“HEY, SISTER, your Prince Charming is here,” Vivian said from the kitchen door.
Vanessa turned in surprise. She was helping Virgil wash the vegetables. Her heart skipped a beat. She thought of Miguel. But no. That could not be. Vivian had never met Miguel.
Vanessa unconsciously wiped her wet hands on her dress. She glanced at Virgil. He nodded at her slightly.
“He surely missed you,” Vivian remarked as she walked past her sister.
Vanessa ignored her as she was not very enthusiastic to see Ernest again. And there he was, sitting at the counter, smiling broadly at the sight of her.
Ernest stood up and opened his arms.
“I missed you,” he said.
“I’m glad you made it back safe,” she said half-heartedly.
He hugged her tight and cupped her face afterward. “You don’t look very happy to see me,” he joked.
“I-it’s not like that. I’m just… I’m just tired. You must be tired, too. I mean, you had a long trip.”
“It did not matter anymore. Now that I’m here with you.” Ernest dipped his head and claimed her mouth.
Vanessa froze. She could not push Ernest, but she could not kiss him back either. She could not believe how quickly her feelings for him changed. Just as how quick it was for Miguel to come into her life and walk out of it.
“You must be more tired than I was,” Ernest remarked. “You should make it up to me.”
Vanessa cleared her throat.
“We need to talk, Ernest. There are a lot of things I have to say to you.”
“Of course. How about dinner tonight?”
“A-all right. Let’s meet here tonight. I’ll prepare something.”
“I can’t wait.” Ernest smiled.
VANESSA took a deep breath. She had been doing that after parting from Ernest this morning. But it was not helping. She was nervous and tense, but she knew there was no turning back. She could not keep whatever they had. It did not feel right anymore. She did not want to be unfair to him or even to herself.
Miguel was the only one for her. Whether he was coming back or not.
“Are you all right?” Virgil asked.
“Yes, Father.”
“You look nervous. What did you talk about?”
“Nothing yet. But we agreed to have dinner tonight.”
“Hmm. Looks like someone’s going to have his heart broken.”
ARNEL was finally back to work after taking care of his ill mother. He was thankful to have an understanding boss like Virgil. He would surely do his best to make up for his absences.
The sun was setting, and he was walking on the road alone, or so he thought. He heard footsteps behind him. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw a tall figure wearing a cloak. His chest pounded. The hooded figure advanced toward him, grabbing him.
Arnel made a painful groan as his back hit the thick trunk. The mysterious man pulled him behind a huge acacia tree.
“P-please don’t hurt me!”
The man was pinning him to the tree with his strong arm. Then he swiftly pulled his hood back, revealing the face that he never thought he would see again. Arnel gasped in horror.
“M-Miguel? Y-you’re…”
“Not dead,” Miguel said with a smirk.
“B-but how…”
“I finally got you, huh.” He shot Arnel with a glare. “Someone must have ordered you to come and tell me that Celine wanted to meet me at their backyard when we already agreed to meet that day. Who is it?” he hissed.
Arnel swallowed.
“P-please don’t kill me. I was just following Sir Ernest’s orders.”
Miguel was taken aback.
“My family owes him, and there’s nothing I can do. Believe me, Miguel.”
“E-Ernest…”
Right. Why would he make him go to see Celine in their backyard when he had no plans of framing him up? The blood in his ears pounded as everything finally made sense to him. It was Ernest all along. He did it to him because he thought Celine was leaving Ernest for him.
Poor Celine.
His breathing quickened. He would not let justice slip away this time. He will put Ernest in his place after what he did to Celine.
ERNEST was here. Vanessa opened the door after he knocked. He greeted her with a sweet smile. She closed the door. Ernest pulled her afterward and claimed her mouth.
“Ernest…” She pushed him. “I did not come here for that. We should talk.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“About us. We should end this.”
The color drained from his face. Vanessa pulled the pouch from her pocket and put it on Ernest’s hand.
“This is the necklace you gave me. I don’t think I deserve it. I’m sorry, Ernest. Let’s not waste our time with each other anymore. You should give it to the woman who is worthy of your affection.”
“I-I don’t get it, Vanessa. What happened while I was away?”
“A lot. It’s not your fault. I just realized I need something deeper. Something that’s more than physical.”
“But, Vanessa, I could give you everything you wish for. I can take you to any place you want. I’ll make you a queen.”
“Ernest, that’s not what I need. Did you not hear me? We should end this as early as now. I hope you understand.”
“No. I don’t understand.” His eyes blazed with fury, but his tone remained cold. “Did you find someone else?”
Vanessa avoided his gaze.
“It does not matter anymore. I don’t want to hurt you, Ernest. So, please, don’t ask me anymore. I’m really sorry. It was hard for me, too.” She took a deep breath. “I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.” She turned her back and walked out of the room.
VANESSA hurriedly walked down the stairs and went straight to the kitchen. She grabbed a new lamp.
“Are you done talking to Ernest?” Virgil asked. He was chopping some meat.
She nodded quietly.
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll just get some fresh air. I’ll be back in a while.”
“Bring a knife with you.”
Vanessa stared. “Father. Thank you for reminding me.” She pulled a small knife inside the drawer.
“Be careful.”
“I will.”
Once again, Vanessa found herself following the trail that led to Miguel’s abandoned hut under the bright full moon. She already told herself that she would give up, but her heart could not. It had a mind of its own.
“Do you really think it’s that easy to get rid of me, Vanessa?”
With a loud gasp, Vanessa turned. She found Ernest behind her, his face blank and cold.
