Here it is another chapter..

Enjoy reading..

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Coltrane woke up, feeling something soft underneath him. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking . This might be the peaceful sleep he had after all that experience. The sun is up in the sky. He abruptly sat up, after looking at his position. He was using her lap as his pillow.

His eyes landed on Cassandra's face, she was sitting in the same position and her eyes were staring at something the same way he saw last  time. 

Did she sleep at all? He blinked his eyes when she turned to look at him with a dark circle under her eyes.

"I am sorry. I did not know......" Coltrane rubbed his head but she cut him off.

"It's fine," Cassandra said coldly. He sighed after a few minutes of that same awkward silence he opened his mouth again to speak.

"We did not complete our talk yesterday…" Coltrane started but she cut him off.

"About what?" This time she looked at him straight at him

"About our living arrangements. And we need to set some rules" Coltrane said, nodding her head.

"What do you want me to do?" Cassandra asked, staring at him after saying that. He moved away, the way she asked him made him uncomfortable. He cleared his throat.

"I just want you to..."

"Act like Catherine, stay out of your personal matters" She said, raising her eyebrows. She thought he would agree but he only looked at her. 

"What are you saying?" Coltrane asked her to rub his forehead.

"I will be her as long as you want. You only need to pay me 100 dollars per hour I pretend to be her"

If only she could have done this since her childhood. She would be a millionaire by now. Cassandra rolled her eyes at her thoughts.

"But don't  worry I will not stay here for forever. I will find a job as soon as I can and move out as fast as I can. I promise you that" her words are very emotionless which agitate him even further. If only she could get a job, having a past criminal record does wonders to your job hunting. Cassandra closed her eyes rubbing her face.

Coltrane was still staring at him as anger rose with her words. Not once did he say anything about being Catherine but the more she talked about Catherine the angrier he got.

"Are you doing this to hurt me?" Coltrane glared at her.

"I wander?" She smirked mockingly. She is putting salt to his wound.

"You are doing a better job than" Coltrane grit his teeth, glaring at him.

"But why are you so obsessed about being Catherine? Is this about how you stooped low? How do you pretend to be her and sleep with me?" He said coldly. Cassandra flinched involuntarily.

"It hit the spot didn't it? If you hurt me I will hurt you back and this will continue for how long even we don't know" Coltrane sighed  looking down, hurting her was easier than admitting how much he missed Catherine? How much was he ready to accept her as Catherine just to get rid of the pain he felt everytime he thought about her?

"You want to be Catherine and I want Catherine. How ironic isn't it?" He mocked himself or her, she had no idea.

"But the truth is you cannot be Catherine even if you want to be" His hand raised to touch her cheeks. He rubbed her cheek softly.

"The only thing that is similar between you two is that you have the same face and similar feature. Which might work for a while but you can never be my emotional support"  Coltrane sighed this is painful for him. Telling her how exactly he feels. 

"I love her" he whispered, blinking his eyes as a tear fell. He let her see how broken he was. Cassandra looked away as something burned in her chest.

"I love her. You know, I.. I. I cherish her. I love how soft, sweet, kind, and caring she is? Her smile brings a new light to my life. I love her to the point it hurts me. I love her to the point I hurt others" Her eyes filled up as tears fell. He rubbed her tears away. Putting his forehead on her.

"I love her to the point where I am self destructive and I am destroying you in the process" Coltrane closed his eyes breathing her in. Cassandra stilled her body and froze up.

"Why can't I love you? It will be easier if I loved you. Why cannot I get rid of these feelings of pain? I don't want this" Cassandra looked away sighing. 

"I knew she never loved me. Her eyes even though she tried to pretend to be happy were always sad. When I proposed to her she stood still. Her eyes were hollow. She told me she needs time." Coltrane laughed, choking a bit, as tears fell from his eyes.

"After five years of dating she needs time. That gives me a reality check, just how much she loves me but I still waited for her because I love her as long as she is with me I am fine. It does not matter to me whether she loves me or not" his hand went around her hugging her pressing himself to her feeling her warmth. Cassandra froze not knowing what to do? She should push him away.

"I love her damn it. I love her to the point that if she says Jeremy forced her to do this. I would believe her in a heartbeat, even though I know Jeremy will never do something like this. I am pathetic are not I?" He opened his eyes, staring at her. The same feature. The same curve. Those lips even though a bit chapped, her long eyelashes, his finger moved on it's own tracing her feature.

