FLASHBACK

Chloe Sullivan sat at her desk-her new desk, for she'd been moved up in the ranks of the Daily Planet. It was her dream come true.

The doors open and in came Clark Kent. "Hey, Chloe!"

She smiled that special smile she reserved just for him. "Hey, Clark! How do you like the new space?"

"It's great, I'm so happy for you. You've been working hard for this your whole life. You really deserve it."

She smiled again. "Thanks, Clark!"

He grinned in a way that showed he had something to tell her as well. She laughed and questioned, "What is it, Clark? It must be really good to make you grin like that."

"I proposed to Lana."

Chloe felt her heart drop somewhere in her knees. Sure she was aware that they'd been dating for two years, but some part of her had always thought that with his secrets it would never work. That same part of her had entertained the thought that she, having known his secret for two years, would be there for him when it fell through; that she might eventually have a chance. "What did she say?" she asked.

She put on the classic happy-for-your-friend face, despite the devastation inside her. She didn't have to ask to know what Lana had said. That grin on Clark's face told her everything.

The grin turned into a full-blown smile. "She said 'yes'!"

"Clark, that's great!" Another cover-up, another façade as to what she was really feeling.

"Thanks so much, Chloe! I wanted you to be the first to know!"

She smiled again and felt as though her jaw was going to drop off from being held in a smile for so long. "I'm honored, Clark. When's the date set for?"

"Two months from now. I know it's kind of short notice, but Lana didn't want to wait."

Chloe was sure that if he didn't leave now she would cry. "That's wonderful, Clark. I'll be sure to mark my calendar. Now, I've got a lot of work to do, so if you don't mind…"

"I don't mind." He gave her another happy smile and headed for the door. As soon as the door was shut Chloe broke down in wracking sobs on her desk.

--------------PRESENT

It all seemed just yesterday today. I was at the same desk, in the same emotional state, only this time Clark Kent hated me and I had managed to contain my tears. I was a different person now than I was then.

I gathered some papers around from my desk and began to file them, not really paying attention to what I was filing. All I could think of was how much our past actions influence us in the present.

Perhaps if I'd played the happy friend permanently instead of doing what I did, then I'd still have Clark as a friend. It would be no where near as good as what Lana had, but it would definitely be better than what I had right now.

If only I hadn't made that choice. If only I hadn't betrayed the both of them.

--------------FLASHBACK

Chloe collected herself and dried her tears. She had no idea what to do. She was about to loose the one person she loved more than anything. Letting it happened didn't seem to be an option that she could live with.

Plans ran through her mind, each crazier than the one before it. Then, in her emotionally broken state, she entertained the one possibility she'd sworn that she'd never act on.

She could expose Clark. She knew Clark Kent was Superman. He'd been open with her about that since day one, considering that she knew about his powers. If she exposed him it was sure to break him and Lana up. After all, Lana was so obsessed with the fact that he kept secrets from her.

Looking back, she realized that she hadn't been thinking clearly at all. She never thought what would happen if he and Lana really did break up. She certainly never thought about the fact that he might hate her for destroying his life. All that she thought about was making sure he and Lana never walked down that isle.

Not stopping to examine what she was doing, she began to write up the article. "Clark Kent is Superman", the title read. She gave a detailed explanation, plus many facts that were undeniable to anyone with half a brain. Assembled all together, the article should have left no doubt in an educated man's mind as to who Clark Kent really was.

She sent it into the printer. Clark Kent was going to be exposed.

-------------PRESENT

I found the article that I'd written, exposing him. What I had done seemed vulgar to me now, and I held the sheet of paper as if by simply touching it I too would become infected by its detrimental quality-not that I hadn't already.

I pulled from beneath it the responses to it from the public. A few were critical, but most were glowing with praise. I read the first one.

-You will be remembered as the woman who brought truth to a public blinded by lies.

I read another.

-Thanks to you, we now know who we truly have to thank for our safety.

If only Clark saw it that way.

-You are hailed today as one of the greatest truth seekers in American history.

Those were some of the more over the top ones. I felt like hurling when I read the reviews. How there could be people in this nation who saw things that way was beyond me. And I will be remembered as one of them. That was not-is not-a legacy I want to leave behind me.

I pondered why Clark had even come to see me. I figured that it was probably to show me just what I had done; to make sure that I could see the results of the metaphorical stone I had set in motion.

He knew that I wouldn't betray him a second time. The first had been quite enough for me. He already hated me and, besides, there was no reason for me to do it a second time-Lana was dead. He knew all these things. It hurt me that Clark had been so embittered towards me that he would come back only to show me what a wreck I'd made of his life. But then again, I supposed I deserved it.

TBC…