"One advantage of marriage is that, when you fall out of love with him or he falls out of love with you, it keeps you together until you fall in again."
- Judith Viorst

"I do."

Her face suddenly brightened; a burst of vitality returned to her. Those two simple words made her so happy. Just those two simple words. Rin slipped off her oversized white cardigan sweater and began making her way to the kitchen.

"I'll make you breakfast," she turned around to give him another smile.

As soon as he said those two words, he began to regret it. Now he was agonizing over his stupidity and rash agreement to Rin's conditions in their divorce. To be honest, Rin's conditions were easier on him financially than what he was willing to offer her. Emotionally? It was draining him. When he looked at his wife, he felt nothing towards her. Nothing. Rin was naturally beautiful but after they had gotten married, she no longer made an effort to embellish herself. She really didn't have a reason to glamorize herself; she was a housewife who stayed at home to cook and clean all day. He needed excitement in his life.

'I do? What the hell was I thinking? Two months... Sara isn't going to like this.'

He tapped the steering wheel of his Lexus while waiting for the traffic light to change. He watched the people crossing hastily on the Tokyo streets. The morning traffic was terrible. It was a nightmare. Well, it was nothing compared to what he would have to face once Sara has a fit over his delayed divorce from his wife. Dammit. He brought his right hand up to loosen his tie but stopped before tugging on it. The truth was, it wasn't tight at all and he didn't have a reason to adjust it. Rin had tied it for him this morning and the knot was perfect. He couldn't remember the last time she had tied his ties. She used to tie them for him but after his many solo business trips he had gotten so used to tying his ties himself that their morning ritual had died.

He felt the knot again; Rin's full Windsor knot was better than his sloppy knots. Out of the blues, he felt warm and fuzzy.

'Rin...'

That was a strange sensation to him. She suddenly appeared in his mind. He couldn't remember the last time he had thought of her during the day. It seemed to be so long ago. He wasn't used to her invading his mind like this; it was almost foreign to him.

Honk. Honk.

The honking of the cars behind him snapped him out of his trance. Sesshomaru raised his head to look at the rear mirror; the angry drivers behind him were making a point to him. He turned his attention to the traffic; the lights had long turned green and he was obstructing the busy morning traffic.

'Dammit. What's wrong with me?'

In frenzy, he stepped on the gas pedal and steered the car ahead. He made a point to actively block his wife from his head for the rest of his drive.

"Takahashi-san?" the garage's door operator smiled at him when he caught the sight of the chief executive officer's convertible driving into the doors of the underground garage.

"Morning, Hattori," Sesshomaru smiled back at him.

Poor Hattori was startled; he had been on this job for over three years now. Although he had tried to smile at Sesshomaru every morning the CEO had never returned his cordiality. Something was different about him this morning, but why? He gave the CEO a respectful nod and opened the door.

Sesshomaru found himself smiling ear to ear this morning, he didn't know why. Perhaps it was because he had finally expressed his wishes of getting a divorce to Rin. He no longer had anything to hide; a burden had lifted from his shoulders. Was that why?

'Or was it that Rin tied your tie this morning? What am I thinking? She also helped you put on matching cufflinks this morning... Ugh. No more thinking about your soon to be ex-wife.'

Ding.

He stepped out of the elevator and made his way down the bright hallway. His office was the one on the top floor and all the way down the hall - the last room. He stood in front of his door for a moment; he could smell the lingering musky scent of her perfume. His eyes lit up with excitement.

'Sara.'

He had a big smirk on his face as he pushed the doors open.

"Good morning, Kaede," he nodded at his secretary. The elderly woman knew that his mistress was in his office. She gave him a nod but furrowed her brows as he looked away from her. Kaede was disgusted. Her boss had a faithful and brilliant wife at home waiting for him but he was committing adultery with that shameless Sara Asano. She was a gold-digger and everyone could see it except for Sesshomaru. Oh how stereotypical. It was almost like an archetype of a bad drama.

Sesshomaru grinned as he closed his office door behind him.

There she was - barely clothed, sexy and irresistible on his cherry wood office table. She had her waist long hair straightened. Her bangs were neatly brushed and trimmed right above her seductive eyes. She raised an eyebrow and her sultry voice echoed in his spacious office.

