Never liked him even

"Grieving and you?"

"Yes, me."

"Okay then answer only one question of mine. But honestly."

"Ask away." Kiara provokingly beckoned her to speak.

Cathy looked at her friend solemnly. With a small pause, she asked. "How are you feeling right now?"

"Huh?" Kiara frowned instantly.

"How are you feeling right now?" She repeated her words.

"That's your question?" Kiara confusedly looked at her.

"Hmm. That's my question. So answer me honestly. How are you feeling after everything that happened to you last week."

Kiara got silent. Not because she had nothing to say, in fact, she didn't know where to start. When her friend asked this question seriously, she contemplated that question seriously too. She tried to give her honest answer only.

"Somewhere upset and angry. Not to forget embarrassing too."

"That's all?" Cathy almost scoffed but stopped herself so that Kiara could think about it again.

Kiara gave a small nod and affirmed. "I just find everything related to them, annoying and useless."

"And that's what you call grieving?"

"...I am upset." Kiara firmly responded.

"Upset. Not sad."

"I-"

"Angry, not weeping."

"Why would I shed my precious tears on those useless fellows?"

"Exactly. You never loved him-"

"Of course I never loved him. I told you that."

Cathy smiled. Kiara did tell her that, but to add on, she also said that she liked Max at the least. However... "You never even liked him, Kiara."

"What nonsense." Kiara immediately retorted. "I liked Max. Otherwise, why would I ever want to get married to him?"

"Because you always believed that he was your Mr. Right."

"At least at those times, he was." Kiara firmly stated.

"Really? Then why did you never allow him to even hug your waist while walking."

"Why would anyone want to do that?"

"Except holding hands or a few hugs, you never let him do anything a man and a woman in a relationship do. Why did you do that?"

"Because that was not right. I didn't feel right about it. I just couldn't."

"Why?"

"Because I just couldn't picture him doing that to me."

"Again Kiara, why?"

Kiara got silent. At that moment she realized that Max did betray her but if they had gotten married, she would have been the one who betrayed him with her fake promises of love.

"I never felt that he was the one for me. It was like, he got everything I wanted, but he also got nothing that I sincerely desired. As if I was compromising with the terms because I made them and I have to prove them right."

"And now that you are proven wrong, you can't take that loss and feel embarrassed about it." Cathy completed it for her.

"..." Kiara unconsciously closed her eyes. She realized how dumb she was to actually believe that she was grieving after that betrayal. She was never grieving, just being exasperated by everything.

"I never even liked him. I just believed that I liked him."

"Exactly." Saying that Cathy slammed her palm lightly on the table. "So my lord, I proved my point and now I want to rest my case."

Kiara couldn't help but chuckle at her words. "Ahh, I am so annoying."

"I know, believe me."

"You-"

Before Kiara could say anything the door was opened without any notice or knock. Kiara and Cathy instantly turned to the voice with their squinted brows.

"I am really sorry ma'am. I tried to stop them-"

"It's okay Ray. Please go back to work. We are not idle as much as they are." Kiara said with a comfortable tone as she looked at the couple, walking inside the room with their linking arms.

Neither Cathy stood up on their arrival nor Kiara. They both stayed seated and didn't bother to ask Max and Ria to take seats either.

"What are you doing here again Cathy? Don't you have any other place to go?" Ria asked.

"Huh? Who are you psycho?" Cathy politely asked back.

"You-"

"Do not raise your voice. It gives me a headache." Kiara interrupted.

Ria smirked. Stopping right in front of her desk with her fiance, she said. "I am sorry. I should have been mindful of your emotional condition."

Cathy rolled her eyes. "Kiara's emotional status? What happened to her, to begin with?"

"Ohh, please. I don't wanna say it out but we all know what happened." Ria stated.

Max, who was standing beside Ria, finally spoke in embarrassment. "Ria stop it."

"For real. What are you guys doing here? I don't remember inviting you or having any work in common." Kiara asked impatiently.

She specifically knows why that couple came for her. Why Ria was full of smiles and why Max was hesitant about his fiance's behavior. However, she was in no mood to entertain her sister's childish desires.

Ria shamelessly took her seat beside Cathy. Placing her clutch on the table she proudly said. "You know as an elder sister you get lots of responsibility. I am just here to work on one of those responsibilities."

"Responsibility and you?" Cathy scoffed. "Please don't make me puke. And to add on, don't insult Guardians by saying that you are one of the responsible people."

Ria gritted her teeth. She badly wanted to shout but in front of Max, she wanted to maintain a decorum of her image. She didn't want to lose herself in front of Max.

With pursed lips she said. "You know what Cathy, please leave. I only want family members to be here. And the least I want is an immature brat."

Cathy's fist tightened.

Kiara's eyes darkened too. With a cold smile, she said. "She is my family more than your Elder sister. If you have anything to say, say it right in front of her."

Ria wasn't offended by Kiara's words. She knows that her relationship with Kiara is hardly a family relationship, let alone a sibling one. Without changing her tone Ria asks with a smirk. "Oh really? Even if that embarrasses you?"