Chapter 5. PAST

(Freya's Pov)

"Mom... Mom!!!"

I looked back and I saw my two children running around with bright faces. Coming towards me with their small but hurried runs. I smiled, amused by the way they ran which looked adorable in my eyes.

I knelt down in front of them and hugged them tightly with my arms wrapped around their bodies. Then I pinched their cheeks one by one and smiled.

"I told you not to run around, right?" I said to both of them. "There are a lot of people here. What if you bump into one of the guests and you fall."

I checked their condition, tidying up their slightly disheveled appearance.

"You're not hurt, are you?" I asked, then.

"Um!" They nodded simultaneously and I smiled a little. So cute. "We're fine. We're not hurt!"

"That's good. But next time, no more running around. Okay?"

"Okay!"

We made a pinky promise. They have always been my source of happiness that I can't get anywhere else. The most precious thing I had that made me survive until now.

I smiled, and then my eyes fell on the chocolate in their hands. "Wait, where did you get this chocolate?" I asked.

They looked nervous and confused. Hiding the chocolate behind their backs with guilty faces. Their heads down and not daring to look me in the eye. It was funny, but I couldn't afford to be soft either.

I pulled their chins one by one to make them look at me. Their eyes looked dim. They seemed to be afraid that I would scold them, but I just smiled a little.

"Didn't I tell you not to eat chocolate? Where did you get it?"

But they still didn't dare to answer.

"Mommy won't be angry. So, can you answer and tell Mommy?" I asked gently.

"Um," she mumbled, "we got it from someone. A handsome uncle."

"Handsome uncle?" I furrowed my brow. "Who is uncle handsome?"

"We don't know," she said, then cast her eyes in all directions as if searching for the person who had given them the candy.

"Ah, there he is!" she pointed at someone behind them with a loud exclamation.

I immediately looked up and stared in the direction where my daughter was pointing at the person. My eyes widened when I saw Ash's figure. Standing a few meters away from us. Looking so dashing in the suit he was wearing. Its been fucking 5 years since I saw him.

My heart sank. A series of memories in the past flashed back like a train traveling without brakes. They came back quickly, painfully, making my head throb and my chest feel tight. I stood up straight, trying to balance my body which was almost unsteady because of the high heels I was wearing.

I looked at him intently. How long has it been since we last met? That painful moment in the past when he heartlessly told me to abort my pregnancy.

Damn it.

I clenched my fists as he walked towards us. Looking so confident. Looking straight at me. As if he remembered me.

The brief encounter, the feelings of love that led to hurt. And all his bad behavior towards me. Everything was imprinted on my memory and heart.

How could I forget the man who raped me while drunk and thinking about other women? To the point of telling me to abort our babies, our babies that were his flesh and blood.

Until I chose to leave him. And severed all my ties and communications with him.

"Freya. Are they...."

"Good evening, Mr. Ash," I cut him off quickly. With a friendly smile, I faked it, acting as if nothing had happened between us. "They're my children."

He looked surprised. Not saying anything else and just looking at me, then back at my two children. I quickly pulled them into my arms. Making sure Sia and Gia were next to me, staying safe.

"Oh," he mumbled, "are you married?"

"That's none of your business," I snapped.

He seemed offended by my bluntness but tried to act calm by holding his temper.

"What are you doing here? This should be a party you can't come to considering I only invited certain people," I said in a mocking tone.

His brow furrowed. I noticed his hands were clenched into fists. His pride was hurt by my words. How could he not, his attitude was always haughty and arrogant.  And now, I easily hurt his pride.

I'm not the Freya of old, the one he always trampled on. A woman he could easily harm. Now, I have a power. And I won't let a man like him be insolent to me again.

"I can go to any party with my connections," he says haughtily. As if not want to lose to me and cover up his weakness.

"But I can also kick you out of here. This is a party I created. So ... with just a snap of the fingers, the guards will come and kick you out of here."

"Do you need to be so cold to me?" he protested with a look of annoyance.

"Why, does it hurt your pride?" I asked indifferently, "After all, why would Mr. Ash come to someone else's private party? Do you need something that you want here?"

"Of course, you know what I want," he groaned in annoyance. His voice turned cold and sharp. "I wouldn't have come here if you hadn't taken away all the cooperation. Make my company suffer!"

I chuckled. "Is it my fault? You should have done more introspection on why all your partnerships failed. Maybe you're not so good at managing your company and taking decisions seriously," I taunted. His eyes darkened.

I could tell he was angry from the look on his face that couldn't be masked. And somehow, I felt satisfied.

"Don't you feel sorry for the employees who work for my company? Because of your greed, they're being affected too."

"Business is business. Besides, why would I care about the employees of someone else's company?"

"So, you've forgotten the fact that we were once married?"