Chapter 10: 'Stole my heart just to break it'

September,2015

Dressed in a white sheer long silk nightgown that dragged on the floor and covered with a matching peignoir, especially made for her wedding night, she looked at herself in the mirror one last time. She shifted nervously from one foot to the other as she waited for her husband to come back to their room.

She could hear him talk to someone on phone in the living room, probably confirming their flight arrangements to the surprise honeymoon destination. She smiled at the thought. They would be alone, together for a month. Just him and her.

"I want nothing but the absolute best for my wife. I don't care how much it costs, that's the least important thing. I just want everything to be perfect," She heard him insist.

She shook her head, smiling. In the last two months, she realized he was a completely different person from what he let the world see. People saw him as a quiet, anti-social, serious, emotionally closed off, strict person but actually he was extremely affectionate, loving, caring, and very gentle. Especially with her.

His deep love was bordering on worship. His commitment to her was so deep, he wanted to give her everything she desired. All of the things she wanted, he seemed to read her mind and gave them to her. And it wasn't just her, he seemed to care about her family too.

Just a month ago, she was drowning in worry because she couldn't arrange Jeremy's art school fee. Somehow, her fiancé found out and paid on her behalf. At first, she was mad. How dare he? Did he think she couldn't manage her underage brother's responsibilities?

But then, he held her hands and told her that he thought of her family as his. He told her that he wanted to take care of her, just like she took care of his mother and his family. He rubbed at the worry lines between her brows and told her that as long as he was alive, he would never allow them on her face. Tears pooling in her eyes, she had hugged him. After her parent's death, this was the first time she felt secure.

It wasn't about the money. She didn't care one bit if he was a billionaire or not. It was just that, she had been responsible and self-reliant all her life, taking care of others. It felt nice, for once that someone was taking care of her.

She was so lost in her thoughts; she never knew when he entered the room. When she looked up, she saw him, standing behind her. Her heart pounded as their eyes met in the mirror.

"Are you some kind of a manifestation of my most beautiful dream?" He sighed, smiling.

She smiled back, casting her eyes downwards shyly, and to her credit, blushed humbly. He reached up a hand and removed the clips from her hair, letting it tumble free to her shoulders and back. "So soft," She heard him murmur as his fingers slid through her tresses.

He moved forward with a tender smile and swept her up in his arms, devouring her with a kiss that took her breath away. Eyes fixed on her face, he carried her to the bed and carefully laid her down.

Her light brown hair sprawled out on the pillow like a halo. She looked so vulnerable, beautiful and damn kissable. He knew she was nervous. After all, this was the first time she was giving herself to someone completely.

"We don't have to do this tonight, baby. I can wait," He said, touching her cheek with the back of his hand.

"No," she said, holding his arm. "I want this. I want you, tonight. Now!" She added.

"Are you sure, baby?"

She nodded hurriedly. "Make me yours."

He couldn't contain himself any longer. Lust overwhelmed him. He hovered above her, hot lips searing a trail down her neck, scorching her skin everywhere they caressed. A flood of moisture released between her legs as he undressed her, kissing every part of her body like he was making love to a Goddess, murmuring promises of love to her.

He held her tight as they rolled together, pressing their bodies into mattress and each other. When he pulled her on top of him she kissed his face all over, and then eased down to his shoulder and neck, leaving a trail of kisses down to his body. She undid his belt and zipper and helped him out of his pants and shorts, teasing brushes against his skin and driving his desire for her higher. As soon as he was naked, he relentlessly pulled her closer.

While in her passionate embrace, he gently rolled Elena to her back, getting on top of her. All her muscles just sighed and accepted his body atop hers. His lips crashed on hers as his hands roamed down her body. He took his time with her mouth, slowly tracing the outline of her lips with his tongue. Their tongues danced and teased and she cried out as he dragged his mouth to her neck to nuzzle her collarbone.

Slowly his hand moved over her until he gently teased the soft folds between her legs. He parted the velvety folds of her sex and began the slow rub that made her twist and tumble. He listened to her breathe come in quick pants then retreated until her breath slowed down, before going back to task again. With each caress he drove her higher until she was a writhing mess. Soon, she came with his name on her lips giving him a sense of satisfaction. Mine, all mine, he thought.

Still breathing hard, Elena felt her sex pulse from the aftershocks of her orgasm. She hadn't even fully regained her breath when he brought his mouth to her breast, sucking and playing with the soft pink bud. She gasped and arched, enjoying the sensations he was giving her.

