Chapter 28 Serena or Carolina?

South! Is the ultimate word that I can use to describe my current state. My world was spinning around in circles while the girl who caused this entire frosting situation, sat on my bed now looking at me with horror struck expressions as if she herself was in some daze. It seemed to me like she was not able to contemplate her own words in her mind that she has blurted.

I pulled my hands away from her shoulders, taking two steps backwards; creating a good amount of distance between us. The hostility that I was feeling for her can clearly be depicted from my deep dark orbs that were fixated on her guilty self as her eyes have started to shed the tears of regret or success for giving me another heartbreak, I can't pinpoint.

Running my hands through my fingers, I looked around my room as I felt lack of control. My every nerve wanted to turn this room upside down. The aggressiveness inside me was resurfacing once again but this time it wasn't just a normal angry moment that can be composed within seconds, it was much more dangerous; something that was asking for revenge.

Revenge from the entire clan of those shitty Rodriguez.

My eyes went to the flower vase kept on the top of the drawer on the side of the bed. Grabbing it I threw it around in the room causing a ear shattering noise as the glass breaked in millions of pieces.

"Daniel!" Serena gasped in shock, getting out of the bed to touch me before I can destroy other things, but I was least bothered about her in that moment.

"Don't you dare touch me, Serena Waldorf!" I yelled showing her my index finger causing her to stand on her place only with an appalled look on her face.

"Opps, my fault. It's Serena Rodriguez now, isn't it?" I taunted letting out a bitter smile. She flinched but still stepped forward to explain me.

"Stay on your place. You sister of that bitch". I yelped again with all the hatred and rage I felt for Carolina. It was like the suppressed loathing for that one woman, was coming to the forefront today and there was no stepping back.

"Please, listen to me once". She cried; helplessness and vulnerability clear from her face but today it didn't moved me instead it reminded me of her traitorous sister; who got me trapped in her ploys through her emotional charade.

I clapped my hands mocking her; but my heart was constricting in pain. My eyes that wanted to get lost in her always, were betraying me because they looked away, not even wanting to see her face.

"What are you going to explain me, that one sister came in my life to snatch away my happiness and the other came to snatch away my breathings?" I know I was being exceptionally harsh with her, but how can she expect me to even think rationally in that second.

She looked dejected, like she has been slapped on her face but still managed to inquire me, "With just one Revelation you think that my love for you was a game? Is that how you think I am?"

I can feel the heartbreak in her voice, and I so wanted to comfort her that I trust her love, but I couldn't step forth.

I turned my back on her and closing my eyes, ordering in a strict and rude tone, "Say everything now, before I loose myself and do something that I will regret forever".

Few seconds passed and I think that she was waiting for me to look at her, but when I didn't even made any effort then taking the cue she began in a lost tone, "Mrs. Rodriguez and Mrs. Waldorf are sisters. My supposed mother Mrs. Waldorf, can't sire children's so she was always in depression which hurted my real mother, Mrs. Rodriguez. When Carolina was born, Mrs. Waldorf became more upset, but when my real mother conceived me two years later, she became hysterical. With her depressing behavior, Mr. Waldorf couldn't even think of adoption because no centre would have given the responsibility of a kid to her seeing her state. Thus, my mother became her savior. As soon as I was born, she gave me to her sister. My mother thought that her sister will be happy and she was happy for a few days, but as I started to grow up, I wasn't like what they might have wanted in their child. I was just an average girl. I was shy, nerd. I didn't interacted with people thus, in their rich atmosphere it was not a thing. I became a loner and my parents were not even with me."

A tear slid down my eye, imagining her lonesome face, wanting love and affection.

"When did you got to know the truth?" I posed straight away. My heart still hoped that our love wasn't a facade because if it was, then I can't even imagine the repurcussion of her betrayal.

"When I choose you over my adopted parents."

That won't be long ago as I assume it to be, it was just a year and half then, but still she hid it from me. What was I supposed to make out of all this.

"They wanted me to leave you because they knew about Carolina being involved with you. They contacted my mother, and she somehow reached me. At first, I was terrified, mad, rageful towards her for ruining my entire life in a blink. She didn't told me about my deceased sister then, thus I wasn't aware about your or Carolina's past. Do you remember, during our stay in the second year, for few days I avoided going to hotel?" Her explaination made some sense here, but her query left me in a frazzled state. I simply nodded not knowing, what happened then?

