It was two in the morning or three, Brandan didn't have any idea when he made his way back home. He dragged his feet towards his room upstairs. The ache in his heart wouldn't be numbed no matter what. Maybe a precious, venomous, disastrous bottle of scotch would dull this pain but he hadn't touched one of them since that one night.

That one night, memories of which would always stab at his heart whenever he remembered. It was supposed to be his sweetest memory of her. But once again, yes, he had to transform even that too in some kind of a mighty poison that destroyed every thing and every one around him, he didn't know then that he was ruining himself as well in the process. And in the end of it all, upon realizing that the thing he had lost was life itself, he had frantically reached out to grab what was left of it. But it was way too late. The ruination was complete.

He didn't care to give a glance at the dining table on his way, like every night his dinner was there, served and cold. Martha had stopped waiting for him anymore. She knew he was going to be late like always, it was a routine now.

As he slumped into the plush sofa, he chuckled at the peril he had created for himself. God knew that he deserved worse than this. The devil deserved the worst cage of hell. His eyes began drooping close in a minute, the exhaustion of a whole day of impossible workload he drowned himself into began playing it's magic. Before drifting into the clutch of a deep yet restless slumber, Brandan whispered her name and felt his voice trail off.

"Emma..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**(Flashback)**

"Emma." Brandan hissed, her name felt like poison on his tongue. Maybe because it tasted sweeter than honey when he uttered the syllable. It was the sugary sweetness of deception, he decided. Immediately he wanted to spat in disgust.

Emma hesitated for a while before stammering. "I... Bran..."

Feeling extremely irritated at the stammering and mumbling with that silly tone of hers, Brandan snapped. "Stop your stupid stammering and why the hell are you in my room?"

Emma looked away from him, flinching at his raised tone.

"Robert... he asked me to give you this file." She manged to reply in a low voice which barely could be heard.

His jaw tightened. "And you came running here! How many times I have to tell you that I don't like seeing that ugly face of yours. NOW, GET OUT... right now."

Emma bit her lip, like always she tried to stop the tears but a stubborn droplet escaped somehow. Not giving him the pleasure to see her tears, keeping the file on the table she whirled around and ran away.

Brandan groaned, he didn't want to be this harsh with her but he had no choice. The almighty Robert Rozario. His dear dad was hell bent on getting the both of them married, as soon as possible. How could he marry this girl? How could he? This would be a disgrace to his reputation. What would his friends think about him? Everyone would laugh at him. This was not even the age to marry, freaking hell - he had to yet to complete college.

Emma was the nerd in the college, the same college he read in. Being the popular guy, girls fell on Brandan's feet to take them and the guys around him were always jealous, he was the it guy in the campus. His friends had been bullying Emma- the so called neighbor of his since what seemed like forever. A damned cursed forever in that case. He never joined his friends in the entertainment but he never stopped them too, feeling guilty was out of the window. Why would he care for someone who didn't even know how to stand for herself? And about her dress sense, those baggy clothes and all. Please!!

Being strong or being weak is a choice. And it was Emma's own problem that she decided the later. Emma and him, they were the opposites in every sense. She barely survived each day with the pathetic way she carried herself and here his father wanted him to marry that freak of a girl. Couldn't anyone see how she would stick out like a sore thumb in the circle of people he dwelled in.

"Ridiculous!" He snarled, throwing completely open the slightly ajar door he stormed out of his room and stomped down the corridor.

Emma's father died three months back, she and her elder brother Evan were what was left of the family. Their mother had died long ago when giving birth to Emma. It was not like Brandan didn't feel any sympathy for them, for the siblings, they had went through such a devastating loss and were now orphaned and alone in the world. Brandan understood that as a close friend of Emma's father, Robert now felt responsible for the siblings, especially for Emma. Robert had always possessed a soft corner in his heart for Emma. But that didn't make it fair that he would force his only son to marry her.