Two long fingers entered her body, stretching her, stroking inside as his tongue stroked outside. She was wet and ready and arching anxiously against him, and Damon couldn't wait any longer.

"God, I need you," He whispered.

"You have me."

He removed his fingers from her, finally ready to make her his forever. "Do you trust me, Elena?" He breathed. "Yes, yes. Take me." She nodded eagerly, holding onto his arms. Without further ado, he aligned the head of his shaft with her entrance and slowly entered her.

She whispered his name and he slid into her, her wetness welcoming him until his hardness pressed against her hymen, and then he broke through.

She stilled and whimpered while tears streamed down her face. He halted immediately, his lips on hers begging for forgiveness. She told him none was needed by pressing her body to his and pleaded him to continue. At first, she felt sore, but then it started to feel good. Very good.

With one hand under her head and other pinning her hand to the side, he began moving inside her leisurely. She was so hot and tight around him; it took everything inside him not to drive himself as far into her as he could.

Slowly, she started encouraging him to go faster. He duly complied, rocking hard and fast into her.

Her eyes, mesmerizing and wide with wonder, held his gaze like magnet. He couldn't turn away, not to admire the breast he was cupping or watch how intimately he was connected to her, sliding in and out of her. All the rest became nothing but a physical sensation as he saw what she shared through her eyes.

Love, content and peace.

She was like an angel, sent straight from heaven just for him. In that moment, he felt something very strong for her. Something stronger than love. It was a feeling he couldn't even describe.

He cupped her face in his hands and unable to hold the intimacy of her gaze longer, he connected their lips. He used his hips to press again and again into her slick heat until she clutched around him with her orgasm.

After she reached several orgasms, he took his pleasure in several last thrusts. They both saw stars and couldn't hold on to each other tight enough.

When their energy was fully spent in the aftermath of their lovemaking they laid there, Elena cradled in Damon's arms, lying on his chest. They talked for hours afterwards, making plans, promising each other their unending love.

"I'll never love anyone else; you're the only woman for me." He promised as his fingers entwined with hers, his other hand gently but sensuously caressed her back.

"You'll never stop loving me, right? Promise me, no matter what happens, you won't give up on me?"

A tender smile appeared on her serene face with an expression of wonderful beauty. "I love you now, I will love you until I'm old and gray headed and I'll love you as long as I live. And if there is a life after this life, I'll still love you."

Overwhelmed by the riot of emotions that were hammering through him, he captured her lips in a possessive kiss.

"Just promise me, you'll never change," she said against his lips, "Whatever sort of man you are, is the sort of man I want to love. Always. Promise?"

"I promise."

November, 2015

Katherine Pierce hated her best friend's wife with a passion. Sure, she pretended to be Elena's close friend just to remain in the good books of her best friend, but in reality she despised her. She hated how she was all he could see. She hated how she changed him. She hated how he would smile just by the mention of her name. To sum it up, she hated Elena Salvatore so much, she wouldn't mind killing her once and for all.

But what would be the fun in that? She wanted Elena to suffer for snatching her childhood love from him. She wanted to destroy her completely, break her so much that she'll kill herself. She would make an example of her for the world to see what happened to those who dared to mess with her. She had already started working on her plan.

She started a press propaganda against her. Using her influence in the media, she portrayed Elena as a trophy wife who only married Damon for easy money. Initially, this upset Elena too much. She wasn't used to that type of negativity about her. But soon, she learned to live with it. As long as her husband and her family were with her, she didn't care what others thought of her.

Even though Katherine failed in her first attempt, she had other plans lined up. For those plans to work, she had invited the Salvatores to the grand opening of her father's new hotel.

She gritted her teeth when she saw them walk in, holding hands. She stared at Damon, letting her eyes roam over his figure as they stopped by the hall entrance so that the photographers could take their pictures.

"Welcome!" She greeted, faking a smile. Her smile faltered when she noticed his dressing. For once, he wasn't wearing his signature designer black shirt. Instead, he was dressed in a slim fit light blue shirt paired up with black denim jeans. Countless times, she had insisted he wear something other than black but he always refused. He didn't mind changing for her. Katherine's hands balled into fists at the thought.

"I know, I look like a freak." He admitted before she could say anything.

"Stop it. You look good." Elena turned to him, frowning.

"Mrs. Salvatore likes to dress me up like her weird clown friends."

"How dare you call my friends clown?" She gasped, feigning fake anger. "And FYI, sky blue is the most trending color right now."

"Yes, yes. Of course this is trending… in clown town." He replied.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know we are still living in the black and white era. Tell me, Mr. Salvatore, do you have a copyright on being boring because—"

"At least, I have a decent dressing sense. I don't throw on every color I see."