He leaned down pressing his lips on her kissing her softly. She sat there frozen, her hand shaking. She felt hollow as he confessed but kissing her?

A tear trailed down her cheek even though the kiss was soft, warm and loving. It was everything she ever wanted and it was everything she could not have. It was the first time he was this soft with her and that just broke her even more. Knowing very well this will hurt her further she let him.

"I am sorry" Coltrane breaks the kiss. His eyes widened at what he did. 

"It's fine, I am getting paid after all," Cassandra said, her voice cold. Coltrane flinched a bit at her words. When she put her head on his shoulder. She pulled herself together before grabbing his face with a shaky hand making him look at her.

"Go see a psychiatrist. It might not help you with Catherine but talking about it will help your depression. Sleeping pills and alcohol can never be the answer to all this" Cassandra gulped taking a deep breath. Her chest heaving up and down. She forced herself to focus on him.

"Do it for C...Catherine. Don't you want her to be happy? When you love someone unconditionally you want them happy more than anyone" 

"Why are you telling me this?" Coltrane's eyes widened.

"You know Jeremy more than anyone don't you?" the moment she said those words Coltrane flinch away pushing her forcefully. He abruptly stood up leaving her there, he went down.

Cassandra's resistances break as tears fall from her eyes unchecked she takes a deep breath as she feels herself hyperventilating. Her chest up and down she tried to breathe, but everything seemed to be closing on her. She stood up trying to take deep breaths but the suffocation only built up until the point she collapsed hurting her head in the process. Slowly the white floor of the roof strained in red blood.

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Jeremy was angry at Jane but he did not want to hurt Catherine. She needs good health and care. He will call her later to assure her that this was not her fault  and make sure she is alright. That's where his thoughts are.

He sighed driving his car through the roads he stopped in front of his office.

"Jeremy,  What a pleasant surprise? At last I caught you" He turned to look at the well dressed lady who was smirking at him.

He blinked his eyes, "Salina?" 

"Yes I heard that you came back. I was trying to get in contact with you but you were not here. So I thought I will try today" Jeremy stared at her for a minute before inviting her in.

"Good taste," Salina said, looking around the office's inner decor before taking a seat.

"Why are you here?" Jeremy asked calmly. As he glared at her. Salina raised her eyebrows mockingly.

"Well is it a good welcome" Salina rolled her eyes.

"I will make it grand too" Jeremy said coolly.

"How?" She asked seriously this time.

"There is something I need to know and your answer will decide whether you end up in jail or not, Salina'' Jeremy said those words coldly. Salina who was unaffected by his cold attitude before felt a chill down her spine. She knows Jeremy is the best in his field that's why he rose to the top. But when that girl, what was her name, Catherine was around him. He became real not a dream or nightmare, might be because he is in love with her.

"You drugged me. Didn't you?" Jeremy asked her.

"What are you saying?" Salina laughed nervously. This is bad for her.

"Did you really think I would drink that much without tolerance? To the point I don't remember anything" Jermey growled if only he remembered or he was in his sense he might have stopped the disaster that happened in his life. At least he would not have taken advantage of a drunk Catherine who tried to help him. Because of him her life changed. And part of the reason why he married her normally because he felt regret.

Salina flinched but her cold look did not melt though.

"Yes I did" Salina nodded her head.

"What are you going to do to put me in jail for that?" She mocked him.

"Yes I will, under drug abuse. You will be inside for at least for five years" He blankly stared at her. She chuckled.

"Go ahead, it's not like I have many things to do," She shrugged her shoulders.

"What kind of drug was that?" Jeremy asked her.

"Its was a sex stimulating drug. I want to sleep with you" Salina looked straight at him making sure that he knows that she is telling the truth .

"Why did you do that? Mrs.Valentine" He asked. Salina looked at him freezing at her spot.

"File the case. I will see you in court" She stood up abruptly and turned around to leave but his words stopped her.

"Is it because of Aaron?" Jeremy asked, her pride should be hunched.

"How do you know all this ?" Salina asked, turning around.

"What is his wife?" Jeremy asked mockingly this time.

