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"Hey beautiful!" Robert smiled at me.
"Hi!" I said and took a seat beside him.
"Whoa! Surprise! So at last you are ready to show the world your ring?" He pointed to my finger ring.
"Yeah.."
"The way it's shining I think it will easily catch the attention of everyone and especially the one to whom you want to show." He winked at me.
I smiled nervously.
"It's been three months since you kept it secret. What suddenly caused you to reveal it to the world?" He asked me in a sincere tone.
"I think I got fed up with all these..." my eyes landed on the person for whom I had put on that ring.
He looked at me and then at Robert.
I thought he would approach us but he did not. He went away to meet the guests at the party.
He was ignoring me.
"Excuse me.." I said to Robert and started walking towards him.
"....but the way you maintained the loss in three months is appreciable." I heard the guest telling to him.
I went towards them and their eyes fell on me.
"Hey! I have seen you some where!" The guest smiled at me.
"Yeah.. you might have.." James interrupted me.
"Robert's assistant." He said in a stern tone.
"Oh right! We met in a meeting." He smiled at me then looked at James.
"So you both know each other?"
I looked at James but he was still ignoring my existence.
"Yes she is a mutual fri..." James started.
"His fiance." James looked at me in an instant. I put my hands on his arms and held it lightly. He saw the ring on my finger.
"Fiance of Mr. James Ashton." I said while looking into his eyes. He was silent for a bit but then I saw his expression changed. He held my hand with his other hand and gave a small peck on it.
"Whoa! You are ENGAGED?" his loud voice caught the attention of everyone around us.
******
"What made you to put on that ring tonight?" James asked me while driving the car.
"I thought.... nothing." There was no explanation to this.
He looked towards me then averted his eyes towards the road.
I put my hand on his free hand.
"James.. sorry.." I said but he smirked.
He removed his hand from underneath my hand and put it on the steering wheel.
"For what?" He asked.
"For hurting you.."
"No no please don't. I deserve it. It was your revenge and I accepted it."
"James..it was not like that.. I.."
The car halted suddenly.
"I think you should go now." James opened the door of my side.
"Hmm.. if you want you can come in." He didn't reply.
"James don't be stubborn please. I want to live in peace now please , I want to cooperate."
He looked at me.
"If you want I could make you a cup of coffee..I know you are craving for it since..three months.."
He nodded his head in amusement and smiled.
"You go, I am coming after parking the car." He said and suddenly i started to feel nervous.
It had been three months since we got engaged. And it might be a year since we talked normally like that. The time when I was working for him.
I entered my home and soon he followed.
"You can sit here..while I make you coffee." I said fidgeting with my fingers.
He nodded at me.
I was in the kitchen when I felt his presence.
"I'll come in a bit..you can wait out there." I said to him.
"Why? Do you have any problem if I am standing here?" He asked rudely.
"No." I sighed.
"I missed your coffee each single day." He speak out.
"Hmm.."
"I missed you too each single day."
"It was not that you didn't met me." I shrugged.
"Yes you met me as a stranger though I was your fiancée." I knew his eyes were piercing my back at that time.
"You deserved that." I took the cup and walked towards him.
He was looking at me.
"And what now? Why you changed your mind in a day?" He took the cup and we walked towards the drawing room.
"That's none of your business." I said and sipped my coffee.
"I don't want to endure your cold behaviour anymore Liza." He said in anger.
"Look it's my decision now please don't ask me again. And if you have any problem you can go out anytime." I said in frustration.
He kept the cup with a thud.
Damn Liz! Can't you just talk normally for a while?
"Fine." He stood up.
I closed my eyes and sighed.
"James..."
"No. Please... sorry for interrupting in your life." He turned to walk away but held his hand.
"James..sorry.. please sit. We need to talk.."
"No Liza there is nothing to talk now. You have changed. And you have changed to the extent that I think I can't like you anymore. You are not that Liza whom I ...loved.. I think people changes with time but you have proved it."
Tears were coming in my eyes. I gave a dry laugh.
"Why James? Just because I have started arguing with you? Or i have started to take a stand? You have been hurt for three months and you can't love me anymore. But you have hurt me for three years and you expected love from me."
He said nothing and went out of there.
I sat on the couch and wiped my tears then took the untouched coffee and spilled it in the sink.
