Chapter 106

Chapter 106
“"Death to us"

I hadn't kept count of how long it took us to cross the dark water and reach the mainland. My thoughts were stranded on the island.
"Whatever happened to them was their problem, not mine," I thought at the time, thinking about my own accomplishment. Rafael must be returned to his wife. My love for him had no power to make him do the correct thing in any situation. When I became involved in Rafael's life, there was always an obstacle. And now I'm going to have to break off contact with Rafael. Carlo was correct; I couldn't do what I wanted to do as long as Rafael was by my side.
I already had my final decision after a few minutes of docking in the port.
Rico walked me off the boat and said, "You can wait for the first bus at the terminal; buses start moving at two a.m." He was still good. And begged again, "If there's a chance Catherine will contact you, please tell him about Dave." Perhaps he might assist her with whatever troubles she was experiencing. "
"Don't worry, I'll do it. Cathy would undoubtedly know about Dave, and thank you for getting me off the island." I began to open the wallet, but he stopped me.
"Please do not pay me, Miss."
I'm curious as to why he refused my payment.
"If you are Catherine's friend, I must assist you without asking for money."
He waved to me as he returned to his boat and vanished into the black ocean. I could feel his sincerity. And I was sorry for not informing him that he was actually speaking to Catherine. As I hauled my suitcase to the terminal, my heart felt heavy. I need to go on a road trip to keep Rafael from following me.
When I got off the trycicle, the terminal was nearly deserted. There were more empty benches than occupied benches, and some people were lying on the benches, using their bags as pillows. An elderly woman was still awake, selling candy and biscuits. I decided to talk to her.
"Could you tell me what time the first trip is?"
She answered, "At two in the morning, that bus will be leaving," she said, closing her mini store.
"Oh, I see. Can I sit here and wait for that bus? "
"Of course; where are you going?"
"I need to catch the first ship to Naga City."
She advised, "You could use a van; it would be easier for you and faster to get to the port for ships."
I heeded her advice and boarded the first van bound for the main port in the city. Then I caught another bus to Rafael.
I was exhausted from my overnight journey by the time I arrived at the ancient house. I stepped inside with the duplicate key I always had in my wallet, crashed my body on the couch, and promptly fell asleep.
When I opened my eyes again and heard movement from the kitchen, I felt some discomfort in my body. I walked cautiously to the kitchen and found Carlo preparing sandwiches.
"So you're back," he said solemnly, his tone a little odd. "What happened to your mission with the doctor?" he asked, handing me a sandwich in a saucer. "Did the doctor manage to locate Catherine on the island?"
I ate the sandwich he offered me since I was hungry. I'm not going to tell him about what happened on the island.
"You must tell me what happened," he said, peering at me. He was scowling.
"May I first take a shower?"
"Did anything happen to you and the doctor?" he asked, his tone changing.
The look in his eyes tells me he won't quit asking me what happened.
"Nothing bad happened to us on the island," I stated emphatically. "And he knew who I was."
He didn't jerk at all, as though he already knew what was about to happen.
"Can I leave now?"
He walked closer to the table where I sat and asked again.
"How did he accept the truth?" His eyes were peaceful at the time.
"I'm not sure," I had to reply to him.
"What do you mean you don't know?" he enquired.
"And I don't want to know because I left the island without him knowing when Mea came."
He didn't say anything. And I want to get away from him.
I was ready to leave the kitchen when he said something that made me stop.
"I know what happened to your son," he explained.
I looked at him, more thrilled, and said, "What happened to him? He is the reason I escaped the island and Rafael; I want him back and to leave this place with you. "
"I'm tired of your promises, Monica," he said calmly.
Something was bubbling inside him, and I could feel it. "And I despise the doctor for capturing your heart."
"Where is my son?" I asked.
"I could get him if you swore to accompany me away from this place and from Dr. Rafael Morrow," he said solemnly.
And I told him about my ultimate decision. "That's exactly what I want."
He kept staring at me.
"What are you gazing at, Carlo?" I couldn't figure out what he was thinking.
"But before we leave, he must die," he hushed.
"What are you talking about, Carlo?" His ill will made my palm tremble.
"I knew the doctor loved you, Monica, and now that he knows you are the biological mother of his kid, he will never stop getting what he wants, which is you and his son, and to make things plain, he must die."