"I know everything Salina," She sighed, rubbing her head before sitting down again.

"Yes. I hate him. I will do anything to get away from him. Do you hear me anything?" Salina said as a tear fell from her eye.

"To the point that I am ready to sleep with you and make news out of it. Yes that was my fucking plan" She grit her teeth.

She wants him to burn in the same agony she is burning everyday. Salina for the first time let her emotions show. The hatred she felt for Aaron, burned in her eyes.

"Why? Just divorce him" Jeremy asked.

"You think I did not," Salina mocked him.

"He won't. He made it quite clear that he won't divorce me" Salina rubbed her face sighing a bit.

"I can't take it anymore. I can't. I can't do this anymore" Jeremy listened as Salina talked about this.

"I tried Jeremy, I tried to make this work. But he does not care. How much time do you think I can want me to be that obedient little wife? He already breaks my heart from time to time but I want to save my son" Salina looked away with her cold stone.

"Why did you introduce yourself as Salina Henderson? Did Coltrane have no idea who you are?" Jeremu was wondering about the quote for a while.

"No" She chuckled.

"No one knows I am his wife. I am just a dirty little secret to him. He will do anything to make sure no one knows" Salina laughed even though tears filled her eyes.

"I am tired Jeremy" She sighed.

"He hates him. He refuses to look at his own son even when he is crying in front of him. He is just 1 year old. How could he do this to him? He is the one who wanted a baby in the first place. How dysfunctional could this get?"

"There is nothing you could do" Salina laughed because she tried everything after that she decided cheating on him might give her a way out of this.

"You can't get a divorce from him until or unless you can prove he accepts. Without his consent a mutual divorce is not possible, Salina" Jeremy explained.

"I can cheat on him. That's why I thought if I send him our compromised position. He will divorce me immediately. After that he would not be able to show his face to his father. But it backfired" Salina sighed.

"I can talk to Aaron. But if you cheat on him you will never get your son's custody" Jeremy looked at her. She does not look like the cold stone woman anymore but someone who is hurt and broken.

"Salina, I promise I will do something about"

"It's fine I am almost at my end wits. I might run away from him with my son. So you wanted to ask me something right? Or I will get going" Salina asked. He looked at her as if she was joking.

"Don't you dare try something like that, Salina" Jeremy stood up.

"Clam down. I am not stupid enough to do that. I was kidding" Salina chuckled but it did not seem like she was kidding.

''If you don't have anything to ask then I will be going..." She waved at him.

"No, I have.. Did you drug Catherine too?" Jeremy stopped her.

Salina's eyes widened before rolling her eyes.

"What will I do to get to sleep with her?" She said mockingly.

"Answer me" Her eyebrows raised as the situation drew on her.

"No, I did not drug her, she needs to drink for that" She laughed.

"What do you mean?" Jeremy's eyebrow furrowed.

"She did not drink a drop of alcohol. And the medicine was only soluble in organic solvent" Salina stared at him, smirking, then her eyes landed on the ring he was wearing.

She smirked "I guess you have a great night then" with that she left chuckling as if this is entertaining for her at least. 

The silence prevails.

Jeremy felt numb after hearing that. The guilt he was feeling all this time after hearing her words was a lie.

Catherine lied even though he asked her to tell him the truth. She could have stopped all of this but h
she did not.

Not only that Catherine lied to him.He was ready to accept whatever the truth was but she lied. Jermey closed his eyes.

She broke his trust again knowing very well this will hurt him. She mock him right on his face after he trusted her blindly again and again.

The numbness he was feeling spread like a wildfire. He felt broken again and this is her fault again. The woman he loves makes a mockery out of his feelings again.

He was stupid, he wanted to make her happy. He was trying to accept her, to the point he was ready to go against his beliefs.

Jeremy married her with the intention to actually marry her. He was ready to take responsibility for his actions but she could have stopped all of this.

How stupid of him?

But here she was playing with his feelings. No, not only his but Coltrane's too.

Jeremy clenched and clenched his fist trying to think this through but nothing came out except a Why?

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Thank you for reading dear readers..

Do share your thoughts and comment..

So, if you are wandering about Aaron and Salina. There have their own story and no this is not a part of her replacement. I just wanted to give you an out looknof why Salina did what she did.

Thank you for understanding..

Until next time...