"At that time, Mrs. Rodriguez was continuously after me so that I can take her back in my life. But I was so mad at her for taking such a huge decision of my life then all of a sudden turning up, like it was no deal. I threatened her that if she came anywhere near me, then I will report her to the cops. For that time she gave up, but then after our breakup, she came to see me again and that was the time where she ended up speaking that how you destroyed Carolina's life and now you destroyed even mine. I was shocked hearing Carolina's name from her mouth and your association with her, but then when I recalled you screaming her name that day, I knew you both had a past." She completed and I turned around now with a blank look on my face.

"I shunned her away once again from my life, but then from a few days she has been warning me that if I don't come back to her, she will tell you that I am Carolina's Sister, and since your hate isn't hidden from her, she knew that she can get me back". She added. Her tears flowing rapidly now.

Serena was staring at me with a keen look, and there I busted on her, "So all this facade of coming back to me to become my healer, is because you believed that so called mother of yours. You wanted to know the truth? Am I right?"

"I never believed her. I came back for you. To heal you, to love you. You have to trust me".

"Trust you? Out of all the people in this entire world, I didn't expected you to be a liar."

"You want to know right, what your so called sister had done, then listen and listen by opening your both ears and tell the same shit to that woman you have to know as your so called real mother".

"That bitch of your sister didn't just shot Stephanie, she burnt my entire family alive infront of my eyes, and I couldn't do a thing!"

A gasp escaped her lips while my dark eyes closed, and my hazy mind started to run down the memory lane of the worst night of my life.

Flashback

The day ended well with my graduation ceremony. I felt at the top of the world for making my parents proud for atleast once in my life. I never knew I can also make them happy but now that I saw them sharing a toast for me and my success, I realized that I have finally accomplished something in my life.

Deep down I was still upset about the whole Carolina fiasco and so was my family. Infact, all of them took turns to take my class but little did they knew the truth behind that forced relationship.

I never understood that how did that girl managed to hide her real self infront of everyone, when she becomes a devil infront of me. Was she suffering from some favourite person mental disorder?

I knew I sounded wierd to my own self but I didn't knew, how to describe her charade? Why did she acted totally out of place infront of me only? Why not anyone else?

After our uneventful breakup, I didn't had the badluck to see her face, but I was dreading that she might turn up anywhere and threat me again.

But that uneasy feeling that circulated in my mind when I saw her today in the ceremony was something very dangerous.

She didn't looked the same. Her eyes were smoky dark; her eyeliner big and absolutely thick making her look more evil and tricky and then, the permanent wild smirk on her face was surely, causing a fear in the pit of my stomach.

As the night was turning darker, the party mood was in full swing among my family members. Afterall, not everyday one celebrates the success of completing the High School.

But I was least present in my own celebrations because my mind was transfixed on the danger named Carolina Rodriguez.

I can't forget the look of hate she gave me when I told her to get lost of my life on the day our breakup. And for some reason, since that day her eyes had been haunting me like a nightmare.

A part of me was in extreme guilt and regret. I wanted to apologise to her for breaking her heart but than the rational part chided me for being a looser, who was crying over the consequences of a breakup of a forced relationship. My manly ego wouldn't let me bow down infront of her, and for some reason I felt that if I did go back to her, then instead of realizing her folly, she would take double advantage.

I would have gone further in my thoughts, when all of a sudden I heard Ana and Allison's scary shriek.

"Carolinaaaa!! Omg!!! What are you doing??"

And there the glass of champagne slipped from my hands as the devil made her presence known with blood shot red eyes and...........

She pointed that same gun at me, by which she blackmailed me.

"Carolinaa!!" Mom and Dad called in shock. Josh who was scared out of his wits end, hid behind me. My sisters were shaking holding each other tightly.

Carolina looked at all of us, then started to laugh a carefree laugh like she wasn't present in this world.

"Got scared? Are you guys?" She mocked moving towards me. Her liner was smudged all over her face like she had rubbed her eyes too many times. She walked closer to me, still pointing the gun while I was trying to find a way to save my family.

"Baby, see I came for you not alone but with your friend". She sounded excited and just then Stephanie entered the room making me gasp. Her hands were tied, her mouth plastered with the tape. She had bruises all over her face, while tears rolled down her eyes. Blood was oozing out of her head, knees and her feet were filled with dirt.

