My Ex Next Door

Anna was exhausted with all the practises they've done today, tomorrow night will be her bachelorette party, and she's planning to invite her best friend Daniella, even though they haven't seen each other for five years, they always communicate through message or video call.

After taking a shower, she lay her body on the bed with the robe around her body.

Suddenly, her window opened, her eyes widened with shock to see Daniella entered her room through the window.

Her whole face lit up with excitement, "Daniella" she called out her name, but the woman's expression was too dark, darker than the night outside.

Anna screwed up her face out of confusion; the woman is standing by the window with her hand crossed.

"Anna" she could hear the coldness in Daniella's voice, making her skin to shiver.

"What is it?" she walks to her direction but Daniella asked her to stand still.

"Do you know why Novie left?" her questions made Anna's body hardened, she gulped repeatedly and lowered her head.

"What are you talking about?" she stuttered.

"You are my friend Anna, that's why I came here before going to my brother" Anna could feel her heart tightening, she started sweating after realizing that Daniella must have known the truth.

"Be straight to me Daniella" she gave up, there's no reason to lie anymore if Daniella already knows the truth.

"We both know what I am talking about, so please Anna. Tell Ken the truth, and if he still wants to marry you, then I will not interfere" With those words, the tears that she has been holding dropped.

She knows that one day Ken will find out the truth, but she was hoping it will be after he loves her, not now.

Anna walks to Daniella's direction and held her hand, her eyes flooded with tears.

"Please Daniella, don't do this. I love him and if I tell him the truth now, he will hate me" she said in between her sobs but Daniella's face remained blank, no emotion.

"You're my friend Daniella, please I am begging, I will tell him the truth but not now" she continued, but Daniella pulled her hands and glared at her.

"Don't use that friend card to me, you lost it five years ago. And you know what, Novie didn't hurt Ken, you and his mother did it," she yelled at her.

Anna hardened her face and tried to fight back her tears from flowing again, she thought that she spent five years trying to replace Novie to Ken's heart, and she knows that she's getting closer.

"It's your fault for pushing Ken to me. I already gave up then you came and gave me false hope and now that I finally have a chance to be with him, you want me to leave him? Daniella, if you have a conscience, then give me time" she stated and turned her back. She doesn't want to talk to Daniella anymore, suddenly she realized why Bea asked her to avoid Daniella, now she understands.

The woman opened the window but before leaving, Daniella said something that made her knee weakened.

"I know it's my fault for pushing Ken to you, but it's not my fault he could not love you. I talked to him, and I know that he's still in love with Novie." She stops and sighed.

"Ken had never been with any woman since Novie left, so when he finds out and I am sure he will, I can't even imagine what he'll do to you"

Then just like how she came, Daniella left her room by jumping out of the window.

Anna slumped her body on the floor, she covered her eyes with a hand and thought of Ken's reaction once he finds out.

Then she stood up and decided to visit her fiance.

–

Ken was still in his office, there's so much paper he needs to review and since he will be busy with the wedding, he decided to work extra, but and also to remove Novie's face in his mind.

Now that he's back in the city, his mind keeps urging him to check on Novie, but he tries to fight back. He doesn't know whether she still loves him or not, or if she's with someone else. He can always send someone to check but he's too coward, he's uncertain how he will react if ever Novie is with someone, especially if she's married.

His hand itched to call the man he assigned to protect her, but he knows better that it's useless, if Novie wants him back, she would have called by now, since their engagement has been in the news magazines and internet.

He took his coat and decided to continue tomorrow but the door slammed opened and Anna came in with tears in her eyes.

His eyebrow creased with confusion, "What happened?" he asked but the woman closed the door and run to his direction, embracing him.

Her cry filled the four walls of his office, and he could feel that she's hurting.

His eyes shut, he'd never seen her like this, for the past five years she has been beside him, supporting him and he treated her as one of his friends.

He put his hand on her shoulder and stared at her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a soft tone, he pitied her, she's been in love with him since high school, but he couldn't reciprocate her love.

Anna shook her head and buried her face to Ken's chest once again.

He brushed her hair, and sighed, "Is it about the wedding? don't you want to continue?" he asked her but the woman shook her head.

"Anna I am not a mind reader, so you will need to speak so I can help you" he started to feel pissed, all he wanted was to go home but now he needs to stay and calm her down.

The woman slumped her body on the floor and buried her face to her hands, sobbing.

Ken shut his eyes, he already had an idea why she's crying. He squatted on the floor and took her hand.

"I made it clear to you before, I will need to adjust," he said while wiping her tears.

"Ken" she called his name in a crack voice, "Tell me, do you love me? Even a little? Did you ever feel something? Or anything?" she continued.

Ken sat on the floor and stared at her, his eyes gloom with confusion.

"You're my friend Anna, I can't assure you that I will love you fully but after we get married, I will try to erase her in my mind and be a loyal husband to you" he replied, his heart aches but he needs to face the reality, Novie is not coming back. As he said those words, Anna's lips curved up a smile.

"Thank you" she replied and lean closer to his face but Ken stood up, avoiding her.

She shut her eyes, she's been trying to get close to him but he's too aloof.