CHAPTER I: A "NOT-SO-PERFECT" LIFE

SHE was catching her breath while clutching the steering wheel tightly. Even though it was cold, she was sweating profusely, and her heartbeat had tripled. She'd never been so terrified or hysterical in her life. It felt like her heart was on the verge of collapsing.

"No, no! This can't be happening! This can't be true!" she cried, violently wiping away her tears.

She didn't want what happened, and it wasn't her intention to do something like that.

She wasn't a bad person, and she would never hurt anyone on purpose.

"I'm not at fault! I'm not at fault!" she exclaimed repeatedly.

They forced me to do it! They made me a horrible person!

She was not guilty, that's for sure. She was a good person that's why the people around her thought it was okay to hurt her. They thought they could get away with it because she would simply forgive them for their mistakes. They were, however, mistaken.

She was just nice, but she was not stupid.

They played with her and made her look like a fool. She was the victim. So no one can hold her accountable if she made a mistake today. Her actions were justified because she was hurt. She was betrayed by the people around her.

She got out of the car and looked at the woman who was lying on the road. It was so dark in that area that only grasses could be seen on both sides of the road. Because there wasn't even a single pole there, only the car's headlights and the moon provided them light.

It was, indeed, the ideal setting to end a war.

"Elena, please.... don't do this," the woman said weakly.

"Shut up!" she yelled angrily, pointing her gun at her.

"You're not a bad person. Don't let your anger consume you."

Instead of calming down, she became even more enraged. She had no right to say such things. She had no idea who she was or what she was capable of.

"I said, shut up!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She became even more perplexed. "You don't know me!"

"I know you're not a bad person; you're just hurt."

"I'm just hurt?" she sarcastically exclaimed. "I'm not just hurt, I'm broken! I'm devastated! I was betrayed by my own husband because of a bitch like you!"

"Listen—"

"No, you listen to me!" Anger was consuming her system, and she couldn't stop it. Her breathing became increasingly frantic. She tried to calm herself, but she failed miserably. She could no longer contain her rage. "This ends here."

"W-what... what do you mean?"

"The world is too crowded for the two of us. I can't live in a world where you exist!"

"Are you insane?!"

"No, I'm not. You're the one who's insane because you hit on a married man!"

"Get over it, okay? You're still the wife, aren't you? He didn't leave you. So stop acting like a victim because you're not miserable!"

She pulled out a gun and fired it into the air. The woman cried out in fear. She, in turn, felt even heavier. She needed to do something to feel better. The weight she felt had to be removed.

"You ruined our marriage! You ruined our family!" She cried when she thought about everything that had happened. Her life was a mess because of that bitch. "So you will pay for all your sins!"

"Do you really think killing me would fix everything?" she asked in a meaningful tone.

"No, but it will make me feel better. I will not allow you to avoid paying for your sins. I will be your most cruel karma."

She was taken aback when the woman burst out laughing.

"I didn't expect you to be this stupid," she exclaimed, still laughing. "Do you think it'll all come to an end when I die?"

"Of course! You're the only one who's destroying my... our... lives!"

"You're completely unaware of what's going on. I pity you!"

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Killing me will not solve anything! Your suffering will not end with my death. In fact, your trials are just beginning, and you will be even more miserable very soon."

"Just get to the fuckin' point!"

"I am not the real villain here."

"Do you seriously think you can fool me again? No matter what you say, I will never trust you! You seduced my husband and betrayed me. What makes you think I'll believe anything you say?"

"You don't have to trust me," she said, smiling meaningfully. "But I'm telling you, I'm not the enemy you should get rid of. In fact, my presence shouldn't bother you at all. There's someone out there you should be wary of."

The woman was talking in riddles, but she admitted that what she said had an effect on her. She felt a strange nervousness that she couldn't explain. But no, why would she believe her? Why would she feel bothered by a traitor's word? She was just deceiving her and she wouldn’t let her succeed any more!

"You're insane if you think I'll believe you! You deceived me once, and you won't fool me again. I'm not as foolish or weak as you think."

"I'm not going to force you to believe me, but don't blame me if you find out I'm right. You've been warned, and it's up to you whether or not you take my warning."

She tightened her grip on the gun while shaking her head.

"No, no... I won't believe you. This is where I'm going to put an end to this."

"There's someone out there who wants to destroy you, someone who is stronger and more powerful than you."

"You're really—"

"She's back."

She had no words for how she felt when she heard that. She was perplexed since she didn't recognize the person she was addressing. However, something told her that a threat was approaching. A part of her believed what she said, that she was being pursued by a dangerous opponent. Well, that was not going to happen. She was willing to go to any length to protect herself and those she cared about.

"W- who's... who's back?"

"The innocent person you messed with."

"I-I don't understand."

Her eyes seemed to rotate too quickly, and she passed out. With a loud shout, she closed her eyes and shook her head. She was suffering from a tremendous headache and a pounding in her chest. She felt as if the world was whirling too rapidly for her to keep up with. Throughout it all, she could hear a woman laughing loudly and demonically. The woman's voice had a disturbingly familiar ring to it. She opened her eyes and turned to stand up before she could figure out who it was.

She was in her bedroom, and the sun was shining brightly on her face. She stroked her aching chest and took a deep breath.

Calm down, it was just a bad dream.

But why did it feel so real? As if there was a threat lurking over her? Oh no, that's impossible. She should not be upset. Who would even return to annihilate her? Above all, she had the best and most devoted husband on the planet. She'll never be fooled by him.

"You're awake."

He was standing on the glass door between the bedroom and the patio when she noticed him. He was still in his white pajamas, shirtless, and carrying a cup of coffee and a newspaper. What a beautiful way to begin her day. Seeing the man she loved the most when she got up in the morning was one of her favorite experiences as a wife. It was more than enough for her.

"Good morning," he greeted her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Get up. We have a long day today. "

"Of course, today is the day that we've been waiting for."

"Yes, 'hon." He put the coffee and newspaper on the bedside table and sat down next to her. He caressed her face until his hands moved towards her chest, down to her abdomen. "It's finally happening."

"All of your hard work has finally paid off." She found it hard to speak because of what her husband was doing to her body. She seemed to be electrified by the sensation she felt, even more so when he started kissing her neck.

He whispered in her ear, bringing shivers down to her spine, "I wouldn't have gotten this far if it hadn't been for you. You made me believe that I can be more than who I was, and you made me refuse to accept anything less. You pushed me to work hard and achieve my goals."

"Because you deserve more, 'hon," she said, gently claiming his lips. "You are a very hardworking and passionate person who deserves to succeed and be the best version of yourself, and I will always be here to support you."

"I love you, Mrs. Salameda."

"I love you more, Mr. Salameda."