SOME THINGS ARE MEANT TO BE

CHAPTER 45

“I... today is...” Julianna held on lightly to the front of her clothes. There was a dull ache in her heart. She was unsure of what explanation should she be giving him. He did not love her like before. “What were you doing here?” That was the only thing he said. One sentence. Such cold indifference.

He knew. He had to know that she was waiting for him.

“Today is Diana’s birthday.” Diego walked to the table and looked at the cake. There was sarcasm in his eyes. “I never thought that you would remember your sister’s birthday.

“I believe she must be grateful to have a good sister like you.” He emphasized the word ‘sister’. The hidden meaning behind that word caused her eyes to redden.

Excellent. She was in pain. This was what he had wanted.

“No. Today is my...” Julianna shook her head, still stubbornly trying to explain.

However, she stopped when she saw the look in Diego’s eyes. It was the same look he had on their wedding day: hatred.

He had changed. Or was he always like this? The man who had treated her with love; was it her hallucination? The days they spent in harmony seemed like a dream to her.

“Ah Diego, what is wrong with you?” Julianna walked up and pulled at his sleeve. She looked up helplessly with her long eyelashes. She was afraid. No, terrified that this was happening. She could not take the blow.

Do not bring her hope and destroy it. She has nothing but him.

“What could be wrong with me?” Diego smiled faintly and asked her in return. Unknown to him, his hands had clenched so tightly into fists by his side.

“Ah Diego, was it because of what happened at the hotel? Actually, we did...” Julianna was trying to tell him that nothing happened between her and that man at the hotel that night. Her conscience was clear. She had done nothing wrong.

“I’m tired.” Diego cut her off coldly. “I will sleep in the guest room tonight. Do not disturb me. And, that cake. Diana’s favorite was chocolate, not strawberry.”

He walked over, took the cake, and released his hand. The cake fell into the trash bin. Just like that, the cake landed inside the trash bin.

With his hands by his side, he walked in the direction of the guest room without a back glance at Julianna . His back spoke volumes of indescribable heartlessness and indifference. If only he could just turn around and glance at her, then he would have seen the woman with her broken heart. If only he could take one more look at her, he would have seen the woman behind him in tears. Alas, he did nothing.

Julianna stared at Diego’s back until she heard the door closed. As her eyelashes quivered, she felt her eyes warmed, and tears blurred her vision. However, her tears were cold.

She turned back, looked at the cake that he had discarded in the trash bin, and shook her head silently. Tears flowed down her chin like a river. Endless and unstoppable.

No, Diego. Diana’s favorite was chocolate. Then again, Julianna ’s had been strawberry. She had always loved strawberry.

She sat numbly at the sofa and stared at the cutlery on the table. The knife was to be used to cut the cake. Except now, there was no use for it.

She had spent a few hours preparing, a day of waiting, and a few days of expecting. In the end, this was the result she got.

What really went wrong with them?

She tucked her body and stared blankly ahead. There was no emotion or focus on her eyes.

She had no idea how long it had been as seconds turned into minutes. All she did was stared blankly at the empty table even if there was nothing on it.

The buttery smell still lingered in the air. It had vanished in Julianna ’s world. Maybe she wasn’t meant to celebrate her birthdays.

Diego woke up early in the morning where everything was bright and warm. He walked out, and when he saw Julianna laying on the sofa, he sneered. She was laying on the sofa, tucked like a helpless child, in the same clothes as yesterday. There were visible tear stains on her pale face. She seemed to have cried even in her sleep.

He has finally robbed her of all her smiles.

At this moment, Julianna felt an intense presence. She opened her red and swollen eyes to find a man standing in front of her.

“You must be hungry. I will prepare breakfast for you.” She stood up and forced a smile. It was a bitter and shy smile just like last night as though they had not fought the fight. Was that even a fight?

“No need.” Diego answered, “You don’t have to cook for me in the future. I won’t eat.” He made his way out as soon as he finished talking. Julianna held onto his clothes.

“Ah Diego, it is not good to go without breakfast. It’ll only take a while to prepare. Just a short while.” Her fingertips were turning white from holding on. She was afraid that once he leaves, she would never be able to catch up with him again.

Diego stopped in his tracks and turned around. There was not an ounce of love from the last time in his eyes. Julianna was shocked, and she suspected she had seen wrongly.

“I told you I won’t eat. You cook, you eat.” He lowered his head and stared at her fingers. He suddenly grabbed her cold hands. After a second, he pulled it off hard. The strength he used hurt her fingers.

He was the same as the night before. Heartless, indifferent, and cruel.

Julianna hid her hand behind her back and rubbed her fingers with the other hand. As she lowered her head, she sniffed. Then, a tear fell rapidly, slicing the air that she was breathing, and landed on the floor.

She walked over to the window and the panel. From afar, a luxurious sports car sped away from her view. Just like his silhouette earlier.

She placed her fingers on the cold glass, and she rested her face on it. Tears of sorrow fell on the pale face.

What had she done wrong so wrong that they had to revert to the past?

She opened the door to their bedroom. It was untouched since yesterday. There was no mistress or master. Their wedding portrait was still hanging on the wall, but the bride was not Julianna .

She might be the most pathetic wife. Her husband and her sisters’ wedding portrait remained hanging on the wall of her bedroom. Seeing it again had caused her heart to hurt badly. She sat by the bed and took out her sketchbook. This time, a cold and hard man appeared from within.

She drew a few lines, but she realized her fingers had started shaking.

She thought that the cold war between them was only for this one day, or maybe for a few days. She was wrong. The duration of Diego being home grew shorter. He never set foot in the room again.