Turning around, I came face to face with a fuming Kelvin.
The eyes that used to stare at me with so much adoration held nothing but hatred…and disappointment. I opened my mouth to say something but no words registered in my mind nor left my mouth. What was I supposed to say anyway? That this was a misunderstanding? That I was forced into this? But wouldn't that warrant mine and my mother's painful death as per Huracio's promise. There's also a possibility that Kelvin wouldn't even believe me. I mean,I wouldn't have believed it if I found him marrying someone secretly. Why would he believe my absurd explanation? I turned to face Huracio only to find him smiling. He was fucking smiling, as if daring me to say one wrong word. With a heavy heart, I turned around and decided to walk away. A walk of shame ànd pain. Everything was over for me. My relationship of two years crumbled as I watched. I could do nothing about it. “ Are you turning your back on me after cheating on me? I always knew you had daddy issues but I never expected you to marry an old man." Kelvin's words were like a double-edged dagger, slicing through my heart. He used my weakness to hurt me but could I blame him? “ I don't know what you are talking about sir. I suggest you leave this place before I ask security to escort you out." I forced those words out with gritted teeth. The commotion had already attracted the guest’s attention and with the look Huracio was giving me,I knew better than fuck things up more than they already were. Just like my best friend Emilia had walked out of my life the moment I entered the hall wearing a wedding gown, I was forcing Kelvin out of my life. Who knows what Huracio would do to him if he got pissed off? In a span of one hour, I was losing it all. My boyfriend, my best friend, my freedom and who knows what more Huracio was going to take from me. My mother was already missing. I had no one to hold my hand. That realization struck me hard and my hatred for Huracio intensified. “ You don't know what I am talking about? Then why did you send that picture? To spite me?" Kelvin roared, his anger evident on his now veiny face. My eyes popped wide, confusion painting my face. What picture was Kelvin talking about? I turned to look at Huracio but the guy just shrugged nonchalantly,a smirk on his face. I didn't need anyone to tell me that it was his doing. After all,he snatched my phone away after dragging me out of my room. “ You heard her, young man. This is not a place to make a scene. Leave." The words were spoken in a low tone and I could already imagine the smile on hís face as he said them. But I knew better than to think that Huracio was giving Kelvin a friendly reminder. Within an hour,I had watched him morph from the perfect gentleman he always presented himself to be to the devil he really was. Excusing myself,I dashed to the washrooms. I couldn't withstand the emotions surging from within me. I knew I was on the brink of losing my fake composure and breaking down before the guests. An act that would surely drag my ass into deeper shit. Slamming the door behind me,I closed my eyes, my tears finding an escape route on my cheeks. “ You want this?" A familiar voice sounded from beside me. For a fleeting moment, I thought I was dreaming until I snapped open my eyes. There, before me stood Emilia. Her hand holding out a handkerchief. Amidst my tears,I lunged forward, unable to control myself and throwing myself into Emilia's arms as sobs wracked through my body. “ It's still your wedding day, do you want to walk around with smudged makeup?” Emilia's taunted, her words forcing me to pull away ànd dab my cheeks clean. “ Kata, what the hell is happening? I don't understand shit.” Emilia àsked, taking my hand in hers. Her question only made me cry harder. What was I supposed to tell her? The truth? Then what? Drag my best friend in this shit? “ It's nothing, Ems." After wiping the tears,I answered but the look on Emilia's face told me she was not buying that crap. “It's something Kata. Just hours ago,you were excited to see your mother get married then Kelvin…you wanted him to meet your family. And now,you are crying your eyes out after tying the knot with your mother's fiance? Tell me, how's that nothing?” I shake my head, not willing to say anything. “It's no coincidence I got a message warning me to not do anything stupid. Are yóu being forced into this Kata?" My eyes widened at Emilia's words and I clenched my fists. That man's shamelessness knows no bounds. First,he forced me to marry him then sent Kelvin a picture I know nothing about. Then this? “My mother is missing Ems. She is nowhere to be found." I replied amidst my hiccups. " Missing? How's that possible? Emilia shrieked only for anger to overtake the worry on her face when she realized something else. “ Did that asshole force you to marry him because your mother left him?" Emilia snarled. One look at her and I could tell that Emilia finding out the truth was going to be a bad idea. “ Of Course not." I denied, shaking my head. “ I offered to take her place." I blurted out the lie without blinking. A