Old Feelings Never Die
1429 Words
Chapter 2
Emily barely slept that night.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Michael standing in the rain again.
The way he looked at her.
The pain hidden behind his cold expression.
And worst of all…
The way her heart still reacted to him.
Emily groaned softly and buried her face into her pillow.
“This is stupid,” she whispered to herself.
After everything Michael had done, she should hate him.
She wanted to hate him.
But love was cruel sometimes.
It stayed even after the heartbreak.
The sound of knocking interrupted her thoughts.
“Emily!” Daniel’s voice came through the door. “You’re going to be late for work.”
Emily forced herself out of bed slowly.
Her apartment was small and old, nothing compared to the luxurious world Michael lived in now. But it was home.
After taking a quick shower, she wore a simple cream-colored sweater and black jeans before tying her hair into a loose ponytail.
When she entered the kitchen, Daniel looked at her carefully.
“You okay?”
Emily nodded weakly.
“I’m fine.”
Daniel sighed.
“You’re a terrible liar.”
Emily avoided his eyes while pouring coffee into a mug.
Daniel leaned against the counter.
“Did he say anything yesterday?”
Emily froze slightly.
“A little.”
“And?”
Emily swallowed hard.
“He still refuses to explain why he left.”
Daniel immediately cursed under his breath.
“I swear, if I ever see that guy—”
“Daniel.”
“No, Emily. You deserve better than him.”
Emily stayed quiet.
Deep down, part of her knew Daniel was right.
But another part of her still remembered the Michael who used to smile at her like she was his entire world.
And that version of Michael was impossible to forget.
—
Meanwhile…
At the Anderson mansion, tension filled the dining room.
Michael sat silently at the long table while his mother drank coffee elegantly across from him.
Mrs. Anderson was a powerful woman.
Cold.
Proud.
And impossible to please.
“You disappeared last night,” she said calmly.
Michael continued reading documents.
“I was busy.”
“With Emily Carter?”
Michael’s eyes lifted slowly.
The silence between them became sharp.
Jessica sat nearby quietly, pretending not to pay attention while secretly listening to every word.
Mrs. Anderson placed her cup down carefully.
“I thought that girl was already out of your life.”
Michael’s jaw tightened.
“She is.”
“Then keep it that way.”
Jessica hid her smile slightly.
Mrs. Anderson continued speaking.
“You have responsibilities now, Michael. Anderson Group cannot afford emotional distractions.”
Michael suddenly stood up.
“I’m going to the office.”
“Michael.”
He stopped walking.
His mother’s voice became colder.
“That girl will only destroy your future.”
Michael’s eyes darkened dangerously.
“No,” he said quietly.
“She almost destroyed me.”
Then he walked away.
Jessica watched him leave with frustration burning inside her chest.
Even after two years…
Emily still mattered more.
—
Later that afternoon…
Emily was working at the restaurant when the manager suddenly approached her nervously.
“Emily.”
She looked up.
“Yes?”
“There’s someone asking for you.”
Emily frowned slightly.
“Who?”
Before the manager could answer, the entire restaurant became silent.
Emily slowly turned around.
And her breath caught instantly.
Michael.
Every woman inside the restaurant stared at him openly.
He looked powerful in his black suit, his expensive watch shining beneath the lights.
But his eyes focused only on Emily.
Her heart immediately started racing again.
“What are you doing here?” she asked quietly after approaching him.
Michael studied her face carefully.
“You didn’t answer my calls.”
Emily almost laughed.
“You suddenly remember how phones work?”
A flicker of guilt crossed his face.
“I deserved that.”
Emily crossed her arms.
“What do you want?”
“To talk.”
“There’s nothing left to say.”
Michael stepped closer slightly.
“There are many things you deserve to know.”
Emily’s chest tightened painfully.
For two years she dreamed about hearing an explanation.
So why was she suddenly afraid?
“Emily,” Michael said softly. “Please.”
