Chapter 103

Chapter 103
"The End of the Façade"

The first thing I noticed when I awoke was how cold I was in the room. I had a severe headache and needed to take pain medication.
As I moved my gaze around, I discovered that I was in my room. I wobbled over to the small table next to my bed. A glass and some bottled water were carefully placed on top of the table.
When I took it down quickly, the water had no taste.
What's happening to me?
The door then opened, and Rafael entered. He was holding something. And there were two cups of hot coffee on the tray.
"It's too early for you to wake up, "he said as he placed the tray on the table.
"You fainted," he said as he offered me a cup of coffee.
I excitedly accepted it and took a sip. It irritated my tongue.
"Be careful," Rafael cautioned, holding the cup for me. "How are you feeling now?"
"I'm still dizzy," I said as I returned to my bed and lay there staring at the ceiling. The room was expertly created in its own right. The design on the ceiling above the ceiling fan was of a peacock spreading its multicolored tail. The comfort room was clean and well-kept, with fresh flower pots in every area. It's a green-house-inspired room. An imitation rose at the foot of the bed created a feminine mood in the room.
And seeing Rafael standing by the side of my bed added to the romantic atmosphere of the room. It was appropriate for the honeymooners, but not for us.
He sat on the side of my bed, causing me to jerk to the other side of the bed.
"Are you afraid I'll touch you, Monica?"
I said, "No, I'm just giving you more space," but I wasn't good at lying, and he knew I was deliberately separating myself from him.
"Don't be afraid of me, Monica; as I promised your husband, I would not touch you until you wanted me to."
"Don't be ridiculous, Rafael; you knew it wouldn't happen because I'm married," I sneered.
"Don't lie to me, Monica. I can see it in your eyes. You missed me, "he said with a smile.
"What are you on about?"
"Don't let me explain any more because it will only insult your pride and dignity as a married woman, but I tell you, I know what's going on in that safe heart of yours."
I chuckled, "I didn't realize you had this self-centered side to your nature, Rafael."
"We all have weaknesses, Monica," he sighed, "but the toughest mistakes in life were when you lied to the people around you."
"I don't want to dispute it right now; I'm not feeling well," I said, covering my face with a pillow.
"We'll see a doctor tomorrow," he explained.
With those words, he perplexed me.
"But, how did that occur to you? We all know you're a doctor, "I objected.
"You only know that, but the people on the island don't know anything about me, and I decided not to mention my occupation in order to disguise my identity," he said as he stood to his feet and muttered, "It's still dawn; you should go back to sleep; I'll be at the door at seven a.m." He then stepped out and shut the door for me.
Because of my headache, I couldn't think straight about what I should do tomorrow. But perhaps his recommendation that I consult a doctor would give me enough time to figure out how to find Catherine. That was me.

