They say that just when you think you are about to forget the past, it comes biting back in your face. I always believed that if you can't kill your inner demons, you should lock them away somewhere. You should just try to avoid them until the memory of their very existence almost vanishes. But, what I didn't know or rather didn't realize that they can only almost vanish and never be completely gone. But, today the realization hit me and boy, it did hit hard.

It had been three weeks since Aaron first walked in with Ruby from this door. But, it was definitely not the last time he did so. He kept coming home with Ruby for a few more weeks. Ruby at least felt sorry for what she did. Aaron is just a shameless, spineless man who loves showing it off. Every time Ruby was home, I would lock myself in my bedroom and cry to myself the whole night. Sometimes I tried sneaking out, but he would always catch me. Every. Single. Time.

Stop being so dramatic. He has got Ruby over only five times in last three weeks. You tried to sneak out once and got caught. Who tries to sneak out in broad daylight anyways? My conscience chided me.

Five times is not just. He is a cheater. Once a cheater, always a cheater. Thankfully, he takes her to the guest room and not that bloody bedroom that I had designed for him and I. I had worked so hard on decorating it. I had put up everything by myself. I had decorated it just like how I had dreamt about my bedroom after my marriage. I would have murdered him if he would take her to that room. And, I tried to sneak out in broad daylight because he got that woman home in broad daylight. I didn't want to hear her and him doing whatever they do. I argued back.

You are such a liar. You never heard any noise from that room. Every time he got Ruby over, the only thing you hear is yourself crying because you put on head phones and blast music as you cry. You were just trying to sneak out because you couldn't handle yourself anymore. My conscience scolded me again.

Fine, I admit that I was hurting and I wanted to go somewhere and just do something that would make me forget the pain. By the way, you are my conscience, if you have forgotten. You are supposed to be on my team. You are not supposed to even sound like him in the first place. So now, shut up! I scolded back.

Anyways, so yeah he got Ruby over five times. Like I said, Ruby was nice. She tried to avoid me as much as she could. In fact, under different circumstances, we could have had a cordial relation. But, Aaron is the asshole here who throws it in my face. It did break my heart every time though. I know he hates me. He wants to avenge something from me, which I still have no idea about. But, at some point, I had loved him. For him, it may have been just revenge but for me it was real. The love was real. Most of it may have gone by now little by little each time he had his little adventure night, but still it was there before and heartbreaks are not easy.

So, when the bell rang today at nine in the evening, I had put myself together and was ready to face another one of those little heartbreaks, but what I saw, or rather who I saw on the other side of the door, was no heartbreak.

It was a trauma. It was like a huge bulldozer just ran all over me. The person outside was as surprised as me. The shock was written all over her face. Aaron stood right behind her but my eyes were not leaving her face. Before either of them could utter a word or walk in, I slammed the door shut on their faces.

Jasmine? Jasmine freaking Trent? What the fuck is that she-devil doing here? Oh no, Aaron. Your choice are becoming worse day by day. Ruby was okay, but Jasmine?

Before I could rant more about it, Aaron's voice broke my thoughts.

"Amy? Amy, open the door."

My breathing fastened as everything came back to me. All my demons were back in one single moment. The bullying, the name calling, the harassment and the trashing. Oh no. I can't let this happen. Not her. Not Jasmine.

Aaron knocked louder on the door and called me. "Amelia, open the damn door." Aaron doesn't know anything about Jasmine and anything related to my middle or high school. I hated talking about it and he never pestered.

This can't be happening. I have to tell Aaron.

I slowly took a deep breath and opened the door to tell him to make her go.

"What the fuck, Amy? What's wrong with you?" Aaron said as he walked in and the she-devil trailed behind him. The shock on her face was now replaced with a smirk as she looked at me. I was still shaking looking at their backs.

"Hello, Amelia. Small world isn't it?" she said with a smug look. I didn't reply and looked down.