knock by the door interrupted us. “ You are taking forever, little bird." Huracio's voice sounded from the other side of the door, interrupting our chat. “ My patience is running out." He added,a stern warning to me. I didn't need anyone to tell me that Huracio was very much aware that I used the bathroom as an excuse to get away from him. “ I'll be out in a minute," I replied. Sending a pleading look to Emilia's way, I straightened my clothes and left. Huracio was standing outside the washroom, his hands wrapped around his chest as his gaze narrowed on me. “ What took you so long? I'm pretty sure your bladder doesn't need five minutes to be emptied?" I glared at him hatefully. " Why did you follow me? Are yóu a pervert or something?” I only needed a moment for myself to calm down. Did he have to come all the way down here to remind me how long I need to pee? “ I had to make sure you didn't run away. After all, that seems like a family talent." He taunted me in sheer mockery, earning a glare from me. " We are already married. Do yóu think I can run away even if I wanted to?” I snapped back, annoyed. I had already taken the vows, did he have to rub it on my face as to why we were in this situation? “ I am pleased to hear that you know your place Katalina. Don't even dream about running away because I will stop at nothing to drag you back and teach you who owns you now."Huracio “ What the hell do you mean you lost her? How hard is it to track a woman?” I yelled on the phone, unable to control my building rage. I had instructed my men to track Helena, Katalina's mother. That woman thought she could run from me, the devil. Too bad for her,I was going to find her and drag her back here then she was going to explain exactly what transpired eighteen years ago. They had a trail they were supposed to follow, how could she just disappear out of the blue? My plan was falling into place, how could I allow her to escape my grip? “ Find her. I want her found and brought to me as soon as possible." I barked orders before ending the call. “Useless!" I cursed, kicking a flower vase in my office, sending the item shattering on the marble floor. “ Calm down,we still have everything under control." My best friend and second in command, Salvatore,said trying to calm me. " What fucking control? Everything is falling apart. That woman must have le
KATALINA My heartbeats grew erratic with fear as I made my way out of the toilet. The hair on the back of my head stood straight. The look he gave me after I slapped him sent chills down my spine. What have I gotten myself into? Mum, what have you done? Why did you leave this mess for me to clean up? Am I cleaning up it or making it worse? What am I going to do now? I have no idea how we got to his house. I was in a daze throughout the trip. When we got there, I was filled with dread, thinking he would force himself on me. The thought of him touching me creeped me out. I couldn't help but think of Kelvin. His patience all this time, only for him to lose to a thug. A demon. He dragged me into his bedroom and wrapped his arms around me. I was bombarded with his scent. His perfume was musky, with a hint of spiciness, mixed with the pungent smell of cigars. I hated the smell of smoke and instantly felt repulsed. I tried to push him away, but he was too strong. He buried his nose in
KATARINA “I… “ I froze. "Hm," he shook his head with a sarcastic smile. "I can't believe that I was wrong about you.” He sneered. "You are just a cheap slut like the rest of them. How did you manage it? Tell me. How did you manage to snatch your mother's man?” His eyes suddenly became fiercer and he stepped forward. He stood in my face and started yelling. "How long has this been going on? Tell me. Tell me! I want to know!” Scared shitless, I took a step back and forgot how to use my voice. The tears kept flowing, but I wished they could stop because they were drowning me. I was choking on my sob. Since my voice failed, my actions should be enough, right? I slowly reached for the flare of my knee-length dress, and slowly lifted it, revealing my body. Kelvin paused and stepped back with a frown. "What are you doing?" I could see the bewilderment in his eyes. All I could do was sniff and quiver with my silent sob. He watched with wild eyes as I pulled the dress over my head an
Ten shots make a set. On a normal day, by the sixth shot, I’d be out, but it wasn't a normal day. By the ninth shot, I was seeing double… Okay, scratch that. The bartender split into one.. two… fuck. He was more than six! I slammed the last shot glass on the counter and snapped my fingers at him. “Another set." I gulped and rolled my index finger at him. I watched in a daze as he filled a glass cup with water. When he handed it over, I raised my eyebrows at him. Are you joking? Who drinks water at a bar? I rejected it and threw a tantrum. To calm the storm, he gave me a pint glass filled with carbonated water mixed with some low-level alcohol. “This is the best I can do. You are way past your limit." He warned. Knowing he was right, I rolled my eyes at him and begrudgingly took the jar-like cup from him. The water was cold and the frizz felt just right. Didn't know I was parched, but once it hit my throat, I couldn't stop drinking. For some reason, hearing the sounds of
