I : pages turned with the briges burned

Nine years later.

"Once you do this, you can't go back anywhere." The man in front of me said as he raised both eyebrows. His eyes told me that this was a challenge.

And I took it.

"I never thought I would go back anywhere," I replied quietly, looking into his eyes with a solemnity that came over me. I never found a home to be the most comfortable place like some people. Until now, my most comfortable place was my apartment, where I could sleep and relax without having to see the people who had hurt me so much.. It's refreshing, and I've been fine so far, especially after I've been entirely alone. I've never felt as peaceful as I have these past nine years.

The handsome man before me smiled, held back a little, and nodded. "Well," he chuckled. "I never doubted your sincerity."

I pulled a broad smile and raised my hand to shake his.

He took my hand, returned my handshake, and shook it. "Congratulations, you've been accepted into Camp as a permanent employee. I hope we can be good colleagues."

I drew a smile at him. "Thank you for accepting me. Thank you very much, sir."

He squeezed my hand once more before gently releasing our handshake. "You know that I don't tolerate such calls. I'm still thirty years old."

"And you're my boss."

"But we-"

My chuckle cut off his words. "The point is, thank you very much. I'm going to work a lot harder than when I was your intern."

He shook his head before laughing softly. "I appreciate your hard work and your love for my company, Abi."

"Thank you, Boss. Then, if you'll excuse me." I gave him a respectful bow before I walked out of his room with a brilliant smile on my face.

Hannah was talking to the Big Boss's secretary outside his ample room. She looked at me after seeing me exit. Her eyebrows rose upwards, and she looked at me excitedly and curious.

"How was it? Did you get accepted?"

I smiled, hugging her tightly while laughing.

Hannah understood that and immediately laughed with me. We hugged while jumping up and down in front of Vittoria's desk, the secretary to the big Boss. She stood up and then into our arms.

There was no need to be afraid about people seeing because this floor was reserved for high-ranking officials, and indeed, they wouldn't come out because of our noise; the walls of their room were harder and thicker.

I was on the verge of tears. I've never felt this much happiness. This was truly a godsend in my time of distress. I've been hired by the company I'm interning for, which means I'll have to stay in this country longer. Which means I won't be returning permanently to Canada. For some people, that would be sad because it means they won't see their families, but me... that's what I want: to never see my family. The only thing that could make me calm and happy.

I've never felt any inner pressure, never seen the people who broke me, and never tried to please their egos.

Hannah was fitting that the only thing that would free me was to get away from them, and I was very grateful for that. I have absolutely no regrets about leaving without saying goodbye nine years ago.

"Oh my, you're crying." Hannah chuckled, wiping away the tears on my cheeks.

Vittoria laughed, too. "You're thrilled, aren't you?"

"Of course I am. I don't know what to say to you guys. Thanks for always encouraging me." I covered my face with both hands as the tears came harder and harder, which made Hannah and Vittoria hug me back.

And I also remembered being grateful for having two friends who were always there for me. Especially Hannah. I don't know what I would be without her.

>>

"I have a date. Do you guys want to come?" Hannah asked as she came out of her room.

I was still lying on the sofa with pizza on my stomach, while Vittoria was sleeping on the other side of the sofa. I frowned as I turned to Hannah. "Are you seriously asking us again to your date?"

Hannah chuckled. "Of course." She was already beautiful in her dark green dress that hugged her sexy body. She walked over to the two of us and sat on the small tenement sofa chair. "I have no taste for this guy. He's boring, so I want you two to destroy the date." A lousy date didn't make her dress any less attractive. She scowled. I shook my head as her hand picked up the slice of pizza on the plate above my stomach. "I don't know. Maybe I'll just wish for a falling meteor or something so it can end quickly."

"Maybe you should stop dating." I chuckled.

She snorted. "You know that I can't, my parents might even marry me off to an old man.."

Well-arranged marriages, which parents still use such techniques for their children, and which parents are always urging their children to get married? Hannah's parents, of course. Poor her. As for that one, unfortunately, I can't help her, but I can make the date arranged to be ruined with Vittoria.

"Where was your date?"

"One of the fancy ones. Elites. Do you know that place?" she replied between chews.

"I know because it's very famous. Well, we'll go there later."

Her eyes turned with a bright twinkle. She nodded happily before leaning in for a hug. "I love you so much."

"Me too," I said. "Go on, I'll wake up Vittoria and catch up with you when we're ready."

"Okay, Addio." She stood up, wiping pizza crumbs from her red lipstick-covered lips. "You guys should dress up really pretty."

I nodded with a chuckle. "Addio."

>>>

"I didn't think we'd have to go along with her plan." Vittoria shook her head. She pulled her long blonde hair back to make it easier for her to wear the round earrings.

"How else? No one can help her but us." I chuckled. "It's not that hard anyway."

"Well, it's not that I don't like it. I like helping her. It's just that if she keeps accepting what her mother is doing and just complains... I don't think it will solve the problem. What would be good is to talk nicely to them."

"She tried that before, Vitto, but it didn't work."