"What the hell did you do to her?" I yelped and her eyes became a shade darker, and then SLAP.

She slapped me. I tasted a bitter liquid on my lip that indicated that she had slapped me.

"Bad manners. You don't raise your voice". She chided me, as if she herself was recalling something.

"Daddy, says you don't raise your voice or else I will slap you." I gaped at her as if she was talking Greek. I can feel that she has taken drugs. Her behavior was clear indication of that horrible thing affecting her personality.

She started to cry all of a sudden, and suddenly her hand raised to taste my blood.

"See, baby you are bleeding. Bad boy. Let me kiss you and it will be better". Her lips pressed against mine, as she started to suck, lick and bite me hurting me some more.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Josh reaching out for his cell; while the rest of the people were still reeling in the shock of the happenings.

Suddenly, she stopped kissing me and fired a shot behind me, causing me to snap my head around to see the broken vase while Josh stepped back in fear.

"Sneaky little bastard; don't try to act smart or else I will kill you along with your brother!" She warned pushing me aside and walking near him. She gave him a mocking smile, and then slapped him across his cheek making him fall on the ground.

"Josh!!" The four of us yelled as he whimpered in pain on the floor while Carolina laughed her lungs out. She was finding amusement here. Having enough of her, I grabbed her through her elbows, wanting to shove her away from my house.

"How dare you hit my brother? Who gave you the right to hurt my friend?" I yelped pressing her elbows tightly giving her the much needed pain, but she didn't even flinched. It was like she was lost in taking in my features.

"You love her, don't you?" She whispered pointing towards Stephanie who was giving me helpless looks. I wanted to go to her to provide my comfort. It was my fault that she was in this situation today, but how should I help her?

I didn't said a word but continued to stare at Stephanie with pain and guilt. It didn't obviously go well with Carolina and she shot Stephanie on her leg making her fall on the ground.

"Stephanie!!" I tried to run to her, but Carolina fired another shot, this time on her arm. She held me by my elbow shooting daggers at me.

I tried to get rid of her, but seeing her smirking evilly, I was afraid that she will fire another shot.

"You love her or you don't?" I didn't replied but continued to stare at my family in pain. The look of regret was on their faces maybe because now they realized, the reason of my breakup with her.

"Just leave her, will you?" I pleaded helplessly.

"You want me, then take my life but leave all of them. See, she is bleeding. She needs treatment". My eyes stung with tears as I begged her to have some mercy on us.

"Please leave us!" Ana and Allison cried together. I wanted to hug them and tell them, that all will be fine but I was being held by this witch.

"You all also like her?" She shouted or more like yelled, and before anyone can knew it, she fired straight on Stephanie's left side; directly on the heart. She cried in pain, but words didn't come out of her mouth due to the tape, but I can hear her sobs. And soon, her sobs died too as her body gave up finally.

"Clap! Clap! Daddy's gun killed one person. Yayyy. I win. I win." She started to jump up and down, enjoying in her glory while we were not able to understand any thing. She was a psycho, and from what I understood, she might have stolen the gun from her father's belongings.

"Now you will love me, right? She is gone. She is gone. Soon everyone will be gone. Only Carolina and Daniel will be here". She excitedly hugged me tightly running her palms on my back. I felt disgusted but I can't even take another step because there are high chances of her shooting anyone of us.

I tried to get away from her, but she gripped my jacket tightly. She bit me on my neck, making the skin bleed while I pursed my lips in a thin line suppressing my pain with her teeths cutting my skin on the sensitive spot.

"Stop it you, whore. Leave my son alone". Mom who was till now holding Dad for support finally raised her voice seeing me in pain. Carolina pulled away from me and my heart was on my sleeves, as I saw her furious eyes staring at my parents and siblings.

I knew she was on the edge, but before she can do some disaster, I stood in front of my family like a protective shield.

"Carolina, you want my love right? Then take me with you. I will do as you say, but let my family go. They have nothing to do with all this". I stepped forward, cupping her face trying to lure her by my words. I just want her to be distracted for once so that I can gather any help from around the place.

In that moment, I was so hating my dad's choice of place to stay because all houses were made at a far away distance here, so obviously I can't even hope for anyone to come here for our rescue after hearing the gun shot. And another disaster was the fact that my entire house was sound proof.