“Ernest! What are you doing here? Stop following me!”
“Are you going to see him now? Who is he? Tell me! Is he wealthier than me? Is he younger? Better in bed, perhaps?” he asked as he approached her.
Vanessa swallowed as she took a step back.
“Stop it, Ernest!”
“I can’t lose you again, Celine. If I can’t have you, no one else will!” Ernest grabbed Vanessa’s neck.
She dropped the lamp as she choked.
“You’re mine alone, Celine! Even if it means I have to kill you again!”
Vanessa’s eyes widened as she gasped for her. Ernest killed Celine?
But she was not Celine. She could not just let him repeat his crime. With the knife in her other hand, she slashed his arm. Ernest pulled away with a groan.
“Bitch!” His hand landed on her face, throwing her to the ground.
Vanessa squealed as she hit the cold earth. The knife slipped from her hand. It hurt. For a moment, she could not move. She watched as Ernest advanced toward her, not minding his wounded arm oozing with blood.
“Bastard!” Another figure appeared behind Ernest.
Ernest turned, and a fist landed on his face, throwing him off balance. Vanessa recognized his voice. He was the man he spent the night with at Miguel’s hut! He did not wait for Ernest to stand up as he cornered him, throwing punches into his face.
“I’ll kill you!”
Ernest roared and pushed him away from him with all his might.
“Who are you? Who are you to get in my way?” He grabbed his shirt, and as the moonlight hit his face, Ernest stared in horror. “M-Miguel? You’re alive?”
“Did you miss me, old friend? I guess I could not die that easily! I have to make sure you’ll go to hell first!” Miguel spat.
“Not if I make you suffer just what I did to Celine!” Ernest’s eyes widened as he recoiled, the small knife digging into his flesh after Vanessa plunged it on his back.
He turned around abruptly, but he froze in horror as he found himself staring into Celine’s eyes instead of Vanessa’s.
“C-Celine!”
Celine caught his neck, tightening her grip, and he felt his lungs run out of air. He could not believe his eyes.
“I’ll kill you!”
“Vanessa, no!” Miguel stood up and pulled her by the waist.
Vanessa gasped and stared at her hands. She could not believe what she had just done. It was as if she was possessed by a strong force, losing control for a moment.
Ernest dropped to the ground, gasping for air.
“N-no, Celine, don’t kill me. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” He waved his hands in front of him as if he was driving someone away that only he could see. “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!”
Vanessa burst into tears. Miguel caught her on time before she could collapse to the ground.
“It’s all right. It’s over,” Miguel whispered.
VANESSA opened her eyes. Marinel and Vivian, who were watching her the whole time, jumped.
“You’re awake! Oh, you’re awake! Thank goodness!”
“Vanessa, are you all right? How are you feeling?” Marinel asked.
She roamed her eyes. She was in her own room.
“What happened?” she asked in a dry throat.
“Water, you need water.” Vivian poured her a glass on the bedside table.
“Ernest admitted that he was the one who killed Celine and framed Miguel for it. But… but it seems like he had gone mad. He said Celine was watching him the whole time, and he was scared she would kill him. The sheriffs took him to the infirmary. Miguel’s name was cleared. He was the one who saved you. Arnel was the witness. Do you remember now?”
“Here, sister. Have some water.”
“Where’s Father?”
“At the pub, contemplating whether to shoot Ernest with his gun or not.”
Vanessa took the glass and drank from it.
“Are you hurt?”
She slowly shook her head.
“I-I’m fine, I guess. I remember Ernest tried to kill me. Where’s Miguel? I need to see him.”
“But you haven’t recovered yet.”
“I’m fine, Marinel. I need to see Miguel. I have a lot of things to ask him,” she said desperately.
“Later,” Vivian said firmly. “You have all the time in the world to do that, sister. Have some rest first, will you?”
Vanessa stared at her sister suspiciously.
“Where’s Vivian? What did you do to my sister?”
Marinel snorted and giggled.
“ARE YOU sure you can handle yourself?” Marinel asked when they finally stopped outside Miguel’s workshop.
When Miguel’s parents died, they left him a fortune. They wanted him to be an entrepreneur like them, but he had a different passion. What a coincidence. Why did he have to have that name?
“Thank you for accompanying me, Marinel. You’re the best.”
Marinel smiled and tapped her shoulder.
“Break a leg.”
When Marinel left, Vanessa took a deep breath as she sauntered closer to the door. She knocked thrice and waited patiently.
“Is that you, Marinel? Come in,” he responded from the inside.
Vanessa pushed the door slowly and entered. She found Miguel standing in the middle of the room, his back facing her. He looked like he was reminiscing.
She glanced around her, and something hit her. The room was filled with wooden sculptures. From human figures to furniture… she was surrounded by works of art. Vanessa felt light-headed.
“How’s Vanessa?”
“I’m fine.”
Miguel turned in surprise.
“V-Vanessa.”
“What about you, M-Miguel?”
He swallowed. Then he crossed the room, cupped her face, and claimed her mouth with a full kiss. She pushed him away in surprise.
“W-why did you do that?”
“There’s something I did not tell you that night before I disappeared.”
Vanessa blinked.
“I love you, too, Vanessa.”
She caught her mouth with her hand as she gasped.
“I-it’s me. Your Miguel. I’m sorry for leaving you just like that.”
She shook her head in disbelief.
“I-it can’t be. H-how is that possible?”
He cupped her face and stroked her cheeks. Vanessa could not help grasping his hands. His touch felt familiar.
“Will you listen to me?”
“Yes,” she said with a sob. “Tell me everything, please.”