Chapter 21

Amanda's eyes slowly opened, she looked around wondering where she was and how she had gotten here. With slow and devastating thoroughness, everything trickled back...the function... receiving a text from Miguel... being dragged into a car... Alisha showing up... and lastly that gun that still left a throbbing ache in her head.

As she tried to stand up, she realized she was tied to a chair. She struggled to free herself, but the ropes were too tight.

The door opened and Isobel walked in followed by the man who had held her in the car.

"It didn't have to come to this, Amanda. Why did you become greedy?"

"I'm not. Just let me go please” She begged.

"Let you go? Then what? You'll run to Xavier and tell him everything?"

"He needs to know, and I should've told him sooner."

"I'm glad you didn't, and you never will."

Tears filled Amanda's eyes.

"Please, I'm begging you, just let..."

"Shut it. The fact that you're putting up a fight for someone who isn't yours makes me want to hurt you so bad. When I told you to take Alisha's place, I made it clear to you not to ever forget that you aren't his wife and you should never have anticipated a life with him but then, you chose to show your true colors, you little devil, you probably figured out how wealthy he is, and you want that all to yourself for the rest of your life"

"I don't want his money; I just want him. I'm begging you, Mother. Please give me a chance to have a life with him, please I love him so much, all I want is to be with him, please,” she begged, tearfully.

"Aww, so sweet. But I can't do anything about it. You weren't the one who was betrothed to him so you can never have a life with him. If there were to be a next life, then you can hope to be his bride but in this life, you can never be with Xavier."

"What are you going to do to me? Kill me?"

"Of course not, my dear. I can't do that to you because you're my daughter, but I have to make you forget about telling Xavier the truth."

"I'm going to tell him," Amanda declared.

"Well, let's see about that. She turned to face the man.

"Bring him in," she ordered.

The man nodded and walked away.

Seconds later, two men walked in dragging Miguel in their wake.

Amanda gasped seeing him looking half dead.

One could barely recognize his face. He had deep bruises all over his face and body. His yellow shirt had turned reddish.

"What did you do to him?" she cried.

"Nothing much. I love the relationship between you two. It always helps me manipulate the two of you."

Isobel smirked. "I can't kill you, but I can end his life right now."

At that moment, one of the men brought out his gun and pointed it at Miguel's head.

"Miguel's life is in your hands. Give up on Xavier, don't ever show up in front of him, even if you two run into each other, you have to play it cool, as someone you haven't seen before. If you promise to do all that, you won't have to watch Miguel's brain being blown out in front of you"

She moved closer to Amanda.

"What's it going to be, Amanda?"

With tears running down her cheeks uncontrollably, she stared at Miguel as memories reeled through her head.

FLASHBACK.

Miguel snuck into Amanda's room with a plate.

"Your mother didn't see me taking this from the kitchen so eat up, Amanda."

"No. You got beaten up last time for bringing me food, I don't want that to happen to you again, and it's just today, when mother's anger subsides, I'm sure she'll let me eat tomorrow"

Miguel sighed sadly. "You haven't eaten all day and I know you're starving."

"I'm not," she replied.

Just then, her stomach grumbled.

Miguel eyed her.

"I'm not leaving here till you eat, and to make you less bothered if I'll get caught or not, I'll keep watch to see if Alisha or your mother would pass by, so start eating now," he ordered and walked towards the door, he stood by the doorpost observing the hallway.

Amanda stared at him; she didn't want him to get beaten up mercilessly like the last time when he had brought food for her under punishment.

She knew he wouldn't let her stay hungry, so she started gobbling the food hurriedly.

When she was almost through, she choked.

Miguel quickly ran up to her, gave her water and started rubbing his hand on her back.

"Eat slowly, huh."

She smiled. "I had to make sure you wouldn't get punished."

"Even if I get punished, it'll be worth it since I know you aren’t hungry."

"Thank you, Miguel," she said gratefully.

Amanda walked into the school's library. She sat alone and started reading a textbook.

Miguel walked up to her and sat on a seat opposite her.

"Why don't you seem excited? All the girls are talking about prom."

"I'm not going to prom."

Miguel frowned. "Why?"

"Alisha and her gang are just going to laugh at me. I mean, she and her friends bought new dresses, but Mom refused to buy me one. She would definitely turn me into a subject of ridicule, so it's best I stay at home."

Miguel sighed. He knew even if she was trying to sound nonchalant about it, she was saddened because she had been excited about the forthcoming prom night. He had to make sure she goes.

"You bought me a dress?” Amanda asked, staring at the purple flared dress Miguel had given her.

"Yes I want you to go to prom with me” He replied, smiling broadly.

"But where did you get the money for this?"

Miguel grinned uneasily; he knew she would get extremely angry if she knows he had worked his bones out at a construction site.

"I helped Mr. Warren clean his house and he gave me some cash; it wasn't even dirty,” he replied.

She hugged him happily.

"Thank you so much, Miguel"

He smiled, making her happy was his first priority.

Amanda backed away from some bullies who had cornered her at school.

"How dare you get Lewis's attention, you little thing!” Ellen, the leader, said.

“I wonder what he sees in her annoying prudish attitude," another girl added.

"Is everything okay here?"

They froze seeing Miguel walking in.

"I was just asking her questions about math,” Ellen explained frantically.

They hadn't expected that he would find them, the last time he had slapped a girl for Amanda's sake had made Ellen damn scared of him.

"I think she doesn't want to talk to you so you should get going," he ordered.

They nodded and scurried off.

"How many times should I tell you to always fight back? I might not be close when you need me every time. Show these bullies that you're Catwoman," he joked

She laughed.

"They're just too scary and intimidating"

"Well, Superman would start teaching you how to defend yourself from now on"

"Superman my ass," she giggled.

Miguel snickered. "When it comes to me, you're very tough, huh?"

"Because you're special." With that, she started walking away.

He held his flushed cheeks. Special?

They rode their bicycles out of the school's parking lot.

"C'mon, I'll race you home," Miguel suggested.

"Bring it on," she replied, excitedly.

"Last to get home is a monkey," he announced and took off.

"Miguel!” she squealed.

END OF FLASHBACK...

"Ahhh!" she cried, bitterly.

"I love you, you're my life."

"Sei bellisimo."

As these words ran through her head, she thought about his heartwarming smile that she would never get to see again.

Who was she to ever think she could have a good life with someone like Xavier?

With tears falling down her eyes in thick sheet, she croaked out.

"The one who walked down the aisle to Xavier is Alisha... The one who has been with him all this while is Alisha... I... I was never in Xavier's life."

Isobel smiled. "Good girl."