Chapter Two:

(Australia, 5:30pm)

Thea walked into the house after the little scene she just had at work. Bolting the door from behind, she threw the keys on a table, in the middle of the sitting room and walked down to her room.

She didn't think of coming home after what happened today. She wondered what her mother would think of her when she found out that the only job they relied on for survival was gone.

"Thea? Is that you?" She hummed in reply, hugging her mom from behind.

"I'm home Mom," Thea said. "I hope you aren't stressing yourself out."

"I am not, there's not much to do, but you're early," her mother stated. The silence was enough proof that all wasn't well.

Jane turned to her gently, then palmed her face. "You've been crying," Jane stated once more, cleaning her tears with her fingers as her tender fingers could.

"I understand." The woman nodded her head in understanding, tears gathering shamelessly in her eyes. "Don't kill yourself over it Thea, you'll get another one."

Thea shook her head and sat on the bed. "Mother, I don't know what is happening to us. Ever since father died, everything has been.... different. I feel like a failure already, Mom."

"It'll be alright, Thea. Don't give up already. We'll survive." 

Thea didn't believe. Ever since Ashton left her and denied her child in front of everyone, things turned upside down for her. Thea sighed to herself. Shutting her eyes, she didn't hold back the sob that came from her throat.

***

Immediately Thea spotted Andrew, she turned to follow another route.

"C'mon now, are you still ignoring me?" Thea only strode faster."

"Thea, Thea, Thea wait a second." He gripped her hand in an attempt to stop her but she retracted her hands almost immediately.

"You seriously need to stop bothering me Andrew. What else do you want?"

"Just listen to me, will you? I am not dating Cassandra, so I don't know why she told that lie, I swear." Andrew told her.

"Whether you are dating her or not shouldn't be my business, Andrew. For goodness sake, you made me lose my job and what did your sick girl get? A scolding."

"Thea-"

"I have had enough of this drama. We were seeing each other as friends but I think it should stop. Goodbye Andrew."

With that, she walked away from him, leaving him behind to stare at her. Andrew tapped impatiently on his lap before combing his hair and walking away.

He was so positive that they were heading somewhere. He wanted to finally tell her how he felt about her that night but he couldn't. This happened because Cassandra came and accused her of being a boyfriend thief.

Fetching a bracelet from his pocket, he stood before a waterfall. She said they shouldn't meet anymore. It was painful and he had expected it sooner but just didn't prepare for it. Thea had become cold after the night her wedding was called off.

When he found out that she was pregnant with Ashton's baby, he lost hope for both of them entirely, but when that incident happened, he thought he would be the one to bring all those shattered pieces back together.

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, then threw the bracelet into the water.

---

(London, 6:55pm)

"You are quite moody today," Claire said to him, quenching the silent dinner they were having.

"I'm not in the mood to talk." He said, not bothering to spare her any glance.

She inwardly groaned in frustration.

He asked her out to dinner. At first, he picks her up an hour late, apologizing that work had kept him. She forgives him instantly, telling him that it was just dinner after all. But he was quicker at forgetting it than she was.

Then, second, she tries to bring up a conversation with him and he just looks for any means to turn it down, like he didn't want to talk to her. He was her fiance for crying out loud. Though he had not talked about marriage for almost a year now, she wondered why, but, they were still a couple. They should be out, laughing, kissing and making other couples or whatever it is that couples do, but he was just too engrossed in work.

"So I was thinking, we should probably get married this spring. I love the rain so I just thought-"

"Forget it." He interrupted and she kept quiet. Sensing his mood, Claire quietly continued eating, making her mind up to stop the talking and let the dinner just be a quiet one as he wanted.

She stabbed her chicken harshly and he paused, observing her before sighing. He probably made her mad again.

"Look, I'm sorry." Ashton said and she just nodded without looking at him. "I didn't mean it that way," he said again, but she refused to meet his stare.

"Claire?" The lady stopped abruptly. Sighing afterwards, she gently let go of her cutlery.

"Are you angry at me, Ashton?" Claire asked.

"Why would you say that?" Ashton replied.

