I press the button of my intercom. "Fiona, get me another coffee."

"Sure ma'am." She answers.

Few minutes later, the door of my cabin opens and a woman with sleek blonde hair tied up in a tight bun, button nose and wearing conservative clothes enters, holding my coffee. Her jet black eyes dart over to the floor and her expression turns to pure horror.

"Oh my God! What happened here?" She shrieks as her eyes roam around my cabin.

"A hurricane." I reply flatly.

Her button nose scrunches up in disgust. "Really? I didn't feel anything." She retorts back at the same tone.

"I can't find a file."

She sighs as she hands over my coffee to me. "Which file?"

I shook my head vigorously which made some strands of my auburn hair fall on my face. "I don't know. What was the name? I don't even remember. It's my previous case." I mumble, picking up a bunch of files and going through them.

"Ma'am?"

I look at her and see that she has a knowing look on her face. "Yes?"

"It's at your home. You—"

"You mean my house. Don't use that word in front of me." I growled.

She sighed in annoyance. "Fine. You took it a few days back to your 'house' and said that you have to complete a few things." She makes air quotes for 'house'.

"Oh." That's all I could say.

"Maria?" I hummed in response as I got up from my chair with coffee in one hand and a file on the other and carefully stepped over the files which were lying on the floor. I pressed the combination of my locker on the wall and carefully placed the file in it then shut it.

"You have been here for almost two years. Do you still not feel that you are home?" She asked, fidgeting her fingers. I turn around and face her. Something heavy settles down in my heart.

"You know where my home is, Fiona and you know who it is."

"But—" I shook my head and motioned her to leave. She sighs in defeat, mumbles a sorry and leaves. As soon as the door closes, I drop on my knees and cover my face with my palms.

"It's only for today. It's only for today. Breathe." I murmur as I control my emotions. My heart starts to feel a bit light as I get them under control.

It's not her fault. Fiona has been my assistant for three years and she knows what happened. She knows what I did or at least tried to do after the accident.

When my parents decided for me to leave, she didn't say anything and simply packed her bags to join me.

I still don't understand why she did it.

I picked up all the files on the floor and dumped them on my desk, then I took my bag and left my office. Fiona joins me.

"I didn't say that you could leave." I grumble as we walk to the bus stop.

She raises her eyebrow. "Well, what can I say? My boss is a total narcissistic bitch who pays well, but thinks that she's all alone in this world, but also forgets that she has a stubborn but a damn good assistant who is going to stick with her till the end of the day. No matter where she goes." She stops rambling and lifts her arm high up in the air, waiting for me to give her a high five. I leave her hanging.

"Are you done with your useless chattering, Miss Gregory?" I grunted in annoyance.

"Yes ma'am!" She jumps in excitement. Only by seeing so much energy and fun in a twenty five year old girl makes a small corner of lip twitch.

You used to be like that...

I don't remember the last time I laughed heartily or jumped in excitement. Maybe that was when I found out I was pr—No! I cried in happiness that time and now, I cry in sorrow.

Those memories are forever engraved in my heart and I can't wait to make more with them.

"Ma'am? Maria?" I feel a light poking on my shoulders and I snap out of my reverie.

"Yes?"

"We're here." I didn't even realize when I got in the bus and when we reached our stop.

We walk down to the street and reach my house. I took off the lid of my mailbox when Fiona's small hand stopped me.

"Maria, how about you go in and I'll take care of them today?" She asks. I nod my head in response and make my way to my study. I lock the door and walk to the small cabinet near my desk.

I took out a small red bottle and a few photographs from it.

Time to join.

The photos are from our second anniversary. Thomas surprised me by taking me to a carnival. That night was the second best night of my life. First was our confession of love to each other. I sat on the floor with my legs crossed and went through each photograph.

My face had become swollen as tears were falling irrevocably. This time they didn't feel like piercings. This time they didn't give me any pain.

This time they burned. Burned like acid on my face.

I felt immune to this burning sensation. No pain, no screams, just heat of the acid.

I couldn't scream. This burning sensation had reached down to my throat and was stopping me as if telling me to give up.

I had given up a long time ago.

My eyes shift from the photos to the small bottle beside them. My palms tremble as I unlock the cap and I bring it near my nose.

His cologne. That's what I smelled. It was minty with a tint of spice. I closed my eyes hoping to feel his warmth embrace me and hit me with his scent but I felt nothing.

I let out a big scream when I didn't feel it. I didn't care when my throat started burning more or when the burning sensation of the acid increased.

I smelled the bottle again and let out an awkward sound from my lips when I realized what I was actually smelling.

Didn't know that a rat poison would remind me of his scent...

I thought that the smell of a poison was intoxicating but didn't know that it would intoxicate me so much that I would smell the most wanted person in my life's scent from it.

A sip would take you to him...

My eyes shot open when that thought crossed my mind.

Time to join.

These words were ringing in my ears and I felt the grip of the bottle tighten around me. A fat tear slipped from my eye and it pained.

My hands went to my very flat belly and stroked it.

"M–Mommy is coming home, my baby. She is coming." My lips quivered as they felt the cold opening of the bottle.

"Ma'am? May I come in? There's something here for you." I heard a loud knock in the distance.

"Maria? Open the door. Why did you lock it?" I hear a few curses from the outside.

I feel the hot liquid touching my lips, waiting to enter into my body.

Open your mouth, Maria. Time to join.

"Maria! Open the door now! It's important." Fiona shouts from the outside and bangs the door furiously.

My hand involuntarily throws the bottle away and it smashes to a wall. I wipe off the traces of the liquid from my lips and slide the photos inside my desk.

What happened Maria? You could have been with your family by now. Why did you stop?

I ignored the mocking voice in my head and wiped my face then straightened myself and unlocked the door.

"Hello, Fio—" She engulfs me in a hug and breaks down in my arms.

"Y–You dumb bitch. Why d–didn't you open the door before? I got so scared." She hiccups.

I don't know how to react in this situation. I closed my eyes and said the only thing I could think of now. "Mind your language, Miss Gregory. I'll have to give you a warning letter next time you say crude words like this. This was the second time in a day."

She breaks off the hug and wipes her face with the back of her hand then chuckles softly. "S–Sorry Ma'am."

"Now may I know the reason for your furious knocking on my door?" I enquire her.

"Oh! I found this on your mailbox." She tries to hand me a large silver envelope from her bag.

"Throw it." I wave my hand off and sit on my chair.

"This didn't look like the others. It only has your name. It looks pretty too." She said, awing the envelope.

"Didn't look like the others, you say? They must have changed their envelope. Throw it."

She shook her head. "It has your name, handwritten."

I gritted my teeth in annoyance and opened a file. "I don't care. Just throw it."

"It says Maria Green not Maria Thompson."