Leap OF Fate

Serene stood frozen, receiving all the fury from Justin's eyes. Tears accumulated at their edges as the fear in her heart grew. She had never seen Justin furious before, and it scared her witless.

clenching his jaws too much. His lips formed a tight line.

"Jus... Justin..." she called him, her voice trembling and was barely audible. However, his senses seemed more acute than usual. His gaze burned into her. Two burning balls of flame looked into her, ready to engulf her and burn her. The joints of his jaws moved from "What are you still doing here? Get out! Follow him!" he said through gritted teeth. His nose flared and his fingers trembled as he pointed to the door behind him.

Serene's heart shattered at his words. Her chest tightened from the pain those words gave her. Follow Bryan? Why would she do that? Did he really think that at this moment Bryan's wellbeing mattered to her? "Justin, it's not what you think --"

"what do you want me to think, Serene? That you two were innocent, and you were just talking casually?" he said in sarcasm. "Do you really fucking think that I am stupid, huh, Serene?"

"Justin, please calm down ok? We were really just talking." She could not conceal the panic in her voice. Her eyes did not know where to look, but she took all the courage she had and looked him in the eyes.

"You were hugging each other!" He finally shouted and with heavy steps closed the gap between them. His face just inches from her. She could feel his ragged breaths on her face. "Don't you fucking deny it! I saw it with my own eyes!"

She closed her eyes as she tried to control her tears. "I do not deny that, Justin --"

"Good! Did you enjoy it? Finally, you got him back?" he said his furious voice had a tinge of sadness. "You cunning little thing," he said, shaking his head. His eyes surveyed her face with disdain and repulsion. "You used me to get closer to him and snatch him away from my brother --"

Slap!

Serene's trembling hand landed on his right cheek, leaving a red mark. The tears she tried to control now freely flowed from her eyes. Justin touched the spot where her slap landed and sneered at her.

"I did not do such a thing, Justin. How many times do I have to tell you we were over?" she said her voice trembled from her pain. She knew she doubted him, but she never imagined that the pain of hearing him express his doubt would be excruciating. "Over? How could you two be over when you deliberately used my office to rendezvous with him!"

"Do you hear how crazy you sound? Of all the places, why would I pick your office to rendezvous with him? Can't I do that elsewhere?" she did not hear him rebut, so she continued, "I came here after going out with your mother. I was hoping we could go home together. I did not expect to see him here." She gathered her courage and looked him in the eyes with her pleading eyes and bit her lips to stop her sobs.

"I think he came over to talk to you about something, but he saw me playing with my phone on the couch and approached me. He thanked me for talking to Chester last time."

"You talked to Chester?" he said in disbelief, his brows hitched up like his voice.

"Yes. During your parents' anniversary, I heard Bryan and Chester argue and I heard Chester that he wanted to pursue divorce. I talked to your brother when I brought you lunch last time. I told him how much he mattered to Bryan and asked him to rethink his decision." "Of course you knew that. You two probably sneaked behind our backs."

"What? Do you know how crazy you sound right now? I didn't need to talk to him to know how much Chester means to him. He gave up his family for your brother for crying out loud!"

"Did he tell you that too?"

"Oh please! None of his family attended his wedding, not even his younger brother Gideon. Wasn't that telling enough?"

"You must really think of me as a fool, Serene. Chester divorce Bryan? Really? Is that the most your creativity could get you?" His eyes surveyed her from head to toe as if she's the most despicable person his eyes had laid on.

"That's the truth, Justin. I would never lie to you."

"Never lie to me? Didn't you just do that? You lied to me about you and Bryan being over. Tell me, Serene, is that the only lie you made? Or were you also lying when you said that you loved me?"

"Justin, I never lied to you about anything. I had always been honest with you. I love you --"

"Shut up! Aren't you repulsed? You love me? That's the biggest bull I've heard in my life."

She could not believe her ears. Justin doubted not only her, but also her love for him. How could he? Her world crumbled at his words. The tears in her eyes blurred her vision and the stabbing pain in her heart continued to wring the life out of her.

She could not believe that the biggest fear of her life is happening this very moment. Justin is breaking ties with her. She threw herself at him. She embraced him as tightly as she could, afraid that if she let go, she would lose him forever.

"Justin, please don't say that. I love you. I love you so much. That was never a lie. Please, Justin, believe me. I never lied to you..." snot and tears combined on her face as she clung to him.

Justin pried her arms from his body. His icy eyes looked at her and his voice devoid of the usual tenderness she's used to, "Get out, Serene. I don't want to see you again. I hope you're no longer here when I come back from my meeting." With that, he walked out of the room.

Serene watched his retreating back and slumped on the floor. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed to her heart's content. She did not know how long she'd been in such a pose, but she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.

"Miss Ellis, let me help you out," Justin's secretary said, holding her elbow. He helped her stand out and guided her out of his office.

She walked out of Rain International like a zombie and hopped in a taxi mindlessly.

"Where to, Miss?" the taxi driver asked her.

Where to? She did not know; she no longer knows. In a brief span of time she had lost everything, even the will to live. Why did this always happen to her? Why do the men she cherished find it too easy to give her up? Bryan gave her up for Chester. Now, Justin just cut her off his life without even flinching. Isn't she worth choosing? She smiled bitterly at the thought. Tears flowed from her eyes to her cheeks.

Am I so dispensable, no matter how much of myself I put in my relationship, I always end up dumped?

"Miss, where to?" The driver repeated his question a little louder this time in case she had not heard her earlier.

"Magnolia Crescent."0000