"Anger doesn't solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything."


She knew tensing against the shaking of her limbs was useless but she still did it instinctively, trying to suppress it for a few more moments what she knew she cannot. The silence of the waiting room made her blood as cold as the autumnal air that crept through an open window. It lay on her skin like a poison. It seeped into her blood and paralyzed her brain, her pupils became dilated and there was a tremor in her hands.

What starts as a contortion of inside her stomach becomes a feeling of being smothered by an invisible hand. With just one glance of Christian's cold, lifeless eyes. The fear sits quietly, eroding the person she was born to be as if this day has been coming all her life. She fought the feeling as her body silently writhes to be free from his heated gaze or shut down entirely and break down in tears. Against it, she pit the fear of never making a move to defend herself or failing through cowardice and hang her head in shame. She didn't know what to do. Or, what to say. Nothing she could say would make up for whatever words Elena put inside her husband's head.

Nothing.

Her mouth opened. Once. Twice. Three times before she closed it, the muscles in her throat tight from the sheer terror running up and down her spine.

Her body was frozen under the sight of Christian Grey's smoky, narrowed eyes. And, she didn't know what her next move would be. That was if he gave her the chance to make one. She didn't know how she could fix this or if it could be fixed.

She watched as Elena continued smirking behind Christian's back and met her eyes as they twinkled with mischief. She lightly shrugged to herself as if saying oh-well, not caring one bit that she may have just destroyed a marriage, but Ana couldn't put the full blame on Elena. If she had never opened her mouth to Elena and they never spoke that night, she wouldn't be in this position right now. Elena turned around and grabbed her purse sitting on one of Christian's chairs in front of his desk.

With a flick of her wrist, she flipped her light faded blonde hair, a satisfied Cheshire grin on her lips as she walked past Christian with a sway of her hips hoping he would take notice. Ana silently breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't, never taking his eyes away from her. At least he didn't add insult to injury. Even if it was her fault in a way.

As if in slow motion, Elena stepped past her, giving the brunette a side eye that screamed pure hated that Anastasia didn't miss. It couldn't have been more noticeable than if it slapped her in the face. But, Christian saw nothing. Of course. He was probably too busy plotting different ways to kill her and get away with it.

Not that she didn't deserve it.

The guilt sat not on her chest but deep inside her brain. What she had planned to do she could not un-do or take back liked she wished. The fire burnt her out so badly there was nothing left but a shell, an outline of a person.

Christian had filled that void in her heart bringing His perfect love to rebuild me anew. But, it was all shot to hell now.

The click of the door echoed throughout the dead silent room, signaling Ana to start speaking.

"Christian-"

He held up one hand, finally looking away from her and to the ground on the left side of him in utter disbelief, only sending more painful shards of glass into her heart.

God knows what Elena fed into his brain.

"Don't Anastasia." He spat, his tone daring her to talk back.

It was just a few words but they bring tears to her eyes.

A fire burned in her mind and throat and she was unable to speak. Guilt was eating and pestering her alive.

Her eyes burned and her chest felt heavy as if it were filled with lead. She fought back tears as she walked closer to Christian. There had to be a chance to fix this, save it... save them.

Her hand reached out to cup his face in hopes he would listen to what she had to say and was shocked to see him slap her hand away, the physical pain on her skin barely nothing in comparison to the ache in her heart.

"Don't touch me, Anastasia." Christian hissed, turning his back to her and walking over to the window looking out on the busy city.

His cold attitude was the worst. If he was angry or sad then he needed to say that so they could talk damnit.

"Christian, please talk to me. This will go no where if you just shut down!"

Her comment made Christian spin around. There was no trace of tears, not in his eyes or in track marks on his reddening face. Tears would be better than anger. His eyes were narrowed, rigid and hard. In that moment she knew he was already far away. Nothing she could say could bring him back to her. He had already checked out and ran from her. She didn't blame him though. She was the enemy. She knew these verbal blows would be the death of her. His eyes had no greyscale, only the polar extremes existed. She drew in a deep breath; the burning hard stare would last only as long as it took him to think of the most brutally cutting thing he could tear her down with. And after that she could kiss anything breakable goodbye. Which right now might just be her nose, it was so hard to tell and so pointless to run. Christian had never laid a hand on her but who knew now.

"Anastasia, I'm in no mood to hear you. I honestly don't care if this" he waved between the both of them. "ever goes anywhere again."

She bit her tongue, trying to hold the tears that threatened to leave her eyes.

