" Why does this always happen to me? Why is it that whenever there's happiness in my life, it's always short-lived? Why is my case always different? Why can't I live happily and peacefully, filled with love? Why am I always the one who has to bear the shocks and pains?" Mirabel wrote in her diary.
She closed her diary, picked up her pillow, and screamed into it. Vicky's sudden change of behavior on seeing Rose at the restaurant had really left her wondering if she was made to love or feel love.
She dropped her pillow and checked her phone. "No calls, no messages. Why is this always happening to me? What on earth have I done to deserve this kind of life?" she said, angrily dropping her phone on her bed.
She slowly drifted to the floor and started sobbing. She heard a knock on her room's door and softly said, "Come in..."
Annabelle entered, saw her friend, and couldn't help but feel really bad for her. She sat beside her on the floor and patted her shoulder. "Come on, Mirabel, don't be like this. Control yourself."
Mirabel looked at Annabelle, wiped her tears, and said, "No, Belle, I'm okay. I'm not crying. I'm fine. Everything's okay."
"Don't lie to me," Annabelle said. "I can feel your pain, Mirabel. Nothing's okay. Please don't pretend."
"I just don't understand, Belle, why life is so cruel to me," Mirabel said, her voice shaking. "First, it took my mom, then it brought love into my life and snatched it away. Then it took my dad, and then yet again brought love into my life and yet again took it away. Belle, I was doing okay. I was regaining my balance. Then along came love, and now I just don't know what he has in store for me."
"Mirabel, don't think like that," Annabelle said, putting her arms around Mirabel's shoulders. "Tell me what happened. What really happened? When you called me on Friday, you just said it happened again. That's all. Right there, I knew something went wrong. What happened?"
"Everything was going as planned," Mirabel replied. "Vicky and I were enjoying ourselves. I poured out my heart to him, shared my past with him, and he comforted me. We had our special moment, but then... she came."
"Who came?" Annabelle inquired.
"I don't know, Belle," Mirabel said. "But when she arrived, she hugged Vicky, and when Vicky saw her, he was shocked. He left the restaurant after that and didn't even care to look back. He just left."
"Vicky can't just leave without a solid reason," Annabelle said. "Maybe that woman is connected to his past. Didn't you ask him if he was ever in love?"
"He said he fell in love once," Mirabel replied. "Rose was her name, and the woman who was in the restaurant was also Rose."
"You should have thought about these things, Mirabel," Annabelle said. "You just came to a definite conclusion that life has been cruel to you. I know you've had tough times, but this is your happy time."
Annabelle paused, moved closer to Mirabel, and put her hands around her shoulder. "Mirabel, just talk to him. He must have a reason for leaving you hanging like that. Maybe that lady is the Rose from his past."
"But he just left me, Belle," Mirabel said, her voice cracking. "I felt betrayed yet again."
"I understand," Annabelle said. "But how would you react if Charles came to that restaurant?" Mirabel's face turned pale, and she couldn't reply.
"See, you too would have been shocked and confused," Annabelle continued. "Maybe that's how Vicky felt. Just talk to him, and please, I don't want to see you crying like this ever again. It really pains me."
Mirabel sighed, looked at Annabelle, and felt a bit settled, but she still had doubts. "Belle, I really don't want to get heartbroken again. I... really love Vicky, and I just want to be with him. I don't want to..."
" Here we go again...." Annabelle interrupts, " Believe me, I am sure Vicky's feeling bad about what happened and I am sure he's gonna talk to you about it on Monday, so please don't worry, have peace, everything will be alright..., Vicky won't break your heart...."
Mirabel smiles and gives Annabelle a tight hug, the two discuss for a while before heading to the sitting room.
Vicky is his mother's room, he's sitting beside her on her bed, his head in her shoulder. " Son.., what's wrong, you have been quiet since, what's going on in your mind my son.." Caroline asks
" Mom I am confused....." Says Vicky
"What's confusing you? You're in love, and you're finally getting your life back. What's there to be confused about?" Caroline asked.
"Mom, I know, but why is there always difficulty in life? Why can't it just be a smooth ride?" Vicky replied.
"The difficulties you face only make you stronger, my son," Caroline said. "But why are you asking these questions? What's wrong?"
"Mom, something happened on Friday," Vicky said.
"Friday? You had a date with a girl on Friday, right?" Caroline asked.
"Yes, I had a date with Mirabel on Friday," Vicky replied.
"So, what happened? Didn't it go well? What went wrong? I hope you didn't do anything to upset her," Caroline asked.
"No, Mom, everything was fine until Rose came," Vicky said. "I don't know where she came from. She just appeared out of nowhere."
"Rose? You mean the same Rose, the same Rose that ruined your life?" Caroline asked. "She came? How? How did she find you?"
"I don't know, Mom," Vicky replied. "I was shocked. She just hugged me so tight, and when I saw her face, I was puzzled. I left the restaurant, Mom. I had to go away from her. I left Mirabel alone. I left our date."
"What!" Caroline interrupted. "You left your date because of Rose? But why, Vicky? Why did you do that?"
"I was confused, Mom," Vicky said. "I just did what I felt was right. I didn't want to spend any moment near Rose. I just had to leave. I don't know how Mirabel must be feeling right now. I just don't know what to do, Mom."
"You took the wrong move, my son," Caroline said. "That was your chance to show Mirabel how much you truly love her and how you will stand by her no matter what comes your way. Rose's appearance was a test, Vicky, but you failed woefully. How do you think Mirabel's going to feel? You left her all alone in the midst of the other people at the restaurant. I can't imagine how she must have felt."
Vicky's face turned pale, his eyes became watery, and his face became sweaty. Caroline raised his head from her shoulder and looked into his eyes.
"Son, don't screw this chance," Caroline said. "I know it's not easy for you to see Rose all of a sudden like that. That girl is a witch. Only God knows what she's planning and what her motive for coming back is. But you have to be strong. Don't give in. Focus on your present, my son, and don't let your past ruin what you have now. Speak with Mirabel and tell her how you felt."
"Will she listen to me?" Vicky asked.
"Yes, she will," Caroline replied. "She loves you, doesn't she? So, why won't she listen to you?"
"Okay, Mom, thanks," Vicky said, hugging his mother.
Meanwhile, in Rose's hotel room, she was pacing around, her thoughts trailing back to the night at the restaurant.
"I saw Vicky," she said. "Vicky was right in front of me. My Vicky, my love." She went to her bed and sat on it, a broad smile on her face. However, the smile immediately faded away as she remembered that Vicky was with another lady.
"Who's she?" Rose asked herself. "Why was she with Vicky? Were they on a date? No, no, my Vicky can't be on a date with another lady." She screamed with joy, and her smile reappeared.
"But he's angry with me," Rose said. "I must convince him that I have changed. I must show him that I am his now and I will remain his forever. I must show him that he can trust me again, and I will never break his trust. But for that to happen, I have to see him again. But how?"
She placed her hand on her chin and looked at the ceiling. Suddenly, an idea dropped into her head.
"I will go to his workplace," Rose said. "From there, I will know his home, and I will be visiting him quite often. I think that's a good idea. But what's the name of his company again? The Journals? Yes, I think that's the name."
She picked up her phone and checked the Journals company's profile online. She saw the address and copied it down on her phone.
"I can't wait to see you again, Vicky," Rose said, leaving the room. "We'll be united once again, and this time, we will never separate."