"My grandpa was more stylish than you." She shot back, smirking.

"Is that why your friends were fawning over me yesterday?" He smiled innocently, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Ugh, I can't stand you anymore!" She faked irritation, mumbling how she would never invite her friends again.

"Maybe you should bend over, see if you like me better in that position." He whispered in her ear.

"Guys," Katherine hissed. "Not here, please." She was sick of their romance.

"Oh! Sorry, Kat." He apologized, grinning shamelessly. "Can't help it." He added under his breath, his hands lowering down, gripping her hip. She squirmed in his grasp, glaring at him playfully.

"Well, Father wants to talk to you about a new consignment." She interrupted their moment again, earning a glare from him. "You can grope your wife later." She added, pulling Elena towards her almost harshly.

"Damon Salvatore!" He recognized Katherine's father's voice. Tristen Pierce was a very well-known businessman in the circles of their society. Salvatores and Pierces had collaborated for years. They were very important clients and almost as close as family.

"Mr. Pierce!" He greeted turning around. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kat drag Elena away to the other corner of the hall to introduce his wife to her friends.

So, this is Mrs. Elena Salvatore?" Mrs. Melina Kenzo, a very famous socialite, asked as she eyed her from head to toe.

"Isn't she too young for…" She trailed off.

"So what, Mel? We all know love is blind, it doesn't see anything. Damon is in love with her." Katherine defended her.

"And what are you in love with, Mrs. Salvatore?" Melina asked.

"Excuse me," Elena said, uncomfortably.

"Mel, you've been reading tabloids a lot. Just because Elena doesn't come from a family as rich and powerful as ours doesn't mean she married Damon for money. You have no idea the struggles Elena did in her life. She is a very self-dependent girl." Katherine looked to be on her side but it felt more like she was mocking her.

"Self-dependent? Last I checked you are unemployed, aren't you? Doesn't Damon pay for your brother's schooling?" Rebekah, Stefan's ex, commented.

"What?" Katherine pretended to be shocked. "You don't work anymore?"

Elena shifted uncomfortably, feeling trapped. Why were they discussing her private life? "I…I used to work at the Salvatores before Damon and I…" she hesitated, "I was hired as a full time nurse for Lily. We decided I'd stay at home and take care of mom because she feels comfortable only with me…"

"See? She isn't taking advantage of him. She stopped working because she stays with Lily and takes care of her. Damon is not means of easy money for her." Katherine said, rolling her eyes.

"But, is it true that before Damon, you went out with Stefan too?" Rebekah asked smirking. She knew Stefan had broken up with her for Elena. She despised her for that.

"Umm, we just hung out. It meant nothing. Stefan and I—"

"Bekah, how dare you talk to sweet Elena like that? Damon and Stefan are both good-looking and exceptionally wealthy. She only took Steffie for a test drive. Damon is the one she truly loves. It's just a coincidence that Damon owns higher shares in the company." Katherine said, holding her hand.

"So, both the Salvatore men were wrapped around your little pinky?" Sasha, another famous socialite asked.

"With this beautiful innocent face and those cute short skirts, men can't help but fall in love with this girl." Katherine said, smiling.

"I agree." Rebekah added. "Her cute short skirts impressed Stefan a lot too. Or was it… the way she smiles? Nonetheless, I think it's great that you chose Damon. He is the better choice. You literally hit a jackpot."

Her face flushed with heat and embarrassment. She tried to restrain her tears. She didn't want to appear any weaker before them than she already did. "Excuse me," She got up and sprinted towards the ladies room.

Once inside, she let the tears fall until there was only one thing she could do. She had never been so humiliated in her life. She felt more devastated than the first time she saw a ridiculous article about her online, claiming her to be a gold digger. That day, her husband had been on her side, holding her close, providing her comfort while he called the website editor and demanded an apology letter from them. Today, however, he wasn't.

"Elena," Katherine called, knocking. "Please open the door."

Rising quickly, she washed her hands and face, and then opened the door, pulling a fake smile.

"Elena, sweetheart, were you crying?" Katherine said, concern seeping in her tone. "I'm so sorry, honey, I tried to defend you. You saw that right?" She said, pulling her in an awkward hug.

"Kat, it's fine. I'm…"

"Damon is going to kill me. He specifically told me to take care of you and I… I'm a complete idiot." Katherine said sadly.

"It's okay. Don't worry, I won't tell him about this." Elena said, pulling away, smiling formally.

