Chapter 7: Meeting You Again

5 YEARS LATER,

" We need to go, sir, the gala will start in fifteen minutes." Said Tyler's secretary.

"Hmmm," He replied as he adjusted his necktie.

" Come back soon baby, okay?" Said Fiona as she wraps her arms around Tyler's neck and kisses him on the lips.

After Aubrey left, Fiona did everything to get Tyler, they've been sleeping together for the past five years but Tyler never once asked her to be his woman.

" I'll come back when I feel like it!" He said without looking at her and left.

Tyler was always like that to Fiona and his actions made her a miserable and pathetic woman. She stayed on Tyler's side knowing he loves Aubrey. One time she tried to get herself pregnant with Tyler's child but she ended up finding out she can't get pregnant.

"I won't let anyone have you, Tyler!" Fiona gazed at the door where Tyler left.

Tyler hadn't seen his friend Rhyan for fives years, the one he asked to rape Aubrey that night. He heard he got married half a year after the incident and had a child now. He couldn't imagine it at first since Rhyan was so obsessed with Aubrey for so long, yet he unexpectedly got married to an unknown woman.

"Mr. Monroe you're here!" Said one of Tyler's business partners.

" Oh yes! How are you, Mr. Kim?" Tyler responded faking a smile.

"I don't like attending events, I'd usually send my secretary if the event isn't that significant. But tonight my friend Rhyan who is the owner of the largest Electronic Company in the country will attend. And I heard his wife is looking for a company to invest in, I can't waste this chance." Tyler silently groaned.

He continued exchanging words with his business partner until he saw him enter the hall. Rhyan Anderson, one of the top five richest families in the country, and his friend.

"Oh! The biggest fish is here!" Said Mr. Kim.

"But I thought he's coming with his wife? Why's he alone?" Tyler asked.

" Who knows... Well, let's not waste our time anymore. Let's go greet him." 

They made their way towards Rhyan and when he saw them nearing, he grinned widely.

" My friend! It's been a long time." He said and everyone was astonished.

He walked towards Tyler and hugged him.

No one expected him and Tyler to know each other. When they first started hanging out five years ago, Tyler didn't know Rhyan was a wealthy person. He is a humble and kind person, he's never looked down on Tyler or pity him for being poor. But instead, he treated Tyler like an equal despite being born in a wealthy environment.

"It's been so long, how have you been?" Tyler asked.

Tyler and Rhyan kept on talking and chatting about how have each other been the past five years and reminisce their fun past together.

" I thought you're coming with your wife? Where is she? You didn't even invite me to your wedding." Tyler said.

" Oh, that! Well sh-" Rhyan replied, but a woman's voice cut him off as she called out to him.

" Honey..." The woman said as she hold Rhyan's arms.

"Sorry, the call took longer than I expected. You know how Ethan is when I'm not by his side." She said rolling her eyes and Rhyan chuckled.

 Tyler stood there frozen, as he felt like a knife stabbed his heart a thousand times, his face went pale and sweat is forming on his forehead. He looked at the both of them in shock while they act all lovingly towards each other.

The woman and Tyler made eye contact and then she smiled at him shyly, like she don't even know him.

That woman is Aubrey. The woman Tyler was supposed to marry five years ago.

"Honey, who is he?" Aubrey asked in a sweet voice.

"He is my friend. The one I told you about."

"Hello, I'm Aubrey Anderson, Rhyan's wife. Nice to meet you." She extended her hand for a handshake.

She has no idea that Tyler's having a hard time consuming all the information he's learned at the moment. He ended up walking away and never coming back to where Aubrey and Rhyan were.

For the past five years, Tyler has learned how to control and compose himself in front of other people hiding his real feelings. He never showed any weaknesses and fought with everything he got till the end.

A lot of things happened in the past five years he's never seen Aubrey. After confirming that Aubrey is of no blood of the James family, he went ballistic and was consumed by guilt. He did everything he could to find her after she disappeared but he's too incapable of searching for her and he never found her.

After a few months of trying to look for Aubrey he's left with no other choice but to approach the real daughter of the James family, Olivia. He made her fall in love with him and they ended up getting married.

He's learned so much about Aubrey through Olivia, about how she grew up, what kind of person she was, and why she was adopted. The things he's learned hurt him and made him feel like a pathetic loser. He blamed his ignorance for hurting the wrong person and it's the woman he love on top of that.

Tyler and Olivia lived as a happy and loving couple for one whole year until he completely took over James's family business and everything they had. He was feeling so disgusted and suffocated every time she touches Olivia, completely different from Aubrey.

Tyler divorced Olivia and gave them a shabby and small house to live in with a lot of debt to pay. He watched as the James family struggle to live another day, and it somewhat made him feel an accomplishment. He's finally gotten the revenge he always wanted but he still feels so empty inside.

 And when he finally has the power to find and search for Aubrey, he did everything he could with the power and resources he has but he still couldn't find her. He did everything he could to fill the void inside his heart by sleeping with countless women and dating anyone who resembles Aubrey, but no one can fill the gap. And finally, when he thought he's finally gotten better, she appeared before him acting as if he was never a part of her life.