Chapter 03

“MATT? Oh, you mean Matthew Serrano?”

“Yes,” Zara answered.

She had no work today so she grabbed this chance to look for Matt. Her aunt had already told her not to look for that guy but there was no way she could stay still. She had to know his whereabouts. So here she was—talking with the landlord of the house where Matt stayed before.

“He’s not here anymore. He already left. I think it was around—”the old lady paused. She bent her head, pondering—“I think it was four years ago. I remember he was actually in a hurry when he left.”

“D-do you have any idea where he is right now?”

The old lady eyed her suspiciously. “Why are you looking for him?”

Her jaw clenched at the question. “I… I’m a relative of his. I haven’t gotten in touch with him. So I… I’m kind of worried.” She winced at her words. “I was told that he’s living here.”

“Matt is not staying here anymore. And I don’t know where he is right now. He never told me where he was going. He just… left.”

“Oh,” she said, in a voice barely above a whisper. Disappointment was written in her face. “I-is that so? I’m sorry for taking your time.”

She turned her back at the old lady and walked away; her shoulders hunched. It was a dead end again. She also got the same answer when she went to that hospital where Matt worked before. He resigned. As to what exactly the reason was, they didn’t know. They said it was something personal but that’s all. She came here with a tinge of hope that she’d be able to find a clue to his whereabouts but still nothing.

She mumbled a savage curse. In annoyance, she kicked the small rock she saw on the side of the road. Nothing seemed to work the way she wanted.

Looking back, how did she end up falling with that bastard and let herself get caught in the trap he had set? Matt was… once he set his mind on something, he’d invariably find a way to achieve it. That was what she liked about him. He was ambitious. But who would have thought that that personality of him that she liked about would lead to her demise.

IT WAS already late when Zara got home. Zoe had gone to sleep while her Aunt Livvie was still in the living room, watching the news.

“Where have you been?”

She sat down on the couch beside her aunt. In her peripheral vision, she could see her Aunt Livvie looking daggers at her. “I was unwinding,” she simply answered.

“Do you know how many times I’ve already called you?”

Her eyes widened. “Y-you did?” She searched her bag for her phone. She had 20 missed calls from her aunt.

“I was worried sick when you didn’t pick up my calls. I thought something bad had happened to you again.”

“I didn’t know you were calling. I-I’m sorry, it wasn’t my intention to make you worry,” she spoke, in an apologetic voice. “My phone was in silent mode.”

Her aunt sighed deeply. “Did you look for him?”

“I-I didn’t,” she stammered. She tore her gaze away from her Aunt Livvie.

“You’re obviously lying through your teeth, Zara. And where else are you going but to look for that man. I know you won’t stay still even if I told you.”

She bit her lip. And what was she supposed to do? It’s not as if Matt would just miraculously appear in front of her if she waited. If she wanted to find him, she’d have to look for him.

“And what are you planning once you see him? Ask him to admit his crime? Drag him to prison?”

She fell silent. She hadn’t thought much about it. All she could think about was she needed to find him.

“Why are you so obsessed with him?”

“No, I’m not!” Her voice rose an octave or two.

How could she be obsessed with him when she only felt hatred towards that man. She had a lot of questions she wanted to ask him. Why did he leave her? Did he even truly love her? Were everything he told her before were all just lies?

“I want to kill him,” she blurted out. If that was the only way to alleviate the hatred in her heart, she’d gladly do it.

Aunt Livvie’s eyes widened. She stared at her in utter surprise. “Have you gone crazy?” Her aunt grabbed her arm, her fingers digging into her skin. “If you do that, then you’re no longer different from him.”

“Does it matter?” She gritted her teeth and yanked her arm away. “I was imprisoned in a sin I didn’t commit. I was already labeled as a murderer. What difference does it make if I commit another crime?”

A slap stung Zara’s cheek, making her gasp. For a moment, she stared at her aunt in disbelief—and then her eyes flared with fury.

“Enough with your foolishness, Zara! Haven’t you learned yet? Don’t do something you’ll regret later.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” She couldn’t stand the thought that Matt was probably having the time of his life. While here she was, feeling miserable.

“Just forget him.” Aunt Livvie’s expression changed, and the hard lines around her face softened. “Just… continue on with your life. You’re no longer inside that prison, Zara. You’re free to do whatever you want. Can we just… Can we just bury the past?”

Zara curled her hand into fist. “There’s no way…” She couldn’t understand why her aunt would tell her that as if it was just easy to forget. “You’re asking for something impossible.”

“I’m afraid that hatred will only lead you to nowhere.” Aunt Livvie took her hand and squeezed it gently. A faint smile rested on her lips. She was no longer mad at her. “Maybe this time you’ll find a much better man compared to Matt.”

“I don’t know about that.” She turned her gaze back at the tv screen. She had finally calmed down.

Her Aunt Livvie pinched her cheeks; a soft chuckle escaped her lips. “And why would you say that? You’re beautiful. Just like your mom.”

She shook her head. She didn’t know if she could fall in love again. She’s afraid—scared to take a risk only to end up getting hurt again.