Vittoria chuckled. "Poor her. Then we'll keep helping her until we're fifty, and I'm willing to do that."

I laughed as I brushed back my shoulder-length hair and then checked my knee-length floral midi dress. I thought I was perfect and not too flashy, so I stepped away from the full-body mirror to pick up my bag that was on the sofa table.

"How was it?" Vittoria turns around while posing in her classy, but not revealing, tight black dress. Her wavy blonde hair was flowing beautifully down her back.

"It's marvelous. You're beautiful." I gave her my thumbs up.

"Thank you. You're also gorgeous, by the way." She eyed me up and down.

"Let's go, then. Hannah will nag if we make it five minutes longer with her date." I stepped towards the exit while Vittoria followed me from behind after picking up her sling bag.

"I wonder what her date looks like. I might be happy to take her place if he's handsome."

"You really do see someone by their looks, don't you?"

"Of course I do. At least he didn't hurt my eyes when he hurt my heart." She said and laughed afterward.

I shook my head in disbelief at what she said. Of course, she's very different from me. I don't want any man other than one who is good and loves me sincerely. I had already been in a relationship with a handsome man who hurt my heart. He didn't hurt my eyes, but my wounded heart hurt more than any physical injury.

However, I will not judge Vittoria's choice. Whatever she did was based on her will, and whatever happened to her, Hannah and I would be with her.

She was already my closest friend too, just like Hannah, because we were in the same class. She was the first to approach me and be friendly when I felt alone in a foreign country, while Hannah hadn't come to this country yet. Although Vitto was one year younger than me, she was more mature than I was and had her own unique way of making anyone laugh. The cheerfulness and sweet face she brought made me unable to stay away from her.

"Are you ready?" asked Vittoria when the car stopped in front of a famous expensive restaurant in Milan after fifteen minutes of driving.

I nodded. I hooked my bag and got out of the car. I check my phone and receive a message from Hannah saying that the place is on the third floor on the roof, which is only for VVIPs and, of course, for wealthy people who are constantly spending money on unimportant things.

"Looks like this guy is wealthy," I whispered to Vittoria beside me as we entered the elevator.

She nodded in agreement. "I can't believe that Hannah wants to reject him." She replied in a whisper as well.

"She's not like you, Vitto." I stifled a laugh.

Vittoria rolled her eyes. "So unrealistic. Who wouldn't like a rich man? I just need to rest at home and shop without working."

"Not all women are like you, Dear. Some don't need a man due to trauma or simply want to be alone. Some women may be more content to earn money through hard work." I said as the elevator doors opened.

Vittoria snorted. "Yeah, we're different, but still, Abi..." she sighed. "We'll continue our debate later. Now, we have to start the drama."

I nodded and prepared as the warm Milan night air hit my face with a breeze. Vittoria started our pretend conversation about Cora's limited edition shoes, and I greeted her with feigned enthusiasm before it stopped at the sight of Hannah confronting her date.

I feigned surprise and pulled Vittoria close to her.

"Hannah?" came Vittoria's surprised voice, which she faked.

Hannah looked at us with the same shocked face, but at the same time, there was relief there. Meanwhile, her date turned around to stare at both of us. I swallowed my laughter when I saw the man's displeased face when he saw the two of us.

"Gosh, it's been so long since we've seen each other." Vittoria hugged Hannah as she stood up.

I started my cheap act, too, hugging Hannah and pinching her waist. She frowned slightly and pretended to laugh. "Gosh, I didn't expect us to meet here. What a surprise." Hannah said.

Vittoria laughed. I looked at the handsome man with a thick beard and a masculine Italian face.

"You're on a date, huh? Oh my God, this is your boyfriend? So handsome!" I exclaimed as I pulled a chair from another table and sat next to the man. Vittoria did the same.

"It's been so long without news, and you're like this? Leaving us with no news, and then you already have a future husband? That's crazy." Vittoria pulled out her ever-effective drama moves.

Hannah laughed. "Oh my God, I didn't do that! This is our first date. This is Roger Matteo, my date. Roger, these are my college friends, Vittoria and Abigail."

She introduced us. Vittoria and I shook the hands of the handsome man and then went back to continuing the long-lost friends' drama and completely ignored the hot Italian man.

The man excused himself until perhaps he finally got fed up, telling us that he had some urgent business to attend to. With a bitter-sweet smile, he excused himself and told us that we could order anything as the restaurant was his, and we could eat for free.

We both laughed aloud when he was gone entirely. Hannah ordered one menu item, while Vittoria and I only ordered white wine since we had already had pizza before coming here. What's more, it would be wicked of us to take advantage of him when we had already deceived him. That would be very wicked.

"He said he liked me and offered me a chance," Hannah said, briefly closing her eyes and sighing softly.

"So?" I asked.

Hannah shook her head. "I can't. I don't want to. I just..." she shrugged her shoulders. "...I don't know. I really can't."

"Do you still remember your ex?" asked Vittoria.

"I don't remember him anymore. I'm just scared and not ready. I..."

