Chapter 99

Chapter 99
"Who is Monica Ferris?"

Madam Mea looked at me, astonished by what I had said.
"Where did you get the notion that I murdered Catherine?" She wanted an answer.
"That's how close we are, Madam," I said, clutching my son in my arms. We revealed secrets that would change our lives. And she told me that you hired a killer to eliminate her in this world. You're acting as if you're God, capable of causing anything to happen. But, Madam Mea, time isn't always on your side."
"You needed evidence to pin me down to what I had done," she explained.
"I know, and it will arrive. Every one of us has a chance to be punished for our faults. And you will be sorry for all you have done wrong since you were a child, "I stated.
"You're going to suffer and regret being Catherine's buddy," she exclaimed, "that's a fact you can't avoid. Now give me my son. "
"Are you deaf, Madam? I will only give Rafael Junior to his father and real mother. "
"I am his registered mother, therefore I have every right to see my child, and I will punish you for these inconsiderate acts you have perpetrated."
Her hands were clearly trembling, and she was holding it out for all to see. "Give me my son."
"No! I won't let you injure Cathy's son again!" I yelled.
"How dare you do this to me, Monica?"
Our disagreement was going nowhere, so I decided to call it quits and hurried inside with my son as Mea's angry voice filled the air. I locked the door to silence her annoying speech. It's apparent from the way she acted that I hit her hard when I told her that I knew she hired a killer to kill Catherine. And I knew that consequences were on their way to cause me problems, but I wasn't afraid any longer. Mea's transgressions had finally caught up with her, and it was time for her to pay the price.
After a few moments, I heard another car stopped outside the house. I dashed up to the window to see who had arrived.
Rafael's car arrived, and he quickly got out and approached his wife.
"I'm not going anywhere without my son, Rafael!" Mea screamed, straining from her husband's hands, while Carlo stood by the gate, still and silent, watching what Mea and Rafael were arguing about.
"Don't create a scene, Mea," Rafael said as he dragged his wife to her car, but Mea remained defiant. She didn't want to leave my son behind.
I realized why she was so frantic to reclaim my son. She wanted Rafael Junior to be a justification for her retaining Rafael Senior in her clutches. But, based on what I'd seen of Rafael's manner recently, he was now willing to give up his son to the genuine mother, who happened to be me. It also made me joyful.
My son awoke and placed his hand on my chin. He gave me a friendly smile. He had no idea how valuable his smile was to me. I hugged him, and he hugged me back.
After a few minutes, I heard a car driving away and raced to the window to take another look. Mea had finally departed, but Rafael remained outside the gate, conversing with Carlo, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw them facing each other in a serious mood. I couldn't understand what Rafael had said to Carlo. After a few minutes of conversation, Carlo opened the gate for Rafael.
Carlo's decision to let Rafael through the fence startled me. I leaned against the wall, wondering what they were discussing, and how Rafael persuaded Carlo to open the gate without pushing him.
Rafael Junior smiled at me again, which made me feel better.
The front door then opened, and when I turned to see who was coming in, I was stunned to discover Rafael Morrow standing there, staring at me.
As he went in and shut the door, I felt nervous.
"Don't worry, I asked your spouse for permission to speak with you.
When I returned to the window to search for Carlo, I noticed him rushing out on his motorcycle. It perplexed me and led me back to Rafael.
"How did you persuade Carlo to make time to speak with me?"
Rafael approached me and came to a halt a meter away. "I'd like to speak with you about Catherine."
"So that's why he lets you come into the house and talk to me," I groaned. "Of course, you'll pick up your son again."
"Nope," he said.
"What?" I asked, frowning.
"I don't know why Mea fired our nanny." Rafael explained, "If you don't mind, it's preferable for my son to stay here with you."
"Of course, I'm not bothered. Taking care of Catherine's son warmed my heart. At the very least, her son is secure in me and my husband's care. "
He sighed and continued. "I need your help, Monica."
I wasn't expecting him to come to me for assistance. He had all of the resources he needed to accomplish whatever he set out to do. But why did he come to me now? It brought me a little joy, but it also gave me doubts. What is Rafael's true motivation for requesting my assistance?
"Why should I?" I inquired.
"You're Catherine's only point of contact. That's how you get to be you. I'd like to know where Catherine is and, more importantly, I'd like to talk to her in person. " He fixed his gaze on me.
I wasn't prepared for his aims, and I'm not sure how to approach his problem without being caught lying. But I know I have to help him in order to avoid his suspicions.
"OK," I said, "What do you want me to do?" I agreed to assist him, not realizing what this would mean in the future. He exudes a ferocity that I cannot deny.
He stated it plainly, "I want to go to the island where Catherine was treated for her wounds."
The prospect of revisiting the past made my entire body shake. It never occurred to me that he was planning to search out Catherine personally. I assumed he'd merely wait for Catherine to call me, as I had led him to expect. The panic feeling was intense, and I wasn't sure how I would respond to him.
