All That She Needs: The Betrayal of a Marriage

Part 7 Aiden

I had just wrapped up my final meeting of the day, eager to head home and make up for last night's lateness. I was determined to spend some quality time with Asha, to show her she was my priority. As I made my way back to my office, thoughts of what I wanted to do with her filled my mind. I wanted us to retire early, lock the door of our bedroom and spend the entire night making love. I wanted to worship her like I used to. I wanted to make her submissive to me again. There were too many things I wanted to do to her; my head was spinning with all of it.

I quickened my pace.

But just as I was about to grab my things and leave, Sean, my new assistant, stepped in front of me, halting me in my tracks. "What?" I snapped, the irritation slipping out before I could stop it. I hadn't meant to sound so sharp, but I was eager to get home early for once.

Sean didn't flinch at my tone. He won points with me for that alone. "You have a guest," he said calmly. "She doesn't have an appointment, so I had her wait in the lobby."

I felt a flicker of annoyance at the unexpected interruption. "Her name?" I asked, already mentally calculating how quickly I could deal with this and still make it home on time.

"Vanessa Grey," Sean replied. "I believe she was your previous assistant."

The first thing I thought was that my mind was playing tricks on me. That couldn't be right. I was certain that I wasn't hearing him correctly, so I asked again, "Who?"

Sean compliantly repeated, oblivious to the hurricane whirling in my chest. "Vanessa Grey."

My heart gave a painful, wrenching thud when I realized I was hearing him correctly. In a matter of seconds, my mind raced through a million different thoughts—memories of heartbreak, sorrow, and the weeks I had spent relentlessly chasing her, begging her not to leave me. Then came the days after that, when I painstakingly tried to piece myself back together, forcing myself to move on.

And now she was here. In the same building, the same floor with me, and even though I hadn't seen her with my own eyes yet, I already felt as if everything I had lost, everything that had been so painfully ripped away, was suddenly within reach again—right there, waiting for me to reclaim it. The thought was intoxicating and terrifying all at once.

I wasn't sure if I would be strong enough to see her again. It was so difficult to get to where I was today, where I wasn't mourning her, remembering her, missing her, every second of the day. I was terrified that if I had just one minute in her presence, all my effort would be in vain, and I'd be back kneeling in front of her, sobbing at her feet, pleading for her mercy.

Vanessa showing up unannounced felt like a ghost from the past suddenly materializing in my present. Whatever she wanted, it couldn't be simple, and I had a feeling this unexpected visit was about to complicate things more than I could handle.

"Send her to my office," I heard myself say as I stomped my way back to my office, faintly hearing Sean say that he'd be heading home after he sent her in.

I chose to sit behind my desk, deliberately putting that solid, imposing barrier between us. I didn't trust myself to sit with her in the more casual seating area or even at the conference table where the distance felt too small, too intimate. I needed something substantial between us—something to keep my hands from betraying me, from reaching out to her in a moment of weakness, desperate to touch her.

As I waited for her to enter, my mind raced. I clenched and unclenched my fists, trying to focus on what I would say to her. What I would do. I ran through a dozen scenarios, each one more unsettling than the last. What could have brought her here after all this time? What could she possibly want?

Then, the door opened, and all my thoughts scattered. Vanessa walked into the room, and for a moment, time itself seemed to freeze. It wasn't like the world slowed down around us. It was as if everything had stopped completely, suspended in a single breathless moment.

I took in the sight of her. She was beautiful. My God, she was so fucking beautiful; I didn't think my heart could take it. The memories of our time together came flooding back, hitting me harder than I ever expected. The taste of her, the feel of her, the sound of her voice—every detail rushed through my mind all at once, and suddenly, I was overwhelmed. I couldn't breathe.

Vanessa closed the door behind her slowly, the familiar click resonating throughout the room as it shut completely. The sound seemed to echo in the silence, final and deliberate, as if sealing us off from the rest of the world. My pulse quickened, anticipation tightening its grip on me.

She lingered by the door for a moment, her fingers brushing against the handle as if contemplating something. I waited as the room got smaller, the air heavier, and the space between us felt charged. Then her eyes caught mine, and I stopped breathing entirely.

