So a few days back, Wattpad Instagram had this story - which book should win Wattys and tag the author and two of you beautiful souls tagged me and my story - Tutoring the Bad Boy!! And I was pleasantly surprised and sooooooo happy!

Thank you! You are all truly Ahhh-mazing!! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Which also led me to apply this story of mine for this year's Wattys !! So I would really appreciate your votes and comments and shares!

Also in case you want to talk to me on Instagram - womanonrampage 

-----

Chapter 38.

It's Ms. Collins for you.

~~~

I hadn't slept in the past two days. I had barely eaten. I had barely survived.

"Myra, you need to drink water." Zivah demanded, pushing the glass of water into my hand.

I didn't protest. I just drank the tasteless liquid and gave the empty glass back to her. "I don't understand." I breathed out. "Why-why would he break up over that?"

Zivah patted my back lightly. "Look he was just angry, frustrated and tired. I am sure he didn't mean it."

I scoffed at her words. "Didn't mean it? Did you forget the whole scene?" I smiled in a taunting manner. "Let me remind you."

Flashback.

He opened his eyes, his eyes hardening a little. "I- uh -we- we were hacked again."

My jaw dropped and for a second so did my breathing. I moved my lips bit no words came out. I continued to stare at the dismal expression on Alex's face. After a few seconds I finally managed to whisper. "What?"

Alex didn't look away. He stared right into my eyes just as he spoke the words that broke my heart.

"I think we should break up."

And just like that every ounce of happiness I had ever felt washed away, drowned in the appalling waves that Alex drenched me in.

"Are you gone mad?" I asked in disbelief. I pressed my lips. "What? From where is this coming?"

Alex looked down at his feet, as if ashamed of his decision. Well, he should be. We were just talking about living together and now all of a sudden this – break up? At least a prior warning would have been nice.

I folded my arms, afraid that they'd run and slap his beautiful face. "Alex Bianchi. What is fuk is happening?"

He looked up finally and I could see his eyes no longer held the love they once entertained. "You are too clingy."

I physically flinched back. "What!"

"Clingy." He repeated. "You keep asking for things I don't want to give."

"Is this about me asking for that sweatshirt of yours? Because jeez you can keep it!"

"No."

"Then what?" I threw my arms in the air. "I don't understand what you are saying here Alex. Help me understand."

"I am saying that I don't love you."

There was a pin drop silence followed by awkward coughs from Zivah and Evan. "We should go." Zivah whispered.

"But this is good drama." Evan complained.

"Evan!" Zivah whisper-yelled and then we heard Evan groan and footsteps disappear into her room.

I raised my eyebrows at Alex's passive figure. "I don't believe you. I don't believe that someone can just love one person yesterday and then stop loving the next day. Falling out of love, that takes time. It's not that easy. So you better tell me what the hell is going on with you or I swear to God, I shall hack your phone, laptop, life and find it out myself."

Alex looked at me with uncertain eyes. "You wouldn't."

I fake smiled in a challenging manner. "I definitely would."

Alex narrowed his eyes at me. "Being with you is difficult. Tolerating your mood swings, you always wanting sex."

I snorted in skepticism. "Yes because no guy wants a girl who wants to have sex with him. At least work on better excuses."

"It's not just that." Alex meekly argued. "I just- I don't love you anymore."

"Did Ray hack you?" I asked, getting a vague idea of what exactly was happening here.

"What?" Alex blinked in shock at the change of topic.

"You mentioned earlier that Bianchi Enterprises got hacked again. I didn't do it and the only other guy I know motivated and capable enough to do is Ray Parker. So? Did he hack?"

"Yes." Alex grudgingly agreed.

I breathed out. "Did he also warn you that if you didn't break up with me then he would leak confidential information?"

Alex didn't reply. And that was an answer enough.

I groaned in exasperation, turning around and going to sit on the couch. "Come on in, you stupid man." I patted the empty space next to me.

After a few seconds, Alex followed.

"You should have started with that." I told him. "Why this whole drama? We aren't high school teenagers, we are adults. Act like one."

Alex raised an eyebrow at me. "I have seen you do sing along to Disney songs. I have seen you get excited over trampolines."

I couldn't even argue. I did act like a kid myself. "That's not the point." I changed the topic in the lamest way possible.

Alex rubbed his palm over his face, he was definitely tired and in a way I was to blame for that. "I love you Myra. But this is a company I have grown into, a company I have built and a company I don't intent to lose."

I smiled lopsided. "I understand."

Alex shook his head. "You don't. I have worked my entire life for this and no, I don't mean this in a bad way but ever since you came into my life, well, everything is just upside down."

"I-"

"Let me complete."

I shut the hell up.

Alex continued. "This wasn't my dream as a kid. My father forced me into this company when it wasn't doing that well. The economy was bad and the company was falling apart. I have made Bianchi Enterprises into what it is today. I worked hard. Even on weekends. I barely slept. I barely ate. I strived. And I am proud. I can't lose this. Not again."

There was a pause. And I thought he was done so I opened my mouth to respond.

"I am not done yet."

I closed my mouth.

"When you hacked into my company I knew you wouldn't spread that confidential information. I knew I could trust you. But I don't trust Ray Parker. I truly believe that he can burn my company down to the ground. And I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. So as much as I want to be with you, I really can't. This is my decision Myra, the final one."

Alex stopped and I didn't know if he was done or not so I didn't say a word.

"You can speak now."

"Oh. Good." I breathed out. "I know where you are coming from. I truly do. And I am sorry. Really sorry for everything that is happening. But don't you think we can catch him together instead of being apart? That would be a lot easier."

