Title:Love and Bitter Memories.Chapter 5 Author:Tapestry E-mail:Shaddow_Cat@hotmail.com Standard Disclaimer Apply @@@@denotes change in flashback Now don't get me wrong.I just want to show what other people think of this rivalry and coldness between Darien and Serena besides them only. ~Mina's POV~ I sighed as I entered my home."Anthony...are you home??"I called out softly.No answer.Anthony had grown distant lately and I had not told him about the baby yet....I'd tried but he was always busy and never home.He treated me coldly...not like when they were in love...when they first married.This scared me. No one....for the fourth time in a row,my husband was not home and clearly only came home late at night.A little peace and quiet is fine,once in awhile.Contemplating on the current day....it was clear Darien Shields held an interest in my dear friend,Serena.They'd make such a cute couple if only Serena would let herself.... I rubbed my belly absent-mindedly. It was also clear...Serena was attracted to the man.If only she'd just see it.....But who am I kidding???Serena???See the world in it's beautiful splendid colours????I sighed and walked to the kitchen to dig up something. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I found a tub of Rocky road....nah...I don't want something sweet.Pulling out the leftover ham,(so sue me!!I don't know what pregnant women like to eat!!)and dumped it into the microwave. It wasn't Serena's fault,if she was cold and everthing...nobody knew her the way I did....and I didn't even know her very well!! She is the way she is because of the fear of being hurt.So many painful memories...so much hurt.It was amazing how she even managed to survive all the pain and contempt from people. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~FLASHBACKS~ "Hey look!!It's Orphan girl."laughed a cheerleader at the new girl, Serena Lunaria. "Leave her alone,Melissa."snapped Mina. "Why do you care about the orphan??"replied another girl coldly. @@@@ "Ooops!!Sorry...was that yours???"mocked a girl. Mina watched as Serena bit her lip,trying her best not to lash out a Gina for purposely dropping her glass figurine. @@@@ "Look at that tacky dress."whispered a girl to her friend. "It's no wonder she doesn't have a date."replied the girl. Mina saw Serena's face turn into a mask. @@@@ "It's lucky you don't have parents!!They'd be ashamed of YOU!!Orphan girl!!" ~END FLASHBACKS~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So cruel were some people.Why couldn't they understand how much it hurt to know the person did not and could not remember her parents????I had watched Serena grow from a young serious girl to a serious woman.She had only smiled once when she was 16....never after that.And never is a long long time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Next Morning... I entered the office.Serena was standing staring out the window.A thoughtful yet serious look on her face.It was times like this I could almost imagine Serena was not made of ice and stone underneath the flesh. So serene.... "Morning Serena.Did you sleep well??"I asked. Serena turned to look at me,bags under her eyes....and a tired look on her face...I wonder what's wrong???But that answered my question if she'd slept well or not.The answer most definately not.I wasn't feeling so terrific myself as morning sickness was terrible. "Guess."replied Serena flippantly. "I guess...not??" "Bingo."yawned Serena. "Why couldn't you sleep well last night?"I asked curiously. "Uh-uh..."began Serena a flush staining her face. (Ahem ahem readers....I suppose you can guess why she's flushing??No!!Not anything ecchi you hentai's!!) I giggled slightly."Okay okay.You love him don't you??"I asked. "Love who??Oh no...not this again,Mina." "Serena...stop denying the fact.It's clear on your face."I told my stubborn friend. "I do not love anybody...Love is for fools...born from fancies of heart and I take NO part in it."spat Serena. "Oh,Serena....why can't you just open up your heart and give him a chance???"I asked my friend. "Out."hissed Serena. "But,Rena..." "OUT!"she spat again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I quickly exited Serena's office.She'd pushed me away hard this time... I recognized the tactic.She always did this when she was confused.Since we were children. I guess I was going to the Shields, new building alone....Serena needed time to analyze her feelings.And I was going to let her figure it out herself as she values her independence A LOT!!!Now...to go and meet up with a person from the Shields Enterprises.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~Serena's POV~ Am I really in love with Darien Shields???And even if I was...would I even allow him into my heart??Would he return the sentiment??Or would he just break the broken heart into even smaller pieces instead of sticking it back together??I just don't know....... Mina says I love him....what is love??I don't know...so I cannot honestly say I have fallen for the enigma that he is....Serena Laura Lunaria!!! What in the blue blazes are you thinking???Love???That man is insufferable! I smirked lightly...No...even if I did love the man...I would not allow it....because of the pain....the past.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~Darien's POV~ How dare Andrew say I am in love with Serena Lunaria...!!Totally unbelievable.We can't stand each other!!Serves him right I send him to the new building alone.LOVE!!!I didn't even KNOW what it was...so how was I suppose to FEEL it?????Prepostrous..... No....the pain of my past would always keep out any of the possiblities of a lasting relationship..and Serena Lunaria herself would only laugh at me.....Waitaminit!!Why should I care if she laughed at me???Could it be... Serena Lunaria had actually been able to melt the ice that incased my soul? Snap out of it,Shields!!