Four

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I didn't see you there," Diane muttered hurriedly with her head down and walking past whomever it was. There was no way she was letting anyone see her in this condition. Not when she had seen the man she was entirely in love with and was pregnant for have sex right in front of her without a care.

"Diane?" A male voice called out gently. "It's you, Diane."

Diane stopped in her tracks, wiping her tears rapidly and turning to face the man who had just called her.

It was Nathan, the man she had known to be Michael's male best friend. She had only seen him on countable occasions which were the few times in college, on their wedding day and the first time she had started working in Michael's company. And up until the moment, she hadn't seen him.

She cleared her throat, "Hey Nathan,"

"Are you okay?" Nathan asked, peering into her face. "You don't really look so good."

Diane faked a smile as she met his eyes, shaking her head sideways. "I've just got a lot going on."

Nathan bit his lower lip in thought for a quick second, "Didn't actually think I'd meet you here, yunno? Anything I can do to help? Where's Michael?"

"Getting a good blowj*b inside his office, that's where," The words ran out her mouth out of spite before she could even think.

Nathan's eyes widened at what she had just said. The woman standing before him really did have a lot going on, just like she had said, but uttering the last sentence, pretty much painted an translucent picture of what might be going on. And he didn't want to leave her by herself. Not in the state she was in.

Diane slapped a palm over her face and took a huge breath, "I'm sorry... I just-"

"No, no it's fine. I completely understand," Nathan assured her. "Where are you off to now? Can I drop you off? I want to help you."

She blinked back the tears in her eyes, "Maybe at my hotel if it isn't too much work for you."

"No, it isn't. Let's go,"

Diane walked in front of him and he knowingly fell two steps backwards, making sure to give her all the space she needed in case she felt self-conscious around him. He guided her to his car, then she got in and they drove off.

Almost fifteen minutes later, they were at the hotel and Nathan was opening the door for her to come out. The ride had been silent, and Nathan had respected the silence as he didn't bother to bring up any discussions, especially not about what had happened. He was going to ask his friend what was going on later on. But for now, Diane making it to her hotel and getting in safely was his priority.

"Are you sure you don't need something else?" Nathan asked after she had declined, and he escorted her to her hotel room.

Diane nodded, "Yes, I'm good now. You've helped a lot already. I don't know how to thank you."

"You can do that by giving me your number so I can check up on you later on, kind of balances us out. Right?" Nathan suggested with a sweet smile.

This made Diane laugh a little. The first time that she had done in the past twenty-four hours. "I'll have to decline to that, Nathan. Sorry."

"No offence taken," Nathan laughed. "I'm only glad I got to make you smile. Bye then?"

"Bye."

With that, he drove off. Diane walked into the hotel and as she made to go up the elevator, one of the staff came to her.

"I'm sorry for this inconvenience, Ma'am, but the elevator is experiencing some technical difficulty. If you aren't in a hurry, I suggest you use the stairs or wait a few minutes in the lobby for it to get fixed. I apologise again."

Diane sighed heavily, cursing her luck for the day, since she wasn't in a hurry, she decided to wait in the lobby instead.

"We will send a complimentary coffee over to you soon, thank you."

Diane nodded, dismissing the staff as she went to settle down in the lobby. There were three other people there, a couple who were all over themselves and a woman who had her face buried into her phone. The lobby was comfortable and Diane faked a smile at the barrister who dropped her cup of coffee on the table in front of her.

The news was on on the television in the lobby in front of her and Diane forced herself to concentrate on it, holding back her tears and her breakfast that was fighting to come up her throat.

'DEVERAUX BAGS ANOTHER BILLION DOLLAR DEAL' The news headlines read. Everyone knew about the Deverauxs. They were the second-richest company in the state. Or rather, to put it, they were business rivals with the Belmonts as they fought for the highest position in the country with them. So their bagging another deal wasn't such big news since it was the norm already.

Diane took a sip from her coffee just as the next news headline came up, 'MICHAEL BELMONT ANNOUNCES HIS ENGAGEMENT TO TIFFANY LUCKS.

Diane's stomach churned in hurt as she read the words. She dropped the cup of coffee back on its saucer, spilling some of the hot liquid on her hand. Without a care, she sprang up and anger suddenly started to have a spiral battle with the hurt she was feeling.

It was one thing if Michael was having sex with Tiffany in front of her maybe just to be petty and to spite her. But getting engaged to Tiffany? Announcing it yet again in the media? For her to see? To hurt her? To hurt her deliberately? He was being too much.

Especially when he didn't even know she was carrying his child.

She ached to tell him badly, to see his reaction, to know what he would say and what he would do next and before Diane could think further, her hands were grabbing her purse and her legs were leading her out of the hotel.

Without looking at the traffic lights, her feet carried her mindlessly into the busy road and in the next minute, she was swept off her feet. Only that now it wasn't accompanied by that wicked feeling called love, instead it was accompanied by screeching horns, light flashes, few voices in the background and a vehicle colliding with her body.

And then everything went blank.