Since a while, Brandan had been planning to move out of his parents' place. Ultimate freedom was what he was awaiting. But then his father had to suddenly pull this stupid stunt. Brandan cursed mentally.

Pausing to take a couple of deep breaths to calm his raging self, Brandan lifted his fist up and knocked twice on the hard oak wood of his father's study room door.

"Come in," came Roberts deep voice from the other side, it was slightly muffled because of the wooden barrier.

Twisting the knob, Brandan pushed open the door, it made a quiet shrieking noise of protest. Heavy and ancient things had such side effects, a price elegant people blissfully paid for to keep their claim intact on the preciousness.

Brandan walked inside slowly. "Dad," his tone was measured but rigid. "I need to talk to you."

Robert put the file in his hands down on the huge desk, his face lifted up and wise eyes trained on his only son. It was not hard to tell that Brandan was on the verge of blowing up, there was so much anger gleaming in his eyes, so much stubbornness. And that is why - Robert feared for his son. He had been very worried recently at Brandan's careless attitude on life which was getting more and more out of control, aggressive with each passing day.

Robert was well aware of Brandan's regular one night stands, fooling around with random girls, mixing up with wrong side of the crowd, partying away the nights like the perfect party animal that he had become. It was no pride or happiness that Robert had felt towards his only child recently. He in stead remembered Brandan being suspended twice last year, it was a blessing that he was one of the trusties in the college Brandan went to. Upon talking to the principle, Robert got some terrible information about the reason of one of the suspensions. Apparently, his son had gotten into a fight where he was siding with his friend who secretly dropped drugs amongst college students.

That was the last straw of Robert's patience.

Robert was getting old. He wanted his son to become responsible now, finish his studies and then when it'll be the appropriate time, take over the business he worked so hard to build. But everything seemed so distant, so impossible now considering how Brandan was leading his life, wasting it away. That was the main reason he wished for his son to get married, to settle down with Emma. Robert believed Emma would be the turning point in Brandan's life which would make his son change for the better. Robert had that trust in Emma, he liked that girl. Yes, recently her father who was Robert's closest friend, his sudden demise was another reason too. He felt this protectiveness towards Emma, like a father, it made him want to shield that girl away from everything that was bad in world. And the best way to do that, he discovered, was to make her, his daughter-in-law.

Robert's thoughts were interrupted by Brandan's firm tone.

"I won't marry her, dad."

Robert sighed. "We already have had this talk, Brandan. I do not intend to repeat myself again. You are going to marry Emma and that's final. I don't want further argument on this topic. Clear?"

"No way, dad. You can't force me, this is a decision only I have the right to make." Brandan protested vehemently.

"Then I will have to disown you, strip you off of your surname, kick you out of this house and the rights over all my business's and my properties." Robert threatened dangerously looking directly at his only son.

Brandan furrowed his eyebrows in shock and sudden rage, that girl was ruining everything for him. His hands clenched into tight fists on both sides. Without saying another word, slamming the door loudly behind him, Brandan stormed out of the study fuming.

He was now determined more than ever to make Emma's life a living hell. It was true that, he never joined the bullying troop in the campus. But it was the demand of the situation that he had to get it kick started. He would push her to the point where she would herself say no to this heck of a marriage.

A wave of second thought hit him in the inside but he stubbornly pushed it away in an instant. What he had decided was absolutely right. She dug her own grave by agreeing to this marriage. He had even told her to say no but that freak of a girl had done the grave mistake to do the otherwise. He had pondered a lot upon what agenda she probably had behind agreeing to this nonsense, and after brainstorming a hell of a lot, he had finally scanned the reason out. Obviously, it was a easy way of gold digging. What else?

She just wanted to sunk her teeth and claws into The Rozarios' vast wealth.

Like hell she would!

Soon after, he was in the attached gym to his room, hitting a punching bag boiling in fury. Sweat dripped from his forehead and rolled down his scrunched together eyebrows. "Get ready, Emma, the worst days of your life are just getting started."

