Divorce, Ending, And New Beginning

Deep down in her heart, Gwen knew she was not as carefree or bubbly as she portrayed herself to others.

In the past ten years, she learned many things that turned into habits until time slowly made her carve them into her bones.

One of these was her love for Hayes Gilmore.

Her feelings for him were like a drug she couldn't stop taking. She wanted to quit it now but didn't have the guts to do it yet.

But through Callie's help, she thought that perhaps she could finally end this habit. Meeting a new man sounded right to her.

She stared at the familiar and expensive-looking building in front of her. The first time she went to Grand Oasis, she was determined to end her marriage with Hayes. This time, she was determined to forget him.

Some things in life were really strange in many ways.

Gwen was true to her words when she told Callie that she would drink to forget. Plenty of tequila shots later, she was already staggering as she headed to the dance floor.

She laughed loudly. She had never felt this free and happy!

The lights almost blinded her eyes, but she didn't care. Several bodies squished her on the dance floor, but she continued dancing to the music.

"Woah! You dance so well." A manly voice muttered near her ears.

Gwen turned around, only to find a smiling man dancing behind her.

She tilted her head and stared at him with her intoxicated eyes. The man seemed to be young. Perhaps he was in his early twenties.

He looked attractive as well.

Gwen and the stranger continued dancing together, never breaking their eye contact. Slowly, Gwen's pink lips curled into a smile.

The man smiled at her, too. With just one look or smile, the two instantly understood each other.

This was how clubbing worked. People went there for particular reasons, so it was easy to figure one out.

A few minutes later, Gwen found herself hugging the man's arm as they made their way out of the dancefloor. Even if they were silent, they both stared at the club's exit as they walked.

Still tipsy, Gwen tripped over something and almost landed on the floor. Luckily, the man was fast enough to hold her arms and guide her outside.

By the time they reached the door, someone had bumped Gwen's shoulder with so much force that she almost fell. She stood up straight and looked at the person, but they were already far from her sight. The only thing she saw was blond hair.

She narrowed her eyes and thought that it seemed familiar.

"Let's go?" the man asked her. Gloria retracted her gaze from the dance floor and nodded at him.

Gwen felt soberer as soon as she sat in the man's car. She watched the splendid night view of Merlin City with feelings of confusion and emptiness in her heart.

The man hurriedly swiped the card, and the hotel room door instantly opened. Not even bothering to turn the lights on, he instantly cupped Gwen's cheeks and kissed her.

Gwen went still for a few seconds. Then, she started responding to the man's kisses.

The two of them didn't break their kiss as they traveled to the bed. Their clothes littered the whole place but were too drunk and heated to care.

Suddenly, a series of knocks blared from their door.

The man regretfully broke their kiss. "Wait. I'll check it quickly," he told her as he panted.

Gwen heaved a deep sigh as the man disappeared into the room. Her brows furrowed when she heard some noises from outside.

She sat up on the bed, but the noises suddenly died down. Gwen lay again and stared at the ceiling in a daze.

After a while, someone opened the door. Gwen glanced to see who it was, but the only thing she saw was a tall black figure standing not far from her.

Gwen got out of bed and tried to reach him, but her legs suddenly shook, and she almost fell. The man stretched his hand to prevent her from falling before caging her in his arms.

Gwen raised her head and stared at him. Her drunken eyes sparkled as she stared at the beautiful man in front of her. She let out a soft laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Why? What's wrong? I thought we were having a good time. Want me to teach you some moves?" she whispered alluringly.

The next thing Gwen knew, she was already lying on the bed, with the man hovering over her.

Tears brimmed in her eyes. She stared at the man, but her sight was already blurry.

"Hayes," was the last thing she said before completely losing consciousness.

Gwen woke up with a pounding headache. She fluttered her eyes open and surveyed the unfamiliar room.

Her body froze. Fragments of scenes from last night flooded her mind.

"Are you awake?" A low, hoarse voice muttered behind her.

Gwen blinked, confused why the voice sounded familiar. She slowly turned around and saw who it was.

The sun shone through the windows behind him. The white duvet covered half of his body, but Gwen knew he was naked underneath that fabric. His sleepy gray eyes stared at her face softly. He raised his hand and pressed down on his golden hair.

Before Gwen could open her mouth, he smiled at her and said, "Good morning."

Gwen's eyes widened as her lips parted in shock. As if she had finally regained her senses, she grabbed the blanket and sat up from the bed to cover herself.

Her brain seemed to have stopped functioning as she stared at the man on the bed.

'Oh, God. I'm just dreaming, right?'

The man looked at her innocently, driving her to madness.

"Why are you here?" she screamed.