**ROSEANA**
I was welcomed by Macy's shrill voice when I walked into the house she was renting. When she greeted me with a hug, I almost collapsed.
"Girl, I'm missing you!" she exclaimed. The sheer intensity of this woman's voice almost caused my eardrums to shatter.
"Calm down; we haven't seen each other in a month, but you act as if I've been gone for a year."
She let go of my hug and gave me a grimace. She even gave me a sideways glance. She folded her arms above her chest and peered at me from head to toe with a scrutinizing stare. She even walked around me, studying me thoroughly.
I stood there, waiting for her to say something.
"That's my point; how dare you vanish like that?" she exclaimed.
"Tsk, before anything else, sit down. We're to talk for a long time today, so sit on the sofa first," she continued, ushering me to her old sofa.
She left me in the living room for a time, and when she returned, she was holding cold water, which she placed on the wooden table.
"Wait a minute, I'll just go downstairs and buy powdered juice. And, by the way, I'm going to buy juice because I want to drink juice, not for you."
I laughed and nodded to her. I looked around while waiting for her to return. Macy lives in a small room. She, like me, is saving money because she has a sibling who is studying in the province.
When I sit on her sofa, it creaks as if it will fall apart at any moment. Her kitchen was just a few feet away from where I was seated. Macy's room is right next to her tiny kitchen.
"So... what happened to you?" she inquired, intrigued. We sat on the floor facing each other because Macy only had one chair, which was her sofa, and I don't think it could sustain our weight. Maybe it'll be broken before Macy and I start talking. "What caused your sudden disappearance?"
I replied, "I need to hide." Her brow furrowed in response to my response. "Cedrick, he's found me."
Her jaw dropped when she heard what she heard. Her eyes were filled with worry and fear.
"You mean that Cedrick who is forcing you to marry him? That man who abducted you when you refused to marry him? The one who has the same attitude as your evil stepmother?" she continued. I am slowly nodding to each of her questions.
I said, "Yes, that Cedrick."
"Oh, God! Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" she asked, her hands over her mouth, looking at me with pity.
"No," I said, shaking my head. "I managed to flee," I said.
"Is everything alright? Where are you staying? Why are you so unlucky, huh?"
"I'm not sure. Perhaps my bad behavior in a previous life is why I'm being punished now," I joked.
Macy glared at me instead of laughing at my joke. She may be the happiest person you know, but in these instances, she can be deadly serious.
"Hey, I'm just kidding. You don't have to worry about me. I'm safe, and I'm sure Cedrick will have a difficult time finding me again this time," I reassured her.
"Why don't you report him to the police so he finally stops his stupidity?" she asked. "Girl, he's dangerous. This isn't just stalking. He's hurting you."
"Macy, we can't do that either. I tried, but what was the point? I was the one who came out looking bad, and I was even accused of stealing from him instead of him being punished," I mutter. My eyes welled up with tears. I suddenly feel the pain, fear, and anger that I've been suppressing inside.
I tried multiple times to ask for help. But every time I try, I'm always disappointed. I recall him trying to molest me at one point. I told my stepmother about it in the hopes that she would protect me, but instead, she demanded money from him as compensation. It has always frightened me. My entire system was paralyzed by the grief and betrayal I felt that day. The agony I felt is indescribable.
That is why I am afraid to ask for help. I'm tired of hoping for salvation only to be disappointed in the end. It made me realize that no one except myself is willing to help me.
"Running is all I can do; it's exhausting, yes, and I have the feeling Cedrick will follow me wherever I go."
I can't speak properly because I'm trying to stop myself from crying; my chest is tight, and I can't breathe properly; and I suck for air anxiously. I alternately grasp and hit my chest, attempting to distract myself with physical pain.
I don't want to feel this pain again, and I can feel the darkness encircling me.
I feel Macy's warm embrace as I break into pieces; she cradled me like a baby, tenderly patting my back.
"Roseana, I'm here. Cry out your pain. Allow me to sympathize with your misery."
My tears continued to fall. I can't see well since tears have begun to run from my eyes. I cried quietly.
"Why am I always the one who gets hurt, Macy? When will I be happy? Can I ever be free of this suffering? When will this end?" my voice broke.
I'm exhausted.
"Hold on just a little longer, Roseana. I know there will come a moment when you will be able to live your life without the misery that you are experiencing right now. Just keep that in mind."
In her arms, I fell into agony. I wept myself to sleep till I felt nothing.
"Rest, Roseana. Everything will feel a little better after you rest." That was the last thing I heard before falling asleep.
Macy let me sleep in her room. I am exhausted. I can't even move after recalling the agony I've gone through. Remembering my past is like repeatedly piercing an open wound.
I'm not sure how many hours I slept. It's already dark outside when I open my eyes. I inhaled deeply.
"Roseana? Are you awake now?" Macy said from outside.
I said quickly, "Yeah."
The door slowly opened, and Macy popped her head through it, smiling broadly at me.
"I prepared our favorite dish."
"Let's eat," she suggested.
She didn't wait for me to say anything else. She eventually entered the room and yanked me up. She wrapped her arms around mine and guided me out.
When I saw the sauteed sardines on her table, I laughed. That is our favorite food.
"Hey, don't laugh at my cooking; it may be cheap, but it can certainly compete with the expensive food of the rich," Macy's boasts.
We ate her meal together, and because it was late, I didn't remain long at Macy's boarding house before saying goodbye. Macy didn't want to let me go, but she couldn't stop me.
When I arrived at the building housing Damon's penthouse, I was surprised to see such a large gathering. Men dressed in black suits move back and forth.
"Is there a fire?" I wondered.
I approach the two guards, who are already pale for reasons I can't figure out. They, too, are agitated and unsure about their position.
"Excuse me, what's happening?" I inquired of one of the guards. To catch his attention, I had to lightly tap his shoulder.
When he glanced at me, his eyes almost sprang out of their sockets. His furious face had given way to amazement. I stared at him in awe.
"Mrs. Salvestre!" he said as if he had seen a ghost.
At the same time, the men walking back and forth in the hallway were stunned. For a few seconds, the surroundings were deafeningly quiet. It seemed as though an angel had gone through the otherwise peaceful surroundings. They were all stunned when they saw me.
I noticed they were all racing towards me a few moments later. I took a deep breath and took a step back. I expected them to trample on me, but I was startled when they approached me and almost worshiped me with joy.
"Mrs. Salvestre, where have you been?"
"We are glad to see you, ma'am!"
"Thank you, Lord!"
"I've been saved!"
I blink many times, wondering what they're talking about, how they know who I am, and what they're doing. Have they lost their minds?
"Don't show me your faces until you've found her because I might kill you! I'm not paying you to be stupid!" Damon's voice rang out like thunder in the lobby, and we almost leapt in surprise.