"Oh, thank you so much. I was so afraid for a minute," She sighed in relief. "You know how protective he is of you. I'm sorry, I really tried to answer them on your behalf. But that damn tabloid news has completely brainwashed them." Katherine said, helping her fix her hair. "You know Elena, this is partly your fault."

"My fault?"

"Well, if you worked, people wouldn't think you're dependent on Damon."

"I can't work, Kat. I have to take care of mom," Elena replied, shaking her head. "She still gets those panic attacks and I—"

"Lily isn't your responsibility, Elena. She is Damon's mother. Let Damon deal with her." Katherine said, holding her hand, affectionately.

She was slightly taken aback by Katherine's words. She never thought about Lily that way. "I…I'll give it a thought."

..

..

He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face, but kept it between his fingers. His lips started biting and sucking over the sides of her neck.

"Damon," She breathed his name.

"God, I love it when you say my name like that," He whispered, his hands trailing down her chest. "Say it again." He demanded.

"Baby, I want to talk." She said, pulling away from his embrace.

"What?" He pulled her back, irritated.

"I… I was thinking maybe I should start working again," Elena suggested.

"Work? You work all the time. You take care of Mama, my clients who stay here over as my guests, my she-devil of a sister and her monster children. Baby, you're a super woman."

She rolled her eyes at the compliment. "When I said work, I meant work… like my work. Like joining the hospital again," Elena said, turning to him. "I want to start earning for myself again."

"Earning?" He looked puzzled. "Not that I'm against you working but why? I mean, I give you everything, don't I? Have I ever denied you anything you wanted?"

"It's not that, baby," She shook her head. "I just, I shouldn't be depending on you. I mean it's not acceptable that you have to pay for Jer's fee."

"For the love of God, you're not dependent on me. If anything I'm more dependent on you. You being here is literally the reason I'm not worried out of my mind about my mother while I'm working. I'm at work peacefully knowing that my wife is at home and would tackle any problem smartly without my help." He paused, kissing her fingertips. "I can now send my clients home whenever I'm away and I know you'll keep an eye on Stefan while he is presiding over meetings here. You keep my house in order, and give me exact account of everything. You even help me with my work now," He stopped, his eyes boring into hers. "What I do for you in return is nothing compared to everything you do for me." He stated with pure adoration in his voice. "I'm not going to stop you, baby. If you want to join the hospital again, go ahead. But then you know Mama, she only—"

"I understand," She said, dropping her head on his shoulder again. "I didn't even want to join back. I just said because-"

"I know," He said, quietly. "Don't listen to what the fucking media says, Elena. They are just selling news."

"Sorry." She murmured.

"Don't you ever think you're dependent on me, Elena. I'm the one who needs you more than you realize." He replied, cradling her closer.

December, 2015

"When will you be back?" She sighed, talking to him on phone. Ever since Damon had started working on this grand project with the Pierce group, he was hardly home.

They were planning to build a resort in Greece. It was a multi-million project and he was personally leading it.

"Birdie, just a week more," He replied. "And baby, there is one blue binder in the bottom drawer of my office desk. It has accounting papers of this year. Can you please send it to the audit office?" He added.

"Audit office?" Elena said, narrowing her eyes. "Why?"

"There is some problem in the spreadsheets. The numbers don't add up. Tell them I want a full inquiry about it." He seemed worried.

"Okay."

"Thank you, baby. You help me so much. I don't know what I would do without you." He replied.

..

..

She had been talking to Lily for hours. Since Damon was hardly home, only her mother-in–law's company gave her solace.

"I'll get your medicine." She said, getting up.

She was going down the hall to her room when she heard weird noises coming from Damon's office. She hurried inside to check.

She found Zach lurking around in the office, searching through folders for something.

"Mr. Salvatore, what are you doing?"
"Oh,you're home. Hmm, I… Damon told me to get the accounting sheets." Zach faked a smile.

"He did?" Elena asked, raising a brow.

"Yes, can you please help-"

"No, Zach. Please leave now," Elena said strictly. "This is his personal office and he specifically told me not to let anyone enter."

"Elena, I'm family. I don't think he'll mind. I just want that file."

"I have already submitted it to the audit office." Elena replied.

"You what?" He spat.

"Yes, I did." She replied, firmly.

"You're lying, Elena. Audit office doesn't open before ten," He took a step toward her. "Look, Elena, I know we had a wrong start. I'm sorry for what happened with you and Kat back in Italy. But we can still make it work."

"Excuse me?"

"You and I aren't different, Elena. I only made him my brother's heir because he was so dependent on me unlike that other utter fool, Stefan. I never dreamed that he would take charge and push me to the side." He said, moving closer to her.