The way he looked at her weakened her defenses again.
She hated it.
After a long silence, she sighed quietly.
“My shift ends in twenty minutes.”
Michael nodded once.
“I’ll wait.”
And he actually did.
The entire restaurant whispered about them while Emily tried desperately to focus on work.
But it was impossible.
Because every few seconds, she could feel Michael watching her.
And somehow…
That familiar feeling still made her nervous.
—
Twenty minutes later, Emily stepped outside the restaurant.
Michael stood beside his car waiting for her.
“Where are we going?” she asked cautiously.
“There’s a café nearby.”
Emily hesitated before finally entering the car.
The atmosphere inside felt painfully familiar.
The scent of his cologne.
The quiet music.
The expensive leather seats.
Memories attacked her instantly.
Michael noticed her discomfort.
“You can relax,” he said quietly.
Emily stared outside the window.
“That stopped happening around you a long time ago.”
Michael looked hurt by her words but said nothing.
A few minutes later, they arrived at a small café near the river.
Surprisingly, it was quiet.
Private.
Almost romantic.
Emily hated how much that thought affected her.
After sitting down, silence filled the table again.
Finally, Michael spoke.
“The night I left you…”
Emily’s heart skipped painfully.
“…my father had a heart attack.”
Emily blinked in surprise.
Michael looked down briefly.
“The company was collapsing. There were debts everywhere. My mother blamed me for being distracted because of our relationship.”
Emily listened quietly.
Michael continued.
“She gave me a choice.”
His voice became heavier.
“Either leave you… or lose everything my father built.”
Emily stared at him in disbelief.
“So you abandoned me because of money?”
“No.”
Michael’s voice turned emotional for the first time.
“I left because I thought it would protect you.”
Emily frowned.
“Protect me from what?”
Michael stayed silent.
And that silence terrified her.
“Michael…”
He clenched his fists slowly.
“There were dangerous people involved with the company back then. My family was being threatened.”
Emily’s eyes widened slightly.
“I didn’t want you dragged into it.”
Tears slowly formed in her eyes.
“So instead you broke my heart?”
Michael looked shattered.
“You think I didn’t suffer too?”
Emily looked away quickly before he could see her tears falling.
For two years she imagined countless reasons for his disappearance.
But this…
This was different.
Painfully different.
“I waited for you,” she whispered shakily.
Michael’s chest tightened.
“Every day, I waited.”
Emily wiped her tears angrily.
“You could’ve at least said goodbye.”
Michael closed his eyes briefly.
“I know.”
Silence filled the table again.
Then suddenly—
A feminine voice interrupted them.
“Well… this looks intimate.”
Emily looked up instantly.
Jessica.
Of course.
Jessica walked toward them confidently, her heels clicking against the floor.
Michael’s face immediately darkened.
“What are you doing here?”
Jessica smiled calmly.
“I called you several times. You ignored me.”
Her eyes moved toward Emily again.
“I didn’t realize you were busy revisiting the past.”
Emily suddenly felt uncomfortable again.
Jessica sat down beside Michael naturally.
“Mrs. Anderson is looking for you,” she said.
Michael looked irritated.
“I’ll call her later.”
Jessica’s smile faded slightly.
Then she looked directly at Emily.
“You know, Michael suffered a lot after you left.”
Emily frowned.
“I left?”
Jessica tilted her head innocently.
“Oh… you didn’t know?”
Michael’s voice became dangerously cold.
“Jessica.”
But Jessica ignored him.
“The night Michael disappeared, he thought you betrayed him.”
Emily’s heart stopped.
“What?”
Michael stood up immediately.
“That’s enough.”
But Emily grabbed his arm desperately.
“What is she talking about?”
Michael looked trapped.
Jessica smiled slowly.
“I guess some secrets don’t stay buried forever.”
Emily stared at Michael with tears forming again.
And suddenly…
Everything she believed about the past started falling apart.
- Writer