Do I have to vow to help him and agree to accompany him to Jiao Island, or can I just say no?
He remained motionless as he waited for my response.
"I need to talk to my husband about it."
Rafael declared, "He can come with us." He didn't want to let go of me in his plan. His eyes begged for help.
"I still need to talk to him about it," I muttered. "As a wife, I should get his approval first before agreeing to your idea. "
"All right, I'll be back tomorrow morning," he said as he moved to the door and walked out without looking back at us.
I stayed rooted to the spot where I was standing, clutching my son. I can't believe what happened only a few minutes ago. I'm not sure how Carlo will respond when I tell him about Rafael's plan. But I couldn't avoid informing him. As Carlo's wife in the eyes of everyone around us, I owe him a debt of gratitude. That's what we agreed to. Everything will go smoothly if you respect one another.
Carlo returned, smelling of alcohol.
"What made you drink alcohol?" I inquired as I positioned Rafael Junior on his bed. He was dozing off.
"I'm sorry, but I can't tolerate the thought of you and the doctor chatting," Carlo said with a smile.
"You asked me to respect you as my spouse, and I believe you should do the same." His behavior has recently upset me. He had several rules that he was going to breach first.
"How come you're concerned about my drinking?" He smirked and threw his body onto the pink room's couch. "How come Rafael Junior is still here with you?"
"Mea had terminated his nanny. And no one could look after him. You know... Mea was the least accountable for the child's care. "
"OK, that's good for you. But be on the lookout for another attack. Madam Mea can't accept what happened to her and the doctor. Their marriage is failing, and they will split soon. And that's another victory for you." He snorted.
"That's sour grapes, Carlo. You don't have to insult me to make me feel bad. Just tell me what you think of my son being left with me, and be direct. "
He remained silent for a moment before rising to his feet and saying, "What is happening is unstoppable, Monica. Slowly, you are drawn to the doctor's hands. And I believe you'll triumph over Madam Mea. "
His demeanor irritated me, and I screamed, "Tell me what's on your mind, Carlo, before I agree to help Rafael find me on the island. You are correct. It is unstoppable, but that was to be expected. You told me to tell Rafael about Catherine. And all I did was put him off finding me. What difference does it make? Is it my fault because I told him I was only Catherine's friend? How does it work if I tell him square in his face that I am the Catherine he is looking for? "
He remained silent and did not argue with me. "Do whatever you want," he said as he approached the door.
"He wants me to accompany him back to the island," I said, and added, "on the island where I was being treated for my injuries."
He came to a standstill at the door and looked at me with wide eyes. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, that’s exactly what he had in mind. He wants to find Catherine and wants to begin on Jiao Island." I groaned. "I told you this out of courtesy to you as my husband."
"However, I can't prevent you from doing that."
"Perhaps you can, maybe you can't," I said.
He leaned on the door beam, thinking. I could see his emotional distress in his eyes. He was aware of my thoughts. And that there is nothing he can do to stop me from traveling with Rafael Morrow.
"Just be careful," he said as he walked outside.
I was enraged by his lack of attention to what I had said. I followed him down to the living room. "I need your view, Carlo!"
"What point of view do you want to hear, Monica?" Is it my viewpoint that would take you all the way to the doctor? Is that what you wanted to hear?" He was acting strangely while he was under the influence of booze.
"Carlo, stop acting like..."
"Like an idiot?" he asked as he turned to face me. "Is that what you're trying to say?"
"No, please, let us be cordial. If you want me to say no to Rafael, I will. "
"And what could happen if you don't go with him?" he inquired. But his face was trying to express something.
"I'm not sure. But it would shield me from being discovered lying to him. "
"What do you mean by that?" he enquired, frowning.
"When Rafael inquired how I became friends with Cathy, I told him I was the cousin of the man who brought Cathy to the island injured and that my aunt was Maria, the nurse who cared for Catherine."
Carlo gave me an astonished expression.
"All my lies will be revealed if Rafael and Maria meet," I mumbled. "Because... I imagined myself as Lara, Maria's gay nephew."
"There is always a cost to lying," he added as he closed his eyes.
What was I going to do now?
For a short period, we were deafeningly quiet. I was terrified of confronting Maria and Lara. When I return to the island, everything will be turned upside down because no one knows who I am as Monica. Monica Ferris did not exist. And how would I defend that to Rafael if I didn't tell him my true name is Catherine Regner?
Confusion and anxiety overtook and plagued me as the events unfolded.
After a few minutes of waiting for Carlo's opinion, he remained silent with his eyes closed on the couch. So I gave up and walked back to the pink room to look at myself in the mirror.
I need to find a solution before the sun rises. But the more I thought about how I could create another story for Monica Ferris, the more my mind became twisted and I couldn't come up with any alternatives.
How am I going to fix this problem?