WHAT IF???

Chapter 49: Life's Wrong Turns

The next day, the atmosphere in Sam's office was tense and charged with unspoken emotions. Sam was hunched over her desk, furiously typing away as she finished her last reports and prepared for the turnover of her responsibilities as CEO. Papers were strewn across her desk, and the room buzzed with a sense of urgency and finality.

Mon entered the office, her heart pounding with determination and anxiety. She took a deep breath, summoning the courage to confront Sam. "Sam, we need to talk," she said, her voice firm yet filled with a plea.

Sam didn't look up from her computer, her fingers continuing to dance over the keyboard. "Mon, we've already spoken," she replied, her tone cold and distant. "I'm busy right now. There's nothing more to discuss."

Mon's heart sank at Sam's dismissive words, but she refused to be deterred. She stepped closer, her voice trembling with emotion. "Please, Sam. We can't end things like this. I need to understand why you're pushing me away."

Sam finally looked up, her eyes weary and filled with a mix of frustration and sorrow. "Mon, I don't have time for this," she snapped, her voice harsher than she intended. "I have to finish these reports and hand everything over. My departure is already complicated enough without adding more drama to it."

Mon's eyes filled with tears, but she stood her ground. "You're not just leaving the company, Sam," she said, her voice breaking. "You're leaving me. And I deserve to know why. I know there's something you're not telling me."

Sam's expression hardened as she clenched her jaw, trying to maintain her composure. "I told you, Mon," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm doing this for us. For you. It's better this way."

Mon's tears began to flow freely, her desperation clear. "But I don't understand!" she cried, her voice filled with anguish. "How is breaking my heart and pushing me away supposed to be better for us? Please, Sam, just talk to me. Tell me the truth."

Sam's facade cracked for a moment, a flicker of pain crossing her face. She looked away, unable to meet Mon's pleading gaze. "The truth is, Mon," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper, "I'm trying to protect you. From me. From this mess. You deserve better."

Mon reached out, her hand trembling as she touched Sam's arm. "I deserve to make my own choices, Sam," she said, her voice filled with a mixture of love and determination. "And I choose you. No matter how difficult it is. Please, don't shut me out."

Sam's eyes welled with tears, but she blinked them back, her resolve hardening once more. She gently pulled away from Mon's touch, shaking her head. "It's too late, Mon," she said, her voice hollow. "I've made my decision. Now please, let me finish this."

With that, Sam turned back to her computer, her heart aching with every keystroke. Mon stood there for a moment, her heart breaking all over again, before turning and leaving the office, the door closing softly behind her.

In the silence that followed, Sam's tears finally spilled over, each one a testament to the love she was sacrificing in the name of protection and duty.

Mon stood there, her desperation turning into anger as she watched Sam turn back to her computer. Her emotions boiled over, and she could no longer contain the hurt and frustration.

"You know what, Sam?" Mon's voice trembled with rage. "You're the worst person I've ever known. I wish I never met you at all!" Her words were like venom, each one intended to cut deep.

Sam's fingers froze on the keyboard, the harshness of Mon's words slicing through her heart. She looked up, her eyes wide with shock and pain.

Mon didn't wait for a response. She spun on her heel and stormed out of the office, her footsteps echoing down the hallway. The door slammed shut behind her, the sound reverberating through the room like a final, devastating blow.

For a moment, Sam sat there, stunned and unable to move. Mon's words echoed in her mind, piercing through her resolve and breaking down the walls she had built around her heart. The thought of losing Mon forever was unbearable.

Suddenly, driven by a surge of emotion, Sam sprang to her feet. "Mon!" she shouted, rushing toward the door. Her heart pounded as she flung the door open and dashed down the hallway, desperate to catch up with Mon.

She found Mon near the elevator, her finger hovering over the button. "Mon, wait!" Sam called out, her voice filled with urgency and desperation.

Mon turned to face her, tears streaming down her cheeks, her expression a mix of anger and heartbreak. "What do you want, Sam?" she demanded, her voice shaking. "Haven't you hurt me enough?"

Sam stopped a few steps away, her own tears threatening to spill over. "I'm sorry," she choked out, her voice raw with emotion. "I'm so sorry for everything. I never wanted to hurt you."

Mon shook her head, her anger still simmering beneath the surface. "Then why are you doing this?" she cried. "Why are you pushing me away if you love me?"

Tension crackled in the air as Sam stood before Mon, her heart pounding with desperation. "Please, Mon," she pleaded, her voice thick with emotion. "Don't be mad at me. I need you to understand."

Mon's eyes flashed with anger as she met Sam's gaze, her voice sharp and biting. "Again, it's me who needs to understand?" she retorted, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Do you really think I haven't tried to understand, Sam?"

Sam's heart sank at Mon's words, her own frustration rising. "Mon, please," she begged, her voice trembling. "I know I've made mistakes, but I'm struggling. I need your understanding now more than ever."

But Mon's expression remained hardened, her words cutting through Sam's defenses like a knife. "Don't question whether I understand," she shot back, her voice dripping with bitterness. "I've endured everything since the moment I took you back. I accepted being your mistress, Sam. I accepted it all."

Tears welled in Sam's eyes as she watched Mon turn away, her heart aching with a pain so deep it felt like it might consume her whole. "Please, Mon," she choked out, her voice thick with emotion. "Don't do this. I'm struggling too, Mon. I'm struggling every day since the moment I let go of the woman I loved. Do you know how hard it is to be with the person that you don't love?"

But Mon's resolve remained unyielding as she wiped away her tears, her voice filled with a mixture of sadness and frustration. "I'm not to blame for your decisions, Sam," she said firmly, her words echoing through the room. "You chose this path. You chose to let me go."

Sam felt her heart breaking as she reached out, her hand trembling as it brushed against Mon's arm. "Please, Mon," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Let's not end things like this."

But Mon's resolve remained unyielding as she turned away, wiping her tears with a trembling hand. "I can't do this anymore, Sam," she said softly, her voice filled with resignation. "I can't keep fighting for someone who won't fight for me. Goodbye, Sam."

And with that, Mon walked out of Sam's life, leaving behind a shattered heart and a trail of unanswered questions. As Sam stood there, alone and broken, she knew that she had lost the one person who meant everything to her. And as the weight of her choices crashed down upon her, she realized that some mistakes could never be undone, and some wounds could never fully heal.