"I had to fight like hell and fighting like hell has made me who I am."

Bree's pov.

My phone starts ringing as I drive back to my office. It's Ricky.

"Hey Rick, "I say over the bluetooth . I just wasn't in a mood of thinking of anything but I can't skip work.

"Where the hell did you dissappear? "He asks me or almost shouts at me over the phone.

"I just wanted to spend some time with Jayden," I say . I don't know what kind of a human I am. I'm drained out of all my emotions and I don't even cry when I feel like it.

"Is everything alright? " he asks me softly.

"It's nothing Rick. By the way Stacey came in for the interview today and I gave her the job," I inform him.

"No shit sherlock. How could you give her a job? You know how she is," Ricky says almost screams.

"Rick she's in need alright and that was Stacey in high school , she's changed a lot," I say taking a turn to the highway.

"And how do you know she changed?" He asks me.

"Her daughter fell of the first floor of her building and is now in coma. Stacey was in search of a job that would offer her a good salary so that she can support her husband with the bills ," I say .

I'm ready to help Stacey with the hospital expenses. I know how it is when your baby is in hospital.

I shake my head to get rid of the thoughts. Why did everything happen to me?

I never had a choice. Never.

"Hmmm.....I think you did a good thing," Ricky says.

"I'm close to the office Rick. I'll talk to you in there," I say taking a turn to the building located in the center of the city.

"Yeah okay," he agrees with me and drops the call.

Work was a distraction for me and that's what I wanted. I know sooner or later I've got to confront Aiden because that's the company in competition with ours.

I know nothings going to ever change cause I'm not letting him ever again. Not that I don't love him but I just can't let him suffer the way I did.

I still love him and will love him till the end. I just never got to say it and maybe I never will.

I enter the gates to our company and stop the car right in front. I have a driver but sometimes I insist on driving on my own.

I get out of the car, grabbing my phone in the process. I hand over the keys to my driver so that he could park it and enter the office building.

"Good afternoon, " I hear the employees saying as I enter and greet them back with a fake smile and a 'good afternoon'.

No matter what each and every employee deserves to be appreciated because it's not only the hardwork of me , Jackson or Ricky, atleast fifty percent of the credit goes to the employees .

If I like a person's work then I'll make sure they get the salary and appreciation they deserve but if they're just having fun around here then I kick them out of the office.

"Liv did anyone call when I was out?" I ask Olivia. I maintained a good relationship with her and I treat her like a friend. She follows me into my office.

"There was a call from L.W company which Mr. Adams took care of," she says and I nod.

"Could you give me the files related to the new project requests we've got from other companies? " I ask her and she nods walking out of my office and I take a seat.

Ricky enters my office without knocking. Alright now that's not lack of manners but we are allowed to do that and it only applies to me, Jackson and Ricky.

"You're back?" He asks me with a small smile.

"Doesn't it look like I am?" I ask him with a smile or rather a fake smile.

He takes a seat opposite to me. "We've got a call from the L.W. company," he says and I nod.

"What was it about?" I ask him.

"A project," he says simply.

"Did Jackson and you decide something? " I ask him.

"No we didn't. Why would we take a decision without you?" He asks me.

"Bree what's wrong with you? Didn't get what I just told you? We've got a call from L.W. company, " he says and looks at me as if I'm crazy.

It was like a splash of ice cold water when I realised whose company the call was from. Aiden.

"Did h...he call up?" I ask him still trying to process what he just told.

"No it was Grayson," he says and I sit there frozen.

"I need to think Rick. I...I don't know what's going to happen . It's not that I didn't expect this but..." I trail off and take the glass of water ,gulping it down.

"Bree it's not necessary for us to accept this project. We've decided on a meeting on next Tuesday," he says and I rest my forehead against my palm , closing my eyes.

"Could we talk about this later?" I ask him trying to regain my posture.

"Yeah," he says and I nod pouring in some more water to drink.

"Rachel wanted you to come over for lunch," Ricky says with a smile.

"Of course I would come. Where's Jackson? " I ask him.

"He's gone home," Ricky says . Amanda is now pregnant with her second baby and Jackson is having a lot of pressure of taking care of Nathan, his six year old son and handling his official work too.

I started doing half of his work cause that's the only way I could help him out.

Some one knocks the door , " Come in ," I say and Olivia enters with a few files in her hands.

"Thank you Liv, " I say and she nods before leaving my office.

"I can help you out with that," Ricky says taking two files out of the four.

"Come on Ricky. It's fine , I can do it," I say .

"I'm just helping you out with Jackson's work so that we could leave for lunch together, " he says and I sigh giving in.

I start going through the profiles of the two companies but none of them got my attention.

"I don't find any of them good enough, " I say closing the files and putting aside.

"Neither did I, " Ricky says adding the two files to the ones I verified.

"You can go home directly while I pick up Ellie from school," Ricky says and I nod standing up from my seat .

Ellie is Rachel and Ricky's daughter. She three years old and adorable. I spend most of my weekend taking her out .

"I'm leaving now or else I'll be late to pick up Ellie," Ricky says with a smile and leaves.

I grab my purse and search for aspirin for the headache in having right now.

I take one tablet and gulp down some water. Hopefully I feel better by the time I reach Rachel's house.

I grab my phone and purse before walking out. I inform Olivia that I would be back in a few hours and leave.

I get into the back seat of my bugatti while the driver gets in.

"The Hughes estate," I tell my driver and he starts driving.

Why did everything have to be so complicated?

I unlock my phone and my eyes stick to the collage I made of Aiden and Jayden.

They are my whole life and without them I feel nothing . Absolutely nothing.

