After a couple of months being married to El, I never heard about my parents. They did wrong to me; they were not perfect, and honestly, I was not a perfect child to them either, but I miss having breakfast or dinner with them, going out with my mom, and playing golf with my dad. I was still locked in this big but suffocating room. Its color was still vibrant, while my life lost its color and joy. The little plant that was accidentally rooted on the wall outside of the window grew a little more. The last time I checked it out, it had only 3 leaves and a sensitive bud, yet now it has grown up into a fine green plant with 7 leaves, not including the little bud on its tip. I was quite jealous of that plant; it was growing while I was here, stuck and feeling worthless. I can't live a productive life while the plant contributes a little beauty to the gray wall. I was living in a mansion; the room was big, tidy, and beautiful, but it was sucking my energy and my happiness.As I stood up
"Why have you bothered to bring me here, El?”“Are you crazy? Of course, I don't want you to die inside my mansion,” he answered.I laughed sarcastically in a lower pitch. I looked at the door, sneaking to the little glass part of it. “That's far from what you really want, El.”“What's funny?”I suddenly felt how a little pain in my veins demanded my attention. There was a needle in it, which served as an instrument to make the liquid from the container above my head travel to every branch of my veins. “I thought I would never see the outside world again. Well, I think it's a good idea to starve myself so that I will collapse and you will bring me to the outside world, El.”“If it was me, I wouldn't bring you here, but the maids rattled off to know that you collapsed.”“They were all good to me and human-hearted, unlike someone standing here beside me,” I whispered, wishing he hadn't heard it. “I have no heart for you, Valerie. Do not expect me to give you a tiny pity.” His cold a
Silence ruled inside the car. I am looking out the window, folding the papers from the hospital, thinking about what the nurse said.I am pregnant. I am carrying the child of the man who brought me to hell.I have El’s child inside my womb. It makes me sick in the head, thinking what I will do about this creature that will probably grow inside of me. Tears were freely rolling on my face, helping me to release the anxiety I have. A whole part of me aches because I know he will never accept the child I am carrying now. I can't let this child, if the time comes, experience the rigor of El. I can't help but wish for my own flesh to be saved from being the subject of his uncharitable treatment. “It's beautiful outside, ma'am. I guess you should be enjoying this moment before going back to the mansion.”Martin was right. It's beautiful here; there are people walking on the street, friends laughing together, children whining about something they want to have but their parents never gave t
A noise from a furious car echoed inside my ears. I thought it would be my end. Because I wanted to escape, I was out of my mind and tried to cross the street, having no time to realize that there were plenty of vehicles, hurrying to get to their destination.My hands suddenly brought up to hold my tummy that is yet to grow. A hand gripped my shoulder, pulling me to the side street. “Ma'am, are you trying to kill yourself?!” Martin's voice reminded me about what's going on. “Where are you going, by the way?!” The driver that almost hit me went out, yelling at me. What I had gone through in El’s mansion gave so much trauma to me. The driver seemed to be angry because of what I did. I could hear my husband's thundering voice from the driver's shouts.“I'm sorry, s-sir. I-It is really an accident. I-I…”“You're stupid, little wench! If you want to die! Die alone and don't cause a burden to others!”“That's enough, sir. She's just new here. Please do not raise your voice at her.” Marti
“I'm glad to see you have appetite, ma'am,” Amia said, glaring at me as I ate the fruit and vegetable salad she brought up here. I do this for my child. I can't starve because it will affect him. My child might even be harmed if I don't follow the doctor's advice. “What else do you need, ma'am?”I finished eating and drinking milk. I leaned back and looked at her. Her eyes showed the happiness she felt. I thought Amia was not going to take good care of me after I yelled at her while I was taking my anger out on God. But she was still here; she took care of me even better. “I don't need anything more, Amia. The truth is that I want you to leave me here so that I can rest.”She took the things on the table and put them on the tray with a smile. “If that's what you want, ma'am.”Amia turned back on me. I remembered that I had never thanked her. I cleared my throat, and she turned to me. “Amia, thank you for the delicious food. I am very happy,” I said with a sincere smile on my lip