"No! Are you crazy? "
"Yes, I do."
I had no idea how to deal with him at the time. He had a nasty plan for Rafael, and I needed to calm him down.
"Carlo, please listen to me. Rafael's death would only complicate matters; what we needed to do now was collect my son and leave this place, "I said, cradling him in his arms."
He gave a strange grin and said, "How many times have we planned to flee with your boy, Monica? And how many times have our plans changed? I can't stay here long, watching you being adored by that doctor." His eyes blazed with rage.
He was not the Carlo I had previously trusted. He transformed suddenly.
"Because you're my wife, you're mine and mine alone."
I was terrified as I stared into his piercing eyes. He hadn't been thinking lately. I'm not sure what happened to him. Perhaps I made him that way.
I need to regain his trust in me. So I smiled and forced him to understand my promises. "I won't change anything this time, Carlo; I promised you I'd go with you and my son and escape this place, so please take me to where my kid is."
"To get him, you must kill the guardian."
His revelation was becoming more confusing and difficult to believe.
"Which guardian are you referring to?"
He clinched his teeth and continued, "He was taken by a man and kept in a place that only Madam Mea knew about."
Then I remembered bits of Madam Mea's threat against Rafael. She threatened to kill my son.
Carlo was correct; my son was currently in Madam Mea's hands.
As a result, Rafael Junior was in grave danger. And I need to take some action in order to get him.
"Help me, Carlo; I need to find my kid; take me to where he is being held, "I begged as I panicked, and my gut churned with terror, and my head spun as I realized I was in big trouble.
He just gazed at me. I could tell he was telling me the truth. I must find ways to persuade him to assist me in saving my son.
"Is he worth my life?" he inquired.
I couldn't figure out what Carlo was up to. He kept changing his mind. A while ago, he was determined to pull me away from Rafael. But then he changed his views.
I moved to the door and said, "If you're afraid to save my son, just take me where he is." I turned the door knob but was surprised that it didn't open. It was locked outside.
I turned it again and realized it was purposefully locked outside.
"Did you place a lock from the outside, Carlo?" I asked, puzzled.
"I am your husband, and a wife must follow her husband's ideas and opinions," he said solemnly.
I dashed to the front entrance of the house and discovered a double lock that required a key to unlock. I felt both cheated and terrified. When I looked back, Carlo was already behind me.
"Give me the key, Carlo, and take me to my son; we have to go right away, "I said, trying to hide my panic, "You have no authority to decide whether or not to install locks on the house doors; now give me the keys."
As he sat on the couch, quietly, he spoke in monotone once more.
"On the day of our wedding, after we said "yes I do," everything we owned was already ours, which is why we have locks on the door, because you are not a faithful wife."
I erupted and screamed, "Our marriage was a charade, a performance and...
He laughed a bit and turned his gaze to the window.
"It's not a phony marriage, is it?" I asked.
"It was at first, but when the doctor took you away from me without giving me a chance to protect you from the killer, everything changed."
"What are you trying to say?"
He growled, "I know what he did to you in the house where he held you. So, I changed my mind and registered our marriage to get it legally.
And then I realized he knew where I was getting my gun wound treated, but he didn't come up to reveal himself to us.
"It hurts to see you love each other, kissing, hugging, and..."
"Stop!" I yelled.
"Why?" he raged at me.
"Carlo, you can punish me once I get my son back from her."
"Perhaps she killed him already because of what you've done, Monica."
"What did you say?"
Carlo then proceeded to the center table, pulled out a brown package from behind it, and tossed it on the floor near my feet. And photographs flew out of the package. On the floor were photos of me and Rafael in an intimate stance. We're kissing each other.
I could feel my fearful body quivering, and I was humiliated when Carlo caught him red-handed. But the thought of him discussing my son's death makes me even more terrified.
"Why did you say that? Are you implying that Mea may have already murdered my son? "
He was enraged. "Yes, since I gave her copies of those images," he said. And he clearly despised me and Rafael.
"What?"
"Yes, we have copies and evidence of your unfaithfulness and that alone gives us liberty to punish you as we see fit."
"Oh, no."
"And Madam Mea was on the verge of a rage, and she could do anything to your boy, and I could do anything to punish you for it."
I fell down on my knees and felt defeated and helpless.