"Let's be honest, Elena. Everyone knows why you married him. Of course, he is good looking but Stefan is good looking too and he was interested in you as well, yet you chose Damon, despite the age difference and his dry personality." He added, circling her.

"You're right, Zach. I did marry him for money," She played along. "So?"

Zach let out a chuckle. "I knew it. Join me, Elena. And trust me, we'll remove him out of our way. We can have him arrested for corruption if you help me. Then you and I'll spilt his—"

"Get out now," Elena hissed. "Security!"

He twisted her arm up behind her back and leaned over to her ear. "Quiet, girl!"

"HELP!" She shouted.
"Don't do this, little girl. You'll regret it." He hissed but she kept shouting.

The back door burst open and armed men charged into the room. "Mrs. Salvatore," Mrs. Flowers ran towards her and pulled her out of Zach's cruel grasp.

"Call the cops!" Elena ordered. "Not only did he tried to manhandle me, he also tried to steal confidential files."

January, 2016

Damon was devastated with the truth about Zach. He trusted him more than anyone. He never expected his uncle would backstab him like that. Despite Elena's insistence that he be arrested, he forgave Zach but kicked him out of the family business.

Due to his betrayal, Damon was now more closed off than he ever had been and with Zach gone, all the work pressure was on him. He was working on two major projects, he hardly had time for his wife and his family anymore.

The only time they went out was when he had to attend official events. Elena avoided them because the women over there treated her like trash. Unlike other corporate wives, Elena didn't come off from a wealthy family. She never told Damon about how they treated her because he was already very worried and she didn't want to bother him further.

At first, when she excused herself out of these official events he didn't question her much but then soon he started getting irritated by her behavior. He didn't understand why she wouldn't want to go to public events with him.

"Well, she told me she gets bored there," Katherine told him when he discussed this with her. "That's so childish, Damon." She added, shaking her head. "I mean, can't she see how important this is to you? What does she even do at home besides sitting there looking pretty?" Kat poisoned him against his own wife. She kept telling him how everyone had been talking about Elena's sudden disappearance from public events. They thought they had a tiff and now she was divorcing him.

"What nonsense is this?" He said, looking up from the file. "She'll accompany me tonight to your party. That will shut them up."

When he asked Elena to attend the party with him, she tried to excuse herself again.

"What do you mean you can't go Elena?" He frowned.

"I am not feeling well."

"You were playing with Lizzie and Josie just a minute ago." He pointed out.

"Damon, I don't want to go. It's b…"

"Boring." He completed.

"Yes," She said, sitting next to him. "Besides, I have Liz and Jo here. I want to stay with them. We've planned a day full of games and…"

"Will you please grow up?" He snapped. "For once can you stop being immature and think about my image? This event is important to me. Everyone from our circle would be there. I can't go alone."

"So that's what I'm to you? You just want me there because you want to show me off." She snapped back.

"No, I want you there because I need your support." He replied.

"Baby, I support you, but I get bored out of my mind there. I don't want to go. Please, don't force me." She said, walking past him out of the room.

Katherine accompanied him to the event. He had been quiet throughout the function. He felt like his wife was pulling away from him. He already had serious trust issues because of Zach and now with Elena acting so strangely, he didn't know whom to trust anymore.

February, 2016

After the first time, Elena clearly refused to accompany him, so he had stopped asking her. She would go with him now and then but mostly she tried to steer clear of official gatherings.

This didn't set well with her husband because now he had immersed himself more in work than he already was. So much that on her birthday he was in Berlin for a conference and he forgot to wish her.

It was when his mother called him and verbally thrashed him for forgetting his wife's birthday, he realized his mistake. Like every couple, he and Elena too had issues but that didn't mean he had stopped loving her. She was his life.

He cursed himself for being so busy that he forgot her special day and immediately arranged his flight back home.

"She isn't even answering my calls, Care." He called his sister after Elena refused to attend his calls.

"Serves you right, you ungrateful jerk!"

"Please, help me out Care. Just this one last time,"

"Fine! What do you want me to do?" Caroline submitted to his pleadings.

"Just bring her to your place. I have everything planned."

..

..

"I know he's busy with dad's project, Elena, but did he really forget your birthday?" Katherine had been calling her a lot lately.

Elena didn't answer, wiping a lone tear sliding down her cheek.

"I'm going to have a serious talk with him. This isn't a joking matter. You're his wife, he should spend more time with you. Work shouldn't be his top priority."