"And a lot riskier." Alex piped in.

"See I can track him down. Call the police on him. I can see how he's hacked, put a trace on him and-"

"I don't want you involved anymore."

My back leaned away in shock. I blinked at him. "What?"

Alex didn't back away. "I don't want you in this mess anymore."

I licked my lower lip to stop it from trembling. "But-but I created this mess."

"I know but it is my mess now."

"This is irrational." I said. "Think about it Alex. Okay so we break up, then what? How can you trust him to not leak any information? That man is a psycho. What if we break up and he still leaks the information?"

"He won't." the conviction in his tone stunned me.

"How do you know that?"

"Because we made a deal."

"A deal?" I raised my eyebrows. "What deal?"

"That we break up and he stops hacking into my life and company."

I could feel his decisive vibe in the air and I hated it. "So? You choose your company over me? Just like that? So easily? I understand how important the company is but seriously am I not worth anything then?"

"It's not that easily actually." Alex said in a low voice. "We were hacked two days back."

I pressed my fingers over my lips, looking at Alex in distraught. I didn't know to say anymore. I didn't know how to make sense of this situation. "So you had two days to think about it."

He just nodded.

"And-" I pressed my lips together to stop myself from crying out. "And this is what you want?"

"This is for the best."

"I disagree." I instantly counterattacked. "I think this is a mistake."

"It's a choice I made." Alex answered and I couldn't change that.

I blinked the tears away. "And I just have to go along with this ridiculously stupid choice?"

Alex swallowed hard. "That's how break ups work."

I sighed deeply. "Don't do this Alex. We can still work this out. Pretend to break up and secretly date. There has to be a better solution. Any solution would be better than this."

Alex smiled ruefully. "I can't risk that Myra. This is my company. And it's not just about me, there are thousands of people who work for me. I can't let them lose their jobs. I can't let them lose their daily wages because of a risk I took. They all depend on this company to survive. More than a thousand families depend on this. I can't let them all down. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night with that on my conscious."

When he put it that way, I couldn't even argue with sarcasm and bitchiness. Damn the empathy!

I shrugged a shoulder in defeat. "Fine then. It was good while it lasted."

"I am sorry Hacker Girl."

I gave him a flat smile. "I don't think you should call me that anymore."

Alex looked down and I could see how much this was killing him too. Damn you Ray Parker! I will kill you one day.

"Do we even message?"

He shook his head. "Delete my number."

I swallowed before asking my next question. "So after Ray is caught, we get back together right? This is only till he's back in jail."

Alex didn't look at me. He stared at his knees and I knew the answer before the words reached my ears. "No, this is final. We are officially done."

The reality that this was actually happening started to sink in and I could feel myself tearing up more and more. I couldn't have him see me in this condition. Not when he was the one who made it a choice to break up. So I got up hastily. "If that's what you want. Then okay. Goodbye Mr. Bianchi."

He stood up. I could sense that he wanted to say more, his parting words, that he would miss me and that he hoped I would be safe. But I couldn't listen to any of it at this point. So grabbing into that very thin thread of resistance, I looked up at his sad face.

It was opposite to my expressionless and a little angry face but similar to the state of my heart which felt like it was breaking into pieces that were going to shatter and I'd never be able to stick them back together. I pressed my trembling lip together. "If that's all. Get the hell out of my house."

"Myra-"

"It's Ms. Collins for you."

Alex closed his eyes and sighed. "Don't make this any harder than it already is."

"It's a choice you made." I reminded him. "I am making it easier for you. Forget I was ever a part of your life. Forget I ever loved you. More importantly forget you ever loved me. That is if you ever did."

Alex opened his mouth and I shook my head in warning. "Get. Out. Now." I almost yelled, pausing for effect.

He didn't say a word. He just turned and walked out of the open door.

I took a deep breath and then slammed the door shut behind him. Hard.

Just like how I wished I had slammed the door to my heart too, preventing him from entering and owning it.

Finally letting myself go, I leaned my back against the shut door and slowly fell on the ground. A part of me still refused to believe that this had actually happened. That my one amazing relationship had so suddenly ended.

A stray tear fell off my eye and I didn't care to wipe it away. It dripped down cheek and then another tear followed that stopped on my lips. I could taste its saltiness. I could taste its sadness.

I didn't think it was ever possible to physically feel your heart break but I did, I could the feel pain as it shattered, I could feel the agony in my chest and I could feel every ounce of love I had ever felt for Alex – grow into a waterfall of emotions and come crashing down on me – drowning me.

How do you say goodbye to the person you wanted to spend your entire life with?

How do you pick up the shattered pieces of your heart and make it a whole again when some of those shattered pieces will forever be with him?

And the truth was – He left me and that isn't what hurt the most. He didn't try enough to stay, that's what hurt the most.

And one day I would gather up the courage to say to him – your love taught me what pain truly feels like.

My head lightly banged against the door and I stared the ceiling as more tears fell. "I miss you Rich Boy." I whispered into the thin air hoping that he could hear me and come back. But the chances of that were zero to none.

He was gone. Just like the faith I had in love. And just like the hope I had on our future.

And if I had kept the door open or strained my ears enough, I would have heard Alex speak into his phone. "Did you hear all of that? We are officially over. I'll never see her again. Now stop hacking Myra's phone. And don't ever talk to her again."

---

Well isn't Ray just a packet of sunshine!