Chapter 2 :   Leonardo's agony

Leonardo Vera screamed, "Whoever you are, get lost! I don't want to hear your annoying voice any longer!!!" Leo's face reddened as he became enraged, as if his brain would explode in anger. He clutched his fist, ready to punch whenever the woman's voice came within earshot. "All of you get out!!!"

"May I remind you again, Mister, that your mother just hired me as your new nurse a few minutes ago," Angela said, firmly, adding, "And as a nurse, I should attend my duty religiously if I want to keep my job."

"I don't care if my mother hires you. What I want you to do now are get lost before you regret it. I am the boss around here."

"Not anymore.” Angela cut in. “No blind person can manage their lives without the assistance of others. That's the painful truth you must learn to accept. And the way I saw you now, you were in desperate need of a good bath and a good shave. You had a sloppy beard. You're not a rock singer, so you shouldn't keep that look. "

"Shut up! Are you deaf? I said I didn't want to hear your voice!!! "

"Well, it's not my problem; it's yours, and you should get used to having me as your nurse and hearing my voice all the time."

"I will kill you!" Leonardo rose to his feet and took two steps forward, facing the wall.  

Angela's face turned white with rage. "Kill him!" A tiny voice in her head whispered. She killed your sister. Kill him! She was trembling and considering shooting him, but something stopped her from pulling out her gun and firing.

"Leonardo, don't act like a savage man," Mrs. Gale said.

Leonardo gritted, "Don't preach to me, Mrs. Gale. Someone had to be tamed and taught how to speak properly. Like this jerk next to me. You'll be sorry, bitch. You must heed my advice and flee before I do something bad to you. "

"You still have the guts to threaten me, huh?" Angela exclaimed. "Perhaps you should start learning to use your ears as subs for your eyes. You can't hurt me when you're facing the wall, mister. " 

Leonardo jumped from where he was to the sound of Angela's voice, but didn’t make it because Angela was quick to avoid him. He threw himself to the floor and hit his head against the foot of the wall.

"Oh my God! Leonardo! " Mrs. Gale exclaimed as she jumped to Leonardo's aid while Angela remained frozen.

"Get out! Get lost! " He yelled at Angela, pushing Mrs. Gale aside.

Angela retreated, "All right, we all need to rest, so I'll go out for a while," she said casually.

"Never, ever, ever return!" Leonardo barked.

"Of course I will; it's my job to take care of you." Angela quickly exited the room. She leaned against the wall, gasping for air.

Leonardo was still screaming in his room.

She regained her composure and slowly walked outside the house, where she saw Leonardo Vera's mother on the lawn swing, sitting solemnly with tears in her eyes.

Angela approached her, briefly staring at her and then clearing her throat.

"I'm sorry for the mess my son made of you, Angela," Mrs. Vera said softly as Angela came to a halt near him. I'm sure his rage and self-destructive behavior scared you. It's just that he can't accept the fact that he is now blind. And who else would, if you grow up happy and famous as an artist?" she sighed.

"So, your son is an artist." She spoke.

"Yes, Leonardo is well-known for his abstract and landscape paintings. His studio is behind those trimmed trees below," she said, pointing to a plot of land behind the mansion filled with various fruit trees where the red roof of a small house could be seen among the younger trees.

"With enthusiasm and excitement, he will create his fantastic painting in that studio. But after his accident, his dream of having the largest gallery in every mall melted away."

"What kind of accident, Mrs. Vera?"

"He was a hit-and-run victim," she sobs quietly. "And now he was a walking bomb, ready to explode whenever he got a weapon to take his own life."

Angela paid close attention to everything Leo's mother said. Leonardo had a good mother, but she had no idea what her son was capable of. 

"I could understand if you changed your mind about accepting the job."

"You just hired me, and I needed this job," Angela said with a smile. Something was born in the back of her mind. "Can I go home to get my belongings, Madam?"

"Of course," Mrs. Vera's face brightened. She smiled widely, "All right, take your time." We'll be waiting for you right here. And please return. "

"Yes, Mrs. Vera, I will," she said.

"I'll lend my car to you for the whole afternoon," Mrs. Vera offered.

"No, I can take a cab. I have to visit my sister. Thanks anyway. "

"So, you have a sister? Is she warm-hearted like you? "

"Yes, she was warmer and more harmless, but she’s dead now."

"Oh, I’m sorry."

"It’s okay. See you later, Madam."

***

At the cemetery, at her sister’s tomb, Angela wanted to tell her about her encounter with the killer. He's gone blind now, Sister. And I can kill him anytime I want. But he has to suffer first, just like what happened to you.

Sweet memories of her sister flashed through her mind. Her younger sister was sweet and vulnerable, in contrast to her, who was born to fight. She was always there to defend her if she got into a fight. Because of her sister, she occasionally gets in trouble with boys. She always remembered what their mother told them: You were born to be sisters, coming from the same mother, me. That means you must love and defend one another when I am not present.

Esper, her sister, aspired to be a stewardess someday because she wished to travel around the world. And she promised Angela that she would accompany her wherever she flew. Then, with the help of their mother, she will purchase a mansion for herself and Angela. And she'll marry a doctor to ensure their health and the health of their mother. But when their mother died of cancer, all of their dreams faded into obscurity.

As an orphan, their lives were turned upside down. Angela was twelve years old and Esper was ten years old when their mother died. 

Angela, on the other hand, worked hard and didn't give up on her education because of her determination. She began as a working student in one of her mother's doctor friends' clinic and later became a certified nurse. While Esper attended college with Angela's help, they both want to have a double wedding when they get married.

Angela applied for work from abroad to help pay for Esper's college and was successful. Their separations were painful, but Angela promised Esper that she would be home for all of her birthdays, and she kept her promise. Only when Esper died did it come to an end; she died because of a man. And that man should suffer as her sister did before she died.

Angela's vision was clouded by tears streaming down her cheeks. "I have to go, Esper. Our enemy is waiting for me," she mumbled as she wiped her tears.

Later that afternoon, Angela stepped in again at Vera’s mansion with her small suitcase. She didn't have to load all of her belongings because she didn't intend to stay at the enemy's mansion for long.

Mrs. Vera welcomed her back with enthusiasm, saying, "Thank you for coming back."

"You're most welcome, Mrs. Vera."

Mrs. Vera turned to Mrs. Gale and said, "Please take Angela to her room and then give her a tour of the house and the back."

A few minutes later, Angela was looking at the studio with black paint. 

"This is Leonardo’s studio, Miss Brinson."

"Angela, just call me Angela, Mrs. Gale. That would be comforting to hear. "

"Okay, Angela. This is where Leonardo would paint and do his art work. Nobody was allowed to enter this studio without his permission. "

The mansion stands on the edge of a cliff, with a railing at the back. And below the railing was a deep ravine with large trees. The studio was a few meters away from the main house, Vera’s mansion. Mrs. Gale explained further, "This place is the most beautiful place I have seen."

Mrs. Gale's tour presentation, on the other hand, drew little attention from Angela. Her thoughts were on Leonardo Vera, who was screaming once more in his room. She despised the way Leonardo treated the other members of the household. 

"Go away, and don't come back!" Leonardo's voice from the house echoed all the way to the back of the house.

Mrs. Gale speculated, "Perhaps Lara is here."

"Who is Lara in Mr. Vera's life?" Angela inquired.

"Lara is Leonardo's girlfriend."

Angela frowned, knowing Leonardo had a girlfriend. So, this is the woman who took Leonardo away from my sister. "I'd like to meet her, Mrs. Gale."