HURACIOWith each thunderclap, my heart tightened. I paced up and down the living room, willing the rain to stop. From the corner of my eye, Salvatore watched with blatant disdain. We were out having fun at what was supposed to be my after-party when one of my bodyguards called me, saying Katalina seemed to be on her way out of the house. I told them to follow her. Though I was upset that she dared to leave the house when I clearly ordered her to go to bed, I was curious about her destination. The moment the rain started, I regretted it. Katalina is scared of thunderstorms. It's not like a fear caused by trauma. It's just like when people are scared of heights. It's inborn and harmless. But why did my heart feel heavy? I couldn't stop myself from worrying for her. This has never happened before. “You are making me dizzy." Salvatore snorted. “Don't look at me and you will feel better." I retorted. Just then, the room lit up and I was caught in a car headlight. "They are here.”
KATALINA “Kelvin, no!" I woke up covered in sweat despite the fully functioning AC unit in the room. While still trying to figure out where I was, I heard a soft thudding and traced it to the door. Someone was knocking. “Tomorrow, you will serve your punishment. Remember you promised to obey." Huracio's deep, and grungy voice whispered into my ears. Startled, I abruptly turned around but saw nobody. I was alone in the room. Remembering my situation, my back suddenly got covered in more chilly sweats. What is he going to do to me? Asking him to punish me instead of Kelvin was easy in the middle of a panic attack. Now that I had my wits around me, I was filled with dread. I didn't know if I should trust him to honor his words, but as long as he spares Kelvin, I am willing to bear it. But having just woken up from a nightmare, where he was squeezing life out of Kelvin while dangling him in the air, I wasn't sure he could be trusted. What if he punishes me and still hurts Kelvin?
KATALINA I was reading a fashion magazine before the secretary brought in the tea. Confused and feeling weird in my mouth, I sat down and continued. A while later, the office started feeling warm. I looked up and saw that the AC units were still working. I didn't even need to look up, if I listened carefully, I'd hear their humming vibes. Thinking that it was because I refused to remove the trench coat, I decided to bear with it as I didn't want to be half-naked in front of him. Another 4 minutes, and it started feeling like I was wrapped in an oven. Sweat gathered on my forehead, and I started feeling dizzy. It would be stupid to end up with a heat stroke while in a fully air-conditioned room. I let the trench coat slide down my back, halfway. The cooling breeze of the AC nearly made me moan. I turned to look at him. He was in a three-piece suit with his white shirt buttoned to his jugular. But it didn't look like he was feeling hot.I picked up the remote for the unit close to
KATALINA My pee was scalding. But the more it came out, the more itchy I felt. I didn't want to touch it, but it felt so good. I couldn't stop the moans and gasps that came out of my mouth. “Felt good, right?" He chuckled once I was down peeing. Looking down with shame, I stood up and gingerly stepped out of the wet patch on the floor. “Touch it." “What?" My head snapped up. He wanted me to touch my pee? Why? “You feel itchy, don't you? Touch it." My eyes widened in realization. There was no way I was doing that in front of him. I needed to beat whatever drug he fed me. “I will make you clean the floor with your mouth if you don't touch it, right now." He growled. He suddenly grabbed my hair and hit the back of my knees with his leg. My knees folded forward, and I fell on my knees. It was so fast that my face was inches away from the pee before I realized what was happening. “I will do it! I will do it!" I gasped as fear overwhelmed me. “Good girl." He let my hair go and st
Katalina. My head hurts. The pain was radiating from the nape to my frontal lobe. It was like someone was gently hitting that spot with a hammer. The pain was spreading out, while a sharp part of it intermittently shot to my temple, before spreading to my forehead. Grimacing, I tried to open my eyes, but they were heavy. Taking a deep breath, I endured and opened up just a slit of my right eye. It was dark and smelled familiar…like cigars…Horacio…Kelvin… “Fuck!”Abruptly sitting up, I held my head and grunted. Kelvin! Fear gripped my chest, my breathing became uneven, and my head felt like it was breathing in sync with my heart. Ignoring the pain, I scrambled out of bed and rushed to the door. The moment I opened it, I was bombarded with sharp, white lights.Stung, closed my eyes and stepped back into the room, then stepped out again. I stopped in a daze and turned around. Wasn't I supposed to be in Huracio's office? But I was in the passage at his house. How did I get here?
