Daphne arrives at Donny's office and Maria, his secretary, greets her warmly. Daphne is aware that the office is not the best place to break up with him, but the phone is not the most appropriate means for having that talk either, so she hasn't called him and has headed directly for his workplace. Moreover, she doesn't want to wait until the end of his working hours to carry out the extremely unpleasant task. Better get it over with as soon as possible.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Moon. He's inside. A client has just left ahead of schedule and Mr. Douglas's next appointment isn't due for another half hour," Maria informs with a knowing smile, but then she must have percevived something in Daphne's face, because her own expression becomes a bit worried. "Are you all right, Ms. Moon? Do you want a coffee?," the secretary offers solicitously. She's a kind, discreet and efficient woman Daphne has grown fond of in these last months. "No, thank you, Maria. I'm all right. I need to talk to him."
Maria nods and turns her attention back to her computer and papers, seemingly having decided wisely that her boss' and his fiancée's private matters are none of her business. Daphne walks to the office door and knocks, like she's done a few times in the past. But this time, she's dreading the conversation to come.
"Daphne, is it you? Come in," his muffled voice invites her from inside. Maria always announces his clients and other visitors through the intercom, so he knows that someone knocking must be Daphne in all probability.
She opens the door and enters. His office is the usual chaos of documents, clothes and other items spread haphazardly over the surfaces. That feature used to amuse her, at the beginning. The contrast between the shockingly messy man and the amazingly efficient lawyer. But over the months, the appeal of it has diminished significantly, especially when she'd started to spend more and more time at his apartment and virtually cohabit with him, and his sloppy way of living had clashed with her much tidier nature. She isn't a freak of order, but she finds very difficult to live with someone who doesn't have the slightest consideration for it. That has led to some fights between them and him trying to get away with it through jokes and to charm her into forgiving him, but he's only humored her for a few days every time before returning to his chaotic self, and she's grown tired.
On the other hand, Niles is so tidy, so neat, always elegant even when he's wearing casual clothes, and he smells so good, clean and masculine, with a mix of his cologne, aftershave, shampoo, body wash and himself. Donny hardly cares for his own appearance and his disregard for propriety might have been funny at first, but with time, Daphne has found it less and less sexually appealing, to the point that these last weeks she has found excuses to avoid sex with him sometimes. She's chalked it up to wedding jitters, but deep inside she's realized the reasons clearly: that she has fallen out of love with him because she had already fallen in love with Niles.
Donny stands up at the sight of her. "Hi, darling. What is it this time? If I had known that this wedding was going to turn into such a nightmare, I'd have simply kidnapped you to elope together, and to hell with Frasier's generosity," he quips (Frasier is the one to pay for a wedding that isn't going to happen now, and that's another reason why Daphne feels so guilty, because she's made him waste so much money for nothing), but then, just when he is going to kiss her, Donny notices her expression and stops midway. She is grateful for that, because it feels wrong to kiss him after acknowledging her love for Niles. "Is something wrong, darling? But take a seat, by all means."
She complies and fidgets with her hands. "Donny, I... I can't marry you. I've realized that I'm in love with someone else. I've been for a while, but it's been hard to admit it even to myself," she confesses, as straightforward as she's able to be. When breaking someone's heart, it's better not to beat around the bush.
Donny looks aghast, and he stumbles. "What? How has that happened, Daphne? And who is him?," he asks in a threatening, cold tone which he hasn't ever aimed at her before until this very moment. She's been witness to his ruthlessness as a divorce lawyer, but out of his work he's always been a sweet and tender man to her. Well, not right now, it seems, and with reason.
She inhales deeply. "It's happened gradually, so gradually that I haven't realized until just a few weeks ago. But it was already there. And... And the man I love is Niles," she drops, bracing herself for his reaction.
He doesn't disappoint. "Niles? That traitor? I help him get rid for good of that battleaxe he had for a wife, and for far less money than his former bloodsuckers were bleeding him, and this is how he thanks me? Stealing my fiancée right under my nose?"
Daphne musters all her patience, but she knows that she's not the best at keeping her cool in these situations. "Donny, he hasn't stolen me. I'm not property to be stolen. I'm my own person and I choose freely."
"And you've chosen him, clearly," Donny replies bitterly.
"It hasn't happened in the blink of an eye. But yes, I've chosen him. It turns out he's been in love with me secretly for years, but he's shy and has never found the chance to confess it. He's tried to move forward with Mel, but it was also a delusion, a desperate attempt to get over me... I found out by third parties about his feelings for me, and... I've also loved him, been in love with him for long, but I haven't been aware of it until recently. Donny, when I started to date you, I truly liked you, believe me. And I've come to love you. But I'm not in love with you. There's a difference, and I've only come to realize it these weeks, gradually. I'm very sorry, Donny. You deserve much better. It isn't my intention to hurt you, though I know that it's unavoidable. I care for you a lot and the last thing I wish for is to make you suffer," she assures, looking straight into his dark eyes.
His shoulders sag in defeat, and he sighs loudly. "Daphne, I've noticed that things haven't been going well between us lately, but I've deluded myself into believing that it was all due to the wedding. I was scared of the truth, because I didn't want to lose you. But I suppose that I can't lose someone whose heart has never been mine in the first place." He looks so sad, so defeated, that her heart aches for him.
She reaches for his hand and he doesn't rebuff her gesture. "Donny, you are a wonderful man and you can make the right woman very happy one day. I'm sure you'll find her. And I'm sorry that I'm not that woman. If I could change things, I would, but my heart is already taken by another and I regret that I've made you believe that there was a future for us. For a while, I also believed it. But it simply was an illusion, and it wasn't meant to be."
Donny nods, pursing his lips resignedly. "Drop by my place when it suits you to collect your things, I'll have them ready for you to grab them and take them away." He makes a pause. "Well, this is goodbye then."
"I guess it is. You'll always be a great friend and a cherished memory, Donny, and I'm glad of having shared all these months with you. I don't regret what we've had." She squeezes his hand, and he squeezes back.
"I don't regret it either. One single day. You've made me very happy, and that's something no one can take from me, not even Niles. By the way, tell him that he's a lucky bastard."
They chuckle between tears. "I will," she promises with a grin.
He then hesitates. "I somehow have known from the start about his feelings for you. Remember when I was looking into Niles's past during his divorce process, and we all had to go over the episode at the Snow Ball, because Maris's lawyers were going to bring it up in court? I knew then. I knew that it hadn't been a pretense on his part. He would have needed to be made of stone to be so close to you for years and not fall for you. The Snow Ball simply confirmed what I didn't want to see. I was already falling for you myself. I had to try my luck with you."
She hugs him, and he returns the hug. "I'm glad you did." She pulls back and stares into his eyes once more. "Take care of yourself, Donny Douglas. And be happy."
"You too, Daphne Moon. See you around," he says in farewell.
"See you around," she echoes.
Daphne turns around and he walks her to the door to open it for her. She looks at him one last time with a sad smile and departs.
She hears the door being closed softly behind her.