Take no shit from anyone, Amy. Take no shit from anyone.

I kept chanting in my head as my hands clenched and I was glued to the spot near the door.

"You know each other?" Aaron asked with a frown.

"We were in the same middle and high school", Jasmine replied.

"Friends or foes?" Aaron, you dumbass. Are you even looking at me right now? Is this how you meet your old friends? And you say you can read me well. I mentally rolled my eyes.

"We were friends for sometime, right Amy?"

"Yes, before you began bullying me and trashing me around in sixth grade." I gritted, finally getting back my senses.

"Ah, I have long forgotten about those times. It is all in the past now, isn't it?" the bitch smiled.

"It is never in the past or long forgotten when we are concerned, Jasmine." I sneered at her.

"Oh! So, you have the guts to speak even without your so-called-protector around, huh?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"I can very well look after myself. I do not need any protector." I hissed at her.

Liar. You need your protector.

No, I do not. If Aaron can't look after me, I can very well do it myself.

You very well know I am not talking about Aaron. I am talking about L-

Stop. Don't go there.

"I think we should get going", Aaron's voice brought me back.

"Yes, we should go, darling", Jasmine said as I rolled my eyes at the 'darling'. God knows how many people she has used that one on.

"Can we have some privacy? Please, ask your maid to go." This one was a typical Jasmine Trent.

"She is my wife", Aaron corrected her firmly before I could have. Oh, so he does remember after all. Of course, the revenge. I get it.

"W..What? W..wife?" Jasmine laughed. "No wonder you need someone else to satisfy your needs. A prim and proper touch-me-not lady wouldn't know how to do it." Jasmine looked down at me with a mocking smile.

"Yeah, a slut like you would." I glared at her. Take no shit from anyone, Amy.

"What did you say?" Jasmine took a step ahead.

"I said that you are a slut, a hoe, a whore. Need more words?" I said with a strong face but I was shivering inside.

"Let's just go", Aaron said breaking the upcoming argument.

"Of course." Jasmine gave a typical fake smile. Just like her fake self. "By the way, Amy, remember I had told you, no one will ever love someone like you. Not even your own husband. Look, my predictions have finally come true." She gave me a sinister smile and disappeared in the room.

Aaron was about to follow when I stopped him. I held his hand and dragged him away from the door.

"Aaron, please, please, please, I beg you. Don't spend this night with her. I haven't said a word about whenever you had Ruby over, but her. She is a different case, Aaron. Don't do this, please."

"You honestly think that I will listen to you? And why, Amy? Why not her? Until a few minutes ago, I didn't even know you knew her."

"Aaron, she has bullied me through out my school years. There is nothing she hasn't done or tried to do. She is one of the major reasons I do not trust people easily. She has scarred me mentally, Aaron. So much that I hated talking about my middle school. That is why, Aaron, not her, please."

"Stop kidding yourself, Amy. Just because of a few things that might have happened during school-"

"Few things? Are you even listening to me? She has trashed me around, punched me in hallways, told my secrets to people, bullied me, called me names and other impossible things, Aaron."

"Amy-"

"Don't 'Amy' me. Do not 'Amy' me. I am living in this house as your prisoner, Aaron. I haven't stepped a foot outside since more than three weeks except for groceries and visiting our parents. You do not allow me to go out. You make me do stupid things. You do not allow me to work. You cheated on me multiple times. I have not complained about any of it. I have cried myself to sleep at nights but I haven't done what I am doing right now. I haven't pleaded to you like my life depended on it even once, Aaron. You ruined the night that was supposed to be the most beautiful night of my life. You are avenging something I don't even know. I always thought you will come to terms with your inner turmoils and we will be past this one day. But, you can't even listen to this small request I make? Did you feel literally nothing for me in last one year? Was I not even a friend to you?" I was hyperventilating by now as tears were flowing down my face.

"No, Amy. I do not care. And stop crying, for god's sake. Your tears don't affect me," he said as he turned his back on me.

