Quote of the day : We're running away from the haunting past, but it is long gone by, still yet it resurrects, oh Ashley what are you gonna do now.

    Walking into the 'Marshall enterprises' that monday morning felt like the hardest thing she has had to do in her twenty three years of living.  Her heart clenched in her chest as she walked with caution. She was taking her time, she seemed to be taking her time with everything today. She had asked Chloe to go on to work without her, she even rejected Greg's offer to drive her to work, because she was taking her time before seeing him.

     It had to be today, she had to do it today, it is either today, or never. She couldn't waste anymore time again.

    She entered the elevator that was surprisingly free that day, the letter in her hand burning holes through her skin. Once she got to her floor, her beating heart picked up its pace, she stood in front of Greg's office, giving herself mental back up before she enters his office, to give him the news she was about to.

      "Ashley," she heard Greg call her name calmly from inside. She looked about trying to find out how he knew she was there, she eventually opened the door. Getting in she saw Greg seated behind his desk, busy as usual.

   And as usual he was looking very handsome in a black suit and white inner shirt, his hair wasn't slicked back today, it happened to tussle lightly on his head, with a strand falling into his right eye.

     "Morning, Mr Marshall," she said with a hard tone which had Greg flinching. He wasn't the only one affected by her tone of voice, she was also, she hadn't expected it to be this hard.

      "Morning, Ashley," Greg said with a tight smile, and surprisingly he didn't make any remarks about her calling him 'Mr Marshall,' he must have sensed that her mood wasn't as light as it used to be.

     She dropped the poisonous letter on his desk, glad to be finally rid of it. Greg stared at her with a questioning gaze in his eyes, she gave him a forced smile and spoke. "Its for you, Mr Marshall."

    "Okay..." Greg said picking up the  letter. She saw a look of fear flash in his eyes, but it soon vanished. He opened the letter cautiously, once he had opened it and read what was in it, he looked up at her with those green eyes of his filled with questions. "Is anything the matter Ashley?"

     "No, Mr Marshall," she said.

    "Why have you been going on and on about 'Mr Marshall?' and why the cold voice...?" he asked fear seeping into his voice now. "And why do you want to resign?"

      "I just need a break from all this company work, that's it," she lied.

     "So, its not because of me?" Greg asked with an hopeful voice.

     "No..." she said.

    "Wow, that is better," he said with a relived voice. He smiled lovingly at her and stood up. He walked over to her, she found herself fighting the urge to step back as he came closer. "Well if it was before I would have definitely disagreed, but fortunately for you, you are my girlfriend now, so I know you are never leaving me even if you leave work. So I'm going to let you go, even if getting another secretary is going to be a pain, but good news I have my Ashley to always look forward to."

    He raised her chin up bending in for a kiss, all she wanted was to give in to his kiss, but she knew she couldn't, not anymore. So she turned her face aside not missing the hurt look that flashed in Greg's eyes.

   "There is another thing I would like to let you know," she said with a quiet voice. Her voice was almost sad, but she tried hard to hide the hurt she was feeling. "I want to put an end to this relationship between us."

     "What!" Greg said calmly but with an hurt voice. His eyes equally reflected whatever his voice was conveying. Her heart hurt so much, it felt like someone ripped out her oxygen at seeing him this hurt.

    "You heard me clearly," Ashley said with a cold voice, her heart broke more as she saw the look of hurt on his face go deeper. She never knew Greg would be so hurt with the breakup, the real reason she should have never taken things this far.

      "What did I do wrong, Ashley...?" He said stepping closer to hold her, but she took a step back avoiding his touch, his green eyes became a little hard now. "Just let me know if there is something I'm doing wrong I will change it." His voice was pleading now, and she almost broke down seeing him like that.

    "Greg its not about you..."

    "Oh please don't give me that bull crap about 'its not you, its me,' we both know its a lie most of the times," he interrupted her mid sentence. His tone was beginning to get harder now.

