Katherine literally ran into her apartment, shutting the door with a bang behind her. She leaned aganist it and slid to the ground as tears began to spill from her eyes and she quaked with sobs.

His words would not stop ringing in her head! His stupid words wouldn't stop, and she hated it!

​​

In her twenty seven years on this earth she had neve felt so happy, and confident. She had never been so close to confessing her feelings, she had never been so... miserable. It was just... wicked to give her hope like that, to say all those wonderfully enticing things and then rip them all away before she could truly enjoy them. And the way he looked at her, what the hell was that?!

Gripping her knees she screamed into her knees, why? Why was she such a coward? Why couldn't she just say she loved him?! Why was she so loyal? There was nothing she would want more than to move on and just be with someone that actually appreciated her. But no, she loved him and as much as she tried to ignore it, deny it, reject it and make it go away she couldn't help it!

She was helpless, how long had it been? Shw had loved him for too long and she was heart broken for too long. Was she addicted to the pain? She could be happy, she wanted to be happy, she had her own fair share if trials in her life but it was over now, why couldn't she just move on? Why did he have to continue to do these nice things? Why did he understand her, why was it only under his gaze that she felt seen. She felt noticed, how did he know her so well and yet be so oblivious to her feelings?

She should have been born rich and an heiress, perhaps taller with elegance like Patricia and beauty like Jessie. Would he have loved her then? Would he want to be with her then?

She wasn't a prospect in his standards, his mother had made that increasingly clear, but why did she not give up. Honestly she was too tired, she was too tired, why wouldn't her pain addicted heart just stop and be happy?

But in honest truth she didn't care about any of this, she didn't care that her heart was unwilling to stop breaking. Her ultimate question would remain. After all this time, why didn't he love her? Why couldn't he love her?

**************************************************

"Are you actually leaving?!" Agnes asked Jessie, who busied herself in selecting the best dresses and outfit and tossing them into a suitcase.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Jessie asked in slight annoyance.

"Like you're packing to leave." The younger woman replied.

"Well Agnes if it looks like a duck and talks like a duck then what is it?" She asked.

"A duck?" The maid replied dryly, trying to understand why they were suddenly talking about ducks.

"If it look like I'm leaving, and I say I'm leaving then what does that mean?"

'Ahhh!' She thought. "You can't leave! I refuse to let you leave!"

Jessie was too surprised to remain annoyed, instead she allowed the sides of her lip tip up in a smile. "You refuse to let me leave?"

Agnes became speechless when she realized her error. She began to stutter and stammer as Jessie walked to her, with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Yes? Agnes, make coherent words..." Jessie said.

"Please don't leave, that's.. that's what I meant. Don't go." Agnes begged.

And the moment passed and her frown returned. "I don't exactly have an opinion." She said.

"You can't just up and run! Fight for your love, are you really going to give up so easily?" Agnes said, when in reality all she wanted to say, wanted to scream was 'please don't go and leave us alone with him!' But she couldn't say that so she said other things instead.

Jessie almost laughed in the situation. "What the hell do you know about love? How old are you?"

"Don't despise my youth!" She replied haughtily. "Besides you are only a few years older than I am."

"Still it is clear you've never been in love. So shut it." She said, tossing more clothes into the suitcase.

"Don't take my masters clothes if you're just going to abandon him when he needs you the most!" She exclaimed with her chin jutted up in the air, in defiance.

Jessie turned back to look at Agnes, confusion and frustration written all over her face. "Are you drunk?"

"No, but I'm desperate, you see I'm not here only on my own desperation but the collective desperation of the entire household." She said.

Jessie stood straight and folded her arms. She knew why they were concerned, it was basic human instinct. Survival, they were scared of Jason. It was actually pretty cute, she hadn't thought about her impact in this place. It wasn't long she began to think of it like as home, and was just mostly a big, lazy slob. But she was doing this for her own survival as well.

Call her selfish, but she had no idea how to get Jason's sense back. Now that she realized that the problem came from him, it was even more tumultuous. How could she unbreak whatever broke inside of him? So she would give him the space he wanted, it broke her to do so. Especially now that she couldn't look at phon without feeling hot and bothered. That her dreams were filled with thoughts of only him. Caressing her, running his long slender fingers all over her soft, velvet sk-

She shook her head to get over the embarrassing thoughts. She was just ovulating, yes that was it, her stupid body wanted a baby. Too bad.

"I'm sorry Agnes, truly I am. And I'm sorry to all..

To everyone, but I cannot stay here, not while I'm not wanted." She said softly.

Agnes blinked, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Are you really leaving?" She asked, her voice soft, her tone sad.

"I'm sorry Agnes."

"Please don't go." She pleaded again blinking back tears. "I wouldn't be able to sleep not knowing if you're safe."

"I'll be safe, don't worry."

"So what now?"

"I'm going to get my life back, I've been wasting too much time waiting for Patricia to give up the location of the Auction house. I'll go at the source now." Jessie said.

"What?"

"Don't worry you don't need to know." Jessie said zipping up her suitcase to turn and leave but Agnes arm on hers stopped her.

"Agnes..." Jessie called softly. "I can-" her words and body were both engulfed in a warm hug.

"I'll miss you Jessie, you have no idea how much brighter you've made this place. We'll all miss you." She said as she clutched on to her.

Jessie wrapped her free arm around Agnes as well. "I'm sorry I have to leave like this. But if I'm hopeful, after everything I'll like to come back." She said.

"Do you really think you will?" Agnes asked her voice full of hope.

"I really don't know. But this doesn't mean I'm giving up on Jason. I never will, and I promise this isn't goodbye."

**************************************************

The door bell sounded louder than usual but walking up with a puffy face and even puffer eyes was normal for Katherine. She looked at the clock. 10:58, who was it as this time?

Groggily walking to the door she moved to pull it open but before she could a note was slipped underneath her door.

"What is this?" She wondered out loud bending to pick it.

I'm disappointed, have you given up so soon? I'm eager for you to find me, because I've found you. Won't you give looking for me another chance?

After all, I am your dear father.

"What the f%@%?!" She cursed. Pushing the door open she ran all the way to the elevator but the person that delivered the note was long gone. What the actual hell?

**************************************************

Jason stood beside his study window peering outside as Jessie walked away with a suitcase. He finally succeeded in pushing her away, either way he knew he wouldn't be happy once she left but he never imagined it would feel as bad as this.

He was beyond broken, but he was already broken beyond repair, even before Jessie, he should be used to it now. But he wasn't, he was so hurt he tremble physically.

Keeping in mind that it was all him, he did this to himself, he didn't know how to be happy, he didn't deserve to he happy.

At time he could not believe that he was the one watching her cry like that, watching her hurt herself like that, hurting her like that. He would make atonement for it the rest of his life, never being happy.

"Call Matt." He said to the only person that still remained by his side.

"You fired him sir." Sebastian reminded him.

Jason didn't now how but his table was upside down and papers were flying all over the room. But that wasn't near satisfactory, he grabbed the tray that held his bourbon and tossed it against the wall as well.

"I should have other secretaries. Get me one of them." He said.

Sebastian bowed. "Tell them to prepare for the meeting tomorrow, I will tolerate no mistakes."