A/N: Thank you for all the nice reviews lately:)

Chapter 8: Working for Revenge: Part 1

Tiara walks in wearing a navy dress that shows off her perfect figure. My heart stops as she makes her way over to the seat next to Tia. "Hi your name is?"

"Tia Gregory you are so pretty in person… on TV too just wow I'm a big fan."

Tiara laughs its genuine because it sounds like her normal giggle, "Thank you you're pretty too. Are you the one taking my spot?"

"Uh yeah I guess so it's not official yet though fill free to take what is yours back."

They both sit down and look at me crossing their legs at the same time, "It's all up to Mr. Somerhalder," Tiara says as if my name is like knives cutting her mouth.

"Um I mean there's no reason to replace you if- wait I mean you can't be replaced but- if you're coming back there's no reason for Tia to be here."

"Hmm we wouldn't want to kick her out she seems like a wonderful person."

"Yes but-"

"I say that since your new company is about to begin soon she can work over there a fresh start," Tiara turns and smiles at Tia who smiles back.

"Sounds good to me," Tia replies.

"Great Mr. Somerhalder will give you a call when he is ready." Tiara shakes her hand before walking her out.

I can't help but glue my eyes to her wonderful ass. Control yourself man you're not a teenager anymore! I try to rearrange myself in my tightening pants but I'm not too successful.

"Hello hubby. Surprised to see me?" Tiara slowly walks around my desk and sits on the edge.

"You could say that."

"I have stacked up personal and vacation days that I still haven't gotten through I figured last week wouldn't be a big deal. I thought I was irreplaceable but here you are trying to replace me."

"You are irreplaceable."

"Oh actions speak louder than words Mr. Somerhalder." She looks me up and down less disgusted than the last time. "I see I still apparently turn you on."

Her legs press together slightly as she starts to shake her foot, "And I see your body still wants me Mrs. Somerhalder. I do remember us having some good times on this desk."

Tiara gets up and puts her hands on the armrests of my chair. As she gets closer the more I feel throbbing in my pants. Shit shit shit fuck fuck fuck control control control I must have control!

"I'm sure you would love to throw me on that desk and fuck me senseless but that is not going to happen anytime soon."

"We should talk ab-"

She places her finger over my lips then runs her thumb over my bottom lip, "Business is business let's not complicate things here. I have work to do." She leans up and starts walking towards the door, "Oh and have fun by yourself with that desk take a… stroke down memory lane." She smiles and walks out the door to the lobby.

Thirty minutes in the bathroom by myself doesn't sound too bad now. Lord help me survive the rest of today.

I was ready to cuss someone out when Janice reminded me I had a meeting right before I went out to lunch. I tell Cody to take over whatever I was supposed to do in the meeting and he reluctantly agrees. I walk into the boardroom where almost all the seats are filled at the table. I sit down on the right side at the front of the room across from another empty seat.

Everyone turns when the door opens and Tiara walks in commanding the room. People mumble their greetings to her too busy staring. She sits in the seat across from me looking me right in the eye.

"Good afternoon Mr. Somerhalder."

"Good afternoon Mrs. Somerhalder."

"About that I would prefer to be called Tiara no need for formalities." She smiles then leans back crossing her arms over her chest begging me to challenge her.

I so desperately want to say something but I don't, "You got it."

Cody stands up moving to the head of the table, "Good afternoon everyone. I'm going to make this short and sweet." He turns on the projector that shows a giant graph. "Success has skyrocketed since Joe and Tiara took over a couple months ago. With more success comes more work to keep it up. Everyone, including me, has to step up making sure we are doing an above and beyond job. Once we finally get more staff and arrange where everyone is going things will calm down a bit and it will be a smooth ride. Expanding HP will require business trips Mr. C.E.O. and M- Tiara so prepare for that."

I was completely mesmerized by Tiara even if she wasn't paying attention to me.

"I'm completely prepared Mr. Caldwell."

"Good Mr. Somerhalder?"

I snap out of my daydream, "Uh yeah prepared."

"Great any questions?" Everyone shakes their head, "Fantastic and Mr. Somerhalder here is in charge alone now. You may all go to lunch now."

Everyone gets up and Cody pats me on the shoulder, "You owe me." He walks out and I realize Tiara and I are alone.

I can't stop looking at her I never thought she would dare be this close to me again actually looking at me. I know that having to spend her day with me is killing her. I would never expect Tiara to be even cordial with me after what I did. I have no clue what to say to her but I can't go on without her. "Would you um possibly… maybe… uh."

"Go ahead and spit it out."