"Hmmm," She replied. She was already feeling very bad and Katherine sure wasn't helping. "He called today but I didn't answer."

"Good!" Katherine said. "Don't answer. Let him suffer a bit."

"Elena," She heard Caroline call for her from the main door.

"I gotta go, Kat. Care is here. Bye." Elena said, quickly hanging up.

"Here you are," Caroline said, entering her bedroom. "Get ready, we're going to my place."

"What? Why?"

"No questions, hurry up!"

..

..

Caroline almost dragged her to the dimly lit main hall of her house. "Would you tell me what's going on?" She asked, irritated.

"Surprise!" She heard people cheer as soon as she entered. A small smile curved on her mouth as she noticed all her loved ones gathered around the heavily decorated room. "Happy Birthday!" Caroline's girls and Jeremy sang.

Everyone was there except—one.

"Looking for me?" She stiffened hearing his voice.

She turned around, hearing his voice. Her husband emerged from the dark corridor, holding a guitar. He started strumming the chords of her favorite song, 'Nothing's gonna change my love for you'. Playing slowly and softly first, he matched the tempo of the song. He swayed slightly back and forth as his fingers played with the strings, a smile formed on his lips as he noticed her awed and immersed in music. The last note hung in air, dying into silence.

Everyone clapped in slow cadence, appreciating him.

"Sorry," He mouthed to his wife. "I am the biggest effing idiot in the entire universe for forgetting your birthday. But you're an angel, baby. Can you find it in your heart to forgive your jerk of a husband, please?" He moved closer, holding her arms.

"Conditionally." She answered after a while.

"Anything. I'll buy you whatever you want. Name it and you'll have it. Car, diamonds…"

"Time," She cut him off. "I want your time. You barely come home anymore. I miss you."

"I'm so sorry, baby," He pulled her into his arms, hugging her. "I miss you too. I promise I'll change that now."

May, 2016

Promises didn't last long. Despite his word, he had been crazily busy with work due to Pierce's resort project in Greece. Seeing that Elena was lonely at home, Katherine suggested she help her out with her charity campaign.

It wasn't far from home and Elena could easily manage between Lily and project work, so she agreed. Initially, her husband supported her but when she wasn't at home attending his client guests or spending time with him, he started complaining.

"I'll be going to Miami tomorrow. I'll be staying away for a week. Can't you take a day off and spend time with me?"

"I can't. We have a meeting with Lockwoods today. We are expecting a big donation. I have to be there." She said, brushing her hair quickly.

"I'll donate double if you stay with me at home," He held her hand, pouting. "Please?" He insisted.

She rolled her eyes, dropping the brush on the table.

"What the hell, Elena?" He snapped when he saw she wasn't staying even after his insistence. "Is your work more important than me?"

"Damon, you're away all the time. I never complained."

"I'm away because I'm actually working for us. I don't waste my time in the name of so called social work."

"So my work is a waste of time?" She hissed.

"I didn't mean it like that," He regretted immediately. "I just want to spend some time with my wife. That's all. Is it too much to ask?"

"If you want to spend time with me, you should cut down your work hours. I can't make my schedule work around yours, Damon. I have my life too." She argued back.

..

..

"She never talked to me like that before, Kat." He seemed very disturbed.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know this project will cause so many issues in your life. If I knew I would have never asked her." Katherine said, sympathetically.

"Well, in a way she is right. I had been so busy at work lately; I hardly give her time. She does so much for me and I've been arguing, fighting with her over the most ridiculous things." He accepted, ashamed. "That's why I'm here. I want to make this right. I've cancelled my business trip and arranged a mini honeymoon for us." He explained.

"Damon, it's not all your fault. She doesn't care much about you either. I mean she doesn't even accompany you to-"

"Company functions are boring. Of course, she hates them." He replied before Katherine could even complete. "BTW, and that means by the way, where is she?"

"She is with Mason Lockwood, hosting a donation campaign for under privileged kids or whatever." Katherine replied, her voice filled with hopelessness after listening to his plans. It seemed like no matter what she did to part them, they always found a way back to each other. She had known Damon since childhood. He was very arrogant and never accepted his mistake. But here he was accepting he was at fault. Elena was mad at him and he was planning to do everything to fix his issues with his wife.

"Mason Lockwood? As in Mason that I fucking hate more than anyone?" He spat. "What is she doing with him?"

That's it. Katherine's eyes gleamed as a diabolical idea came to her mind. It was so obvious. Why didn't she think of this before?

"Oh, you don't know? He is Elena's school buddy. He joined our campaign because of her."

