Daniel buried himself in work. His office became his escape, a place where he could drown out thoughts of Emma and the betrayal he felt. He took on more meetings, extended his hours, and pushed himself harder than ever. His staff suffered under his mood swings, bearing the brunt of his short temper and unreasonable demands.
He worked late into the nights, barely sleeping.
Every evening, after leaving the office, he drove straight to the gym, barely acknowledging anyone as he stormed into the training area. He wrapped his hands tightly, pulling the boxing gloves over them with force as if preparing for battle. And in a way, he was. The punching bag became Michael. It became his frustration, his unanswered questions, and his pain.
Each punch was fueled by anger, by the image of Emma's tear-streaked face, by the sickening smirk on Michael's lips. His muscles ached, sweat poured down his back, but he didn't stop. He didn't want to stop. He wanted to exhaust himself to the point where he felt nothing.
"Damn, man, you're going hard tonight," one of the gym regulars, a tall, muscular guy named Troy, commented as he paused in his own workout. "You trying to kill that thing?"
Daniel barely spared him a glance before throwing another punch, his knuckles slamming into the bag with a satisfying thud.
"Not in the mood to talk bro," he muttered, his breath heavy.
Troy shrugged. "Suit yourself. But whatever's got you like this? Might be time to talk it out instead of taking it out on an inanimate object. I am damn sure it's about a shawty"
Daniel ignored him, continuing to pummel the bag. But even as he did, his mind kept replaying Emma's expression when he had left her standing outside her apartment. The hurt in her eyes. The desperation in her voice. He wanted to reconcile badly but he didn't want his emotions to make him make this wrong decisions.
He pushed harder, throwing a brutal uppercut, then a sharp left hook. The force of it sent the bag swinging wildly.
Women in the gym had started noticing him. Some had been eyeing him previously, but his recent intensity only made him more intriguing. One particularly bold woman, a tall brunette with toned arms and a bright smile, approached him between sets.
"You train like a man possessed, it's wild and I like wild things" she said with a flirtatious grin, brushing her damp hair off her forehead.
Daniel, still panting, unwrapped the bandages from his hands. "Not interested," he said flatly, his tone leaving no room for further conversation.
She raised a brow, clearly taken aback, then chuckled. "Well, if you change your mind, I'm around." She winked before walking off.
He didn't bother watching her go. He wasn't here for that.
When he finished his session, his body felt drained, but his mind was still chaotic. The workouts weren't enough to silence his thoughts. They only masked the pain for a while before it came creeping back in.
By the time he left the gym, the night air was cool against his skin, but it did nothing to ease the heat of his turmoil. He sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel, battling with himself.
Did he overreact? Was he too harsh? On a second thought he wondered if he was trying to make excuses for her. Is that how much deeply he had fallen for her?
His phone sat on the passenger seat, Emma's name still sitting at the top of his missed calls. She had called so many times, yet he had ignored every single one.
A part of him wanted to call her back.
The other part, the angry, wounded part, wasn't ready.
***
One afternoon, Daniel's mom arrived at his office unannounced, stepping into his space with her usual grace. She placed her handbag on his desk and took a seat opposite him, watching as he pretended to be busy with emails.
"Daniel," she said firmly.
He sighed, leaning back. "Mom, you didn't tell me you were coming by."
She tilted her head. "You don't look good, I heard rumors from the staff that you're going through heartbreak."
Daniel stiffened, his jaw tightening. "There's nothing to tell."
His mother wasn't fooled. "If there was nothing, you wouldn't look like a man who hasn't slept in days. You're punishing your staff, and I'm sure you've been torturing yourself too."
Daniel rubbed his temple. "It's complicated."
"Then uncomplicate it. Oops, I mean, make it less complicated." She laughed wryly.
He clenched his fists, but before he could respond, the telephone rings, he takes the call and it's on speaker. "Sir, a lady named Ava is here to see you," his secretary says
Daniel sighed but nodded. "Tell her to give some minutes."
"Ava? That's not the girl I met in your kitchen"
"Mom please, stop doing this. I'm trying to get things sorted out. Don't make it hard for me."
"Okay, fine. Just take care of yourself. I came to check on my lovely son" she embraces him and kissed him on his cheeks, he returned the embrace feeling very emotional.
As soon as she left, Daniel put a call through to his secretary.
Ava walked in, her expression determined. She sat down across from him, folding her arms. "Hi."
He exhaled sharply. "Hi, how is she doing?"
"Not good. The morning sicknesses seem to be more severe." Ava leaned forward. "Michael is a terrible person. He hacked her phone, found out about the pregnancy and has been using it to taunt her. He has no connection to the baby. She loves you, Daniel."
Daniel remained silent, his emotions warring inside him. Ava's words planted a seed of doubt in his anger.
"You know she's…" Ava continued. "She's scared. She's been through a lot. Don't let a bitter ex win by pushing her away."
Daniel exhaled, rubbing his face. He had been so blinded by his anger.
Ava's voice softened. "She's miserable without you. Haven't been eating and I'm scared she may die"
A long pause.
Finally, Daniel looked up. "Where is she?"
Ava smiled. "Waiting for you."