RACHEL:

Closure. That was what I was here for when I decided to show up at the house which once felt like a home. Deep down I knew it was wrong timing but I still turned up nevertheless.

I stood at the entrance for such a long time while contemplating on whether or not to get in. In my hand was the small velvet box which contained the sapphire pendant that Austin's mother had given me then to welcome me into the family... A family I had no place in again.

Eventually, I stepped into the house, the eerie silence hitting me. My heels clicked softly against the polished marble floor as I began to find my way to the study where I intended to drop the small box with me.

Memories of the moments I once shared here with Austin slowly built its way into my head and I found myself longing for his presence. I was longing for what we once shared and I missed every moment of that.

I shook off the nostalgia that had hit me right when I reached the study. Immediately, I placed the small box on the wooden desk, turning around to leave as soon as I was done.

"You are back."

I knew that voice too well, so much that I stiffened when it hit my ears.

I turned around to see Austin standing by the doorway to the study. He was leaning by the doorframe with an exhausted expression. As exhausted as it was, it still looked unreadable.

As much as I would want to know what was going on with him due to his disheveled appearance, I had to act like I was indifferent and that was what I showed in my expression.

"I only came to return this," I said, gesturing toward the box on the desk which his gaze dropped to.

A flicker of recognition hit his face before his jaw suddenly tightened. "You don't have to," he said.

"I do," I responded immediately.

"You really don't, Rachel."

"It was given to me as a member of your family. I would soon desist from being a member again so why bother keep it?"

I was sure I made a good argument there because the silence between us stretched for a long time after I said that. We both simply stood in our positions with our gazes not leaving each other.

Austin eventually let out a sigh and stepped closer to me. "I know I hurt you, Rachel. I am not denying the fact that I did. But you're making this bigger than it needs to be," he let out the most ridiculous thing I must have heard him say in such a long time.

Bigger than it needs to be? The audacity from this man.

I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. "You let your mistress slap me in public. You defended her while she humiliated me. You've always chosen her over me, your wife. And you think I'm actually making this bigger than it needs to be?" I asked, my voice loud as I did.

"I was only trying to make things right."

"Make things right?" I repeated. "At the expense of my dignity?"

"We were in a place with dignified personalities. You didn't expect I let the situation longer on. It would have cost me a lot and I cannot afford that," he explained but it sounded like bullshit to me. And what he continued to say didn't even make sense to me, "I even wanted to fix things between us. Look, I got you something."

My brows were raised. "Something?"

Right at this moment, getting something from him was the least expected action. Not after I just returned the most important item I had with me which was given to me as a gift years back.

He walked over to the side desk and picked up a velvet box which was similar to the one I returned. He opened it to reveal a stunning diamond bracelet.

I blinked, looking from his face to the diamond bracelet which he held in his hands. "You really think jewelry is going to fix this problem between us? Is that how materialistic you think I am?" I asked in between disbelief and rage.

"I was only trying to—"

"Austin? Where are you? Are you ready?" That question cut him off. It drifted from the hallway and it was a familiar one. Chloe, no doubt.

Just in time, Chloe came into the study well dressed in a silk gown that clung to get curves, accentuating her figure. She noticed me and the smirk on her face was instant.

"Oh... You got her the same one?" Those were the first words she uttered and I had to look at the bracelet on her wrist and then back at the one Austin was holding.

I shook my head. Nothing was different with this man.

"And you really thought jewelry could fix this," I said in a rather shaky voice.

RACHEL:

I really didn't want to celebrate my birthday this year. Each year, I always got to play the role of Austin's wife as he invited the most elite guests from all over the city to grace the occasion while dressing me up in something that would always turn heads.

Probably why I didn't want the crowd or anything else for that matter if it hadn't been for Daniel's insistence to make it as grand as possible.

The penthouse used was that of his apartment and right now it was filled with music and laughter as guests drank and danced under the soft glow of chandeliers.

I tried my best to enjoy myself. To at least forget about everything and reel in the moment. But a part of me ached. I was waiting for someone that would not show up and I didn't know why.

I guess I was just not used to doing this without having him around. Maybe I missed him because tell me why my heart stupidly skipped a beat when he walked in.

The moment the doors swung open, I noticed something different about Austin. It wasn't the fact that he was with Chloe as usual, it was the way he was rather wobbly as his arm draped over her shoulders.

He was drunk. No one needed to tell me. And his presence actually caught the attention of people.

"Do you want me to kick them out?" Daniel's voice was right in my ear as he asked that question.

I forced myself to remain composed as I took in the sight before me. "No," I responded, swallowing hard as I did so. I had a glass of champagne in my hand which I took a sip from as I fixated my gaze on the two people looking a bit like a mess.

"Rachel—"

"I said no!" I snapped but not in a way that would scare Daniel off.

Kicking them out would mean that they got to me. I wasn't going to give them that satisfaction.

With my champagne glass still in my hand, I plastered a smile and walked slowly toward them.

"Austin," I called his name in the coolest way possible. "I didn't expect you to come."

I watched as struggled to focus on me. How much exactly did he have to drink?

"It's your birthday," he said.

"You do remember something about me?" I asked, rather surprised that he did.

Chloe, letting out a soft laugh, responded on his behalf: "Of course he does. He just needed a little encouragement to show up."

"Is this the encouragement?"