His eyes narrowed at first, as if lost in a deep thought but then he shrugged. "I never thought that washed up rat had a single good bone in his body. It's probably Elena's magic. She brings out good in everyone." He left it at that.

Katherine's mouth fell open. Why was he so relaxed? As much as she knew him he hated male crowd around his wife. He had even prohibited Stefan from visiting his house whenever he wasn't home.

He was too secure in his relationship, she could see that. But it wouldn't last for long. She knew him more than anyone and she knew how to bring out his insecurities.

June, 2016

Zach Salvatore had a strong grudge against Elena. He and Katherine hatched a plan together that would destroy the girl they hated, for life. They had it planned out perfectly. Damon and Elena's marriage was vulnerable at the moment because of Damon's busy schedule. Before he could fix it, she pressured her father to call him to Greece for a couple of weeks for another deal. She knew he wouldn't be able to refuse her father.

And just like she expected he didn't.

Elena came to see him off at the airport that day. She saw him promise Elena that this would be his last trip for a while and that he would take a few weeks off and take her to Paris on a vacation, just him and her.

Elena kissed him, telling him that she understood his business commitments and she'll be waiting eagerly for his return. It seemed like that they had made up. They looked really happy.

"Not for long," Katherine murmured.

Tearfully, she said goodbye to him and returned home with Katherine.

In those two weeks, she made sure Elena spent every waking second with Mason on the pretense that she was in love with Mason and wanted Elena with her for support. Of course, Elena being the girl who loved to help everyone agreed immediately.

Mason was a willing participant in her game because his business was failing and he needed Katherine's aid to stabilize him. If he married a girl as rich as Katherine, he could easily pay off all the losses he had suffered.

She took Elena to parties with her where Mason would just randomly show up. Then with the help of her friends at print and TV media, she had Mason and Elena's pictures published in the most awkwardly intimate situations that she very cleverly created.

She forwarded those pictures to Damon, telling him what his wife had been doing behind his back. Like she expected, he reacted strongly. But not in the way she expected. He deemed them garbage and threatened to sue the news editors for false news.

When he came back, she made sure Elena stayed busy with the campaign work, giving them minimum time to talk everything through.

She threw parties and invited her best friend and his wife along with Mason where she had instructed him to flirt with Elena openly.

Soon, Damon started to notice.

It was one of the happiest days of her life when Damon told her how uncomfortable he was with Mason and Elena's friendship.

"I mean he was hitting on her right in front of me all the time, I can't imagine what he'd be doing behind my back."

"Elena is a beautiful girl, Damon. She is young. Of course, men would hit on her. Get used to it."

"What bothers me is that she didn't even stop him?" He replied, frowning.

"They are cozy here all the time too. But I'm sure it's harmless." Katherine patted his back. "Cozy? What do you mean?"

"You know, talking all the time, laughing, insisting they be on the same team. But I'm sure they are just friends." Katherine replied, hiding her smirk.

August, 2016

Recently, they had many heated arguments about her staying away till late at night whenever he was on abroad trips. This time it was severe, and this time it was Elena's fault.

"I was working, Damon."

"Mama had a panic attack and you weren't around. Do you know how difficult it was for the maids to handle her?" He snapped angrily.

"I'm sorry. Kat wasn't feeling well and she asked me to attend the donation function on her behalf. Mama was sleeping and I-"

"You could have refused," He hissed. "How could you leave Mama alone? How could you be so irresponsible Elena? You know what? You can do whatever the hell you want. I'll hire her a nurse. I can see clear as daylight that you don't want to take care of Mama anymore."

"I care about Lily more than you or Caroline or Stefan. I'm the one who stays with her all the time. I'm the one who feeds her, who dresses her, I'm the one who tends to all her needs. How can you say that I don't care about her?" She shouted back, tears filling her eyes. "You know what? I can't stay here anymore."

"Elena?" He seemed thunderstruck by her words.

"I'm going to stay at Jenna's." She turned around, running to her room to pack her things. He wanted to stop her, tell her he's sorry and that he was ashamed to say all those things to her but his ego stopped him.

In a few minutes, she packed a night bag and left.

..

..

It hadn't even been midnight when he found himself on her doorstep, ready to grovel for forgiveness.

Jenna gave him the deadliest death glare as he explained his intentions and entered the house. However, he wasn't ready for the sight in the living room.

He saw her in a tight embrace with Mason as he comforted her. Something in him snapped. He despised the way Mason was touching her, holding her so intimately.