She walked towards me, and I wasn't sure if I was still awake or if I was in a dream. I stayed frozen, except for my eyes, which couldn't stop drinking her in and tracking her every move.

Then she sat across from me; her eyes never left me as she spoke. "Aiden."

I shivered. Goosebumps marked my arms, the back of my neck, and my heart floated to my throat. I gave her a nod, because it was all I could do at that moment. I didn't trust myself to speak yet.

"Have you been well?" She asked, and I had to stop myself from shaking my head. The real answer clawed at my throat, begging to be released, but I swallowed it down.

No, I was not okay. No, I was miserable and in pain, a pain so deep that some days it felt like I was dying. No, I miss you every single day, Vanessa. I was longing for you in ways I couldn't admit, even to myself. No, Vanessa, you broke me, shattered me into pieces so small that I didn't know if they could ever be put back together again.

"I'm fine," I finally managed, gritting my teeth.

She gazed at me with a quiet sadness, as if she could see right through me, grasping the turmoil that raged inside. But she remained steady—calm and composed, as though she had made peace with the pain long ago. I, on the other hand, was barely holding on, every breath a struggle to keep from falling to pieces.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," she said, her voice gentle as she offered me that familiar, small smile—the one I used to love so much. It was the kind of smile that always made my heart race, that I would have moved mountains just to see it stretch a little wider.

"Why are you here, Vanessa?" I honestly didn't know where my strength came from, but I finally managed to speak. My voice quivered a little, but there was nothing I could do about it.

"I needed to talk to you. To tell you something. In person."

"Tell me what?" I said, my strength returning in slow, deliberate waves. The words came out steadily, no longer with a trace of the tremor I feared might betray me. It was a small victory, but I silently applauded myself for it. I just hoped I could maintain it a moment longer.

"I'm engaged."

And with that, I plunged to my death.

All the little wounds that had punched holes in my heart, the pain from them, the living, breathing agony I'd endured—it was nothing compared to what I felt at this moment. Nothing hurt more than this. Nothing killed me more than this. The anguish was so consuming that I didn't even realize my palm was already pressed against my chest, clutching at my heart through the fabric as if trying to prevent it from shattering. "W...what?" I stuttered.

"I'm engaged," she repeated, her eyes growing glassy as she watched me slowly unravel. Her heart was breaking, too. Seeing me like this was tearing her apart. And I hated it. I hated she pitied me. I hated she had moved on while I was still struggling to accept that we weren't together anymore.

"With whom?" My voice shook. I didn't have it in me to conceal it anymore.

"His name is Ryan. Ryan Miles," she said, calm as a summer breeze. "He's working here, in fact. He's in the PR Department. We started seeing each other two months ago. I know it happened fast." She sighed, her gaze dropping. "I wanted to tell you before you heard it from someone else. I think I owe you that much."

I racked my mind trying to put a face into that name, and then it hit me. Ryan Miles. A trust fund baby that I hired because our company needed to build relationships with his father.

"Oh," I muttered. I didn't know what else to say.

"Aiden," she began again, her voice soft, but I could still hear the sobs she was trying to suppress.

I shook my head. I shook it so hard that I grew dizzy. I growled, "Thank you for informing me. Now, please leave."

She leaned forward across the desk, her hand reaching out to me. "Aiden, I'm sorry."

"Vee," I choked out, feeling the tears well up despite my best efforts to hold them back. God, I was going to cry. I couldn't stop it. I was angry, I was hurt, I was frustrated. And I couldn't do anything. "Please, just go."

"I love you." She said quietly. "I still love you."

Her words froze me. She had never said she loved me before, and now she decided to tell me? "You love me? You love me, but you never told me. It's so fucking unfair! All this time, you made me believe you didn't care, while to me, you were my whole world!"

"If I said it," she said, her voice breaking, "I was afraid it would be too real. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to come back from it."

"We are real. My love for you is real," I retorted, my voice trembling with hurt. "Then you fucking left me. You left without a word, without an explanation, without a care that you were killing me."

"One of us had to make the hard decision, Aiden," she said quietly, her tears starting to cloud her eyes. She allowed me to see her pain. She wasn't closed off like she used to. Why now?

