RETAKE

Part 3

Brent sat on his swivel chair facing the computer screen, contemplating. He didn't know what had happened to him, but after he saw Marie in New York, the thought of their past had invaded his mind. All the memories of the pain of rejection had all came back. Because of it, he had been irritable to the extent that Amanda had even noticed it, but he didn't tell her the reason. His past with Marie was a topic not mentioned in his household or by his close friends. So he knew his fiancee has no idea about Marie and of his relationship with her. What she knew the reason he became what he is now, a workaholic, cynical, and arrogant person was because of his broken engagement to Stacy.

As the only son and an heir to his parents' wealth, he grew up pampered. He was used to getting what he wanted and left on his own. Any diversity from what he's used to will have an adverse reaction from him. All of that had changed when Marie came into his life. He became patient and even knew there was a side of him who is romantic, selfless, and accommodating.

"Mr. Jefferson, the investigator, called asking if you still have further instruction." The voice of his assistant, Paul, disrupted his musing.

"Tell him, the information he sent will suffice for the meantime. I would call him if I needed further details."

"Okay, Mr. Jefferson." Paul then turned to walk out of his office, leaving him again looking at his computer monitor. What is on the screen were his messages. One of them is the email from the investigator. He knows in just one click, Marie's life for the past five years will be like an open book to him.

He doesn't understand why he is reluctant to open it now when a few days ago, he was so anxious to know everything. The ringing of his cellphone distracted him again, and upon seeing Amanda's name, he took the call.

Every day after her confrontation with Brent, Anne was on edge. She can never forget the last words he threw on her and his eyes as he delivered it. If he does something disadvantageous to her, it's no sweat for him. He has all the money to move everything, while that is what she lacks to shield herself.

Only now, after two weeks of silence from him, she was able to calm herself and live her life normally again. No more looking at her surroundings first before going to her car in case someone is spying.

"Anyway, his silence means everything was a spur of the moment. Once he had calmed down, he had already forgotten," Anne assured herself, but she felt again the sense of hopelessness that overwhelmed her a week ago.

Out of curiosity, she browses on the net for articles which talked about him. In which, she has never done before since she found out of his engagement to Stacy. The woman arranged by his parents to marry him since he was young and the reason her young heart encountered different kinds of emotions.

There were only a few write-ups about him on social media. Mostly it was about his being the CEO of Jefferson company and on how his family business income had soared high since he was the one who manages it. The only thing she had learned about his personal life and the most important is his forthcoming marriage to a woman named Amanda, in which her reaction surprised her. She felt as if the whole world had crumbled with her in the middle, making her unable to breathe.

"She shouldn't feel like that anymore. What they had been was years ago, and it is clear Brent had moved on. So why does it bother her to know he is with another woman again?" She asked herself. "Oh, no! She shouldn't think about him, Erase, Erase..." She uttered while tapping her head for Brent's image starts to form on her brain.

"Marie is your head in pain?" a little boy's voice asked at her back. Immediately she removed her hands on her head. Before she can turn around to smile, small hands hold hers. "Matt will kiss it so the pain will go away." blue eyes full of concerned looked at her, which touched her heart.