"I will go insane, Aaron." If I am not already.

"Maybe that will be the end of my revenge then." He just continued walking.

"I will never forgive you for this."

"You will not forgive me for a lot of things."

"Cheating on me was one thing, Aaron. This-," I pleaded.

"Aaron?" Jasmine's voice rang from inside the room and Aaron opened the door.

"Aaron, if you walk in through that door right now, you will loose me forever", I gave him a final warning.

He looked taken aback but, then he gulped and slowly walked in. He closed the door slowly while still watching me weirdly.

And that broke, not just my heart, but me completely. I caught myself before my legs would give up and I would stumble to the ground. I dragged myself to my room as shiver ran down my spine. It felt as if my heart stopped beating. My worst fears had finally come true. Jasmine had managed to steal even the man I loved to the core. Aaron had managed to break even the last strand of my sanity.

I sat on my bed still feeling numb. The devil and the she-devil. I laughed crazily. In a way, they are made for each other. Then, my laughter turned into sobs and sobs turned into wailing. I slid down to the floor as the images of what they might be doing flowed in my head. I thought my head will burst. My heart was beating faster than ever and I was shivering.

"No wonder you need someone else to satisfy your needs. A prim and proper touch-me-not lady wouldn't know how to do it."

"Look at yourself. Do you think you are half the woman I would like to date or even associate myself with? You think I would fall for someone like you? My fucking one night stands look better than you. They have way more class and much better taste than you."

"No one will ever love someone like you. Not even your own husband."

"You are just revenge. My vengeance."

"Poor little Amy. I wouldn't be surprised even if the love of your life leaves you and goes to someone else."

"I do not care, Amy. Your tears don't affect me."

"You had a bad day right, Maria. Need a punching bag? This trash bag is available."

"I hate you."

"You are worthless. No one wants you."

"The whole last year has been nothing but a joke to me."

Their words from today, yesterday and years ago rang in my head and I yelled to make them stop. When they didn't stop, I tried to close my ears but it didn't go away.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and I rushed to the bathroom.

I looked at the girl on the bed. She was fast asleep. I looked at the clock. It had been thirty minutes since I last saw Amelia.

"Aaron, if you walk in through that door right now, you will loose me forever."

Her words rang in my head again. Something didn't feel right. She was not her usual self today. This girl, Jasmine, seems to have affected her in some weird way. Almost as if she was traumatized and seeing her got it all back.

Stop thinking about her, Aaron. She shouldn't affect you. Concentrate on your plan. It was all for revenge. Just revenge.

But, I couldn't stop. I ran a hand through my hair. She is all I have been thinking about since I closed the door on her face. Her tears. Her grief stricken face doesn't leave my head.

"Was I not even a friend to you?"

Her words reminded me of how hard I had tried to lure her into becoming my friend. The memory came flashing back.

What the fuck does this women want?

I had heard so much about Amelia Lawson from clients and other business associates. Every single person told me that she is a witty person. How did no one realize that she is a difficult person as well?

Her attitude is making this harder and delaying my plans. I have done every possible thing in the last few weeks that I have known her to make her fucking 'admire' me. She is just so difficult.

I have literally tried every trick in the book to make her like me. Nothing pleases her. Neither the materialistic things like power, money, status and fame nor my qualities like intelligence, humor and observations. I tried being the rich boy, the boy next door, the sweet guy and the harsh guy. Nothing worked. What does she want!

How will I manage to ask her out, if this continues, is beyond me.

Today, I have offered to take her to a bookstore. She told me she likes reading non-fiction when I asked her last night. Maybe my taste in novels with make her 'admire' me. If this doesn't work, I do not know what will.

"Hey, I am here." I called her to let her know. She lives in her own apartment in the city.

"I will be down in two minutes, Mr. Kingston", she replied and hanged up.

True to her words, she was down in two minutes. She is very punctual.