"You're late, Sesshomaru. How should I punish you?"

Sesshomaru leered; Sara was tempting the beast within him. He tossed his briefcase aside and disposed his blazer. Sara approached him, walking with perfectly model like swagger and grabbed him by his gray Italian silk tie. She slowly brought her long legs up to straddle his waist and nipped his jaw line.

"Did you tell her about us?"

"Yes," he replied, his breath quickened and his voice was desperate with need.

"Did she sign the paper?"

"I added more conditions. I'm giving her the house, the cars, all of the savings in our joint account, and 25% of the shares of the company," Sesshomaru stated as a matter of fact. "But she's still considering."

Although Rin didn't want of his assets, he was still going to give them to her after the divorce. He may have been a despicable man without ethics or a conscious, or morals for that matter but he would never financially neglect his wife or soon to be ex-wife. Money was no object to him.

The blood in Sara's face drained. He felt her hands grow ice cold and her temper changing.

'He did what? The house? The collection of luxury cars? The savings? Most of all, he is giving up 25% of the company? He only holds 51% of the total shares and he is giving her almost half of them?'

What did Rin do to him? Was Sesshomaru out of his mind?

He could feel that something was wrong; Sara let go of his tie and turned her back against him. She was furious.

"What's wrong, Sara?"

"You love her more than you love me," she muttered. "You're giving everything to her."

"Just most of my assets," he began before stepping a few steps towards her and embracing her from behind. "But you have me and my heart all to yourself. Isn't that enough?"

He nuzzled her nape and kissed her bare shoulders. He pressed his whole body against her curves and felt her steady heartbeat. She reached for his long silvery hair with her long flutist fingers. Before Sesshomaru could realize, Sara turned around to untie his tie.

The full Windsor knot had become undone.

She threw the tie carelessly aside.

"Kaede oba-chan?" Rin greeted the elderly woman with jocularity when she came into the office.

Kaede's eyes were suddenly filled with surprise and delight when she saw the young woman walking through the doors with a bag of homemade bento and refreshments. Rin used to frequent Sesshomaru's office but in recent years, her visits were shorter and less frequent. In fact, Kaede couldn't recall the last time she had seen Rin. Rin had lost a lot of weight, the hollows of her cheeks were now more apparent but she was still the beautiful and pleasant young woman Kaede admired.

"I brought Sesshomaru lunch. I made a bento for you too!" Rin placed the bag gingerly on Kaede's desk and took out a rectangular cherry wood box. The container itself was beautiful. "I also have chrysanthemum tea."

"This is spectacular, Rin," Kaede lifted the cover from the box; there was another stainless steel container within the box. She removed the cover from the second container and gawked at the bento. It was meticulously designed. Rin had crafted flowers from carrots and leaves from cucumbers. The rice balls were stacked neatly in a pile into little rabbit shapes. The fish were in a neat row and... oh... the radish. The radish pieces were carefully arranged and cut to the exact sizes and shapes. Kaede was astonished. She was speechless. It was perfect. Not only was it visually pleasing it also smelled heavenly.

"I also made blueberry and blackberry desserts with yogurt, would you like some?" Rin politely offered the glass container to Kaede with both hands.

"Yes, of course," Kaede was delighted; Rin was really something. Wow.

"Is Sesshomaru in his office? I have his lunch as well," Rin gestured to the other bento in her bag and looked at Kaede curiously.

Kaede's heart sank. Sara Asano and Sesshomaru had been in there for the whole morning. She didn't know if Rin knew about his affair or not. Kaede didn't have the heart to tell the poor woman that her husband had been cheating on her for a while now. Kaede couldn't fathom why Sesshmaru would commit such a heinous crime against his perfect wife. She really deserved to know the truth. But she didn't want to be the one to tell her.

"Takahashi-san is in... a meeting right now," Kaede told Rin a half-truth. "He's in his office but he'll be done... hopefully soon. Why don't you take a seat and make yourself comfortable?"

