Chapter 109

Chapter 109
"In the face of my enemy"

The news was all over the papers and on the covers of every television network. And some news outlets speculated that the burned male body was that of Dr. Rafael Morrow, discovered in the Morrow's torched ancestral home.
I don't want Rafael to perish. He's significant to my child. And his very presence was enough for me. But now everything was as hazy as the stormy sea, and there was no possibility of ever seeing him again, if he had indeed died.
And I was sitting alone on the bench, contemplating the news. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I waited for Dave to confirm the news's veracity. Two things bothered me at the time. The first was about how to reclaim my son, and the second was about how to mourn Rafael's death. It was already late in the afternoon, and the wind was becoming colder and more foreboding, and as I gazed out at the tranquility of the vast field in front of me, I felt small and depressed.
A wind touched my cheeks from time to time, wanting to dry out my moist cheeks from crying since the horrible news of the fire, with my eyes not halting their painful throbbing. I didn't mind sitting there for however many hours, my eyes sometimes glimpsing at the entrance, hoping to see Dave enter.
I wanted to inquire about my son, but I don't have the means to do so. This time, I was at the mercy of Dave. And I felt worthless.
After a few hours, I heard a car stop at the curb outside the gate, and Dave stepped out blankly. He saw me and walked straight to where I was sitting, where he sat next to me.
He sat silent for a few minutes, his eyes fixed on nothing, and I could see he was saddened by the news. "What do you want to hear first?" He asked.
I didn't answer him right away, afraid to hear the bad news, which was the main purpose of his query.
"Do you want to hear the good news first?" He asked solemnly.
"Yes, please," I whispered.
He drew a deep breath and told me the wonderful news. "Your son is back at the hands of his Aunt Leonor."
Happiness overflowed in my heart, and I was very thankful for my son's safety. I burst out into a subdued laughter. I didn't know how to express my gratitude to the people responsible for recovering my son from Madam Mea's hands.
"Dr. Rafael Morrow had engaged covert agents to safeguard his son, your boy, from the possible horrible scheme his wife was capable of," Dave added.
"And what became of Madam Mea?"
"That was one of the bad things," he groaned, "she was nowhere to be found; she was caught hurting your son and was intercepted by her husband's men, but she managed to escape."
Then stillness took over, returning me to the misery I had experienced earlier.
"And what was the terrible news?" I just blurted it out.
"Dr. Rafael Morrow was nowhere to be found," Dave added, "and the burnt corpse was wearing the doctor's watch, which was identified by his relatives."
I couldn't stop myself from feeling miserable at the time. I've lost the man I loved the most. And no one had come to his aid at the old house. That was one of the most heartbreaking events I've ever witnessed in my life.
"What was he doing at the burning house?"
Dave paused for a moment before saying, "He was there for you."
Dave's comment caused a sharp pain in my heart, as if a knife had been driven directly into it, causing me to shake and kneel down on the ground. I had burns on my knees, but the ache in my heart was more deadly than the physical suffering.
Dave rested his hand on my shoulder and comforted me with his embrace. I screamed all of my misery at his shoulder. He let me mourn for Rafael.
That was the low point in my life, and reality hit me. We were not meant to be, no matter how hard we tried. In my mind, all of Rafael's memories converged. From the first day he took care of me as one of their employees until the day he took me to the island, he was compassionate.
Rafael was not given the opportunity to confront me about my letter of confession, in which I identified myself as Catherine, which he already knew. He sacrificed everything for me, and now he is dead for me.
I hadn't kept track of how long I cried on Dave's shoulder. He was gracious enough to let me cry on his shoulder till the sun went down. And then the night took over. It was a moonless night and too dark, just like my agony.
At the dining table, I acted like a rug doll, put on the chair, lifeless. Heartache ate me up. The appetite was all gone, and the bitter taste of everything took over.
"Please, Catherine, you have to fill your stomach to gain strength." Dave begged.
And sleep was far enough away from my bed to offer me tranquility. It had been the longest night of my life. My hot tears streamed down my side of the bed, burning my eyes with pain from crying.
And in the morning, I stumbled to my feet like a robot.
Dave, on the other hand, did not give up on me. He was there all the time, every day, offering me words of comfort.
"There's always a rainbow after a storm, Cathy," he replied. He didn't address me as Monica. He addressed me by my given name, and I didn't mind.
Monica let Catherine down. And I don't care what happens after that until the next day. Dave entered my room with wide eyes.
He said, "I have something to tell you, but you have to promise me to be calm."
