Unedited.

***********

"Would you like to talk about it?" Chris asked slowly. Salina froze what's there to say anyway. Telling how painful living in this house is? What's the point in telling him that she feel sick of everything around her?

"Sometimes talking about it helps" Chris tried again. Salina chuckled talking won't help her not in this life but feeling his warmth around her she opened her mouth against her better judgment.

"On this day two years ago my... my father died" Salina said. Chris froze.

"I have not talked to him for 3 years" She gulped down feeling choked. Regret what she feel is nothing but regret as tear trickled down her cheen. What would she give to talk him one last time apologizing. Even if she did not regret anything she would tell him how sorry she was. If only he come back to her life alive.

"When I was 22, Me and Aaron, we both got married. It was not forced or willing. It was just a marriage we did for our family or selfishness. We were too youngbnot knowing what to do, we decided that it's better for us to forget the notation that we are married and live our life like roomies" Salina feel her heart clenched. Those were the only happy memories of her marriage.

"We just clicked together. He was the non talktive yet kind guy while I was the loud one. Slowly we developed a weird friendship and started sharing each other life"

"Truth to be told it was not bad we become good friends" Salina looked down that's the problem. If only she stopped herself then this would not have been a disaster.

"As days went by I... I started questioning my feelings for him.." She chuckled, pathetic a voice whispered in her head. Chris froze.

"The thought I have to spend the rest of my life with him does not seem like a bad idea anymore and as the days went. My.. feeling towards him grow more and I.. I started liking him" Salina bite her lips if only she could tell her past self to stop it before it's too late.

"What happened after that?" Chris asked.

"One day he came back home distorted and worried. It was two years since we get married ,I started working at my father's while he was working in his father's hospital" Salina sighed.

"I asked him what happened but he kept quiet telling me it was work related at first I believed but as days goes on I noticed it was taking toll on him. And my treacherous heart wanted to know why he is sad" Salina rolled her eyes at her own drama, chuckling at her words. Chris grip tighten around her. He did not like hearing what was coming out of her mouth. He always thought that She hates Dr.Aaron Alvis Valentine.

"He told me, his father was pressurizing him to give him an heir" Chris froze at her words.

"It came as a shock at first being mother was never in my to do list. And I was young yet the idea does not seem to bad. I thought Aaron would have been a great father. So, I accepted it reluctantly because that's why we are married for"

"Aaron was dead against it at first. It took a while before he agreed but he told me that he wanted to do this the right way" Salina smiled a bittersweet experience that was.

"He took me out on a date" She blinked her eyes.

"We went on various dates enjoying life like any normal couple" Salina sighed rubbing her face. If only that lasted long, she was truly happy at that time.

"I found out I was pregnant after seven months of dating" That's when everything started going wrong.

"I told him and he just stand their frozen on his spot. It was nerve wrecking moment as Aaron just looked at me. It broke my heart a bit. How would you feel when the man you loved just stand their like a frozen statue after hearing that" Salina chuckled the painful ache in her heart increase.

"When I asked him if he was happy all he did was a small smile yet he never verbally confirm that. But it did not let longer, he went back to being caring again. I thought everything is finally coming back to its place" But that was just her delusion playing tricks on her.

"Aaron was gentle, attentive and helpful through out the pregnancy. It was becoming difficult for me to deny my feelings. I told him I love him...."

"He just accepted my confession without any word" It broke her heart but she keep quite thinking everything will be fine. How naive of her.

"But everything changed the moment Adrian was born at a rate I was.. I was not able to keep up. It was suffocating to see how he refused to look at his own son"

"I ignored it thinking he will come around one day" She bite her lips, her eyes cold.

"It took me a whole year to understand things will never be same. So, I asked him, why he hates his own son?" Salina shake her head pushing Chris away.

"Do you know what he said?" She chuckled rubbing her face.

"He told me that he feel like he was betraying the woman he loves by looking at... at our son" Chris stare at her his eyes wide, Salina has an unnerving expression as if she was talking about someone else life.

"I immediately asked him for a divorce" She blinked her eyes sighing.

"But he refused telling me it's not possible" She chuckled.

"I was not always like this you. I.. I was never this drained emotionally, he make me. He was the one who put me through this" Her jaw clenched as she smiled bitterly.

"I.. was driven to the point that I was ready to cheat on him just to get a divorce and get away from this hell, from him" Salina grit her teeth blinking back those tears.

"Do you know I deliberately choose his high school friend Jeremy McGregor? You do know who he is don't you?" She grinned her eyes held a glint that chilled Chris. Jeremy was one of the most sorted lawyer in the country.

