Chapter 32

I ran after Nicole as she turned the corner. I don't even know why I am running after her, I had nothing to say to her. It wasn't like I was her friend that would comfort her. It wasn't like I was going to tell her Everything would be fine but I still followed her.

When I turned the corner, I collided with Kate. The files I was holding scattered on the floor along with Kate's papers that she was holding. Even though I was in a hurry, I got on my knees and started collecting the files when I noticed an envelope. I wondered if it fell from among the files but I was sure it wasn't there when I received the files from Daniel.

“I should've seen where I'm going, I'm so sorry, Eliana,” apologized Kate, picking the envelope and putting it inside the papers she has already been collecting.

“I was the one that tried to run over you, I hope I didn't break your ribs or something,” I joked forgetting why I was galloping like a horse in the first place.

I should really go to Nicole.

“I saw Nicole run to the rooftop, is everything okay?” asked Kate getting worried as I finished collecting the files and stood up.

“Yeah, it's just she's a bit emotional, you know PMS,” I lied to Kate eager to leave again.

“Oh, that sucks I guess. Do you want me to take the files for you? I know you're in hurry,” offered Kate adjusting the papers in her hands.

“Actually I would love that. Killian is out for lunch with Jason, and his office is probably locked," I thought about what I can do," so you can just put it in my office and I will give it to him when he comes,” I responded handing over the files to her.

“That would be even better, you should hand it to him yourself,” said Kate with a bright smile.

Why is this girl always so happy seriously?

“Thanks, Kate!” I said quickly going to the rooftop.

Here we again.

I saw Nicole in the corner her back to me. Her black dress that reached her knees fitted into her hourglass shape. She was truly a gorgeous woman and I could see how Daniel and Nicole would be a good couple.

“Nicole?” I called out careful not to startle her.

“Did you come here to mock me?” she said her back still facing me," Did you come here to hear me say I hate my life? Because I do. I hate my life! I hate myself! I wish I was never adopted at all. I wish I was never chosen by them. I always tried to be a good daughter but they wanted a perfect one. They want to control me like a robot and they made me into this Barbie doll with no feelings. I hate pretending like I'm happy, like I'm satisfied with what I have. The only person that's holding together is Daniel. He understands me and I like him a lot. I can't live without him. I can't be without him,” she said crying hysterically with her mascara running down her cheeks.

This girl, I didn't know her. This wasn't the Nicole I knew. Nicole is the girl with cold eyes towards me. She is my ex-best friend from the orphanage. She was a person who betrayed me and tortured me with the secretary I've told her. She is the girl that hurt me years back.

She wasn't a person to show feelings let alone cry in front of me. Sure, she would smile and laugh but that was it. She wasn't the kind of person to cry in front of her enemy. She wasn't the kind of girl to cry over a guy, because I clearly remembered what she said to me back in the orphanage.

If a guy breaks my heart, I will never cry over him. I will break his bones.

I wondered what had happened that made her change. Well, I guess we grew up and found out that nothing really is as simple as it was when we were young. When she got adopted like everyone thought she would because she was smart and had manners, everything a parent would want in their child, we thought she was lucky and she would be happy. But nothing is what it seems. Regardless of what she did to me, I pitied her.

“I am sorry that you had to go through that, I genuinely am. I had no idea that you were having a hard time because we thought that for the children in the orphanage, adoption meant happiness. It meant someone wanted us to be part of their life and I thought that you being adopted by company owners was going to give you the best life. I guess I was too dumb to think of that.” I admitted truthfully what I used to think back then, squatting beside her.

“What am I going to do now, Eliana? Daniel doesn't love me, he is dating another woman. He wants to m-marry her! How could he haven't noticed me when I do everything to impress him? When I try to be everything he could ever want? How could he do this to me? Who will I even be without him?” she asked looking at me, aggressively wiping her streaming tears.

“You define who you are by his love, Nicole. You define who you are by you, by the things you do that make you happy. You define yourself by loving who you are and accepting who you are. A guy is not a measurement of your self-worth, nor is his love. Nicole, you are no one's second choice. You don't have to fight for anyone's love, there will come a person who will love you for who you are. Someone who will love you with your flaws and imperfections. So stop crying over Daniel, okay?” I advised making her stand and wiping her tears.

“Do you really think a guy like that exists? That will love me with my flaws?” she questioned staring into my eyes, her turquoise heels making her equal to me.

“Absolutely," I thought of Killian who has accepted me with all my imperfections," he will come, you just have to have patience,” I responded.

“The cake and the note, Eliana, I didn't do it. It wasn't me. Mr. Holmes' daughter Katherine, she got the cake made and the note was hers too. I have never done the things you think I did.”