Chapter 1: El Paraiso

 

Chapter 1

DARK AND COLD night. The wind touched her skin and brought shivers to her body. The opened window was the only source of light in the room. Everything felt so empty and Eura can't say why she's feeling that way.

She roamed her eyes around the room. Finally, she knew what’s—or can we say who’s— the the missing.

It was her husband . . .

“Hunter!” she called his name.

She started panicking. She hurriedly opened the door ro went downstairs to find his husband. She looked in her left, but there’s no sign of him. She shifted her eyes to the right side, but still no him. Eura went of their house, barefooted and with messy hair. A tear escaped in her eyes when she saw her husband.

She saw him . . .

In the middle of a road.

“Hunter, what the hell are you doing there? Let’s go back to sleep, hon!” she shouted. The wind started to create a noisy sound. She felt like she might freeze because of how coldly the wind rushed to her skin. “Hon, it’s getting colder here!” she gently said but Hunter still remain to his place.

Her husband looked at her and gane her a small smile. “I love you . . .” he mouthed.

There’s a glint of sadness in his eyes and she doesn’t know what’s that sadness for.

Is he leaving? It was the question that’s running to Eura’s head. Just by the thought of being left by his husband, she’s trembling. It will be her worst nightmare. She knew, she can’t live without him.

Her eyes widened when all of a sudden, she saw a car approaching to him. Her tears rolled over her face as the car bumped to his body. Then, everything . . . went black.

“Hunteeerrr!”

Eura went out of the bed—it was a nightmare! It was her deceased husband visiting her in her dreams. Those nightmare keeps on reminding her how his death was her fault. Yes, it was her fault. Those nightmare brought sleepless nights to her.

It was a nightmare . . .

Hunter is just a part of her memories of her . . . because he’s dead. He’s not here anymore.

She doesn’t know if she should be happy to see ger husband... even only in dreams, or she should be sad. But one thing is sure, her heart was always broken of it comes to him. Even in a small detail of him, she can remember him—the pain flashed back over and over again.

He broke her heart just like how he broke his promise that he’ll always stay. She can’t do anything but collect her broken pieces, and tried to be okay every single day. She felt like there’s no more reason to live, ’cause even her . . . she’s so sick of herself.

Eura went out of the bed and went inside her bathroom. She realized, it was seven in the morning already. She washed her face and went downstairs to grab a glass of water.

When she went out of the kitchen, she was shocked to see her mother-in-law in the living room. Her eyebrows were arched and she looked at her with full disgusts.

“Oh so you’re enjoying my sons money? So this what you want, huh?” her mother-in-law smirked and gave her a sarcastic laugh.

Eura’s forhead creased. All of the people closed to her knew that she’s far from being okay—she’s the total opposite of that. After Hunter’s death, she never saw herself being okay nor thinks that she can be okay.

“What are you talking about, Ma?” she asked in a flat tone. Eura is trying to calm herself. She doesn’t want to say rude words to her. “You know that I love him so much. His death is my loss . . .”

Her mother-in-law rolled her eyes. She opened her fan and fanned herself. She gave her again a sarcastic laugh. “Stop pretending . . .” she said in Eura’s face, “. . . I know that you’re nothing but a social climber bitch.”

Eura tried to composed herself. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes tightly. “Ma, if you have nothing good to say. Just leave me alo—”

“Why? Are you hurt? Oh well . . . as expected.” She laughed so hard, ridiculing her words. “What should I expect to a social climber like you? Nothing!”

After insulting her, she left with a winning grin. She can’t do anything but to just let her. Eura knew that it will just add more fuel to the fire. Another thing is . . . she doesn’t want to add more stress to herself.

Eura’s mother-in-law only treats her as a trash and she can’t do anything about that because she is her husband’s mother. And the time he accepted Hunter to her life, it was also the time she knew that she needs to embraced his flaws and love the persons he love.

After Hunter’s death, she couldn’t stop crying—if tears can be collected she probably have a swimming pool, a river perhaps. It became her routine, it wasn’t healthy for her. She lost a lot of weight, she was occupied, she was a whole mess and she find no joy to life anymore. To sum it up, she doesn’t know what to do with her life and how to ease the pain she was suffering.

Two years had passed and she’s still stucked to where Hunter left her.

“Maybe you should take a leave and went out of this place. Give yourself a break, Eura.”

Her mother’s words plays in her mind again. She want to give it a shot. She doesn’t know which place . . . but she wanted to leave this place.

For some reason, she wants to runaway.

That night, she booked a flight. Then, in the morning, without any concrete plan, she packed her stuff and use her new car. She drove her car to the port. She rode a ferry to go to the small province, so she can bring her car with her.

Finally, she stopped her car and went out. The cold air made her hair fly. Then, an old carved wooden signage welcomes her.

“Welcome to El Paraiso, province of Nervaez.”

Apollo Justice