Rin smiled at Kaede and nodded before finding herself a nice seat. She surveyed his office; it had changed a lot since she had last been in here. She was the chief accountant at Takahashi Pharmaceuticals many years ago. The once light green walls were now glazed with a fresh layer of egg white paint and the hard plastic chairs were now replaced with comfortable sofa chairs.

'What a change.'

The doorknob of Sesshomaru's office door turned and an attractive trim woman walked out first. Rin cringed. The woman was about to lean into Sesshomaru before Rin stood up and called out to him.

"Anata," Rin smiled at her husband. That woman must have been Sara Asano. Rin may have been a housewife but she wasn't stupid or completely oblivious. Asano was the tabloid's favorite girl and apparently now her husband was also now the paparazzi's favorite prey.

"So this is the Missus?" Sara scoffed as she took one more look at Rin. She had seen pictures of Rin but the pictures had not done her justice. Sara felt uneasy at the sight of her competition.

Sesshomaru stood there; his knees buckled. He knew that Rin knew about Sara. At first he had denied it but later on he knew that she had probably figured it out and he no longer made a point to hide his affair. Last night, he proposed a divorce; he didn't have to hide his mistress anymore from his wife but why was he so afraid?

Was he afraid of hurting Rin? Yes. Yes he was. Rin was a strong woman but he had made her frail. She had underwent a terrible weight loss and now she was so vulnerable because of him. Sesshomaru gulped hard.

He brought his eyes to meet Rin's gaze.

Sara rolled her eyes and walked out of his office, ignoring Kaede as she strutted out the doors. Kaede cringed at the arrogant woman upon returning to her task.

Rin surveyed Seshomaru; his hair was disheveled. She knew about his affair months ago but it still hurt her to see him not even making an effort to explain himself. Her gaze stopped at his tie. The knot... it wasn't the one she had tied for him this morning. Did it happen? Yes, it did. Rin's heart wrenched. He was her one and only but she wasn't his. Rin tried to conjure up something to break the silence but what could she say? She felt the air sucked out from her lungs.

All she could picture in her head was a nude Sara groaning under her husband.

'No, Rin. Rin, be strong. Be a lady... Happy thoughts... Sesshomaru actually loves you... deep down... He loves you.'

She was lying to herself but she had told herself the lie so many times that now it was convincing. She gulped down her tears.

"Hey, I brought you lunch. Are you hungry?"

Sesshomaru looked at his wife. She did her hair today; she made an effort to put on makeup. Not that she needed any but she looked especially beautiful today. She was in a silk dress... and even sexy stiletto heels.

Rin's hair was in voluminous curls half pinned up with two sparkling white Swarovski crystal hairclips. Her brown eyes were emphasized with soft pink shadows and the light peach gloss on her lips made them look simply delicious. Her figure hugging long sleeved silver dress draped just on top of her knees. And at her feet? The black fish-toed pumps made her bodyline lyrical and elegant. Sesshomaru was breathless... this was what Rin had looked like the first time she walked into his office eight years ago.

"Takahashi-san?" the young woman knocked on his door. Her voice was mellifluous with a tint of confidence.

"Come in," Sesshomaru was looking at the financial reports; his eyes had not left the page for hours.

She graced him with his presence and gently placed the white folder on his desk with both of her hands. She studied the handsome man for a while; he looked very familiar. Today was Rin's first day; this was her first time meeting their CEO.

"Thanks, you can go now," he took a quick glance at her to thank her. He knew that today was the first day of their chief accountant at work. He wanted to go and greet her but he was just too busy. But at the sight of her face, that quick glance became a long gawk.

"R... in... Rin..."

"Sess... homaru?"

She had grown into a beautiful woman. She was now gorgeous. She looked different than when she was 6 years old... but she was still the same Rin...

He was now older and more handsome... Was this the same boy next door who used to bring her lemon tea every day after school? Was he still the same boy she used to sneak rice balls to whenever his father punished him to kneel outside without dinner after he picked up fights to protect her?

'Why do I still remember this?'

Rin twisted her wedding band and engagement ring while she watched Sesshomaru in silence. This was what she had worn on her first day to work many, many years ago. She still remembered - she and Kagome had shopped for hours before finding this perfect ensemble for her. The only things different about her getup were the rings.