-----------------------------------

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After getting done with the dirty laundries and cleaning the whole house to shiny perfection, Emma finally got the chance to hop into a quick shower. She washed herself as quickly possible from all the dust and dirt of her morning chores. She knew she had to hurry up if she didn't want to get super late to the classes.

It was not that they didn't have a maid but she was on maternity leave since last month. Emma needed some helping hand for maintaining this whole household but she didn't have the heart to call back Maria from her very much needed leave. Going to classes, enduring all the tortures in campus all day and those heart wrenching insults from the famous group, managing the whole house... everything was draining out Emma as if a slow poison working on breaking her. Somehow she was holding on though, walking ahead in autopilot.

Quickly putting on the pale slightly oversize t-shirt which covered most of her skin, Emma descened the stairs as fast as she could. She didn't actually care how she looked like, after all comfort mattered to her the most. And these baggy clothes made her feel a little hidden. Hidden from the big bad cruel world. Maybe, it was some kind of a twisted way of her mind which was searching badly for protection, it might be an act of defense.

"Emma!! damn you. We are getting late! Come down this instant, I'm not going to wait for you anymore."

Evan yelled moments before Emma appeared before him panting. She didn't dare utter a single word when Evan sat on the driver's seat not caring to glance back at her. Emma sat herself in the backseat. Sensing Evan's mood she realized it would bring danger for herself if she dared to ride shotgun.

They drove in silence and after almost half an hour their car was parked in the parking. Glaring one last time at Emma, Evan walked away and got invisible into the buzzing and howling young crowd. Emma waited for a minute and then made her own way into the college building.

Growing up ,Emma couldn't really point out the exact moment when Evan... her dear older brother began getting distant from her. As time passed and after their father's death, Evan totally changed, in not a very good way. Maybe popularity and being a part of the same popular group Brandan was the ring leader of - got into his head pretty hard and added was the after effects of being a total orphan now. Evan wasn't a type of person to sob his grieves out of his system but Emma knew he was emotionally sore at the loss. He needed to vent out and unfortunately Emma seemed to be an easy target for him to direct that venting out.

Emma was going down the corridor cussing internally, she was late for her classes. Blame those recently mopped slippery tiles where she fell down on her butt a while back.

She wasn't paying any attention around her as she walked hurriedly. So when her bag was snatched away from her shoulder and a sudden push from the other side made her books to scatter around on the ground. Emma was shocked but just for a second. Of course this was about to come, their days would remain incomplete if they didn't vent out their frustration upon her too.

"Look at that ugly duckling in those outdated clothes!" A smug female voice said.

Now a male voice joined in, "That's called sack, baby."

Someone snorted. "Ewww... tacky."

She looked up to see familiar faces surrounding her, the grinning and smirking faces of the hot girls and cool dudes were staring or glaring at her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Brandan and Evan leaning against a wall merely a few feet away from the scene. They were just watching the drama unfold in silence.

Just then, Melissa, the girl with a supermodel like attitude, slim figure with porcelain fair skin, wearing the most skimpiest clothe that hardly covered any skin strolled closer to her. And before Emma could even blink, step back to a safe distance, away from the vileness that was glinting in Melissa's eyes, her her glasses were snatched off of her eyes. And in the process of doing so, Melissa's long manicured nail scratched her temple. Emma hissed as the skin burned there, with a hand she covered the side of her face. It would surely leave a mark.

Melissa just chuckled not feeling a slight bit guilty.

Emma glared at her. Now that didn't fit well with Melissa, so she gritted her teeth in annoyance. "Down your eyes, bi***."

Flushing all red in embarrassment and anger, Emma glanced at Brandan.

He was smirking.

Clearly, someone was enjoying her turmoil well. This. This was what that always drained her off of all fight.