If I look back in time I can only find my hopeless emotions that broke me down into a million pieces which could never be put back together.

I don't cry much anymore cause there's no use and even if I want to cry, there are no tears left for me to shed.

The funniest part is , after all this is still believe in love.

That's how it works for me. I gave up cause I can't fight anymore nor do I have anything to fight for. I don't even have the strength to fight .

The car stops , snapping me out of my thoughts. I wait for my drive to open the door and when he does , I get out.

I usually have lunch with Brad and Maria but whenever possible I come down to Rachel's . I take off my sunglasses as I ring the bell.

I take a deep breath to get rid of the thoughts running in my head. Rachel opens the door with a smile that makes you feel comfortable.

"Hey Rach," I say and hug her. Rachel and Ricky got married in college , four years ago.

A year later they had Ellie. They were there for me all through out and owe them for that. I've grown closer to them every single day.

They were days both of them just spent with me to make me feel better.

After a long hug, she releases me and I give her a small smile. Rachel helped me mange the boutique when I was held up with some other work.

"How was your day?" she asks me with a smile.

I take a deep breath before speaking, "I don't want to talk about it now," I say as we take a seat on the sofa.

"Okay, " She replies and I hear the sound of a car. It's probably Ricky and Ellie.

"I'll open it," I say standing up and Rachel nods.

I open the door to see Ellie running up to me with a bright smile.

"Aunt Breeeeeeee, "she says stressing on the 'e'. I genuinely smile as she jumps onto me. Kids do make me smile for real sometimes.

I look at her and think of Jayden. I push away the thoughts and look at Ellie.

I carry her inside while talking ,"How was your day baby girl?"

"Boring," she says with a grumpy face.

"Dad forced me to go to school," she says pointing out at Ricky who was smiling.

"How about you , me and your mom attack daddy after lunch?" I ask her making her smile again.

She kisses my cheek , "Yes!" She squeals .

I let her down and Rachel takes Ellie into her room so that she could freshen up for lunch. I sit back in the sofa and Ricky sits on the sofa next to me.

Ricky speaks up breaking the silence "I think you've had enough for the day. Why don't you take some rest instead of stressing yourself with more work?" He asks .

"I'm fine Ricky. I promise," I lie. When didn't I lie when I said 'I'm fine'?

"You're a bad liar." He states with a chuckle and rests his head back on the sofa.

I don't say anything and close my eyes. Every memory keeps coming up just making me realise how much I lost .

Aiden never knew what happened and maybe he'll never know. It's not that I could force him to come back but I felt worthless the second he left.

Words remained unsaid and maybe that's how it is. I never got to say 'I love you' and that's just a dream now.

I feel a small hand on my cheek and my eyes snap open. It was Ellie looking at me with a smile.

"Mom's calling you for luch, " she says trying to pronounce lunch correct.

I stand up and Ellie lifts her arms , asking me to carry her and I smile.

I carry her and she kisses me. I walk into the dining room with Ellie in my arms. Rachel and her maid were setting up the table.

I'm glad I found such friends who never left my side.

I help Ellie sit on one of the chair and take a seat next to her. My headache has just been increasing.

Ricky enters and takes a seat next to Rachel. The maid starts serving us food as we settle down.

I start eating even though I didn't feel like it. It's not the taste of food, it's just my thoughts that make me lose my appetite.

I finish my lunch and head back to the living room . I take my purse and grab a whole strip of aspirin. I take on tablet and swallow it with a glass of water.

I could just use some rest till I get back to work. Ricky and Rachel along with Ellie enter the living room.

"I'm going home guys. I think I'll take some rest before I could get back to work," I say .

"You could stay back here too," Ricky says.

"I just wanted some time alone," I say and he gives me a 'I understand ' look.

"Okay," he says and Rachel nods.

"Will you come in the evening? " Ellie asks tapping my hand.

I kneel down in front the of her , "I've got work today baby girl," I say and her smile drops.

"How about I take you out this Saturday? "I ask her and her faces lights up with a huge smile.

She looks up and rubs her chin with a finger , thinking about something.

"Only if you buy candy for me," she says and I nod.

"I will," I say and she kisses me. Ricky and Rachel stand smiling at us.

I leave after biding them goodbyes. I wasn't in a mood to talk to anyone.

I get into the car and the driver starts the the car.

"My house," I say and he starts driving.

The problem is that I couldn't even sleep without taking a sleeping pill . All I want to do is to go back home and curl up in my bed.

No one knew about Jayden apart from the people close to me and I'll let it be that way.

I'm known as the most successful woman in UK but that doesn't make my past dissappear.

Nothing was my choice, being successful wasn't my choice, losing Jayden wasn't my choice nor was Aiden leaving me my choice.

Sometimes I just wish I could dissappear or go back in time and make things right but that's impossible.

My estate comes into view and I shake of the thoughts in my head. Maria and Brad live next to my house.

Jackson lives in the same Street too. I get out of the car , grabbing my phone in the process.

I thank my driver and tell him that his shift is over before I rang the bell.

My maid comes up and opens the door for me. I give her a fake smile before walking up to my room.

I enter my room and lock it once I'm in. I take off my heels and put them aside. I walk into my closet to change my clothes.

I take off my skirt and blouse , replacing them with a shorts and Aiden's t-shirt.

Yes, I kept them. Atleast I had some memories of his. I walked out of the closet and headed straight to bed.

I lay down and rub my face with my palms. I stop and look at my hand which has the promise ring Aiden had given me.

I never took it off , even the chain he gifted me is always there around my neck. These things I have of him , are just a reminder of my love to him.

That's the problem with me , I can't move on. I'm just a girl who's stuck in her past reminiscing about the good times she had which no longer last.