"Yeah... I.. am," he replied. "Why don't you come in?"

"What?" Rin didn't know what he was saying.

"You brought me lunch right? I'm... hungry."

"Oh..."

She followed him into his office and sat down. She could smell the heavy scent of Sara's musky perfume mixed with sweat and... ... Copulation.

'Sesshomaru actually loves you... happy thoughts... Happy thoughts, Rin...'

But the truth was that he didn't love her anymore. They say that the sense of smell was the most poignant. The smell of Sesshomaru's sweat mixed with that of Sara's pierced Rin's brain. It was just too poignant.

They were fornicating.

She was a strong woman but she was still a woman. She just couldn't tolerate her husband's antics anymore. Her throat burned; her eyes were blurry. She couldn't breath in any of their scents in anymore. She was going insane.

She wanted to look away from his eyes but the new sight whammed her across the face - a pair of lacy panties was discarded on the floor beside his office chair.

The panties pulled her last string.

It pinched Rin's nerve.

It hurt.

So much.

So much.

Too much.

Her mind was blank.

Her emotional pain became visceral. Her inner organs hurt.

She was going to be sick.

A nauseating feeling pulsated through her veins.

What was she so stupid?

She had lost his heart to her.

'Stupid Rin, you're so stupid. I hate you, Sesshomaru.'

She looked at him with terror in her eyes.

"I... I..." he paused; he couldn't justify himself. "Rin... listen... I..."

There was a silence in the stiff air. No, he couldn't explain himself. He had no excuses, no justifications.

He was a bad man.

A cheater.

A liar.

A monster.

"Save it."

With those two words, she dropped the box of carefully made bento. She had spent hours making it with love and care. She had put her heart into it. She wanted to save her marriage, she really did. She thought she could win his heart back. She thought in two months she could win back his love from that unworthy woman.

'I'm so stupid.'

She took a few steps back, shifting her body in a defensive stance. Sesshomaru just watched her, he didn't know what she was going to do next.

'I can't... I can't stand this anymore... He... I... They...'

She bolted out of his doors.

Rin passed Kaede and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry Kaede oba-chan, I must leave now."

Kaede wanted to stop her but she knew Rin needed to get away from all of this.

Something clicked in him.

All hell had just broken loose and with it, ration found a way back to his head.

She left.

He had never thought that she would leave him.

Just like that.

Gone.

He felt empty in side.

So lonely.

All this time, he had taken her for granted.

'I thought she would never leave me. Ever.'

Sesshomaru's world came crushing down on him.

It tumbled down on him. He felt so justified in his affair with Sara. For some reason he felt like he was the victim of their failing relationship. But from the moment he had laid his eyes on Rin in his office just moments ago made him realize that Rin was the victim, not him. He was the one who decided to give up on their marriage.

He was.

He was the cheater. Rin had done nothing but to love him unconditionally. After a few miscarriages she had given up her career to stay at home to bear him an heir because she had always known he wanted children. Never once had she complained about all of his travelling. She had always called him and took care of his paperwork and problems from work while he was away.

He was her world; she did everything to appease him.

'What have I done?'

It was at that moment he realized that it was all of his fault. He was the one who had pushed her away. What he had with Sara was lust, just pure lust. Now he understood why he couldn't bring himself to call Sara anything but her name. She wasn't his love.

But Rin was.

The once decorative bento was spilt all over the hardwood floor. Sesshomaru's heart truly ached for Rin. He felt desolation and torment. What he felt wasn't pity for Rin; it was pity for himself. For Sara.

He was the one who pursued Rin. He was the idiot who stood outside of her apartment for hours in the rain begging her to see him. He was the one who made her the vow to love her and to take care of her for the rest of their lives. He was the same moron who tossed her away and cheated on her with an unworthy woman.

"Rin!" Sesshomaru dashed out after Rin. She must not have gone very far.

'Dammit... Dammit... stupid elevator...'

Ding.

He hit the ground level button repetitively with his palm. Sesshomaru watched as the elevator descended from the 44th floor and pounded the walls of the elevator with his fist.