He had felt all of his insecurities come rushing back to him, making him question if he was good enough for Elena. He made her cry and Mason was wiping away those tears. For the first time in a long time, he felt jealous watching him comfort her. It should be him comforting her and not Mason. Suddenly feeling unstable and vulnerable, he turned and left.

..

..

They made up the next day. The best part about their relationship was how easily they could move on. It was most probably because of Elena's forgiving nature. He knew he was a difficult man and he thanked God repeatedly for giving a woman like Elena as his wife.

He got past their fight easily but what he couldn't move past was the fact that Mason had been there for Elena that day and he hadn't.

Secretly, he started competing with Mason for Elena's attention. He started showering her with all his love and attention, ignoring work and spending as much time with her as he could. He even suggested that they go away for vacation away from everyone for a month. She laughed it off, reminding him they both had work and that they couldn't leave any time before Christmas.

He despised the fact that she still worked for Katherine's charity organization with Mason but he didn't stop her because her work was important to her and he didn't want to upset her.

The thing that he hated the most was, whenever he left for a business trip, the very next day he would find Elena and Mason's pictures on a newspaper's front page. This went on for a month until there came a point when it became unbearable and he finally couldn't control himself.

He had just been home after a long trip in Venice when Mrs. Flowers told him that his mother was at Caroline's place and that Elena had been out all day with Mason.

With Katherine's help, he tracked her down in a club.

Drunk out of her mind, he found her dancing intimately with Mason on the dance floor, sliding her body against his, almost grinding. Furious and disappointed immensely, he pushed Mason off her and carried her to home.

The next day, she cried her heart out telling him that she didn't remember how she got so drunk and how sorry she was for what she did. She and Mason both apologized to him. Apparently, he excused their mistake but didn't forget it.

November, 2016

There were rumors that Elena and Mason were together. Even Stefan claimed that he often found Mason in there house whenever Damon wasn't around. Just last week, she and Damon had had a huge fight after he saw pictures of them partying in a club. She swore Katherine was with them too but surprisingly there were no pictures of her.

For the first time he strictly prohibited her from meeting Mason. He told her clearly that he hated Mason and he wouldn't tolerate it if he ever found her in the same room as him.

Secretly, Katherine kept poisoning him against them, telling him how she knew they were cheating on him behind his back. She told him that Mason confessed in a drugged state that he and Elena were in love and she'll be soon dumping her husband for him.

"She is young. She finds Mason more attractive than you because he is of her age. Didn't you see how he made her laugh that day, how they clicked magically? Honestly it's like they are made for each other." His insecurities mocked him.

"But she loves me."

"I think she will leave you soon. She isn't happy with you."

"Elena won't. She isn't that type of woman." He told himself repeatedly.

But then the very next day, he would find a front page headline about how the paparazzi caught them in a secret meeting. And when he would confront her, Elena would claim the pictures were from a few back, almost from the time when she first started working for Katherine.

Their marriage was on rocks. He didn't seem to trust her anymore. His insecurities and his jealousy were blinding him from seeing the game his best friend was playing.

And then finally came that day, when he just returned from his trip from Capetown, and Katherine dropped the bomb that Elena was at Mason's house and she spent the night with him. She slept with him.

He didn't believe her until he saw Elena in Mason's house, coming out of the room, wearing his shirt.

His body stiffened against the onslaught of his own tormenting emotions. The muscles in his jaw flexed and jerked. Hurt replaced anxiousness in his eyes. Warm tears ran down his face as he glared at them with utmost hatred. Hadn't he prepared himself for this? Then why was he hearing the echo of his own heart breaking into pieces when he closed his eyes?

He opened his eyes, then closed them again, breathing thickly. "You shouldn't have done this, Elena. I loved you so much. You shouldn't have done this to me."

"No, no. It's not what you…"

He stared at them, his eyes cold and angry, unblinking. "I'm going to kill you, Mason."

And then before he knew he had pummeled Mason to the ground, beating him until he could barely breathe. He couldn't hear anything. He couldn't see anything. All he knew was that Mason snatched everything from him, everything he lived for.

He only stopped when the police interfered, pulling him away from Mason's bruised body.

Next chapter.

"Why are you here?" Jeremy demanded, blocking his way.

"Please, please. Let me talk to her." He pleaded.

Jeremy shook his head, his lips formed a thin line and his brow wrinkled. "Get out before I call cops. You will never see her again! Do you understand me? You will never see her."

(A:N)Thank you Manali (AllthingsDelena) for being the most awesome beta!

And thank you all so much for reading, favoruting and reviewing.

There are a lot of things that would resolve in future chapters so be patient. We'll be doing present timeline from next update.

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