Disclaimer: If I owned Ugly Betty, Betty would be in a steamy love triangle between her boss and her ex...

A/N: We're nearing the end...hope you enjoy this one.

Daniel and Claire glanced toward the door expectantly, as Monica stepped in the room. "Hey..." Daniel began, looking a bit confused. "I thought you were-"

"I was," Monica nodded, glancing at the floor. "I think I left my keys in here," her hazel eyes quickly scanned the room.

"Oh," Claire spotted them under the end of the bed after a few moments, "here they are." Claire picked them up, placing them in Monica's hand.

"Thanks," she looked into Claire's cool blue eyes, giving her a small smile. The room fell silent, as Claire noticed Monica's demeanor had changed.

"I'll go get some coffee. Would you like some Monica?"

Monica brushed a few auburn tendrils behind her ear, "no, thanks."

Daniel stifled a yawn, his eyes focused on those of his fiancee. "What's wrong?" he asked her, hearing her release a sigh. Monica felt the tears coming, wishing she could force them back.

"Everything. This. Us," she wiped a lone tear that had escaped her eye away.

"What?" he looked up at her dumbfounded.

"I heard you. Just now...talking to your mom. The door was cracked," Monica told him.

She watched as the frown on his face softened a bit. "What... about Betty?"

"Yeah. About Betty. It's really always been about her," she sighed, knowing she sounded bitter, but didn't care. She was bitter.

"Okay, sit down. Let's talk about this," he touched her arm, but she pulled away, shaking her head.

"You know, when we first started dating, I knew there was something there. Between the two of you. I just kept pushing those thoughts aside because things were going so well with us," tears clouded her vision now. "I'd ignore it when you'd do special little things for her, or get home late because you were helping her with something, and I ignored how she'd go above and beyond to help you, and how protective you are of her. But this whole ordeal we've just been through...its opened my eyes to a lot of things-"

"Monica-" he started to interrupt.

"Let me finish, please," she wiped another tear away, clearing her throat. "I could stay in this relationship. And we could get married, and we could be happy. But how long before you two realize you can't pretend anymore? How long would it be before you realized you made a mistake?"

"It wouldn't be a mistake!" he yelled, his hoarse voice making it sound even worse. "I love you-"

"Yeah, but I'll never be able to make you love me the way I want you to. Not the way you love her," Monica told him, making him pause. Daniel turned his gaze away from her, glancing at his bowl of uneaten soup. Suddenly he wasn't as hungry.

"You can't honestly look at me in the eyes and tell me that Betty means absolutely nothing to you. Because you love her Daniel. You love her. I think this experience made you realize it too," she sniffled, releasing the death grip she had on her keys.

Daniel turned to her then, a mixture of sadness, anger, and regret in his blue eyes. "Monica, I do love you. Believe that," he told her, grabbing her hand.

Monica smiled through her tears, "I know you do. But I don't want to be second in your heart, Daniel."

"I never knew how you were feeling. I'm sorry. You deserve better," he said, sounding defeated.

"Don't apologize," she told him, squeezing his hand."Your mind can't make your heart do what it doesn't want to."

She released his hand, slipping the diamond ring off her finger with a small tug. She opened his palm and placed the ring in it.

Daniel pulled the sheet off him, carefully swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Don't try to stand up," she advised him. He didn't listen, using the bed as support to stand up slowly.

She looked up at him, giving a soft smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You're a beautiful person," Daniel told her sincerely, wrapping his arms around her. "Thank you," she said quietly, closing her eyes briefly and pulled away from him for the last time. "Bye Daniel," she told him, pulling the door open and glancing back towards him once more.

"Bye Monica," Daniel replied, watching with sad eyes as she turned on her heel and walked out of the room, out of his life.

Okay, short little chapter. I know you guys don't care much for Monica, but she did love Daniel. That's a tough position to be in, but I think she handled it with class and did the right thing instead of trying to marry Daniel and living a lie.

On a much lighter note, when I was writing the part when Daniel stood up, I had a naughty image of Eric Mabius in a hospital gown... and you know the backs on those things are loose. That is all! Lol!

Next chapter up soon!