"Christian, what are you talking about? What's wrong? What did she say to you?" Ana asked, frantic walking closer to him.

Christian took a step back, holding up his hands up to her, an obvious sign to stay back from him. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, the stony expression never leaving his face.

He shook his head, turning his gaze back to his wife.

A hint of disappointment lingered on his face before it vanished as quickly as it came an unremarkable grey like that of concrete or stone hardening once again.

"She told me that you planned to work for me, marry me and use me for my money. She said that you both had planned it when you were younger because you just wanted money-"

"No, Christian-"

She tried to tell him that wasn't the truth. It wasn't the whole truth. But, Christian interrupted.

"Tell me it's not true." Christian demanded, taking a deep breath to calm his shaking limbs from anger.

Her tongue felt like lead. She couldn't. It would be a lie.

She opened her mouth and took a breath to speak but closed it when the words caught in her throat.

She hung her head in shame and Christian shook his head.

He turned his back to her, his jaw clenched.

"Get out."

Her head shot back up at his words and her mouth fell slack, hanging wide open. Tears started building up in her eyes and brimmed around her bottom lid, threatening to fall.

"What?" she asked in utter disbelief, her blood running cold when she saw no emotions on his face. Just a blank mask.

She knew it was coming and her muscles tense as much as they can. The knowing doesn't soften the blow.

He turned back around. "Get. Out!" He screamed, pointing to his office doors.

Pain sears through her abdomen better than a branding iron, her mind conceding to the torment, unable to bring a thought to completion. A salty fluid dripped over her dry, cracked lips. She blinked briny tears from her bloodshot eyes, her thick lashes stuck together in clumps as if she'd been swimming. The tears made wet tracks down her face and dripped from her wobbling chin as if she was a child. Her hands open and closed, rhythmically clenching as if there could be some violent solution to her pain... if only she could find it.

The nausea swirled unrestrained in her empty stomach. Her head swam with half-formed regrets. Her heart felt as if the blood in it had become tar as it struggled to keep a steady beat. Her melancholy mood hung over her like a black cloud, raining her personal sorrow down on herself.

She turned away, finally breaking down and did as he demanded. She fled.


Her eyes shifted to the side again and became glazed with a glassy layer of tears. As she blinked, they dripped from her eyelids and slid down her cheeks for the hundredth time that night. Her insides still felt as raw as if a winter wind was blowing right through her skin. The last conversation haunted her, taunted her, replaying like an echo in her mind. She bit her lip tightly in attempt to hide any sound that wanted to escape from her mouth and Kate's heart sank.

"Will you even tell me what's wrong?" Kate asked, laying her head on top of Ana's. "You just came over and started crying. Ana, you have to tell me what's wrong. I can't do anything to help unless you do."

In response, Anastasia only cried harder, breathless sobs coming from her throat.

"You're lucky Elliot's not here. He would have flipped if he saw you crying and he would have called Christian the moment he saw you. Speaking of Christian, does he know what's wrong?" Kate said, grabbing another tissue and handing it to her best friend. "You know he'll kick someone's ass if he knew you were crying."

Ana shook her head, her tears momentarily paused. She raised up from Kate's lap and wiped at her nose and eyes, taking a chocked breath.

"No. Christian doesn't know."

She hoped Kate would leave it alone. She didn't want to explain to her best friend that her marriage may have just ended, especially when it was her fault.

But, since she was Katherine Kavanagh after all, she didn't.

"Why not? Did you two have a fight? What happened?" Kate immediately started questioning, furrowing her eyebrows.

Ana shook her head again, a new batch of tears falling from her eyes. "He hates me, Kate." Ana stated, her voice hoarse and coming out cracked.

"No he doesn't, Ana. Whatever happened between you two, will blow over soon. You two are physically incapable of hating each other. Just give it some time and talk about it, you two will be fine. I know you will."

"No, it won't Kate. This can't be fixed. He hates me and nothing can fix that."

"Everything will be fine." Kate silently promised, reaching over to hug Ana.

As her arms wrapped around her best friend, she couldn't help but think this was just the beginning. And she was terrified of what that meant.


I know, I know. This chapter was super short. I planned on it being longer but it just came out this way. And, I only wanted this chapter to be about the fight and Ana running to Kate. But, I will make up for it next chapter. Next chapter will be super long with lots of angst, tears and maybe even a little jealousy. I have so much planned for this story later on. Thank you all for your support! Love you guys! I never thought so many people would enjoy this story but I'm glad you do. : )