    "Well, I don't think I need to give you a reason to break up with you, I just need and want this break up okay," she said with finality in her tone, trying to see if she can put some sense into his head.

      "Did your feelings for me disappear?" He asked with a softer voice now and the hurt look in his eyes made her want to hug him and say she wasn't breaking up again. "Or maybe you never really felt anything for me?"

      "Ohh, how come you are just hitting the nail on the head now, okay you got me, I never felt anything for you," she lied.

     "That's a lie, I knew you liked me, I could see it in your eyes, Ashley, you felt something for me too," he said looking a bit desperate now.

       "Ohh please stop going around thinking the world is about you, I never liked you okay, and moreover I don't remember confessing any feelings for you," she said and she saw his eyes filling with realization and hurt.

    He stared at her like she was a totally different person, it hurt her so much to see him this way, but she knew if she didn't do this, he would hate her more, when he finds out who she is or what she did to him two years ago.

      "Okay, so I'm guessing that is bye right," he said in a quiet voice.

    "Yes, Greg bye...and believe me it was fun while it lasted," she said turning on her heels. She didn't miss the hurt look in his eyes, or the tears that had pulled up at the corner of his eyes threatening to spill out. He was really hurt.

    Once she was out of his office, she found herself leaning back on his door. At that moment she let her tears fall, she cried into her palm, she really hated the fact that she had to do this, hated the fact that she had once again been the cause of the pain in Greg's eyes.

   Well, it is to avoid a bigger pain, so it was worth it.

She wiped her eyes clean, and left the 'Marshall enterprises,' she was about hailing a taxi home but decided to walk a bit, because she needed to clear her head. Her mind was filled with several scenarios from the past as she walked.

   She remembered her father, his hazel eyes that were mostly drunk and filled with hatred and disgust for her, but always filled with love at the mention of Cassandra. She remembered how he never failed to let her know of her shortcomings, she remembered how things seemed to become a little better when she met Chloe, then she remembered that night, she remembered her father waking her up, asking her to dress up, she remembered what happened next.

    She could remember vividly her father's retreating figure, and lastly she remembered Greg's eyes, his green eyes that had spilled with so much hatred for her.

   Remembering everything made her eyes cloudy with tears, she soon found herself crying again, she wiped her eyes clean, and was shocked at what she saw next...

    A car was speeding towards her, it looked like its brake wasn't functioning because it didn't bother to stop, but she was sure that the driver could see her.

   She moved quickly away from the car, but it must have been too late, because all she could remember was a woman scream, and herself being thrown up and then down.

    Her whole body hurt and ached as she lied there unmoving, she drifted off into darkness, but not before she remembered that she had saw a familiar hazel eyes behind the wheel...

  Damn, it was her father.

________________________________

Greg looked around his office, but he didn't see anything. He had been seated on this couch ever since Ashley left after dropping the bomb, he remembered how cold her expression had been, but he was still so confused.

  He knew he had to have done something wrong, because he could swear this girl felt something for him, or maybe he was just being delusional.

   He tried hard to come up with different reasons but came up with none except the fact that he just wasn't good enough for her.

  He rubbed his palm over his face, still in deep pain, never in his life has he felt such pain, the only time he felt something quite like this was when he met Nora, but this pain was different.

     He was jerked up when he heard a loud banging on his office door, he knew no one could just come up and knock his office door directly, they always went through his secretary, but she wasn't around anymore, he felt a gush of pain flow through him at the realization that he no longer had Ashley to look forward to.

   He ignored the knocking at the door, but soon his door burst open to reveal a worried looking brunette with grey eyes.

     "What do you want here Miss Anderson?" he asked with a cold voice staring daggers into Chloe. He could tell that she was definitely aware of Ashley's resignation and their breakup.

    He continued staring at the panting lady before him who seemed to be lost for words, she clutched her chest tight, that was when he realized that she was crying. "What is wrong Chloe?"

   "Ashley...Ashley...she had an....accident...and she is at...the...hospital." Chloe stuttered out.

    "What!"

  Chapter thirty four.
Mary Aden.