'Rin... Rin... Rin...'

Ding.

Sesshomaru ran out of the elevator as if his life depended on it. Well, he did. He just had an epiphany and realized that Rin was his life and he need to find her. Her face while running out of his office scared him. She looked like she was going to do something rash.

'I hope I'm overthinking... Rin...'

He pushed the revolving doors of his office building and stepped outside into the cool autumn air.

'Left... or right?'

Left. He knew Rin must have taken the train home. He might still be able to catch her at the station. It was drizzling; the hem of his suit pants was soaked as he stepped into each puddle. He didn't care. He needed to catch up to his wife.

"Out of my way!" he pushed his ways through a crowd of people at the intersection.

"Someone! Call an ambulance! Call the police! This woman's been hit!"

Sesshomaru caught the sight of the woman with his peripheral vision.

'Rin?'

Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks. The woman was Rin. His wife was lying in a puddle of her own blood on the street. The driver was calling out for help.

"Rin!"

Sesshomaru rushed to his wife's side and brushed her hair away from her bloody face. Where was she bleeding? There was blood everywhere... where was she hurt? He took her limp body into his arms and shook her. The scent of iron from her blood overwhelmed him.

"Rin! Rin!... Rin! Dammit... Rin! Honey! Wake up! Rin!"

No response.

He pressed his cheek against her temple and rocked her in his arms.

"Rin! I want you to be okay! Answer me! Love!"

Nothing.

"I've called the ambulance already; they should be here any moment now," the driver looked at Sessshomaru apologetically. "She came out of nowhere. I am so, so sorry. I'm Miroku Kouki, I'm going to be here the whole time. Here's my card."

Sesshomaru just nodded at Miroku.

'Rin... Rin... I'm sorry... sorry... Rin... If you wake up, I'll never see Sara again. I'm sorry. No. No. No. Rin!'

"Sir, you need to calm down. Sir! Listen to me!" the paramedic was impatient with Sesshomaru. He made it impossible for them to treat Rin. "We can't help her if you're hovering over her!"

Sesshomaru's back hit the metal walls of the ambulance. He was distraught. There was nothing he could do to help his wife. His mind was in a frenzy. He was useless. Everything had happened so fast. Just hours ago, he was committing an unforgivable sin with his mistress in his office and now his wife was dying in the back of an ambulance.

It was too rash.

He couldn't wrap his head around it.

Wasn't he the one who was asking her for a divorce just less than 24 hours ago?

But something clicked in him when she stepped into his office today and something hit him when she ran out of there too.

It just dawned on him: he needed her in his life.

He needed his wife.

He needed Rin.

Not Sara Asano, his mistress.

His wife.

His life mate.

Her.

Just.

Rin.

Her.

'It's her.'

'It was her. It is her. It had always been her. It will always be her.'

Rin. She was born a Hokkaido but she would always be a Takahashi. His wife, Rin Takahashi.

"We're almost there! Her heart had just stopped! I need 2 mg of adrenaline!"

"I'm going to administer it right to her heart!"

"No reaction! Alright, everyone stand back!"

"Clear!"

"We're losing her!"

"Clear!"

Sesshomaru just watched...

"Clear!"

"We have a pulse!"

Sesshomaru was just numb, he stared down at his hands; they were covered in her fresh blood.

"Alright, we're here! We need to set up an emergency operation. She's suffered from too much trauma to her vital organs; she's bleeding internally."

"Sir? Sir?"

Sesshomaru just looked at the paramedic wearily.

"We need you to come with us."

"Rin! Rin! Rin!" Sesshomaru ran after Rin while she was carried away on a stretcher into the hospital.

"Sir, you need to go to the register and fill the information in for the patient," the staff informed the perplexed Sesshomaru. The medical staff directed him to the department of patient affairs.

"I just need you to fill this section in for me, Sir," the nurse requested Sesshomaru and handed him the clipboard with a ball pen. "What's your relationship to the patient?"

"I'm her husband."

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

"Hn.."

"If you can just wait patiently; I'm sure the doctors are trying as hard as they can to help her."

"I'll be waiting outside of the operation room."

Sesshomaru made his way down to the operation room. The red light was on.