Rafael knocked on my door at exactly seven o'clock in the morning. He was dressed in a white sweatshirt and black jeans. In his moist hair and freshly shaved face, he was clearly just out of the bathroom. He was getting more and more attractive by the day.
"Good morning. Have you slept another hour last night? " He inquired, anxious.
"A bit, and thank you for the coffee; perhaps the red wine caused my headache and caused me to faint."
"Our breakfast is ready, and we have to return to the mainland for your medical consultation," he stated briefly. "You looked lovely with your uncut hair; I'd leave it alone if I were you."
I just smiled and said, "Thanks for the compliment. Would you mind if I just followed you to the restaurant? I have to fix something in my room. "
He didn't move, as if waiting for me to tell him what I would be fixing.
"Please," I pleaded softly.
"OK, don't take too long; the soup might be cold when you arrive," he said as he walked away.
I hurriedly shut the door and leaned against it. That day, after consulting with the doctor, everything will be centered on locating Catherine at that point. That's the aspect I was most concerned about. What am I going to do to begin the quest?
My heart pounded erratically as I devised possibilities for finding Catherine. And then an idea struck me. I need to transport Rafael to the other side of the island. This was the area of the island where I had not yet set foot.
For a brief period, I was relieved to postpone Catherine's discovery.
Rafael brought me to the mainland hospital. A female doctor examined me. 
After a few examinations, the doctor told me her observations: "Sometimes, stress is the cause of some sudden uccor illnesses." The doctor smiled.
My headache was the result of tiredness and stress. That was the conclusion of my consultation at the nearby mainland hospital. However, the doctor insisted on a physical medical examination and some lab tests, which I refused. Then we left the clinic to deal with my own issues. 
It was a small town that connected several islands and islets. There are less people around compared to where we came from.
We were strolling down to the motor boat we had hired from the pier. Another boat had docked as we reached our transport, and the passengers were all too familiar to me. Maria and her nephew, Lara, were among the people disembarking from the boat.
When the crowd got closer to where I was going, I got worried.
Rafael was following me and had no idea what was going on.
Maria's gaze met mine, and she grimaced as though she recognized me. But I quickly averted her gaze and sped up to the motor boat that was waiting for us. And I almost slipped on the slippery ground.
Rafael gripped my hand just in time, saying, "Be careful; why are you in such a hurry? Are you feeling sick again? "
"No, there's a storm on the way, and I don't like being caught in the middle of the sea by a storm."
He didn't argue and escorted me to the boat. Then he turned to the motorboat driver and inquired. "Can that storm be avoided?"
"Yes, we may turn around and head to the opposite side of the island to avoid the storm."
"All right, let's do it."
Despite the fact that the storm was just on the opposite side of the island, it had still disrupted the stream of the sea waves. As we circled the island, I noticed the roof of Maria's cottage. It was still the same way I remembered it from years ago. The island had not been substantially damaged, so it had retained its original form and attractiveness. We went through the storm, and Rafael noticed a boat of fishermen stopping at the coast, a few meters away from where we were sailing.
"What are they up to?"
"That's a fisherman returning home," the motorboat driver replied.
"Does it have a catch now?"
"Yes, they're all crabbers."
"Can we purchase their catch?"
"You may, Sir; that is for sale."
I wanted to say something to Rafael, but nothing came out of my mouth. I was too excited to see the place that had helped me heal from my injuries and anguish.
Rafael enjoyed purchasing all of the crabbers' catch when we docked. And then he asked the motorboat driver again.
"Wasn't the Beta Beach Resort a few miles away?"
"Yes, Sir, you can take a shortcut from here to there; just follow that route till you reach the Beta Beach Resort."
"All right, that's OK; we'll walk from here."
"But Rafael, that was a long walk with those crabs you bought."
"I can manage, Monica," he said with a smile, "it was you I was worrying about."
Rafael then recalls, "May I ask you a very important question?"
"You are welcome, Sir."
"Have you heard about a girl named Catherine who lives here?" he asked, staring at the driver. And he didn't notice that I almost fell over when he asked the driver a question.
The driver scowled as he tried to recall, "I guess, I don't remember that name previously."
Suddenly, another islander approached us. And from afar, I noticed a familiar face that I had long forgotten. Rico, the widower, was walking up to us.
My gut constricted, and I felt nauseous in my mind.
"Good morning, Sir. You're both tourists, if I'm not mistaken." Rico asked Rafael, his gaze fixed on me. He noticed something familiar in me, just like Maria on the port.
Rafael replied, "Yes, we are spending our holiday here; by the way, do you have any acquaintances named Catherine living on this island, approximately two or three years ago?"
Rico was taken aback when he turned to face Rafael. "Catherine? You know, Catherine?" Rico's face lit up with pleasure and amazement.
Rafael was also intrigued by Rico's remark. "Yes, she's one of the reasons we chose this island; how did you meet Catherine?"
Rico groaned and continued, with a sad expression, "She just left the island without saying anything to me."
"Are you saying you're good friends with her?"
"Yes, I always saw her there, looking silently and sadly toward the mainland."
"How come?" "Did she tell you?"
"She has secrets I wouldn't dare touch; was it her right to keep them that way?" He smiled and added, "But there was something about her that caught my attention."
"And what was that?" Rafael inquired, his gaze riveted on his own disclosures.
"One day, I spotted her hurrying from here to there, and I followed her. I heard her crying out at the boat moving to the mainland, and he was shouting the name Dave, which is why I figured the Dave he was calling was the boat's passenger, and she was no longer there after a few days, "he said.
Rafael remained motionless, staring at Rico.
"And Maria informed me that Catherine was gone because she should be gone, but I didn't understand what Maria was trying to express." Rico shrugged.
Rafael then inquired once again, "Anyway, Monica, have you met before?"
His abrupt question reversal caught me off guard.
Rico stared at me and remarked, "I believe I've met you before."
Rafael introduced me to Rico. "She is one of my associates, Monica Ferris, and you are..."
"Call me, Rico," he said, turning to face me again. "Have we met?"
"I don't know." I said.
"Maybe you do, because she had been here on this island and was also friends with Monica," Rafael explained.
Rico's eyes widened as he said, "Where did you stay on the island?"
I froze since I couldn't tell them I lived at Maria's place.
This was going to be my end.