HURACIO “HURACIO!” She snapped with wild eyes. "I…, Please!” Her shoulders slouched, and she stuttered, shaking her head dejectedly. I clenched my hand into a tight fist and punched Kelvin in the gut. He bent over and growled."Kelvin!” She screamed. Why are you hurting him? You promised not to hurt him!" She cried and wanted to rush over. “Touch him, and I will break his legs." I threatened angrily. “He can only watch. No touching." Kelvin looked at me with hateful eyes and snorted “Bastard." Ignoring him, I turned to her. "Either you start, or you watch me beat him to death.” She shivered and I could see the fear in her eyes. She really liked this guy. Feeling uncomfortable, I averted my gaze and lifted my hand, about to punch Kelvin again. "No, stop! I will do it. I will do whatever you want. Stop hitting him, please.” She cried. I don't know what I found upsetting the most. That she was begging me for another man, or that she hated me? At that moment, I felt like crap, but
KATALINA My pee was scalding. But the more it came out, the more itchy I felt. I didn't want to touch it, but it felt so good. I couldn't stop the moans and gasps that came out of my mouth. “Felt good, right?" He chuckled once I was down peeing. Looking down with shame, I stood up and gingerly stepped out of the wet patch on the floor. “Touch it." “What?" My head snapped up. He wanted me to touch my pee? Why? “You feel itchy, don't you? Touch it." My eyes widened in realization. There was no way I was doing that in front of him. I needed to beat whatever drug he fed me. “I will make you clean the floor with your mouth if you don't touch it, right now." He growled. He suddenly grabbed my hair and hit the back of my knees with his leg. My knees folded forward, and I fell on my knees. It was so fast that my face was inches away from the pee before I realized what was happening. “I will do it! I will do it!" I gasped as fear overwhelmed me. “Good girl." He let my hair go and st
KATALINA I was reading a fashion magazine before the secretary brought in the tea. Confused and feeling weird in my mouth, I sat down and continued. A while later, the office started feeling warm. I looked up and saw that the AC units were still working. I didn't even need to look up, if I listened carefully, I'd hear their humming vibes. Thinking that it was because I refused to remove the trench coat, I decided to bear with it as I didn't want to be half-naked in front of him. Another 4 minutes, and it started feeling like I was wrapped in an oven. Sweat gathered on my forehead, and I started feeling dizzy. It would be stupid to end up with a heat stroke while in a fully air-conditioned room. I let the trench coat slide down my back, halfway. The cooling breeze of the AC nearly made me moan. I turned to look at him. He was in a three-piece suit with his white shirt buttoned to his jugular. But it didn't look like he was feeling hot.I picked up the remote for the unit close to
KATALINA “Kelvin, no!" I woke up covered in sweat despite the fully functioning AC unit in the room. While still trying to figure out where I was, I heard a soft thudding and traced it to the door. Someone was knocking. “Tomorrow, you will serve your punishment. Remember you promised to obey." Huracio's deep, and grungy voice whispered into my ears. Startled, I abruptly turned around but saw nobody. I was alone in the room. Remembering my situation, my back suddenly got covered in more chilly sweats. What is he going to do to me? Asking him to punish me instead of Kelvin was easy in the middle of a panic attack. Now that I had my wits around me, I was filled with dread. I didn't know if I should trust him to honor his words, but as long as he spares Kelvin, I am willing to bear it. But having just woken up from a nightmare, where he was squeezing life out of Kelvin while dangling him in the air, I wasn't sure he could be trusted. What if he punishes me and still hurts Kelvin?
