Broken Strings

C H A P T E R T W O

"If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane."

- Looking for Alaska by John Green

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Andrew looked out the glass window of his thirty-story building.

He had taken over his father's company at the age of 23. And in fifteen years, he had taken the small and local firm and turned it into one of the best investment companies in all of California.

He had power, he had fame, he had money. And yet despite all this, he was nothing but a miserable man.

A miserable and broken man.

All because of his mistakes.

Everything was consuming him. Everything that had to do with her.

Every mistake he had ever made. Every harsh word he had ever said to her. Every single thing he had done to her. Everything he had done to their marriage.

It was all consuming him.

Sighing, he turned around and sat back down. He couldn't concentrate, different files and reports were scattered across the desk, the phone would light up every now and then but he didn't want to answer. His gaze fell on the 5 by 7 photo frame placed on the corner of his desk. And all of a sudden, his heart felt heavy.

It was a family picture, taken at Disneyland, from quite a few years ago.

Anisha held a three-year old Mira in her arms while a seven-year old Ryan stood in front of him. Anisha was smiling. And so was he. They looked happy together. He looked happy. He had been happy.

Where had it gone so wrong?

He didn't love her. He didn't.

But nonetheless, he was miserable. Because he regretted everything.

Because he did love her.

But Cassie. Cassie, his sister.

His gaze shifted to the 4 by 6 picture placed just behind the family picture. It was a picture from his wedding.

A picture from the day he had married Anisha.

The day he had promised to care for her, forever. The day he had promised that he would be loyal to her, forever. The day he had promised to trust her, forever. The day he had promised to love her, forever.

It wasn't easy.

Anisha was his wife but Cassie was his sister.

Instead of standing around and doing nothing, Anisha could've tried to help. Anisha could've tried anything.

And maybe if she had, his sister would be with him today.

But maybe if he knew how to deal with the pain and the loss, his marriage wouldn't be so fucked up today.

Andrew Hayes knew how to cut people out of his life. He knew how to hide the pain he felt, he knew how to hide the guilt he felt. He knew how to create the perfect illusion, to make people think that he was a man of power and control. After all, hadn't he and his wife managed to play the role of the loving couple for fourteen years?

But maybe that was because he still wanted her.

Maybe because he still loved her.

He tried to convince himself that he needed the two pictures always placed on his desk because they helped his credibility. To anyone else who would see the pictures on his desk, he would be perfect husband and a good father.

But maybe, more than anything, he wanted his wife. He wanted to change everything, fix everything.

And he let his regrets consume him.

But it had been fourteen years; he had spent fourteen years trying to ruin her. And there was nothing that could change the past.

How could he love her? He couldn't.

He didn't.

He sighed in annoyance. He looked at his watch and called Amanda into his office to relieve his stress.

Because it was all consuming him. All of it. And he needed to forget, to forget about her.