"What do you mean?"

I ignored her and locked eyes with Austin. "You're drunk," I pointed out.

"Maybe," he said, shrugging as a lazy smirk tugged at his lips.

I wanted to express my disappointment but that would mean I was revealing an emotion so I sucked it up.

"Enjoy the party. But don't do anything stupid," I said lightly and then turned to leave.

"Wait!" Chloe's voice rang out, halting me on my tracks.

I took my time before glancing back at them. "What?"

"I think he's had a not too much. Can you help take him upstairs so he could rest?"

I knew what she wanted to do. The widened smirk on her face said it all. Even on my birthday, she didn't want me to have a time to myself. Perhaps she thought me the weak woman who would take anything thrown at her.

I wasn't.

Still, I smiled sweetly and said, "Of course."

I stepped forward, grabbed Austin's wrist and then led him toward the stairs to find an empty room. I didn't miss the look that Daniel had on his face when I passed by his side.

"You shouldn't have come," I said plainly to Austin as soon I closed the door behind us to an empty room I found.

"I didn't plan to."

I watched as he rubbed his temple as if to soothe off a throb.

"Then why did you? Are you planning to make things even worse?"

"No, no," he muttered after a long silence.

Something in my chest tightened. I hated that he still made me feel this way. Hated that he made me feel like there was still something when there was none.

It was a good thing I knew better than to dwell on that.

"Get some rest. I'll have Daniel send you home," I declared, straightening up my posture as I turned to leave.

"Do you love him?"

I froze when his voice stopped me. That was sudden and definitely unexpected.

Slowly, I turned back. "What?"

"Daniel," he said, barely above a whisper. "Do you love him?"

I sensed the raw feeling attached to that question. How he wanted to know something. But I wasn't buying into that.

"It doesn't matter." Those were the only words that mattered.

RACHEL:

"This is beautiful," I muttered to myself as the fireworks lit up the sky, exploding into bursts of gold and crimson.

Cheers erupted around me and I could hear the sound of glasses clinking as the party carried on. This grand elegance was made by just one man — Daniel.

It was the perfect moment for me. The right atmosphere. I didn't know how much I needed to have myself lingering in this feeling until this happened.

It was for me and me alone. Daniel made sure that everything that happened in the past year didn't get to me. He only wanted to make me happy and he was doing a great job at that.

"Rachel..."

I heard my name and turned only to see Daniel down on one knee. Immediately, the world around me faded.

I knew what was about to happen. And right now, I wasn't sure how to feel. Overwhelmed? Excited? Hell, I don't know.

"Rachel," Daniel called my name again, his voice steady despite the anticipation in his eyes. "I don't just want to be the man who helps you forget your past. I want to be the man who builds your future."

This was never the plan. Never ever.

My heart clenched. I could feel my mind racing as different things went through it.

This was a proposal. And not just any proposal, it was a grand one.

When I said this wasn't the plan, it was bent on the fact that I had promised myself that I wouldn't let another man dictate my happiness. I promised myself that I wouldn't fall into someone else's plans before I had finished making my own.

Standing here and staring down at Daniel, doubt crept in. Daniel had always been there for me even though we started off as business partners. He stood by me during all of the drama with Austin. He has been like a rock for me.

The word left my lips before I could stop it: "Yes."

I couldn't believe I just said that. I really couldn't. But why did it feel so true? Why was I certain of that response?

A roar of applause suddenly erupted around us, consuming the rest of my thoughts in the process. Daniel slipped the ring onto my finger and then pulled me into his arms as he stood up.

The embrace was warm and I felt safe in it. Safer than I've always been. Maybe it was because I was sure that Daniel wasn't going to hurt me. I just knew he wouldn't.

For now I was going to linger in this moment of happiness. I knew my decision was the right one.

_________

I should have known the happiness wouldn't last for long. Austin would always find a way to ruin it no matter what.

I returned home the next morning to the apartment i got for myself. It was a decision I acted on as soon as I got back from Paris. I didn't want to be around Austin anymore and so I got myself something small for a start.

When I got down from the taxi that dropped me off, I looked up to see something strange. Austin was sitting on the walkway into the apartment, his gaze boring into me as soon as he saw me.

How did he find this place out? I kept it hidden from him as much as possible but it still managed to reach him.

My breath hitched as I took a few steps closer. "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked. I was far from being cool with him and I had to disclose my true feelings.

His eyes burned with something dark but I ignored whatever it was.

"You moved out," he stated. "So I thought to pay you a visit in your new place."

"How did you find this place out?"

He stood up from the walkway. "I guess all I had to do was just a little finding. It was easy." He paused and then asked, "Why did you leave?"

I folded my arms across my chest. "I had no reason to stay."

"You didn't tell me."

"Since when did I owe you explanations, Austin?"

The conversation we were having was mostly confusing than infuriating. What exactly was he doing here? What does this man want from me?

"I saw him propose to you," he said, breaking the silence. I knew what he was referring to

"So?"

Then he stepped closer to me. "Do you love him?"

This was the same question he asked me last night. The very question that threw me off. It was getting dangerous at this point.

"What's it with you?" I had to ask.

"You're still mine, Rachel. Mine!"

"No!" I snapped. "That ended the moment you chose your mistress over me. I'm not yours, Austin. Not now... Not ever!"