HURACIOWith each thunderclap, my heart tightened. I paced up and down the living room, willing the rain to stop. From the corner of my eye, Salvatore watched with blatant disdain. We were out having fun at what was supposed to be my after-party when one of my bodyguards called me, saying Katalina seemed to be on her way out of the house. I told them to follow her. Though I was upset that she dared to leave the house when I clearly ordered her to go to bed, I was curious about her destination. The moment the rain started, I regretted it. Katalina is scared of thunderstorms. It's not like a fear caused by trauma. It's just like when people are scared of heights. It's inborn and harmless. But why did my heart feel heavy? I couldn't stop myself from worrying for her. This has never happened before. “You are making me dizzy." Salvatore snorted. “Don't look at me and you will feel better." I retorted. Just then, the room lit up and I was caught in a car headlight. "They are here.”
Ten shots make a set. On a normal day, by the sixth shot, I’d be out, but it wasn't a normal day. By the ninth shot, I was seeing double… Okay, scratch that. The bartender split into one.. two… fuck. He was more than six! I slammed the last shot glass on the counter and snapped my fingers at him. “Another set." I gulped and rolled my index finger at him. I watched in a daze as he filled a glass cup with water. When he handed it over, I raised my eyebrows at him. Are you joking? Who drinks water at a bar? I rejected it and threw a tantrum. To calm the storm, he gave me a pint glass filled with carbonated water mixed with some low-level alcohol. “This is the best I can do. You are way past your limit." He warned. Knowing he was right, I rolled my eyes at him and begrudgingly took the jar-like cup from him. The water was cold and the frizz felt just right. Didn't know I was parched, but once it hit my throat, I couldn't stop drinking. For some reason, hearing the sounds of
KATARINA “I… “ I froze. "Hm," he shook his head with a sarcastic smile. "I can't believe that I was wrong about you.” He sneered. "You are just a cheap slut like the rest of them. How did you manage it? Tell me. How did you manage to snatch your mother's man?” His eyes suddenly became fiercer and he stepped forward. He stood in my face and started yelling. "How long has this been going on? Tell me. Tell me! I want to know!” Scared shitless, I took a step back and forgot how to use my voice. The tears kept flowing, but I wished they could stop because they were drowning me. I was choking on my sob. Since my voice failed, my actions should be enough, right? I slowly reached for the flare of my knee-length dress, and slowly lifted it, revealing my body. Kelvin paused and stepped back with a frown. "What are you doing?" I could see the bewilderment in his eyes. All I could do was sniff and quiver with my silent sob. He watched with wild eyes as I pulled the dress over my head an
KATALINA My heartbeats grew erratic with fear as I made my way out of the toilet. The hair on the back of my head stood straight. The look he gave me after I slapped him sent chills down my spine. What have I gotten myself into? Mum, what have you done? Why did you leave this mess for me to clean up? Am I cleaning up it or making it worse? What am I going to do now? I have no idea how we got to his house. I was in a daze throughout the trip. When we got there, I was filled with dread, thinking he would force himself on me. The thought of him touching me creeped me out. I couldn't help but think of Kelvin. His patience all this time, only for him to lose to a thug. A demon. He dragged me into his bedroom and wrapped his arms around me. I was bombarded with his scent. His perfume was musky, with a hint of spiciness, mixed with the pungent smell of cigars. I hated the smell of smoke and instantly felt repulsed. I tried to push him away, but he was too strong. He buried his nose in