"It's okay." I touched her arm gently. "You don't have to put yourself on. How many times have we said that, right?"

"Yeah, you do." She swallowed. "But my parents won't stop.

"You should talk to your parents again and tell them the truth. Vittoria suggested. She tilted her head and took a sip of her wine. "That's the only thing that can make them stop. They'll understand and won't force you anymore."

"I agree." I nodded slowly. "Your parents are very understanding. I've gotten very close to them. I think they've been pushing you all this time because among their children, you're the only one who isn't married, and they're afraid that you'll focus too much on your work, and they don't know what's going on yet. That's natural. For parents who really love their children, they want the best for their children." I continued at length, with a slice that cut into the wound inside me again as I remembered how much they loved Hannah and acted like regular parents. As opposed to me... gosh, they still don't even care in the nine years I've been here.

Hannah took another breath, indecisively tracing her face for a few moments. She shook her head and waved one hand like a fly was hovering in front of her face. "I'll think about that later. Right now, I want to eat as much as I can."

"I have to go to the toilet." I stood up, put the bag on my chair, and then left the table as the urge to urinate filled my bladder.

The large, luxurious restroom that I had never seen in any restaurant greeted me. I could spend more time just looking at my reflection in the glass sink because this toilet that looked like the bathroom of the Queen of Great Britain was absolutely stunning.

Once satisfied, I exited the restroom and walked out of the hallway to return, but my steps halted at the end of the hallway when I saw familiar faces passing by.

My heart skipped a beat.

And as my footing collapsed, I almost faltered.

Standing and chatting with a middle-aged woman was the man from my past.

My breath caught in my throat, and I gathered my sanity and ability to move on.

I turned around to return to the restroom and waited until the calmness inside me gathered, but someone was already calling me.

"Abigail?"

I closed my eyes, stopping in the middle of the hallway.

"Abigail? Is that you?"

It was a woman's voice, once so close.

I swallowed and turned around, staring at the beautiful woman with a big belly. Whose face was so similar to the man from my past.

Amanda Dimitriou...

whose last name has changed to Millero.

She's really changed.

The last I knew was that she was married to a Spanish tycoon whose name was famous, but I never saw him in any media. 

Rhysand del Millero. I don't have to wonder why he chose Amanda because that woman is beautiful.

Her smile was so broad and sweet. "Gosh, I didn't expect us to meet here after so long!" she exclaimed as she stepped towards me quietly.

I smiled bitterly, accepting her hug that was obstructed by her big belly. I briefly looked up at her, from her stomach to her beautiful face. "How are you? You look so good."

"Yes, I'm fine. How about you?" Amanda asked.

I nodded. "I'm fine, too." I swallowed nervously. "How come you're here? Is there a special occasion?"

"Yeahhh, we're going to the De Sanctis event tomorrow. They're having a small party celebrating Gretta de Sanctis' eight-month pregnancy."

"Oh really?" I remembered the de Sanctis, one Nicholas de Sanctis was a close friend of Amanda's brother. I heard he was married to a woman of Russian origin who came from a similar circle. "Very good, then."

"How did you end up here? The last I heard from Rafaella was that you dropped out of college in the fourth semester." Rafaella was her twin sister, one of my classmates. She also knew about my relationship with their brother, and I didn't know if the two twin sisters knew about their brother cheating on me.

"I moved to Milan because I got a scholarship at the Architecture school. So, yeah, it was a good decision for me."

"Very good, I can see that." She replied.

"Thank you." I smiled awkwardly. "Then, I'll go first. My friends are waiting."

"Are you with friends? Would you like to join us for dinner?" she asked, her eyes widening with enthusiasm as she said again. "Maven is coming with us. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you again."

My heart was barely able to pump blood through my body.

"No," I replied softly. "It's late, and we've already finished dinner."

Amanda's face turned a little sad. "Okay, fine, then." We started walking together down the hallway.

"It's good to see you again, Amanda, and congratulations on your pregnancy."

She nodded. "It's good to see you too, Abi. Thanks for the kind words."

"Boy or girl?"

"Both."

I raised an eyebrow while letting out a surprised sigh. "Wow, that's really amazing."

"Thank you."

"Then I'm off. See you soon, Amanda."

"Bye."

I stepped towards the table where my two best friends were talking, with my heart beating wildly. "We should go home."

"Why?" Hannah frowned. "I haven't finished eating yet."

"Dimitriou is here."

Hannah's eyes widened in surprise. She stood up immediately and nodded quickly, followed by Vittoria, who already knew about my past story.

We left immediately and didn't bother paying because, as Roger said, it was free.

I pulled the strap of my bag and then stepped towards the elevator with the two of them.  My cold back made me stare at the dimly lit gold and black restaurant. The goosebumpy sensation of someone watching me made me scan the entire room and stop at the image of someone standing behind a glass wall.

"Abby?"

I immediately averted my eyes and stepped into the elevator.

My heart is pounding, and it's not a good sign.

I hope I will never meet him.

Hopefully.