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~Andrew's POV~ Sigh...My name is Andrew Brimstone...I consider myself Darien Shields, bestfriend....and because I said he'd fallen for the cold hard interior decorater...he has turned me out of his office, out of the building to the new Shields building which was currently being decorated. I really stuck my foot into my mouth that time...but it's only the truth! I DO believe Darien had fallen for the interior decorater....cupid had finally managed to breach that icy hard heart of his,with love.....now... if only she would love him back..... I watched my bestfriend grow from young till this age.....the lost of his parents had disturbed him more than he'd been willing to admit.Even though he had his grandfather....he'd once confided he was lonely.... ~FLASHBACKS~ "Do you ever feel lonely Darien??"asked Andrew. "Yes.....I do....I miss my parents..I dream of them every night......." @@@@ "Stupid brats!!Don't you watch where you're going???!!!"shouted a man at the two boys. "This is where I live....and I can do what I like."spat Darien bravely. "The old man shouldn't have taken you in..even if he IS your grandfather. You're nothing but a worthless brat...you'd never be able to run Shields Enterprises.....I should have been his replacement...."growled the man. "Hanson!!!"exclaimed a voice. "Grandfather!!" @@@@ "I hate the universe!!!Why did my parents have to die??"shouted Darien. "Darien....you can't change the past..."said Andrew. "I don't want to be alone..."whispered Darien. @@@@ "So Darien....Darien??"asked Andrew waving his hand in front of Darien. He had a misty look in his eyes....following his gaze to a laughing young boy on a swing with both his parents smiling lovingly... I knew what he was thinking.... @@@@ "Darien...you're crying."said Andrew as he watched a group of boys walk away laughing at him. "Stupid tears...who needs friends anyway???"asked Darien rubbing his eyes harshly. @@@@ "You love Serena Lunaria don't you???" "What the hell are you talking about???"spat Darien. "You are attracted to her..."stated Andrew. "I don't....she's annoying and infuriating." "Also undeniably beautiful." "Get out of here!!Go supervise the new building's decor or something." said Darien as he frowned at Andrew.His gaze hard and cold. ~END FLASHBACKS~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~Author's POV~ Andrew got out of his car and headed to the building door,effectively bumping into Mina,slightly. "Oh sorry..."said Andrew looking up. "It's alright."said Mina with a friendly smile. Andrew nodded politely. Both stepped into the elevator,going up to the 9th level that was currently being furnished. "Are you a worker here??"asked Mina eyeing Andrew. "Uh-no....you??" Mina clicked her tongue."Yes and No..."answered Mina. "Huh??I beg your pardon??"asked Andrew confused. "I'm a representative of Moonlight Designs,the corporation that is doing the interior decorating for this Shields building."explained Mina. "I see..I'm a representative of the Shields building....I'm Andrew Brimstone." "Nice to meet you,Mr Brimstone."smiled Mina shaking his hand."I'm Mina Venusa." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Three hours later.... "It was very nice meeting you,Mr Brimstone."smiled Mina. "Likewise,Miss Venusa." Mina smiled."Oh,I'm not a miss..I'm a MRS...but Venusa is my maiden name. So....it doesn't do much damage." Andrew chuckled."I beg your pardon,lady.Well..thank you for explaining all the plans to me...by the way....I did not see your employer.." "Rena??Well..she was SUPPOSE to come...but she kicked me out of her office room,to here."laughed Mina. "I see."chuckled Andrew. "Well...good day,Miss Venusa."nodded Andrew. "Good day.Thank you for the ride." ~Mina's POV~ "Anthony???"I called out softly.No answer...he was probably out...again. I heard a yawn.Turning around,I saw my sleepy husband,with-with.... a woman with chocolate brown hair,wearing....why that whore....she was wearing MY silk shirt. I gave a gasp.Startling both of them. "Mina!" My eyes turned hard....I was angry.....tears sprang into my eyes... blinking them away,I glared at Anthony... "Who the HELL is SHE!??!"I hissed. Anthony gave me a normal stare..... "Mina...this is,-" "Cynthia."said the woman with a smirk on her damned face.The bloody harlot. My eyes locked with her smoky grey ones.... "I WASN'T talking to YOU,whore."I spat angrily. "Don't you talk to Cynthia like that."shouted Anthony. I now knew what Serena must have felt....7 years ago.....when Conner Simmons broke her heart into a million pieces. "Stay out of this,you creep."I hissed at Anthony. I stomped over towards the bloody harlot and smacked her face,Anthony stared at me in disbelief. "Bitch..."I hissed under my breath. I walked out of the house.....no way was I going to tell Anthony about the baby now....no...he'd lost his right as a father..and I wanted a divorce..... When I was a good long way from the house,I cried.......tears streaming down my cheeks unchecked.... "Oh god....why me??"I sobbed. Not looking where I was walking,I didn't bother to check the road for oncoming traffic.... Then.....everything was black....so black......swirling darkness... smothering me......it hurt.....my whole world was crashing down on me.... until I could think no more.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hospital... Serena paced around worried.....her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Andrew Brimstone was there.....he'd been on his way to return Mina her purse that she left in the car,when he saw her get hit by a truck.... Darien watched grimly as Serena Lunaria paced around...Andrew had called him to tell him about the accident.It had been 5 hours ago when they took Mina in... Finally.... "Miss Lunaria??"came a voice. Serena looked up,her eyes wide. "How is she????" "She's....in critical condition...she was pretty badly hit....-" "Is she in a coma??"breathed Serena. The doctor nodded.... "The baby??"whispered Serena,her lower lip quivering. "I'm sorry....the foetus is dead...it died the moment your friend was hit by the truck."explained the doctor. Serena covered her mouth. Darien sensing her pain,came up to her and touched her shoulder. Serena looked up,her eyes sad...the emotions unmasked....Serena turned and hugged him tightly,crying into his shirt.Darien held her.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To be continued.... Yikes!!What have I done??????Stay tune for Chapter 6. :P What will happen to Mina???