?"

Mrs. Akter wanted to comfort her, but she restrained herself. She knew that her baby girl had to grow up now. She could no longer be as careless as before.

"I...I will talk to Miraz. We might not be engaged anymore but we were friends since childhood. May be he will lend help." Lisa tried to think positive.

Mrs. Akter just smiled in response. Looks like her baby girl is really growing up. If it had been before she would never contact Miraz after being humiliated publicly by his father like this.

Although she was not optimistic that Miraz would help them, she didn't stop Lisa. Because asking for help and being rejected by people were something that she had to become accustomed to. Mrs Akter knew how the world functions, it was time that Lisa knew too.

Lisa reached Hasans' company full of hope. She directly went to Miraz's office.. nobody dared to stop her. It was a privilege that she enjoyed as Miraz's friend and later fiancee.

Normally Lisa would just walk in his office, but this time her instinct stopped her. And somehow her instinct was right most of the time. Soon Lisa heard the conversation between two familiar voices that chilled her heart.

"Darling I am feeling guilty. We shouldn't have stabbed the Akter's in the back like this" a female voice said.

Lisa recognised her voice. She was her classmate in business school, Anaya, one of the few people she had good relationship with.

No wonder Anaya distanced herself from Lisa when Lisa revealed that she was going to be engaged to Miraz. They were already in a relationship.

Lisa suddenly remembered that she once saw Miraz and Anaya coming out of a hotel. Miraz said that he came for a business meeting and ran into Anaya. Where Anaya couldn't make eyecontact with her.

How blind did Lisa have to be to not notice the signs!

"Serves you right ", Lisa thought to herself.

"You don't have to feel guilty. Even without you in the picture, I wouldn't have stayed with Lisa for long. I want a wife not a child that continuously needed to be taken care of. God knows how much difficult it has been to tolerate her all these years. Have you noticed that she doesn't have many friends?

She always thinks she is above everyone else and maintains distance from others. If it hadn't been for father I wouldn't even look at that pampered girl. My wife should be able to shoulder my burden, not add to it. " Miraz said coldly, filled with disgust.

Lisa subconsciously trembled. It was a tone that Miraz never used in front of her. It wasn't that she didn't want to mix with others. It's just that her choices and interests are so much different then others that they couldn't find any common ground to discuss.

When other girls waited for new movie release from their idols, she was eagerly waiting for release of new Marvel movie. When others wanted to buy cosmetics and dresses, she wanted to latest model computer and laptop. Even her dresses were bought by her mother.

Whenever she joined any conversation she wouldn't understand half of what they were saying.

Miraz even used to praise her and said that she was different.

Is it that Lisa was a fool or Miraz was really that good at acting?

Miraz spoke again and cut off her thoughts.

"I will not let father and her friend control me forever and will definitely not marry someone as business alliance. It's my life. If father wants he can marry her. "

Miraz gritted his teeth.

"But you shouldn't have leaked the news of Liton's illness to the media", Anaya said sadly.." they at least wouldn't face bankruptcy now."

"Do you think that old man would agree to annulle the engagement if it didn't threaten the company? You should stop thinking about others and focus on our future." Miraz changed his tone.

Anaya didn't protest anymore.

"Thank you dear for not letting me down", Anaya choked.

The room was suddenly filled with strange noises.

Lisa fought back her tears and silently left the company. She knows how much she wanted to run inside and demand explanation.

She wanted to tell him that if he had told her that he didn't want to marry her. She herself would have refused to marry him.

She wanted to tell him that if he didn't like to hang out with her, if she was that unbearable, all he had to do was to tell her. And she would retreat.

Would they had to suffer such misfortune then?

But the disgust that Miraz expressed in his voice, Lisa knew that confronting him would bring nothing but humiliation.

Lisa smiled bitterly. Even if Miraz didn't like her he should could have considered their 24years of friendship before humiliating her and her family. Really the rich people had little humanity. No wonder Lisa couldn't get along with them.

Meeting Miraz would be nothing but wastage of time. so all she could do was leave before anyone noticed her.

Lisa walked to the hospital lifelessly and kept whispering to herself, "I am sorry mom for being useless.. let me take care of you now."

Little did she know that this incidence will unleash a side of her that she didn't even know existed.