Chapter 13 THE PAST IS UGLY ENOUGH
KATHERINA
What have I done?
I shouldn't have. I should have just kept my eyes away fkrm the box and not pick the dress from there.
I could have avoided this part of him. I could see the anger in his eyes as he looked back at me.
My eyes became teary.
“I'm sorry,” I muttered but he wouldn't listen to my apology. He shut the door loudly behind as he stepped out.
I hope he doesn't do anything crazy to Lucia. She had done nothing wrong but talk to me.
In fact, she is the only reason I like it in this place, Aria and Joanne too.
A part of me as eager to step out of the room to see what he was going to do. Another part of me was scared he might get boil over if he sees me outside the room.
I took heed to the latter and stayed back.
I hurriedly pulled off the dress and folded it back in and that minute my mind flashed back to my mom….
“How I wish she was still here!” I thought in my head. I couldn't help but remember how my father made a mess of everything even before my mother's death.
“Mom, when are we leaving?” I said as I noticed how unsettled she was. She was always like this whenever there was going on between her and Dad.
I could remember vividly that hour we were at the fair. It was an outing specially for just two of us but Papa didn't know about it.
The look on her face said a lot about what was going on inside of her and it got me so uncomfortable as well.
“Mom, are you going to tell me what's going on? I don't like this!!” I yelled.
She placed her hands on my shoulder and a slight frown covered her face, “I don't think your father is happy with me….” She finally spoke up.
“Happy with you? Why won't he be happy with you? Did you fight him before he left?” I asked.
“I just know it, Kat. I can sense it from his text. Let's just get out of here,” her soft voice rented my ears.
For some reasons, I just had the relief that Papa was never going to do anything to her.
Not like he had done worse with her in my presence. I had onky seen him shout at her once and that was even in the bedroom.
Mom later told me they were having fun as married people and I knew I just had to maintain my bounds….
However, something seemed rather unsettling with the way she reacted. She was not only bothered but scared as well.
Some hours later, we got home and right there, I saw Papa standing at the front of his house with Diego by his right hand side and another huge guy on dreadlocks.
Papa's face was frowned and sweaty like he had been standing there for long……
I winked at Diego but he didn't wink back. It was then I knew something g was definitely wrong somewhere.
We walked past them, greeted Papa but there was response……Mom sighed out loudly, “Katherina, my daughter…just go upstairs to you like room, okay? I really did enjoy the day with you, my sweet cucpcake,” she said, ending it with the usual compliment she would always give me.
She was always referring to me as a cupcake. According to her, I was the littlest and sweetest thing that ever happened to her since she got married to my father.
“Mkm, but why? Papa seems really angry at us. We could apologize to him together,” I said, trying to make her feel calm but it didn't worked.
It was as though she knew how everything would play out and she was ready to face it head on.
I was troubled but I listened to her and went upstairs to my room quietly.
My plan was to make Diego come upstairs when I make the call for him through the curtains.
I got to my room and did that but nothing until minutes later, he threw a note from downstairs.
“You have to remain upstairs no matter what happens, please. It's for your safety,” the note reads.
I paused.
“What is Diego talking about? What does he mean by this?” I paced around the room.
Before I knew what was happening, I heard my mom scream aloud and without wasting any more time, I rushed outside.
“Mom!!!”
As soon as I got downstairs, my eyes widened in surprise at what I saw. Papa held her neck to the wall and was hurling insukts at her loudly.
Diego and the other weird looking guy was right there watching and I just couldn't stand it.
Tears dropped for my eyes and I ran immediately to save mother from Papa's tight chokehold.
“Papa….leave her alone,” I screamed and before I knew what was happening, a slap landed on my face.
“And what do you think you want to do?” Papa's voice rented my ears.
“You and your bitch ass mother went out and left the house all in the name of what? Some fun, uhn?”
“Cause I am not enough for your mother and yourself right? So you decided to go and feed your eyes outside???!”
“Papa, no!” I groaned in pain as I held my face.
My ears were disturbed from the resounding slap……My eyes darted to where Diego stood and he just couldn't make a move to help me.
I could see him clenching his fists but he just couldn't do anything…….Diego, take her to her room and keep her there,” Papa instructed..
I watched as my mother sobbed under his grasp.
It was nothing I had ever seen before……
My mind snapped back to reality the minute my phone rang.
I rushed to pick so Roberto isn't alerted. “Who knows what he might do to me if he comes back to the room?”
At least, I was glad I had pulled off the clothes already….”Hello….” I answered the call.
“Are you alone?” The voice of my father rented the phone speakers.
“Yes, Papa….” I answered reluctantly.
“Now listen to me. You have to do what I tell you else the whole Mafia….”