I knew why she had done it, why she had left me, but it was still difficult to accept. I was bitter and furious, and I couldn't stop myself. "So, you went and decided to marry a man you don't love?"

"I care about him," she said quietly. "He's a good man. He loves me."

"I love you!" I shouted, unable to hold back. " I love you. I gave you my whole heart. I worshipped you. I doted on you. I put you above everything. I was yours. I am still yours, and I will always be yours!"

"Aiden," she sobbed, her tears streaming freely now, mirroring the devastation that was tearing me apart inside. "You were never truly mine. You belonged to her. You always went back to her. Every time you left, my heart shattered into pieces. Did you know that? I was your dirty little secret, watching you live a life where I didn't belong, pretending I was okay with being hidden in the shadows. But how long was I supposed to wait? You would never leave her, and I couldn't keep waiting. And the guilt, Aiden—it destroyed me. I didn't want to be that person. I didn't want to ruin your family. I didn't want to take you away from them. Even if we could be together, I would have lived the rest of my life weighed down by guilt, and I couldn't do that. I had to let you go, and I knew I had to be the one who would do it."

I felt sick. Words failed me. There was nothing more to say. But one thing was clear—all the painful days I spent away from her, all the excruciating attempts to forget her, had been meaningless. I still loved her. I still wanted her. Apparently, I had never stopped.

"I have to go," she said softly, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She rose from her seat. "I'm sorry, Aiden. For hurting you. For leaving you. I truly hope you'll find happiness."

Her words hung in the air, a finality I still wasn't ready to accept. As she turned to leave, panic surged through me, and I jumped from my seat. I didn't know what I was doing, but I knew I couldn't let her go. I needed her to give me a chance to fix this, to make her mine again, even though I had no idea how. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of her, blocking her way to the door.

"Please, baby," I begged, my voice cracking with desperation. I sounded pitiful, but I didn't care. I couldn't lose her again—not like this. I pulled her into my embrace, holding her tight as if she were my lifeline, because she was. She sobbed harder, burrowing her face against my chest, and I tightened my arms around her, desperate to keep her close. But she didn't hug me back; her arms remained stiff at her sides, her fists clenched, as if she was struggling to be strong for both of us. "I love you. I fucking love you. I know I'm a piece of shit. I know I'm selfish. But I love you. And I'm so torn..."

"I know you love me, Aiden. But you have to let me go."

"I'm trying. Believe me. I'm trying. But it's so hard."

Then I kissed her. I kissed her with the desperation of a dying man, craving the antidote that only her lips could provide. My lips pressed against hers, searching for the connection I feared had been lost forever. The urgency, the need—I poured it all into that kiss, hoping, praying that it would be enough to make her stay.

But then she pulled away. Her eyes were filled with a dozen emotions. Sadness, pity, regret. I braced myself for the worst, my heart sinking into a pit of dread, but suddenly, she crashed her lips back into mine. The kiss was fierce, fueled by all the pent-up emotion neither of us had ever put into words. The world could burn behind us, and I still wouldn't care. I still wouldn't let her go. It was raw, intense, and for that moment, nothing else mattered to us but the desperate need to hold on to what we once had.

Her hands finally moved, clutching at my shirt as if she needed to anchor herself. I tightened my grip around her, pulling her even closer, afraid that if I let go, she would slip away forever. The kiss deepened, turning frantic, as if we were trying to make up for all the lost time, all the hurt, all the things we couldn't say.

Then suddenly, her kiss slowed, the intensity fading into something softer, almost hesitant. We finally broke apart, both of us breathless, our foreheads resting against each other's. The silence that followed was heavy. So many things we wanted to say but left unsaid. Her eyes, still brimming with emotion, met mine, and I saw the truth there—the war between love and the pain I'd caused. The kiss had been everything, and yet it wasn't enough. I could feel her slipping away, even as I held her close.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she whispered, "I can't do this again, Aiden." Her voice was soft, trembling, but there was a finality to it that pierced through me like a blade. I wanted to protest, to beg her to stay, but the words wouldn't come. All I could do was to see her leave again, knowing that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't have her.