'In operation...'

"Hey, are you free for dinner tonight?" Sesshomaru asked her with pleading eyes. This was silly, he didn't beg any woman like this. Women naturally all gravitated towards him instead. Now he was standing in the finance department, hovering around Rin in her small office like a big dork.

All of the department's staff walked by and peeked at Sesshomaru and Rin through the translucent glass pane. The women giggled at the sight of their vulnerable handsome boss.

'Rumors had it that the CEO had the fondness for the new chief accountant.'

"Hmm... I need to take a look at the income statement for the last quarter and I need to look at the budgeting for the next year," Rin looked up at Sesshomaru and tilted her glasses down. "I'm busy."

Was he getting rejected? By Rin? Now he wanted her even more. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. He went around her desk and grabbed her wrist with his firm grip.

"Sesshomaru! What the heck are you doing?" Rin screeched and tried to winnow herself away from his reach.

"I'm taking you out!"

'Twenty-two... twenty-three... twenty-four...'

He clenched his fist; he could feel the dried layer of blood cracking against his skin. Rin had been in there for hours. He had counted the number of chairs along the hallway. There were twenty-four of them. Twenty-four plastic chairs along the wall. He was getting obsessed. There was nothing else for him to do.

"Are you paying?" she took her glance off of the menu and was now staring at him intently.

"No, you are!" he gave her a big grin. He was joking, of course.

"Fine. I'll pay," Rin rolled her eyes playfully and closed the menu. She turned to the waiter and ordered, "I'll have the 24-ounce steak medium rare please."

"Twenty-four ounce? Are you sure you even weigh that much?" Sesshomaru flashed a silly grin at Rin and looked at the waiter. "I'll have the same please."

"Hey, a girl's got to eat! I can feed myself! The Nikkei just went up by 43 points today!" Rin bragged to Sesshomaru while leaning back into her chair.

"Dammit. Again? I just shorted yesterday," Sesshomaru tried to pout but he was failing miserably; his face was not meant to display a range of various emotions.

"Should of had a diverse portfolio, honey," Rin stuck out her tongue at Sesshomaru and giggled. "Can I recommend the TMT sector? It's doing reasonably well lately."

Rin took the tall can of lemon tea and brought it by her face. She loved the warm sensation of the can against her face. Sesshomaru laughed, Rin had a penchant for warm lemon tea ever since they were young. He used to warm it up for her even during the summer months. It was something he had never understood. He had never asked her about it either.

'Why did Rin like warm lemon tea?'

It was something he may never find out again. It was strange. He had been contemplating about getting a divorce from her for months now under Sara's excessive nagging. Never once had he sat down to think for himself. Did he really want a divorce from Rin? Did he? If he really did, he should have been relieved right now not worried to death and going crazy outside of the waiting room.

The red light shut off.

'Rin.'

The double doors of the operation room opened and the doctor was walking out while taking off his scrub coverall.

"Doctor! Is my wife alright?" Sesshomaru's voice rang with urgency.

The surgeon looked at him with concern, "Her conditions are stabilized now but she's still in very critical condition. But her chance of survival is over 93%. She should be able to wake up in several hours."

"Thank you so much, doctor," Sesshomaru sighed of relief. He felt a sense of security that he had not felt for the past hours.

However, the doctor didn't seem very positive about the outcome of his patient.

"Takahashi-san, were you aware that your wife has chronic myelogenous leukemia?"

"Chronic myelo..."

"Mrs. Takahashi has leukemia, a type of terminating blood cancer."

Tada! An expedite update by popular request! Thank you so, so, so much guys for all of your support and love! I had no idea the story would be so popular. The little story that had inspired me to write this was just heart-wrenching... and so is this story.

I've received lots of compliments and comparison to one of my favorite author, Tuille and her story (which is also one of my favorite stories of all times) "Forget Me Not." Wow. I am extremely honoured. Tuille is just sensational! It's so hard to live up to her excellence. She inspires us all :)

Thank you guys for your wonderful reviews. I get so excited when I see them... haha... they motivated me to write an extra long chapter to live up to your expectations. Thank you, thank you.