Blissful Despair ~> Tony Stark

December 16th

Pacing back and forth, I tried to locate John's file.

"Miss Montenegro?"

"Yes Malcolm?"

"Mister Walker is here to see you." He rolled his eyes while speaking and I did the same. Malcolm was never really a fan of Seth.

"Tell him I'm not in." I shrugged and he nodded enthusiastically.

I stared at the calendar for the seventh time already and inwardly sighed. Was he doing okay? Goddammit of course he wasn't doing okay, that's a stupid question.

Tapping my pen continuously, I failed to notice my mother's presence in my office.

"Valentina!"

Throwing the pen out of surprise, I stole a glance at my mother, who had a glare on her face.

"God, I'm sorry mom. I was just lost in thought." I shrugged and she nodded.

"Is something on your mind?" She asked, taking a seat on my couch.

"I'm just...thinking." I shrugged and she raised an eyebrow waiting for me to continue.

"I'm thinking about Tony, okay?" I finally admitted and she smiled. "It's December 16th and I'm just wondering how he's holding up."

"I think you're stupid." My mom said plainly and I just blinked.

"Come again?"

"You're stupid, Ali. How could you let go of someone, who means so much to you, for someone else's wishes."

"You don't understand mom. I love...."

"And don't give me the 'I love Seth' bullshit okay?" She scoffed. "You know damn well you don't love him anymore, you're just scared to admit it."

I sighed and rested my head on my desk in frustration.

"Did you think about how much this would hurt Tony before you took that ignorant decision?" She asked and my head shot upwards.

"Dammit mom! Of course I did! It was all I thought about for weeks before I made that decision. It's all I have been thinking about now."

"Then why did you take a decision that you know will hurt him?"

Her question made me silent. I thought I did it for my relationship with Seth, but it's failing anyway, so I basically did it for no reason.

Grabbing my hand, she whispered.

"Don't break someone's heart, Valentina. They only have one." She smiled at me and stood up, blowing me a kiss and walking out.

Her words rang through my ears, and right then I knew what I needed to do.

****

"Thank you for agreeing to meet up with me." I addressed him and he nodded with a forced smile.

"We need to talk." I told him and he gulped.

"Before you say anything, I just want you to remember that I love you."

"You see Seth? That's the problem. You say that, and you try to show it...but Seth, I don't feel it." I paused and watched as he waited for my words.

"3 years ago, you promised that you would love me and cherish me, and always be faithful to me, yet you broke your three promises, and Seth I don't know why I stayed the first time you betrayed me...maybe because I convinced myself that we were in love and that our love was strong enough to fight this, but now as I think about our relationship...It broke a long time ago, Seth, and we're just holding on this false hope that everything we'll be fine when it won't. We're convincing ourselves that we love each other when we really don't."