I want to settle everything between us and to live a better life but now I think it was my fault to hurt him in every possible way...
I shouldn't have hurt him.. he was already hurt by my decision to marry Robert.. but then he proposed me..I could have married him then but then I was scared if I could be happy with him after marriage..
I was stupid to think of that because I should have marry him as I loved him..
We both loved each other but it was my stupidity that I didn't marry him.
But it was totally not my fault..he had been a jerk towards me since years...how could I marry him that easily?
******
Flashback:
James was in my town since a week waiting for my answer but I had not made my mind at that time.
I had told my parents about everything happened in the last two weeks.
My father did not took it easily and he was hospitalized. He got a minor attack.
But it was major for me because I was the reason behind his condition.
James was there all the time but I could not forgave him for what he had done.
"It is all because of you. I hate you James Ashton. I hate you." I cried outside the hospital.
"Liza.. I'm sorry.. please listen to..."
"Shut up James. Just shut up. If anything happen to my father that will be the last day you will see me."
I was shaking terribly.
I knew my father didn't have much time. But I could not see him die too soon.
"Liza I promise you your father is going to be alright. I will do everything to help him. Please trust me." He assured me.
"I don't believe you a bit James Ashton. But listen to me... I am not going to marry you..not now..not tomorrow..not ever.." I walked out from there.
******
My father was improving day by day. I used to go to the hospital daily to meet him.
James was there always. But I did not talk to him once.
That day too when I went to meet my father, James was already seated on the side table. They were talking to each other but became silent when they felt my presence.
James stood up from the table.
"See you after sometime Mr. Miller." He gave a nod to father.
"You are always welcome here son." My father replied to him.
James went out of the room without saying a word to me as usual.
I am waiting for you to recover soon dad and then I am not going back to James ever...I will live with both of you here..
I hugged my father.
"How are you now?" I asked him.
"A lot better." He smiled.
"That's great. I have made your favourite food today." I took the lunch box and feed him the lunch.
"They are going to discharge me tomorrow." He informed me.
"Really? " I asked in excitement.
"Yeah. James told me a few minutes ago."
"Oh.." I started packing to leave the room.
"Liza.." my dad spoke.
"Yes? Dad."
"James is a good guy." He started. I wanted to stand up but my father held my hand.
"Listen to me please. Liza I knew him since the day you started working him. Don't think that I am telling you this because he is taking care of me since a few a days. But I am getting to know him since three years. He is not a bad person as you and your mother portray him. Yes he might not be charming towards everyone but he is good at heart. The most important thing is that he loves you. And I think you should marry him."
"What?" I asked in shock.
"Yes. I want you to marry him." He said.
"How could you say that dad? He is the reason why you are here today." I complained.
"Oh no. This is not the first time that I am hospitalized. And it was not an attack. I just got fainted because of my weakness."
"Whatever you say but I have made my decision. I am not going to marry him." I said and stood up.
"Liza. Please consider it as my last wish." By hearing the sentence my whole body shivered.
"Dad..how could you say that?" I was crying now. "Please don't say like this."
"Will you listen to me Liza this last time?"
"Dad just stop it. Stop saying it." I got irritated not because of the marriage thing but because of my father's stupid words of leaving me.
"Please Liza promise me. He will be the best man for you. I know he will always keep you happy."
"But dad..you don't know him..."
"I have known him better as much as I wanted to know. And I am not a fool that I will let my daughter marry anyone. But for James I liked him Always."
What have you seen him father?
What have you seen that I haven't in more than two years?
The door opened and James entered.
"Oh.. I'm sorry I thought you would have gone by this time." He said referring to me.
"I'll come later." He announced and was about to get out when my father called him.
I looked at my father with pleaded eyes.
Please don't make my life more complicated dad!
"James.. I need to talk with both of you." James looked at me in confusion.
"Yes?" He came to stand beside me.
"As you know I am discharging tomorrow... I want my home to be decorated before I enter there." He smiled looking James.
"Of course Mr. Miller. As you wish, it will be done." He smiled back.
"And also...I want you to ... I mean I want both of you to get engaged tomorrow." There was silent as I was gritting my teeth while James was at shock.
"Are you sure? I.. I mean..if Miss Miller is..."
"Yes. Now please hurry up and go start preparing for tomorrow." My father ushered us out.
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