The next day he went to the room, making me think about what he was doing here. “Woman, some maids will come up here to assist you, making yourself presentable. We are going to an important occasion. I am going to attend a party later tonight; around 10 PM we should be there at the venue,” he said, not at all excited. However, I was happy; tears rolled down my face when he said that. Finally, I can go out again. I immediately stood up and approached him. I suddenly grabbed his chest; later on, my fingers traveled until they were together and locked on his back. With the joy I felt, I suddenly hugged El; I forgot even for a moment my anger towards him. He's letting me see the outside world again, and that is something to be grateful for as someone who hasn't been out to parties and occasions for a quite long time. “El, thank you very much for taking me out with you. You know that I haven't been to occasions like that in a long time, right?”He grabbed my shoulders and distanced me
“This way, sir,” the attendant immediately said when we arrived at the venue. My hand was holding El's arm. I don't know why my husband doesn't seem to want to let go of my hand that was holding on him even for a second. I just thought that his actions are just for the show; he pretends to be sweet to me even though the truth is that he is irritated and wants to separate me from him. “The Cupid and his Psyche are here!”Someone shouted happily; it led me to become more excited. “Mister Suarez, you had a great date tonight.”“She's damn gorgeous.”“And sexy!”“Everyone, that's why I haven't let her go to parties with me these past months because I am afraid that others will always see her. You know, any man who has a beautiful and sexy wife feels the same way.”Because of what he said, my face turned red. I'm disgusted with myself because even though I know that he will hurt me again when it's just the two of us, I become weak with his simple words, even though all of that is not tr
From earlier on our trip home to the mansion, he was quiet; it was so peaceful inside the car. He still didn't speak until we walked through the mansion's wide living room and climbed the glittering staircase. I only heard the sound of our steps, but no words were uttered by my jealous husband.“Come inside now, Valerie,” he said coldly. Finally, he said words. I walked inside the room and passed by him, facing the quiet bed.The sound of the door closing was soft. I was surprised because of his behavior. He was gentle in his actions, something that made me think that it was really refreshing.I thought he was going to yell at me again now or he was going to hurt me physically. But that was not what he did, because he just showed me his very cold treatment. I disdained to face him and stare into his eyes. Only half of his face was covered with a gray and luxurious mask. The tip of his pointed nose was sticking out, and I could see his pink lips. There was a storm raging inside of h
I let a few sighs escape from my lungs. I massaged my neck and immediately got up from my bed. Knocks from the door pushed me to stand up and go towards the door to open it for whoever is behind it. “Auntie?! G-Good morning,” I said, covering my mouth because I grabbed a few bottles of tequila last night from his wine storage after I swam in the pool. “Sweetie, you have visitors.”My eyes narrowed, trying to remember if there were people I expected to visit me. As far as I remember, I don't accept visitors at auntie's mansion because of my respect for her, and I don't have many friends either. Even Eli, my boyfriend, didn't expect him to come here today. Foval entered my mind, so I smiled at auntie. “Oh, auntie, is my son here? Damn. How can I face him when I'm like this? My hair is messy, and I still smell like tequila.”“Sweetie, it's not Foval.”“Auntie, if it wasn't Foval who would visit me and Eli, I wouldn't have expected anyone else. Apparently I never invited anyone to come
I moved around on top of the bed, looking at what position could make me fall asleep. Until this late night, Eli's words can't get out of my mind. I thought of him as a shallow man who only wanted to get the things he wanted through money, but he became someone who became deep.I decided to just head to the pool, and as usual, I'm carrying a bottle of tequila going there. I sat on the edge of the pool and gently dipped my two feet in the water, asking it to take all the anxiety that's bothering me.My feet were playing with the water while my hands were busy preparing for a drink to savor in my mouth.When I have the goblet in my hand, I put it beside me, sighing out of frustration that enslaved me.I heard footsteps approaching me. When I turned to see who it was, I saw auntie's feet. She sat next to me and immediately dipped her feet in the water.“What bothers you, sweetie?”“It's the situation that I have, auntie. Eli told me to forgive Eldifonso. But it's hard for me to do that.
