A/N: we all have those days where we look into a mirror and feel like this? maybe the next chapter won't be so weirdly written mehhh. I hope you enjoy :)

Chapter Two: She

She slowly swirled in front of the mirror, making sure everything appeared flat and how it should be. She cursed herself for agreeing to do this, but quickly remembered she had very little choice. What she had to do was simple, surely she could keep it together long enough to get this done quickly and painlessly for all those involved.

Who knew, maybe for a change her life would be easy, and he wouldn't turn up to the event. It wasn't completely out of habit for him not to attend the occasional few, especially when his work was so busy. Which she knew it was; the news was riddled with his latest conquests, and lacking pictures of him at benefits.

She knew it was unhealthy to subscribe to news articles relating to him on google, but she couldn't stop herself. It was the only way she could make sure he was OK, the only way she could believe that this was really what he wanted. His success was the only thing stopping her from going to Escala and begging him to take her back; he was flourishing more so than before.

Deep down she knew this was his coping mechanism, the way he dealt with pain. The only two ways he knew how; to bury himself in work, and then after a long hard week bury himself in a submissive.

But after the words he had said, she doubted she knew him at all. Maybe that was just a part of who he was after all, and nothing she could do would change that. Maybe the effect she had on him wasn't strong enough. Maybe she was just the plain person she had always thought of herself as. She wasn't the cure everyone thought she was.

She sighed, and sat down onto her bed, busying herself with putting her earrings into her ears. She could only hope she looked presentable, for she had absolutely no desire to leave her apartment; like most days.

She looked into the mirror she had sat down almost in front of, and truly studied her features; seeing herself for what she really thought she looked like. Nasty comments flashed through her mind like always, nibbling away at any remaining esteem she had been holding onto. It took all of her strength not to curl into a ball and give in like she had so many times before.

How could she have thought he would have been happy with her? She was plain and mousey. Her skin was a plain cream colour, which lacked the ability to tan. Her blue eyes looked too big for her head, the colouring of them an unattractive contrast to her pale skin and sunken cheeks.

Her hair felt limp as she twirled a loose strand around her finger. She quickly attached the strand to the first pin she found in disgust, before standing from the bed in favour of pacing; unable to look at her appearance for a moment longer for fear she would slip into the same despair she fell into almost every other night.

She hoped this man was as punctual as she had been told; she had ten minutes till he was due to arrive at her apartment, and she doubted she could wait a moment longer than that.

Slowing her pacing once more, she flattened her dress once more, and pushed her feet into the heels she had chosen to wear. With much debating, she finally decided to go to the mirror once more.

She checked over her hair, pinning down any remaining strands and ensuring the long strands that were hanging loose were curled. She checked her eye makeup, finding no flaws, before reapplying her lipstick for the final time. She ran her powder brush over her cheeks once more, making sure they were grease free, and that her cheeks looked flushed.

Grabbing a shawl, she wrapped it around her shoulders, and left her bedroom. She took a seat on the chair closest to the front door, swallowing down any nerves threatening to surface. For once she needed to be strong; she needed to ooze confidence and charm. She had to be witty, she had to be beautiful, and she had to be a trophy.

She had to be everything that he hadn't expected her to be. She had to be a sham. He had never asked her to be anything but herself. It made her sick to think about; he had been so hot, then suddenly so cold.

He had his house keeper pack her belongings and his head of securities number one take her to a flat he had purchased for her. She had been given the deeds and the man had left. Left her alone in her despair, and alone in the world.

She had wasted no time in selling the place, and finding herself a new one. She could never stay in a place he had bought to use to dispose of her in. The thought sickened her to her stomach. It made her feel sicker than the heart ache did; then the loneliness did. He had given her everything and more, just to snatch it away again. He had given her a patch of heaven, teased her with it, and then threw her from it.

She had come crashing back to the real world pretty quickly.

The knock on the door startled her back to reality, and she quickly stood once more. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Swallowing down the rising bile, she made her way to the door, putting on her brightest smile as she did so.

She could do this.