Burning Bridges

Burning Bridges-- Chapter 5

Her 

Dear Mom and Dad, 

I am writing this to you to tell you the truth. I have been hiding something from you, and I don't know how important it is. Remember how I told you I was still with Daniel Winchester since 2 years? Well, actually, I wasn't. We seperated last year, and he got married. So I'm sorry for hiding that from you. 

Love, 

Mandy

The send button was right there. It was two inches away from where my pointer was. But I just couldn't get myself to send them the email. I didn't have to send it to them. Nah. What would I get out of sending it, anyways? Just more disapproval? Although mom didn't really disapprove of him now, because now he was a multi-millionare. I sighed and shut down my laptop. This wasn't going to happen. 

So it was really true. Daniel Winchester, the guy I had met in college was getting divorced. 

The guy who always honoured his commitments. He was getting divorced. But it wasn't really his fault if you think about it. It was that cheating skank. Oh God, I remember what had happened when I had decided to meet him (as a surprise) in Los Angeles, about eight months ago. 

"Dan, I'm right outside your building, come out!" I told him on the phone. Yes, at that moment, I was in the desperate stage of my break up. 

And after a few minutes, he did come. 

I remember looking at him, and how he had changed. He looked a bit stronger, as if he'd been working out or something. His hair were shorter. I didn't like them that way, though. I liked his wavy brown hair falling on his forehead. He was wearing a penguin suit. He never wore penguin suits. He hated them. He was the one who called tuxedos penguin suits.

And then I kissed him. 

I know. I feel like banging my head on the table whenever I think about it now. 

But at that moment, I thought everything was perfect, and Daniel would get back together with me, and we would live happily ever after. 

The kiss lasted for five seconds, and it felt the same as always. But then, he pulled away. 

"Mandy, I'm sorry." 

What? I just had this confused look on my face. 

"I'm...I'm getting married." 

I was as surprised as I was yesterday, when he came to tell me he was getting divorced. And after that, I didn't really care. I didn't care to call him ever again, I didn't pick up his rare calls either, and I didn't really care when his wedding took place. For all I knew, he could have been lying in a pit calling for my help and I wouldn't have given a single crap. 

So I had tried to focus on my work. But, I ended up getting demoted. If that was even possible. 

Back to reality. After Daniel abruptly left yesterday, first of all, I went up to my apartment and changed his name in my contacts. You don't wanna know what I had changed his name to, before. 

He called me up and said that he was going to sign the divorce papers in court along with Ashley, and he needed me and his lawyer, Roger to be there. To give him 'emotional support'. 

Pig. Anyways, I told him I would be there, and he shouldn't need any emotional support because now he was a big boy who could take care of himself. He sort of mumbled something after that which I didn't quite clearly understand. 

The day of the signing of the papers was two days from now. I wonder if he had told his mother yet. If he hadn't, shame on him. 

Seeing Daniel kind of helped me realise how much I was missing out on. I could have been married by now, too, for goodness' sake! I could be a mother by now too (although I doubt I want that). 

But Dan, he was so succesful. I mean, he was 26, and he already was one of the youngest millionares of the country. And who was I? I was a sulky 25 year old, still behaving like a teenager, eating cheerios in the morning, and who actually ended up getting demoted from her stupid writing job. 

You know what? I didn't even like my job. I had taken it up because I needed something to do other than mope around after Dan was gone. When he used to live with me, I was a journalist. I had a proper job. But then the day after he went away, I kind of shouted at the boss because he told me I couldn't do anything without coffee and I ended up getting fired. 

"Ms Staggerhorn, may I come in, please?" I was in my boss's office now, and in my hand I had the printed draft of my second book, The Aftershock. 

She was standing by the window, looking as horrendous as she possibly could. "Do." She also used a weird form of English. 

"I was wondering if you could take a look at my draft? I know you probably have a million other better things to do, but I would really like it if you could read it, maybe give me some professional advice and then--" I was babbling again, and was cut off my Ms Staggerhorn herself. 

"Who are you?" She asked me. 

"I'm Mandy, you know, your copywriter." I said. 

"You work for me??! WHO HIRED SOMEONE LIKE YOU?" She asked me, now in her hyper stage. 

Oh goodness, maybe this was a bad idea. 

"Um...you did, six months ago." I timidly found the courage to say. 

"GET OUT AND TAKE YOUR BELONGINGS WITH YOU, you crazy person!" She shouted. Everyone could look at me from the glass windows in her office. 

I was still standing there, shocked. How could she do this to me? She didn't even look at my draft. She thinks I'm crazy? She's the one who needs a mental checkup, firing someone like me is the worst decision she could make! 

Then something inside me broke, I don't know what, but it caused me to do something really crazy. I took one of the crystal paperweights she loved to collect and threw it across the window. 

Then I ran like hell. 

I knew this job was not going to do much for me.

The court signing thing was the next day. I reached there quite early, and I saw that Dan hadn't invited his mom. 

After some time, Ashley arrived. She came alone, and didn't look too depressed. She had some hair extensions (as always) and was wearing this pink skirt with a matching coat. Oh goodness, how I hated her. But we decided to avoid each other, just like any two mortal enemies in a civilised society would. 

Soon, Dan along with another guy arrived. The other guy, I assumed, was Dan's lawyer, Roger.  

After the papers were signed by both the parties, Ashley went away the instant. Why would she want to stay any longer, anyways?

Dan made his way up to me. 

"So, Mandy." 

I avoided his gaze. Crap, he was doing the mesmerizing staring again. And that also, in a courtroom. 

As I was trying not to look at him, Roger came up to us. 

"Oh, sorry, I completely forgot to introduce you both." Dan said. "Mandy, this is Roger, my lawyer." 

Then, he said to Roger, "Roger, this is Mandy, my...college friend." 

What else could he have said, Roger, meet Mandy, my ex girlfriend with whom I spent a longer part of my life than Ashley, the girl I actually married? 

My thoughts were interrupted by a piece of beautiful hunkiness who now stood in front of me. 

He held out his hand, like any professional would. "Hi Mandy, nice to meet you." 

He was kind of the opposite of Dan. He had blonde, cropped hair (like any divorce lawyer would), fit his suit quite nicely, and he was buff. Buffer than Dan. 

I smiled, and returned his handshake. I looked him in his baby blue eyes, and said, "Nice to meet you too, Roger."