3 months later...
Amber's P.O.V.:
"Sir, here is the file you asked for." I said as I placed the file in front of him on the table.
He seemed busy on his laptop so I went ahead and started brewing coffee for him. He likes drinking coffee as soon as he is done with his works and I think it's almost time to get done with his work.
Before he could shut down his laptop, I put the cup of coffee in front of him.
"Always on time!" he said, as he looked up from the cup of coffee towards me with his signature smile forming dimples on both his cheeks. Like father like son.
"You seemed really busy today, sir. Anything important?" I asked, as I closed all the unnecessary documents scattered on his work table. He is extremely messy.
"Of course, Amber. Tomorrow marks 25 years of this resort. I can't believe how far we've come. I still remember how I started this resort from scratch and built a small hotel into this huge resort." he said as his eyes got teary. He indeed is an amazing business man and an even more amazing human being. He started his small hotel at the age of 25 and today, he owns one of the most expensive and most beautiful resort in the country. And I am really glad to have got the opportunity to work under him.
"Congratulations to you, sir." I congratulated him.
"Thanks a lot, dear. But just congratulating isn't going to work. You'll have to come and join us tomorrow for the Silver Jubilee celebration." he said as he sipped his coffee.
"Sir, you know I don't like parties. Can I skip? Please?" I said, making a puppy face. I know it isn't professional to make 'puppy face' in front of your boss but Mr. Austin is like a father figure to me. I have known him since my college days. I still remember the day, when Mark introduced me to his father. [Mark Austin : Chris' classmate back in the University and Amber's senior who had a crush on her.]
So, I have known him for a pretty long time and we share a great bond with each other. No wonder sometimes Mark complains about how his father loves me more than him. Such a cry baby he is!
"I am not gonna hear anything from you this time. You have been working as our PR manager and also as my assistant since the last 3 months and you've never attended any of the parties organized by the company. So, you will be attending this celebration without any fail. Do you understand, young lady?" He said the last line in his fake bossy tone.
I rolled my eyes and chuckled when I saw him crossing his arms over his chest and showing fake anger. Sometimes he can be worse than a 5 year old kid.
"I will come to the party, sir." I said and smiled.
"As if I had given you any other option." he said with fake arrogance and laughed.
I chuckled and continued my work.
"This celebration is going to be a big one. I am excited!" he said, excitedly as he turned on his Phonograph and put on his favorite song and started dancing.
May I present to you the excited version of Mr. Jack Austin!
This is how he shows his excitement.
He walked slowly towards me swaying his hips with the pace of the music and forwarded his hand towards me. I gladly put my hand on his and we started dancing to the song. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the song.
"Dad, I have been trying so hard since so many years to ask Amber out on a date with me and here you're already dancing with her without even making any efforts." we heard Mark say in a fake complaining tone standing at the door of the cabin.
"Here comes my annoying son. Always disturbing my peace." Mr. Austin said rolling his eyes. I chuckled at that. It's amusing to see how this duo of father and son loves pulling each others legs.
"I am dancing with this beautiful lady. So do not disturb!" Mr. Austin said as he continued dancing with me.
"No ways, dad!" Mark said as he came and pulled me slowly by my hand and started dancing with me.
"Not that easily, son!" Mr. Austin said as he pulled me back towards him and continued dancing with me.
I couldn't stop laughing seeing the father-son duo messing with each other.
"Dad!" Mark whined.
"Stop whining, son and start preparing for tomorrow's celebration." Mr. Austin said and winked at me. He loves bossing around his son.
"I have been working since morning, dad. I think I deserve a break and go out to have lunch with your assistant." Mark said and winked at me. I rolled my eyes at that and chuckled.
"Amber is way out of your league, son. You should forget about wooing her." Mr. Austin said in a teasing tone.
"But that doesn't mean I should stop trying. Right, Amber?" he asked with a smirk.
Hopeless creature! I mouthed towards him. That just made him smirk more.
I looked towards the duo and thought how fortunate I was to have gotten a job in their resort. They are not just good employers but also fun people to work with. It was all because of them that I got out of my heart break. Not completely though. At least I don't cry over Chris these days. But, even to this day, when I think about that night, few drops of tears get the chance to slide down my cheeks.
