Dirty Little Heart

Forgiveness.

I drive around the city back to the hotel after window shopping. I was minding my own business and walking through the corridors into the room. As soon as I open the door, I get shivered to my core.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Surprised to see me in your sex room, 'Anna'?" Says Clara.

"Well, I wanted to see you downfall myself. Now that I know you're already screwed by me, in Jonathan's eyes. I just wanted to see your face myself."

I try to ignore her, walked towards the desks and place my bag.

"Well, you've won there, I'll tell you that. What do you want now?"

"You tell me, what do you want me to do?"

"Haven't you done loads of stuff already? Or is there actually more? You've snatched Jonathan from me. You've ruined Ethan's reputation, which actually he doesn't care about. Face it, he's a billionaire. Every single woman who's obsessed with him says they've slept with him."

"What more do you want to do?"

"I want to see you fucking rot! Before you, Jonathan would talk to me. Look at me, the real me! He valued everything I did. There wasn't a single day where he didn't talk to me! Since you came along, you spoiled my only way of having happiness! You never cared about Jonathan as I do! You never did!"

"And now, finally, he's with me! He's with the one who genuinely loves him. I'm glad you never ended up with Ethan, anyway. He's a fucking playboy, going hungry for sl*ts like you!"

"Okay, that's it!"

I was literally about to punch her right in her fucking boob. Just then, the door swings open and there come several officers.

"What the hell is this?" Clara says, breathing heavily and terrifying her bo*bs off.

"What did you do?" She asks while looking right into my eyes.

"I..I didn't call them."

"I did."

I immediately recognized that was Ethan's voice. He walked into the room with Rick and...well...Jonathan.

"What's going on?" I see two female officers handcuffing Clara.

"You have a right to remain silent." One of the officers says.

"What am I being arrested for!?"

"Intentionally disclosing classified information without authorization, in fact, a federal crime." The officer replies.

"What proof do you have?! There's no way I could have done this by myself! Jonathan! I swear to god I didn't do it! Come on, you know me! Right?!"

Jonathan stayed quiet and ignored what she had to say while the police takes her away. Rick and Ethan exchanged a few words, and he finally left, leaving the three of us alone.

"Okay, explain," I say, while staring at Ethan.

"Well, for starters, I knew the chemistry between Jonathan and Clara before. I knew she always had a thing for him. When you told me you suspected Clara, I was about to ignore the fact that she spread rumours about me. But I immediately found out that she was going to give away some classified information as well."

"For fucking what?!"

"Money, Ms May. The game begins and ends here only. Money. When she sold the story about us, a lot of other investors and entrepreneurs approached her to sell some dirty details to them. Lucky for us, we found the guy who publishes all these illegal things. He wasn't hard to find. Rick had his own professionals to do his work."

"How?"

"Rick. Don't forget what he covered for the both of us, Ms May."

I quickly realised what he was talking about. None of the public knows about Rita till now, not even Jonathan. Thinking of Jonathan, I instantly turn to him.

"Where's your part in this?"

He was about to say something but stares at Ethan first.

"I'll give you two some privacy." I thought Ethan would leave, but he walked towards me and kissed my cheek.

"We're alone now. Say what you wanna say." I say to Jonathan.

"I know I don't even deserve your forgiveness, Angel-" He paused, took a moment and said my name again.

"Anna."

"Look. The reason I got angry was because Clara only told me half the story. She never mentioned that the girl was your sister. Hell, even I didn't know that. Look, I know there's no way you're going to forgive me, but I'm still asking."

"Can you..ever forgive me?"

I stop looking at him. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. Sure, he was never told the truth about everything. But...he would have listened to me, at least.

"I...I can't forgive you for how you reacted, Jonathan. Even though she never told you the truth, you acted and took that news terribly. I get it, trust me. If you went on with a fake name, I would have been bombshell'd too. But I know, I would have listened to your side first."

"I guess I deserve it. I'm still sorry about everything. I really am."

He was getting all whimpered and emotional now.

"I guess this is it." He says.

"Maybe it is."

"This would have been something amazing, Wouldn't it?"

I smile sincerely because I knew if we never had our differences, I may have ended up with him.

"It would have," I say and I hug him for the last time.

We stood there for a few minutes before drifting apart.

"I'll see you again,"

"I know," I say while I watch him walk away.

I sit on the bed with my hands hiding my terrible face and guilt. I was frustrated with everything. But I guess at some point I was happy to. Happy for what was about to come next.

"Are you okay?" Ethan asks. I sit up and look at him leaning against the door.

"I'm..living."

He gives me a brief smile and walks up to me, closing and locking the door behind him.

Ethan sits down on one and starts kissing my leg, making me feel butterflies and goosebumps all over my body.

"You want me to make you feel better?" He says, looking straight into my eyes as I smile.

"Actually, there is."

"That is?"

I take my time before saying what I was about to say.

"Marry me."