Broken Strings

C H A P T E R S I X

"One of the hardest things you will ever have to do, my dear, is to grieve the loss of a person who is still alive."

- My father's advice #1

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"Sebastian." His name was a soft prayer on her lips, waiting to be whispered.

He was here, right in front of her. And he would see right through her happy facade.

He was the only one she could never convince. She could fool everyone else about how happy and alive she was but not him. He always saw right through her.

He gave her a small smile, a small sad smile. "Chocolate cupcakes are still your thing, huh?"

Anisha gave a small nod but turned to walk away. Not in front of him. She couldn't act like she was okay. He would see the cracks and quite frankly, she just didn't have it in her anymore to pull it together and act as if she was okay.

She didn't want to cry either nor did she want to smile.

She wanted to give up. And so she was, slowly, day by day.

She was sick of it. Sick of the tears, sick of the heartbreak, sick of the pain, the fake laughs. She was sick of everything life had thrown her way. She could only take so much. And she had. There wasn't much left.

Sebastian gently reached out, turning her to face him, his hands placed softly on her shoulders.

"How are you Anisha?"

"I'm fine."

His green eyes darkened with worry. She was lying, anyone could see that.

This woman standing in front of him looked nothing like the girl he had fallen in love with some twenty years ago. It wasn't age, hell she wasn't even that old. But it was the toll life had taken on her.

The dark bags under her eyes showed the lack of sleep. The emptiness in her eyes showed the pain she had suffered. She was frail and unhealthy.

And he knew there was nothing he could do to help her.

He tried once again. "How are you actually and I know it's not fine?"

"Let go Sebastian. I don't know why you feel the need to ask me how I am more than once. Especially since I just told you I'm doing great. Besides, I'm sure Andrew wouldn't appreciate you trying to talk to his wife."

"His wife is also my best friend and my ex-girlfriend."

"I think the key word there was ex. Now if you'll excuse me, my daughter is waiting."

She pulled away, tears brimmed her eyes. No, she begged herself not to cry. Not here, not where everyone could see.

Two steps.

Curse her fucking fate.

First him, now her.

She took two steps and came face to face with Andrew's lover.

First Sebastian and now Amanda.

Anisha could see the wide smirk plastered on Amanda's face, as if she was trying to show she had won some prize. And she had, hadn't she?

Amanda had managed to pull Andrew right out of Anisha's grasp.

But standing there, looking at the woman her husband seemed to care more about than his own wife, the wife he lawfully wedded and claimed as his, anger arose in Anisha.