But, I am overcoming my heartbreak now. All thanks to Mr. Austin and Mark. They have helped me get through this without even realizing it.
I haven't been in touch with any of my friends also asked them not to ever tell Chris about me. The only people who know where I am and in which place I am working are my parents. I had to tell them or they would have freaked out. Though I haven't told them anything about the reason why I left London or about anything else.
I wanted to start fresh without my past hindering into it. It's better that way.
*****
Few days ago...
Chris' P.O.V.:
"Chris, for how long are you going to be like this...like a heartbroken lover?" Ryan asked, looking at my 'haven't shaved for months' look.
I ignored him and continued working on my laptop.
"Man, it's high time that you stop thinking about your past and move on." he added.
"Have you made it a routine to drop by my office everyday and give me this lecture?" I asked, sarcastically. He's been coming to my office almost everyday and sits on this same chair and gives me lecture about how I should move on and stuff like that. I would have moved on way earlier if it was that easy.
I should hate her but I can't. The more I try to forget about her, the more memories of her...of us come flooding in.
"I am your best friend, Chris. How can I leave you alone to suffer? It's my responsibility to get you get over with it." he said.
"I am not suffering. Don't exaggerate my situation, Ryan." I said. But whom am I kidding to? I am suffering. I hate heartbreaks. It hurts real bad.
"Sometimes, I don't get you, Chris. First, to hurt Amber, you decided to get engaged to Deniz and then, just after few weeks, you called off the engagement. If you never wanted to get engaged to Deniz then why did you say yes at the first place?" he asked, looking at me in the most disappointed way.
"I didn't want to ruin Deniz's life. I didn't want to drag her into a relationship where I could never love her and give her what she wanted." I replied, honestly.
"I wanted to take revenge from Amber for hurting me. I got my revenge and Deniz got her parents' property. We both got what we wanted so we called off the engagement mutually." I added.
I didn't want to bind myself into a meaningless relationship. And I am glad Deniz didn't seem to care much about our engagement. She just wanted to inherit her parents' property which she did after our engagement. Once her purpose was over, we ended our fake relationship. We had made this pact before getting engaged that night.
"Can't believe you, man. You always manage to bring business in everything." Ryan said rolling his eyes.
"Do you have anything else to say...if not then kindly leave my office. I have a lot of works." I said, in a bored tone. Work has been the only thing that has kept me going these past months.
I can't believe how much effect she has on me and my life. Both me and my life seems empty after she left.
God! I have become such a sappy poet.
"No ways, Chris. I am not leaving today without you." he said.
"I am not coming anywhere with you." I said, without averting my eyes from the laptop.
"Yes, you are." he said.
"No, I am not. Go and ask your girlfriend to accompany you wherever you want to go." I said, slightly irritated.
"Yeah, as if I will ask her to accompany me and she will do that happily, right? Don't you remember that because of you, Jade has started living separately?" Ryan taunted.
"Because of me?" I asked raising my eye brows.
"Yes, brother. Because of you!" Ryan and I turned our heads and saw Oliver standing at the door of my cabin with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Stop blaming me. If your girlfriends are angry with you two then how am I at fault in that?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders.
Oliver walked inside and took the seat beside Ryan.
"Oh come on, brother. You're talking as if you don't know why our girlfriends are treating us like this. Elsa hasn't let me enter our bedroom since last three months..." Oliver complained.
"And Jade has left my apartment to live with Adelaide. And it's all because of you." Ryan added.
"Stop complaining. I have got nothing to do with your love-life miseries." I replied.
"They are treating us like this because of what you did to their friend, Amber. When Jade asked me if I also thought that Amber cheated on you, I said 'maybe' and since then Jade has started treating me like I have committed some kind of crime." Ryan said.
"Maybe your girlfriends are having hard time accepting the fact that their 'friend' is a cheater." I said, bitterly. Whenever I think about her and what she did to me, I can't control but hate her more.
"Do you really think that Amber cheated on you, brother?" Oliver asked.
"I saw it with my own eyes, Oliver." I replied, bitterly remembering that day.
"But, what if you have misunderstood?" Ryan asked.
"If I had misunderstood then she would have explained herself and proved that she was innocent. She didn't say a word to counter my allegations and just left. It proves that she cheated on me and had nothing to say in her favor." I said, clutching my knuckles.