"Too bad it was not successful,  Aaron get to know about it and bring my father in. My father and I  have a pretty close relation. But after knowing the truth my father firmly told me to stay with Aaron. I was way too angry too see how much I hurt my father?" She breathed out.

Salina can still feel the sting when her father slapped her infront of him yet why did she forget how hurt he must have been to hit her? That day her remaining piece of heart broke with the happy memories of her childhood.

"As a punishment he took my son away and send him to the boarding school, the moment he turned four"

"I.. I have not seen him since two years" She just smiled.

"He send him away, I.. I put aside my pride and begged him to let me keep my son but it never worked. That heartless son of a bitch.." She grit her teeth feeling hatred bubbling up. She want to burn him  in hell, but a fear that her son might be at the receiving end stopped her always.

"The next time I see my son he... he might hate me forever" Salina rubbed her eyes. She even have no idea where he was. How he was doing? Did he forget about her? Would he come running towards her like he used to?

"How many years would he need to stay there?" Chris asked his voice trembling. He can't comprehend what he was hearing,  this is beyond cruel. What's wrong with Aaron and his way of life?

"Fourteen years, two years already passed. I wander if he even remembers me" Salina said, her voice closed off. She feel suffocated. What will happen after all this years passed ? Will her little boy look at her with hated breaking the remaining part of her heart. Ah... she could not take it anymore. More than one occasion she thought she would prefer dying over that. The loneliness, anger and hatred are slowly eating away her sanity. She wanted her son. She missed her son. Just like she missed her father.

Chris could not find words to comfort her. What she said was horrible. But that's what she went through. He could not imagine and he does not want to imagine.

"I am sorry that you had to go through all that horrible things" Chris said at last. Salina looked down feeling choked on her own emotions. How much she would like for a certain someone to say these words to her? At least tell her that he regretted everything and put her out of her misery. She would forgive him if he brought her son back. She would give in if he did. She would stay quiet for the rest of her life. If only if only....

"It's not your fault" Salina said stepping back forgetting about the railing. Chris eyes widen as she stepped back again. It happened so fast that he could not react at all. Not even a bit.

Salina eyes widen as she grabbed the nearest thing which was the part of terrace. Chris snapped out of his stupor.

"Salinaaa" Chris lunch forward grabbing her hand. He can feel his heart galloping in fear. As his hand turned cold, precipitation forming on his forehead.

"Hold on, please" He begged her. Salina stare at him as he pulled her up, she did not try to rectify him that it happened by accident. Why does not she feel anything? Does it matter what he thinks? The moment she landed on the terrace floor, he hugged her tightly. She gulped down painfully.

This is painful she thought to herself. Her hand hurts so her legs but the only thing she could feel was the suffocating feeling in her chest. Why? Salina sighed feel her inside crunch she was not trying to scare him but she did.

"What were you thinking?" Chris yelled at her, shaking her. Salina blinked at his sudden change in behavior but he hold on to her. His hand griping on her shoulder.

Salina looked at him only to freeze for a while before slowly cupping his cheeks. Chris looked at her sudden change in behavior confused before she smiled a bit.

"This is not funny.." She pressed her lips against his. Chris froze not knowing what to do. No the truth is he does not know what she wants him to do. But this is wrong on so many level. She was having an emotional breakdown. It's as if he is taking advantage of her vulnerability. He pulled away from her carefully.

"I respect you enough to let you do this" Chris said. Salina stare at him before chuckling as a tear rolled down her check. Chris hold her up in a bridal style much to her surprise before walking down the stair case totally missing the man standing behind the door who rushed in here, hearing Chris's scream.

Chris walked straight to her room. In many occasions he bring her to her room after one of her drunken session. Salina blinked her eyes burying her face on his neck.

Chris put her on the bed covering her with the blanket.

"Good night" He said before walking out.

"I am sorry" She whispered.

"I know" He turned toward s the door walking away leaving her.

Salina breathed out rubbing her face, Does he know why she kissed him?

She looked at the shaken Chris only to notice the silhouette of the man behind him. He looked as panicked as Chris. She just stare him, her mind was playing games. The man who have no emotion s panicking. She narrowed her eyes disgusted before smiling as she leaned foward pressing her lips against his while staring at Aaron.

'What the hell is wrong with me?' She asked herself closing her eyes forcing herself to sleep. Not knowing the disaster it was about to bring.