Emma felt her heart aching, like always. She knew she needed to say something back to Melissa, fight her and all those around who were insulting her very existence, feeding on her pain and humiliation... but she couldn't. Words were lost somewhere.

Like always she looked into Brandan's eyes. She searched for a little bit of concern, care in them for her... if not love.

Yes, love.

that was what she felt for him, that was the reason why she couldn't say no to the proposal Robert laid before her. She didn't know since when she had started feeling like this for him but it felt like an eternity ago.

Like always she waited for him to stand for her. And making her hope, he did stand up this time around but not to save her. Her expectations and obsessed wish to have him show some concern towards her, it all drowned - all at once when he stood by Melissa. His hand looping around Melissa's petite waist, his eyes glaring at Emma.

Emma felt suffocated, her brain was beginning to go black. She realized, she had been holding onto a hopeless hope. It was like chasing unicorns and she had yet to grow up. The perception of this severe reality didn't sit well with her already tortured mind. And at this point, feeling utterly defeated, she just wanted to turn around and run.

"Give me back my glasses, Melissa." Emma's voice was trembling when she spoke.

An escape was what she could welcome from this realism that now stood so evident before her. The burn of this unrequited longing and love felt as if was pouring out of her skin, from deep inside, to make her suffering very much physical. However, it was not the first time she was experiencing this. She had known the emotional pain intensifying to the point of hurting physically so many times in the past, and had received it from so many different people, that now it felt well memorized.

Her suffering, though, hadn't ended yet. Some more blows were left to be delivered. To make her further acquainted with the cruelty of this world she lived in.

"You want this?" Brandan asked in a fake soft tone, waving the glasses before her face. Emma couldn't even nod, it hurt to.

Her mute state, on the other hand, had Brandan feel further irritated. Fingers loosened, he let go of what he held. Quite dramatically. A shattering noise followed by. It was not just the glasses that broke. No one knew, Emma's heart too broke at the very exact moment, the difference was that it didn't make any sound. Or maybe, the noise of glass breaking had concealed that sound, it was insignificant anyway.

Brandan's expression changed into that of a vivacious one as his eyes turned black, he smashed the broken pieces of glasses under his shoes. The crunching sound made Emma sick to her stomach. There was a roar of laughter around them. Wiping off a stray tear - that too anyone hardly noticed, Emma glanced sideways where Evan still stood. For a few small seconds, Emma thought she saw compassion and a set of other emotions cross Evan's eyes. But soon, before she could even think of raising hope, Evan joined with the others laughing at her.

That was enough she had witnessed in one day, and the days in the past. So, she fluttered her eyes close.

It was not an everyday happening that people envied those who were blind, literally.

Pleased at how everything turned out, Melissa kissed Brandan's cheek. Every one disappeared one after another, Emma stayed though in the now empty corridor, pieces of her belongings needed to be picked up after all.

**(End of flashback)**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fluttering his eyes open, Brandan slapped shut the alarm clock's annoying holler. He made his bed, showered, got dressed up and walked down the stairs mechanically. His life was overly systematic, everything would be going on according to a perfect routine until finally he would leave his office, about always after midnight.

With the as usual straight face he sat for breakfast. Martha observed her son through the corner of her eyes while filling Robert's plate with pancakes. Way too many pancakes. Robert's glare directed towards her went completely unnoticed. Martha had far greater concerns at hand.

"When did you come home last night, Brandan?" She asked swirling her finger around her favorite antique tea cup.

Brandan swallowed the morsel of bread in his mouth with a sip of coffee. "It was late mom, I don't remember the time," was his simple answer. The usual.

Martha sighed inaudibly hearing the repeated words. It was like Brandan had some specific answers, words and sentences memorized to perfection, and he didn't speak more than those nowadays. It was so much someone's sanity could take until it crumbled. She couldn't bear anymore seeing her only son like this, she wanted him getting back his life to normalcy again but...

Robert's voice dragged her out of her thoughts. "I've a meeting with the board members today. I'll be probably late."