Dave was my sole source of information from the outside world. He refused to let me leave his aunt's place. He was worried about what Mea had in store for me. And by the look on his face, I knew he had returned with more devastating news.
"Dave, what's the bad news this time?"
He sadly explained, "Madam Mea was back at the house, and she was trying to obtain Rafael Junior from his Aunt Leonor in a legal way."
"What happened to the case she was facing?" I exclaimed.
"She found a lawyer who was adept at defending a sacrificial mother, and she did turn around the case against her husband for having an illicit affair with you, Monica." He said, adding, "She got your photos together with her husband in an ideal situation." He sighed. "You were kissing and the watermark dates were recent." He added, "She successfully stained her husband's reputation and turned the doctor into a ruthless husband."
Carlo successfully exacted his wrath on me and Rafael. He told me about the photocopies he gave Mea. And Mea profited from those images. She was now on my tail. And the fact that Rafael died in the old house with me just added to the credibility of her accusation.
"Rafael is dead, and why was she after my son now?" I growled in rage. "She can no longer use my son against Rafael."
Dave muttered, "I'm not sure what she's up to; maybe the prospect of her son inheriting the Morrow fortune or something." He moaned. "No one has the ability to read Madam Mea's thoughts."
"I'm going to put a stop to her."
"How would you stop her?" Dave's eyes widened.
"I am Rafael Junior's true mother."
"It's a long way to process and prove Catherine," Dave grumbled. "Look in the mirror. You're someone else. You're not Catherine anymore. "
"But I have to safeguard my son from her cruelty, Dave! She will kill my son when she gets the chance! And you know how capable Mea is of doing bad things. She killed me!" I cried.
"I know, I know," he grumbled, "but we have to think twice before we make our final decision on how to overcome Madam Mea. You know how brilliant an actress she is; she can grin in her misery and laugh in her heartbreak."
Everything collapsed as I listened to Dave's explanation.
And Dave added, "And there is one more thing you should know."
"Say it quickly."
"Your husband turns against you."
"What?"
"That Carlo of yours turns against you. He was Madam Mea's ally now.
My stomach churned as I considered Carlo's decision to legalize our agreed-upon faux marriage. And he was now assisting my adversary. His love had turned him insane. I wasn't prepared for the unexpected turn of events. And now, with Rafael's death, I'm on my own to deal with it.
As a result, "I sighed and sat on my bed. “I was unable to save my son," I said solemnly.
"You don't have a chance right now," Dave said as he sat next to me.
I was once again caught in an unanticipated scenario. And there's no way out right now.
"You only have one shot in the future."
"And what is it, Dave?"
"Your house fire was no accident," he replied, staring at me.
"What?"
"According to the investigation's partial report, gasoline was the cause of the fire. And there's a chance that somebody with access to walk closer to the house was the culprit, "he stated.
My eyes widened uncomfortably, and I explained to Dave, "Rafael, Carlo, and potentially Mea, if Carlo assisted her, were the only people who could readily approach the house. And both Carlo and Rafael had the gate key. "
Dave frowned as I said those three names. And he came to a decision.
"So there's a chance Mea was there with Carlo, and they turned the house into dust," he explained.
"Perhaps they had a dispute and left Rafael charred to death," I sobbed.
For a while, Dave was deafeningly quiet. "You may be right, but you should be extremely careful from now on, Catherine, since you added an adversary and it was Carlo."
Dave had it right. Carlo has now turned against me and is dissatisfied with me. Mea has the ability to alter Carlo's emotions, potentially turning him into a murderer.
"I can't just sit here and wait for more awful news from you about my son, Dave. I have to do something for my son. I wanted him away from the wicked Mea. Oh, God, please help me. "
"I'm here to help you, Catherine," Dave said as he took my hand in his.
"And how could I repay you?" I asked, looking at him.
Dave reclaimed his hands as if they were on fire from my hold. His expression became icy. "Carlo and I are two very different people, Catherine," he said as he looked me in the eyes. "I pledged not to see you again the day I decided to leave you, but Dr. Rafael Morrow altered everything."
"If you want to help me, get me to Mea alone; I want to deal with her alone, Dave."
Dave didn't move as I bravely stated my wish. He looked at me, shocked. "Do you want to die soon?"
"Death wasn't for me at this time, Dave. No matter how many times they wanted me dead, I lived, but Rafael became a colaterral damage, and I can't endure another anguish of losing someone, especially my son. That won't happen, "I said firmly.
Dave didn't say anything.
"I have to face my own destiny, Dave; if I have to die to bring back my kid, so be it, and don't make any moves to stop it. Please arrange my meeting with Mea Morrow."