An Innocent Heart Longing For Love

Evening approached, Luyisa ransacked Anna's closet with hundred and one complaints. None of the outfit that Anna owned suited for the gathering. In the end, Luyisa picked an elegant evening gown out from her collection which most fitted Anna's frame.

"Oh, my girl! We have to go out shopping tomorrow. I can't believe you don't even own one single evening gown. That boy never pays attention to the people around him. I got to teach him a lesson when he comes back.

Mmm... How about these earrings? they would go excellent with this dress. yea... Now it looks even more beautiful."

Luyisa continued to doll up Anna. She even taught her how to walk and talk to others.

"You better talk less. Let Shane handle the rest, you just nod and smile politely. Ahh... That would be enough for now."

Anna sat expressionless in front of the dressing table and gazed at the mirror which was possessing her beautiful simulacrum. Her red tainted lips held a thin line. Although she smiled often, there was no life in her eyes.

'Yet one more task to complete. Is this what I want? Is this what I dreamed about?'

-------------------

At Torizo's Corporation,

Shane who was busy all day finally got a chance to take a break. He entered his room fully exhausted, instead of relaxing he pulled open one of the drawer from his office table.

There were numerous files stacked inside the drawer, but on the top laid a file with a name 'Jacob'. Shane took the file out and turned the pages harshly, at the end of the folder there was a newspaper cut out. It showed a picture of Jacob trekking high up in a mountain.

Shane read the headline word by word, "A mountain hiker was spotted on the military range in Derah mountain."

He took his pen and circled the name 'Derah mountain'.

'Is it just a coincidence that Anna picked the marriage venue as Derah Mountain? *snort* I must be overthinking! I have promised myself that I will never doubt her again. I got to keep that promise!'

He slammed shut the file and tossed it into the drawer in hate.

'It is getting late, time to go!'

As he stood up from his chair to leave, he spotted a letter lying in the table addressed to him. He checked the 'from' address and found it was from Anna.

"Wow... A letter from Anna! My little wife has caught me by surprise! A minute before, I dare doubted her."

With a wide grin, he sat back in his chair and opened it with a delight.

But what he read was a complete contradiction to his expectation. Solely the headline alone was able to cease all his smile.

He closed his eyes as he slumped back on his seat, 'There has to be a mistake! Anna will never do this. It has to be a prank pulled on me by someone, It has to be. What a horrible trick!'

Shortly, he acc.u.mulated courage and opened the papers once again, he started reading the content patiently. At the bottom of the papers laid a signature that belonged to Anna, and the date was today's date.

'So the important appointment that Anna had today was to get divorce papers?'

He sat motionlessly, Sooner minutes turned into hours. He held no nerve to read again.

As he resented to believe his eyes, he saw yet another letter. He picked the letter with a shaking hand and opened it with a heavy heart.

It read,

"To Shane,

I am tired of being your wife!

I am tired of your abuse.

The man who helped me resolve the trouble you created is incomparably better than a coward like you.

I want a divorce from you, and I request you to keep this between us. I hope you do act like a gentleman for once at least.

I want this to be done once for all.

Let us part ways with mutual concern. I have signed the divorce papers already, hope you do the same.

~Anna "

'How can this be a mistake anymore? She resents me! She resents me terribly. Which woman would go through a hell of treatment that I gave her? She got all the reason to resent me.'

What can he do now? His whole world turned dark. Is there a way to turn back time to fix the mistakes he had made? If there was a chance, He would have done a lot better. He would have striven to change his characteristic, and paid more attention to Anna as a better husband.

His mind swirled back to the past of what he had told Anna, when they lived together in New York, "Our marriage is just a paper marriage."

Shane would clearly imagine how Anna cried on that day, 'Is that all?! So, our marriage is nothing but a mutual agreement to resolve our problems?'

By that time, He thought it was the best thing to do. He did not want to give her a false hope in their marriage. He never imagined that one day he would fall desperately in love with her.

'Now what can I do? Is there a hopeless person like me in this entire world? I had everything a man ever want in his life but all I did was to push it away.

Now I want her back, I want her to love me back as she always did, Will I ever get her love and concern? Do I even deserve it?'