"You don't want to talk, fine, I get it alright. Every time I bring it up, you always ignore it. It's just like-" she sighed, then asked. "Are you still in love with her?" Claire asked.

The air stilled. Thea, the girl that shattered his heart to pieces. Even his heart skipped twice at the guess of which her Claire was referring to.

"Claire i-" Claire stood and walked away from the table when she saw the truth behind it all. It was because of her and he wasn't even hiding it.

"Claire wait!"

Claire slammed the door shut and started sobbing. When he opened the door unexpectedly, she quickly wiped her tears off, pretending everything was okay.

She turned to stare out through the window.

"Claire."

"I want to go home, I'm tired." She said instead, and Ashton nodded in understanding. Starting the engine, he drove out of the parking lot.

---

(Australia, 9pm)

"Mom, I'm home."

The woman left the stove immediately and scurried off to hug her daughter.

"Any luck?"

"Not today-" Jane sighed. "But I promise you, by the end of the week, we'll be back on track Mom. I don't need you to worry too much about it." Thea said and her mom nodded.

"Now, have you had dinner already?"

"I was just making some, that's what we had left yesterday. It's a bit small. Do you want some?" Jane asked.

"No, I ate snacks just a while ago, you have it all Mom."

"Are you sure? You don't look like someone who has eaten Thea. Don't tell me it's because I said it's little-"

"No mom, that's not it, I really have eaten. I'm just very tired from walking about."

"Okay, if you say so. But-"

"Relax Mom. Eat, take your drugs and go to bed."

Jane replied, "Okay."

Thea nodded then said, "I'll go shower and go to bed too." With that, she walked upstairs.

---

(London, 10pm)

Ashton let himself into Claire's room after hesitating a bit.

"Claire?" The lady stilled at the sound of his voice but refused to turn around to face him. Ashton shut the door behind him and sat besides where she laid.

"I know you aren't asleep," he stated.

She cursed but said, "What do you want?"

"I wanted us to talk about this evening," he said.

"I don't want to talk to Ashton, I don't want to talk about this evening." She told him and he sighed.

Her fiance was in love with someone else or was he? She dismissed the thoughts when she found herself defending him. She could see it in his eyes, he was still in love with her.

Then why did he propose? If he was not madly in love with Thea then why did he hesitate when she asked last night?

Goosebumps erupted from her skin immediately. When warm lips met with her neck. She stilled when she perceived his addicting cologne. Lips trailed down her shoulders and stopped.

"Look at me," he demanded, but she shook her head in refusal. His fingers caressed her face and his hands made her keep her eyes locked on him. 

"Look at me Claire," he said again, softly this time. She finally obliged, and looked directly into his eyes. Millions of ladies would dream of being this close to him. She was once there, wanting Ashton to herself. And now she had him, he wasn't completely hers. It hurt.

"I'm sorry," he inched closer. "I didn't intend to make you feel bad."

She could say nothing. Just staring at him this close to her, stirred something inside her. Her lips, which were already inches from his, itched to reach over for a kiss.

"Have you been crying?" He asked and she nodded. He gulped feeling guilty. Knowing that he got himself in this kind of position, was enough for him to run mad, but he had to stay sane.

Thea was no longer in his life. There was no way she was coming back into it. Not after she had sex with someone that wasn't him. Not after she got pregnant with that bastard's child and claimed that it was his.

He never expected her to be such a liar and a cheat. He never expected her to stoop so low and do a thing like that. He loved Thea with all his heart. He loved her with everything he had. He thought she loved him too, but no, he thought wrong and everything was just an act. Everything was just to have a share of what he owned because he was filthy rich.

Every secret she held had to be open on their marriage day, in front of everyone. Ever since that day, he decided never to cross paths with Thea again. But he couldn't help it. Even her name stirred up something in him. Her name brought back their memories. He thought he could move on and he believed so. That's what he was doing, moving on.

Ashton locked lips with Claire and she immediately responded. The mattress became their comfort soon enough and their legs tangled. She moaned as their tongues tangled too.

Her heart raced like never before, she held onto his neck, accepting everything he gave her.