"But, what..."
"I don't want to hear anything about her, Oliver." I warned.
"Fine! We won't say anything else." Oliver said.
"Chris, let's go out and have some fun. You need a break from your work. Look at yourself. You don't look like yourself anymore." Ryan said, pitying me.
******
"I don't like clubs, Ryan. Why did we come here? It's so crowded and full of drunk and horny teenagers." I said, looking around the club, distastefully.
"Clubs are the best way to get out of your monotonous work schedule." Ryan explained.
"Absolutely!" Oliver said as he walked towards the dance floor and joined the crowd.
I sipped slowly on my drink and looked around.
The crowd and the people dancing reminded me of her. I vividly remember that night when I saw Amber dancing on this same dance floor in her little black dress. She looked so carefree, so real and so beautiful.
Why am I thinking about her?
This drink has already started affecting my system I guess.
"Isn't he Elvis?" I heard Ryan asking.
As soon as I heard his name, my blood boiled.
I looked in the direction where Ryan was looking and saw Elvis dancing with a girl. Amber.
I couldn't see her face since she had her back facing towards us but I knew she was Amber. Who else could she be?
The hold on the glass I was holding tightened and within seconds, the glass was slammed on the wall as I stood up.
"Chris, don't even think..." before Ryan could complete his sentence, I stormed towards them and pulled them apart and placed a hard punch on Elvis' face.
"What the heck!" he hissed in pain as he landed on the ground. He looked up, furiously.
I expected his expression to get more like a guilty person's but he seemed to be anything but guilty. He looked at me furiously.
His nerves!
He stood up. Oliver and Ryan came running and stood beside me.
"You don't look guilty. You really have no shame, have you?" I asked, glaring at him.
"Why should I be guilty or have shame?" he asked, arrogantly.
"After doing all this you still have got the nerves to talk to me with arrogance." I said, fuming.
"Neither she's got any shame." I said, as I turned to face Amber but the girl I thought of to be Amber wasn't her but someone else.
"Who are you?" I asked, confused.
"I am Hannah. Elvis' fiance." she said, as she walked hurriedly and stood beside Elvis.
I looked at them in confusion.
"How can she be your fiance?" I asked, totally confused about what was going on.
"Was expecting Amber?" he asked, with a smirk on his face.
"Chris, I used to think that how can a business tycoon like you be so dumb but, I have got my answer now. You're actually dumb." he said, wiping the blood from the side of his mouth.
"Where is Amber?" I asked, furiously. His irritating smirk was adding fuel to my anger.
"Aren't you a little too late to be asking this question?" he asked, raising his eye brow.
"Don't test my patience, Elvis." I fumed.
"Elvis, please tell us what's happening. Amber was your fiance, wasn't she?" Ryan asked.
"No. Amber is just a friend. She is Hannah, my fiance." he replied, putting his arm around the girl's waist.
"If she is your fiance then why did you propose to Amber that day?" Ryan asked.
"I never proposed to her, my friend. Amber and I were just rehearsing the proposal that day when your ass friend saw us and assumed that Amber was cheating on him with me." Elvis replied and Hannah nodded her head in agreement.
"Stop lying, Elvis. I saw you proposing her and she even said yes." I said, frustrated.
"You saw us? Okay...did I say her name while proposing to her? Did you see what happened after I proposed to her? Did I put the ring on her finger?" he asked, raising his eye brows.
Suddenly, realization hit me and it became hard for me to breathe properly. It felt like a huge bucket of ice water was spilled on my head. I stumbled on my feet but Oliver and Ryan supported my body.
"So, you mean to say that the whole proposal thing wasn't real and was just a rehearsal?" Oliver asked him to confirm.
"Gladly, there's someone with brain in your gang." he said, being sarcastic.
"If this was the case then why didn't she say something to prove herself innocent?" Ryan asked, confused.
"Why should she? It's not her fault that your friend, Chris is a dumb-ass." Elvis said, looking at me bitterly.
I slowly started taking steps backwards until my back hit the wall.
"Chris..."
"Brother..."
"I have screwed big time. What am I gonna do now?" I asked as I looked nowhere in particular. Amber's face kept coming in front of my eyes.