**********

Salina woke up with a headache before she remember everything that happened last night. She rubbed her face groaning at herself. She should not have let her emotions run wild. Salina took a warm shower and dressed up for office. She will grab something from the kitchen and later on have food in the office with that thought she walked downstairs into the kitchen, freezing to see Aaron eating breakfast. Her mood turn sour. She turned trying to avoid him as much as she could.

"Where do you think you are going?" Aaron asked coldly while he was eating breakfast. Salina walked out without answering him. But it did not take long before she returned back glaring at him.

"What is the meaning of this?" She asked as calmly as she could in the given situation. When he did not react at all. She finally snapped, walking up to him taking his plate of food before throwing it down. Aaron watched it shattered sighing, he shake his head.

"I asked you, What is the meaning of this?" Salina screamed at him. His eyes turn cold at her words.

"Did my warning last night get over your head?" He asked cooly rolling his eyes. She glare at him gritting her teeth.

"You can't do something like this"

He smiled mockingly.

"I already did if you have not noticed" Aaron said calmly. He did not know, why was he angry to the point that he feel like burning her. And he will be doing that only. Because since last night the only thing he felt was rage.

"You think you can keep me here against my will?" Salina grit her teeth, take a few deep breath trying clam herself down. She needs to think this through.

"Do you really need to ask that?" Aaron said softly patting his lips with a napkin.

"I never did...." She trailed off.

"Are you considering to throw yourself down?" Aaron asked coldly, though he did not even take even one step forward just staring at her as if he was watching a show.

She turned her face away her face cold.

"Go ahead and make sure you die this time" His words where even colder. She knows he doesn't care just like he knows she doesn't care. The only thing they have mutual in this relationship except their son.

"Because this time if you get back alive. You won't have any freedom. You will be stuck in this mansion without anything to do" He turned leaving her there as if telling her, he will give her time to think about what to do. He won't try to stop her either.

"You think I did not noticed. You make the choice now deal with it" Aaron turned walking away from her.

"Stop right there Aaron" She gulped down rubbing her face.

"Are you trying to pick another fight?" Aaron asked. She grit her teeth 'clam down you can't let your anger handle this'

"No.." She sighed.

"I am... I ...am sorry" She said coldly biting her lips. She will go mad if she stays in this house. No she is already on the verge of going mad. She can't take this anymore. But she know there will be no way out if she can't convince him. No one will come to find her or be bothered by her absence. Aaron stare at her pale face but she is not crying.

"Fine" Aaron said coldly. Salina narrowed her eyes as she stare at him. He would not easily say yes to her. There must be something she is missing here.

"Fire Chris and make sure this is the last time you get to see him" Aaron said breathing out. Salina stare at him frozen. He.. He wanted to take away the only support she have after all this years. How dare he?

"You have whole day think about it"

"I can't stay here. I need to do my job. It's my father company damn it. I..." She grit her teeth exhaling. That's the only think connects her to her father. She could not, she could not let go. But she won't cry either.

"Don't forget that your father's company is in my name" Aaron said.

"I don't care whether it goes on or not. I could just sell it off" He said shrugging his shoulder. Her eyes pricked. She grit her teeth before taking the glass of water throwing water at him. He did not even flinched as water trickle down his face.

"Why Chris?" She asked rubbing her face. For once she told her story to someone, she open up and he.. he understand. The feeling as if her burden lessened a bit, vanished in thin air. He is again trying to suffocate her.

"You know damn well, why" Aaron said feeling the anger returning.

"Do you think I will let this go on?" She froze hearing his words.

"You are cheating on me. You should know not to go down that path after losing your son and father" He said pouring salt on her already opened wound. She feel choked. Blinking her eyes, the hatred she feel for him increase ten fold. But he just stand there like a cold wall.

"You hate me. Why does it matter whether I find someone else or not?"

"Whether I hate you or not. That does not give you the permission to cheat on me" He spated those words.

"This is the second time Salina. I am feeling quite generous if I say so myself" He hold her hand pulling her closer bending down as soon as his lips touching her ear.

"It's the final warning Salina. The next time I see you doing something like this. Seeing your son will be the last thing you need to worry" He left her and walked away.She blinked her eyes chuckling.

"Go ahead" She yelled.

"Go ahead sell it off. Sell off my father's company. It's not like It would matter to me but I won't leave Chris. Do you hear me? Do fucking hear me?" She screamed trashing the chair infront of her. Slowly the tears she was holding back pricked her eyes which she rubbed off hurriedly. Only to slide down, she looked up at the chandelier.

Suffocation slowly built up.

"Please let me out" She whispered to whom she does not know clutching herself tightly rocking back and forth.

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

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