"Would you mind going to lunch with me?"

Tiara raises an eyebrow biting her lip making a direct connection to my groin. She shrugs her shoulders, "I wouldn't mind one condition though."

"Anything."

"We take our cars I might need a quick getaway."

Tiara and I are sat quickly of course just because of who we are. She slides into one side of the booth and slide into the other side.

"It's really weird that you picked this place," Tiara mumbles finally looking up at me.

"Why is that?"

"I've been craving Mexican food."

It's like a stab in the chest even though she didn't mean it that way. I would've known what she was craving if we were together and not living apart because of my stupidity. "Oh um lucky guess. How's uh that been going?"

"C'mon call it what it is hubby. You meant how has being pregnant with your child been? Well it has been like being with their father, tough but I would rather be stuck with morning sickness than be with you."

"I deserved that."

"And you deserve a lot more."

"I'm Britney I'll be your server for tod- uh for today. What would you like to drink?" The waitress keeps looking at me practically staring making Tiara roll her eyes.

"Ladies first," I try to direct her attention to Tiara but it's not working that well.

"First I would like for you to stop drooling over my husband and second I would like a sweet tea no lemon."

I can't help but smile at Britney's reaction, "Water with lemon for me please."

Britney nods her head and walks off.

"Was that necessary?" I ask repeating the same words she said to me.

"Like you wouldn't have done the same thing?"

"Good point well-made Mrs. Somerhalder. I know this is going to sound stupid but how are you feeling?"

Tiara takes a deep breath searching for the right words making my heart break. "I'm anything but fine. I feel like the sun has set and not risen since the day I found out about your infidelity. Ian, I'm in perpetual night here."

My eyes widen, did she just quote Christian Grey? Damn I really have fucked her up.

"Then we feel the same."

"Ready to order?" Britney comes back with our drinks not daring to look at me.

"Uh yeah can I have the taco salad with shrimp no guacamole and Tacos al Carbon no guacamole."

"And for you sir?"

"Um the Sizzling Burrito pinto beans not refried."

She takes our menus, "I'll have that right out."

"I've missed you… really missed you Tiara. The past few days have been… difficult." I chuckle at myself already altering the truth, "The last week has been the worst of my life the pain almost indescribable. Nothing has come close to the pain that I feel. Yes the truth has come out but it shouldn't change anything. I love you I would've married you the day I saw you walking across the street. I might not have known what I was getting into but I knew everything I wanted I would find in you and I have."

Tiara's eyes glisten with unshed tears looking down at her hands on the table. "You can tell yourself that it didn't change anything for you but for me it has. We have always had trouble with communication even when we were just friends. Maybe you think that I'm constantly holding the past against you but how can I not? You repeat everything we repeat everything. You hold back on what you're thinking what you really want to say then unload it all at once and expect me to be okay with it. Fine in the beginning I thought it was because I had to earn your trust and break those walls down but this always happens. You withhold the truth, unload it on me, we argue, I leave. We've known each other for about a year no matter how much it doesn't feel like it and within that year we have repeated this cycle over and over again."

"I know baby I don't want you to leave and I don't want us to get to that point. Whenever I put myself in your shoes and try to grasp what you are thinking that is what pushes me to tell you everything."

"If you truly understood my point of view you would understand what you truly mean to me the impact you have on me. You don't realize the full measure of what you have done."

"I know I've hurt you that I don't even deserve to ask you for your forgiveness. That I don't deserve to love you I don't deserve the privilege of owning your heart because I surely haven't taken care of you. What motivates me the most to fix myself is the fear of hurting you further and it will affect our child."

Tiara wipes away a lone tear, "I loved you with everything that I had that I was and I had you to thank for my self-esteem and I have you to thank for ripping it away. I feel like I am nothing without you, you were the thing that gave me the power that made me feel loved, wanted, beautiful, sexy, smart, and just a true strong woman."

"But you are all those things without me."

"It doesn't matter if I don't feel that way."

I take a deep breath running my fingers through my hair trying to avoid crying my heart out but that's impossible because I obviously don't have one. "You said loved as if you don't love me anymore."

"I feel empty… I feel nothing. On a good day I'll say I hate you on a truthful day I'll say I love you but being with you pains me I don't think I can handle the pain anymore."

After this chapter we are going to start skipping around in the pregnancy because I want to get through this I didn't expect to already be at 100 pages and by the looks of it I will be at 200! There is more drama coming yes I know you thought that wasn't possible but it is:) Review, favorite, follow, leave suggestions, ask questions, and spread the word pelase and thank you!:)))