What Once Was

Chapter 12

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- Forever And Never -

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Misaki sighed as she lay down on her comfortable bed. She was exhausted, tired, and worn out from her long day.

She woke up early to finish her morning jog. Then she went to school and practically killed her brain because of all the tests she took. After that, her muscles started to ache from the many customers that kept on coming to Maid Latte. The only break she got was when she started to daydream whilst she was taking a customer's order.

The customer got a little annoyed by her but decided to dismiss it. And what exactly was it that Misaki was day dreaming about?

Usui Takumi.

She just couldn't get him out of her head. She felt pathetic about thinking about him when he had a fiancé! It was driving her crazy and she got these weird feelings in her stomach.

Misaki confided in her cousins about it and Maya teased her about her feelings for the soon-to-be-married man. While Erika, on the other hand, told her that it was natural and normal for someone to have feelings for their ex.

But Misaki wanted to know if Usui shared the same feelings as she did. Or if he had truly moved on and forgot about her.

"Why?" she moaned as she turned to her side, "Why me? Why now?"

The only response she got was the quietness of her room. The silence reminded her how lonely she truly felt.

Sure,she had her out-going and outrageous cousins, and all of her other friends too, but none of them knew what she was going through. And she didn't contemplate that they would understand.

Her muscles felt heavy and her eyelids were starting to droop. Maybe sleep would make her feel better, even though it was only 6:45 pm.

Usui had an arm up on the floor-to-ceiling glass window in his apartment, and his forehead was pressed against it, using it for support. His gaze was fixed on the people walking around down on the streets.

If there was one thing he noticed, it was that they each had a story to tell. And he began to wonder what Misaki's story was.

His was simple.

After Misaki left, his grandfather took it as an opportunity to get him engaged with one of the wealthiest, and successful families in the world. And the Vanderwaals had a beautiful daughter who would inherit a lot of that wealth and success.

Usui thought of how selfish his grandfather acted when he took up that opportunity. He was using the girl as a part of his pawn to stay as one of the wealthiest, and most successful families in the world.

Disgusting bastard, Usui first thought when he hadfound out about his grandfather's little plan.

He tried his best to go out of his way to meet the Vanderwaals, but of course his grandfather had his ways. And so did his brother who oh-so-willingly helped his grandfather proceed with the plan.

Albeit that day, when he saw Misaki, he couldn't help but notice her change. She was still the same demon president on the inside, but her facade on the outside was very impressive. And when he found out that she was Jenna Chamberlain, the granddaughter of Richard Lloyd Chamberlain who owned a famous company spreading out into several parts of the world where it was still expanding.

The Chamberlains. Now that's an interesting family.

They were also one of the wealthiest and most successful families in the world. And according to the latest news about them, they were making more money than half of the other wealthy families in the world combined.

Very impressive indeed.

The Chamberlains were most definitely up there … the third richest family in the world to be exact.

But what puzzled Usui even more was why was Misaki's family poor when he first met her?

According to the rumors, Misaki's mother refused to marry the man she was suppose to marry and ran away with Misaki's father whom she had met in Japan when she was attending college on the beautiful island.

The first few years of their lives were the happy days, but because Misaki's mother ran away and didn't have a chance to get her money from her bank account, and because Misaki's father didn't have a stable job, the bills became harder and harder to pay.

After years of absence from Misaki's father, Misaki's mother got into contact with her family again, who forgave her and wanted her to come back to America with her two daughters. And because Misaki's mother didn't want her children to grow up struggling and not knowing a part of their family, she reluctantly agreed to it.

He's a stupid man, Usui thought as he began to think about Misaki's father, If he's truly a man, he would have not left his family to suffer for all those years.

A crack was heard, but Usui didn't have to turn around to see who had entered his home.

"Hello Gerard."

Sarah Vanderwaal was sitting on her leather black office chair with both hands over her face.

"Miss Vanderwaal," Dila said as she entered the room, "Miss Montgomery has told me to inform you about the other guests who will be arriving tomorrow. She also told me to give this to you."

Dila reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a slick, white envelope and handed it to Sarah.

"Thank you, Dila." Sarah said politely as she sat up and took the envelope from the maid. "Is that all?"

"Yes, Miss Vanderwaal."

"Then you are dismissed."

Dila nodded and bowed to Sarah before turning her heels and leaving the room.

Sarah opened the envelope, curious to see what was inside. A flawless looking white paper was folded into three. Sarah reached inside the envelope and took it out with her thumb and index finger.

Unfolding it, she read the letter and suddenly became furious. She threw the letter on top of her desk along with the envelope.

"How dare she!" Sarah hissed as she stood up abruptly and slammed her hands on the desk's smooth surface. The pencils and pens shook for a good three seconds before stopping. "That ... that - oh that bitch!"

Sarah bent down and took out her hidden planner under her desk and began opening it up. She needed to get her plan together before the Wicked Witch of the West ruins it all.

AN

Sup guys?

Okay, I know. I'm terrible with updates! But I'm going to be even more horrible because I'm leaving to Guatemala with my bestie :) and she told me that they don't have good wi-fi and/or signal there. Right now I'm at her house sleeping over because we're leaving tomorrow and I wanted to update something before I leave.

I'm going to be MIA for the next two to three weeks.

I also decided to do a random shout-out which was inspired to me by a reviewer - and 'cause my friend also encouraged me to do it.

So, this special shout out is going to violetshade for beta-reading a whole mess of chapters for me! Thanks girl! No lie, you're the best :)

I also want to give a shout out to all the people who read and reviewed this story in the last chapter: wolfbound321, rocky9999, shawnmisakiusui, IxHunnaxI, iHeartKhunToria, Samara Sophie, Shadows and Effects, theanimelover365, Guest - whoever you are.

Also, I believe that you guys deserve to know the reason(s) for my lack of update(s).

First of all, I'm becoming really busy this summer. More busy than I usually am!

Second of all, I'm letting my beta-reader correct my chapters and whenever she sends them back to me I'm all like, Damn! That's how many corrections I need? So many errors and shit ...

And now I'm leaving to Guatemala for two to three weeks with crappy wi-fi and signal and whatever. So ... yeah. -_-

Wow, this AN is coming out longer than I expected it to be. But hey, what do you expect when people are trying to explain stuff?