"Hello, Mr. Kingston. Thanks, for taking me to the bookstore." She buckled her seat belt and I started the car. I have asked her so many times to call me Aaron but all in vain.

"No worries, Ms. Lawson. It is a pleasure to see you again." I gave a fake smile.

"May I ask how you do not have work on a Friday afternoon? I thought you never compromise on your work for anything", she asked with her eyebrows raised. Told ya, hard to please.

"I have taken an off today for some personal work", I replied still looking at the road.

"And why are you not doing that personal work then? Why wasting your leave in driving me around?"

"I have already completed the work, Ms. Lawson. I have someone overlooking it right now and if something goes wrong, I will have to take your leave." Which woman in the world will ask such questions to a handsome man trying to ask her out?

"Ah, the bookstore is here." She said and I parked.

We got off and she went inside. It was a small store with a coffee shop. Nothing very lavish. Another thing I observed about her is that she often likes to go to such places which are not really well-known.

"You know, I like reading too. I have read a few non-fictions as well as fictions here and there whenever I get time", I told her as we looked at the books.

"Do you like mystery books or romance?" she asked surprising me.

"I thought you said you liked non-fiction more."

"I said like non-fiction more. I never said I do not like fiction. It is a good change sometimes."

I nodded in understanding. "I like mystery better."

"You have a good taste. Romance is too cliché."

"So, you can say that you admire my taste?" I know this is stupid. But, I am tired. She is too hard a nut to crack.

"Do you read news?" she asked out of the blue.

"I do, yes."

"I don't", she shrugged.

"You don't?" Again that's surprising.

"Not unless I really really have too. I find news boring." She collected a few books and we turned to go to the cashier.

"News gives us insight about daily-" I got cut off by my phone ringing. I saw that the caller was Peter. I excused myself.

"Yes?" I asked picking it up.

"Boss, there is a small problem with the delivery at the orphanage. We need you here", Peter answered.

"I'll be there soon." I hanged up and walked back to Amelia as she had already paid for her books. There is no use asking. She would never let me pay for them.

"I will have to go, Ms. Lawson. There is an urgent matter that needs my attention." I told her.

"No problem, Mr. Kingston. I will handle it from here." I nodded and left.

When I reached the orphanage, Peter told me that the items that I had ordered were not enough and we will have to get more. I called the manager of the company where the order was placed and asked him for the lack of items. When I got that sorted, I went inside and met the caretaker of the orphanage. She was showing me around the lawn area and discussing about the future plans when I saw a familiar person.

"Ms. Lawson?" I asked confused.

"Mr. Kingston?" she mirrored my expression.

The caretaker looked between us and asked her, "Amy dear, you know him?"

"Cheryl, he is an acquaintance. But what is he doing here?" Still nowhere close to being friends. This woman is so difficult.

"He is the new funder that I told you about. He comes here often to look over the matters. He is such a nice person. We were just discussing the plans for the expansion in the lawn."

Amelia nodded with her eyebrows raised in surprise as she looked at me.

"Amy, are you gonna read to the kids today as well?"

"Of course, Cheryl. Is that even a question to ask?"

"I will go in and let the kids know." Amelia nodded with a smile and the caretaker left.

"Ms. Lawson, we could have just come in together if I had known you were coming here too."

"You can call me Amy, Aaron", she said with a smile. Wait, what?

"Wait, Aaron? It means..."

"It means that your attempts have finally been fruitful and you have managed to make me admire you", she gave me an amused look.

"How? What changed in matter of seconds?" I half scoffed and half laughed. Finally!

"Well, a lot of people help and fund the orphanages. Some people do it for show. Some to hide their black money. But, it is rare to find people who do it just for themselves, like you. You have never said anything about how big of a philanthropist you are in any of your interviews. You came here to look over the problem in matter of minutes when you got a call. You even left me behind. Me, who has been the center of your attention for more than a month now. It speaks about how down to earth you are even after being a billionaire and I admire that."