He was leaning on his car, looking at the sun that colored the sky orange. It was beautiful to stare at, but what's more beautiful is the love that I have for Eli. Even if others told me that he was not true to me, hiding his agenda from me, and doing something that would probably be a dirty one, I didn't think about that. He's someone I can talk to and who is comfortable to open up everything that I keep inside my heart.I don't care if he was the notorious villain or if he was the Hades of today, because he shows me the love and care that no one does. He said his words from his heart, even though sometimes I can't seem to accept them or be ready to hear them.“Why do you often bring me here, Eli?”“A rich woman like you is fed up with restaurants and other prestigious places to have a date at, Valerie. Another one, it is better here because rarely anyone goes here. I will only stare at you the whole time I want. Because I don't want someone else staring at you.”I stood up and looke
Foval was on the front of the crowd, cheering for me and his evil father, who was with me inside the sack. I was quiet, but Eldifonso kept shouting, claiming that we would win this sack race. “Me and my wife will win in this game!” he said loudly and proudly. “Eldifonso, can you please shut your mouth?”“Calm down, my wife. I will win this fight for you and for Foval,” he whispered to me. “Do whatever you want, but don't shout about it as if we're happy as a married couple. Don't you feel awkward?”“Awkward? I feel happy, Val. Look at us; we are inside the sack, close to each other, like we were under the same blanket.”He was too close to me to the extent that I sometimes feel the bulge in his pants whenever he faces the crowd on the right side. “You're the only one who's happy,” I whispered, gripping to the end of the sack. Why doesn't the game just start so that it ends immediately? “The rules of the game are only one; the couple that falls cannot continue to the finish line,
I was standing beside the pillar on the veranda of my room, holding the phone on my head, talking with my son, and looking at the moon that was trying to free herself from the clouds covering her light.“Mommy, when are you coming home to the mansion? I want to be with you, and daddy said he wants you back too. You should stay here with us so that we will be complete and a happy family.”I sighed. My son doesn't know what's going on around him; he wants me to go back to the mansion where I got so traumatized. Honestly, I can't imagine myself ever stepping foot in that place. That mansion was like a haunted house; I was haunted by my own dark past there. “Baby, let it go, and tomorrow I will talk to your daddy, I will tell him that we need to have an agreement about you.”“Mommy, I want you here with us.”Not even now, but I know that the time will come when my son understands the situation. My son is smart, and I have full confidence that he will understand why his father and I are s
We walked along the beach, holding each other's hands as if we didn't want this moment to end. Sometimes I lean my head on his shoulder as I feel him kiss the top of my head. “I can be a father to your child, Valerie. I promise that I can be the best father to him and the best husband to you. We can create our family away from people who are causing you stress.”“A while ago you were lifting your own chair, Eli Madrigal. You really can't wait to be told the good things others see in you. You always want everything to be fast.”“Don't tell me; you will tell me again that I am somehow similar to Eldifonso Suarez because of the way I behave. I am different from him and what he's doing. I am Eli Madrigal, the lover boy!”I giggled, listening to his words. Our footprints were following us, a lovers mark on the first date they had where they talked about the future and plans they wanted to share with each other. My heart is rejoicing out of every step that we take together, forgetting the
The lights are flashing before my eyes, capturing every detail inside the bar. Eli Madrigal was holding his bottle of beer, staring at the dance floor, where there were some women who occasionally stared at him and laughed, showing motives to him. I rolled my eyes, thinking bad about those filthy and bitchy women. I thought of going to them and slapping them one by one to wake them up from their fantasies. Eli cleared his throat and looked at me. “What's with the long face and one raised brow, Valentina? I thought we were here to have fun because your life is such a mess?”“Yes, Eli. But I still want a commotion because of what you're doing,” I said. I laugh at myself; I'm jealous even though Eli is not my boyfriend. He's not doing anything either, but I feel like he's flirting with the women here at the bar. “What am I doing besides just standing here and accompanying you while you're quiet there and all of a sudden your mood changes?”“Oh, really? Is that all you did?” I asked h
“Sweetie?! What happened?!”I ran upstairs, neglecting to face my aunt, who was after me. I sped up my steps even more when I noticed that she was getting closer to me. I immediately entered my room and locked the door. The weight of my feelings cannot be compared even to the world. My tears are not planning to stop from coming out of my eyes; my flesh was shaking, and my heart was beating faster than ever. I'm angry! That's all I know now. I'm disappointed in myself because what I wanted didn't happen. I want him to stare at me, dropping his jaw, wishing his instant death because of the shock of seeing me. I pulled out my hair when I remembered his reaction earlier; he wasn't surprised at all, yet happiness to see me without a mask on was visible in his eyes. “Die, Eldifonso Suarez! Die!” I shouted over and over inside my room. Auntie was knocking, and her concern for me was heard in her fast and loud knocking. She was certainly curious about what happened at the venue where I rev
These previous days, it was like I was always floating in the air, like a bird flying freely and a hen hearing every "twit" of her little chicks. I talked to Foval, and as he wanted, I did talk to his teacher and was told that I could not attend family day because of my busy schedule.“Mommy, it's really good that you talked to my teacher. My classmates tease me that my mommy is imaginary! They even say that daddy is weird.”“Why is your daddy weird?”“Anyone would think he's weird. He always wears a mask, even when he's at home.”I sat up straight from leaning on the backrest of the leather chair. “You haven't seen your daddy's face yet?”“No one does, mommy. That's why I called you today to ask if you've seen daddy's face. Why is he wearing a mask? He should take it off so my classmates don't tease me that my father is weird! I'm kinda sick of them calling me having weird parents!”Why is that? Why can't even his son see Eldifonso's face? His secret is deep, and I will make him unf