She cocked her head to one side, scanning my face for any signs of betrayal and then began laughing like a maniac.

From the tip of the gun, she caressed my head, going down till my chin. Her shrilling, ferocious laughter burning the insides of my chest along with the surroundings of my house.

"Do you take me as a foolish that after you have so shamelessly cheated on me with that slut of yours, I will trust you to love?" She spat angrily. Her golden brown eyes became more darker and her face screamed horror and plain revenge.

Before I knew it, she pushed my hands away in disgust, hitting me on my head with the gun.

"Dan!" My family gasped scooting closer to the other, while I held my head in pain. My world was spinning around in circles due to the pounding headache, but I alerted my mind to not loose the conciousness for the sake of my love ones.

I sat on my knees infront of her, holding my head, and like a psycho abuser, she kicked me making me fall on the ground.

"Move out all of you!" She ordered to all four of them whose eyes were staring at me with deep anguish. It was like we were communicating to the other, through our eyes expressing our grief like it was our last moments together.

"Move or else I will shoot this bastard son of yours!" Carolina threatened. Taking the support of the nearby table, I tried to get up as she pushed all of them out of the house while too scared to even defy her, they obliged her orders. Vulnerability and fear clear on their faces.

"I will snatch all those from you, whom you love then you will only love me!" She snapped happily at me, walking out as I somehow stood up on my feet, but my body was giving up little by little.

"I will never love you, you bitch!" I yelled back as loud as I can as she locked the door moving towards her car.

Holding my head, I stumbled towards the door wanting her to stop. But the bitch locked it from the outside.

"Dammit!" I punched the nearby wall. Taking out my handkerchief, I tied it around my head so that the blood will stop for a while. Slowly, I walked towards the window trying to open it, but it was stuck. Thus, it left me no option other than to break it.

Using my all strength, I picked the wooden table from the side and threw it against the window shredding it into pieces.

Once I jumped out, I looked around for any clue and the only thing I can gather was the wheels of the cars being taken in the north direction. Holding my head, I looked at my car but it was destroyed.

Cursing under my breath, I first dialed the cops explaining them the scenario and looking around for once more, my eyes went on Josh's bicycle.

Thankfully, the bitch didn't saw it because it was kept in the dark side of the porch.

Getting on the bicycle, I drove it as fast as I can. I was looking around for her frantically. I can hear the sirens of the police vans and I just wish, they will capture her before she can kill all of my family.

"Carolinaaa stopppp!!" I left the bicycle as I spotted her car in the deserted end of the cliffy area. It was absolutely dark now while the storm was rising with every second making it impossible for us to keep a track on her actions.

A fear gripped my heart as I saw her getting down and locking the car, along with my family.

"You called more people in the bloodshed. Now they will pay for it as well". She yelled, and fired four shots back to back, behind me directly at the police vans, that were approaching us as fast as they can, causing a earshattering blast.

The sound of blast literally left me dumbstruck as infront of my eyes so many lives were lost.

Smoke, dead bodies were around the place while I was on the ground coughing.

"Poor you, Price. No one is here to stop me now." I can hear her mock and laughter in the air as she rejoiced in her glory.

I checked for my cell but the stupid thing was no where in sight, seems it got lost on the way.

Sworing under my breath, I somehow stood up gathering my lost strength, while the sight I witnessed took my breath away.

My family was banging on the glass windows of the car, while she was throwing petroleum on it.

I ran in her direction as fast as I can, but seems today neither God nor my luck was on my side because Carolina saw me, and before I can save myself, she fired straight on my leg.

"Ahhhh...," I cried falling on the ground while she laughed whole heartedly at my state. For her it was all a comical movie, but now it was dawning on me that what a disaster I committed by even daring to resort to infidelity with this psycho woman. Today, I realized that my mom was right about my Playboy ways that a man who can't respect a girls heart, can never be happy in life.

Destiny brings everyone's end and it dawned on me that it was my end today.

"Poor you Price. You will remember this night always. You will remember me always. Even if you want you won't be able to move on from me, because Everytime I will come to haunt you like a ghost."

"You will never be happy Price. If I won't get you then even if the girl who you get along with, won't have you. You will be with her, but you won't be hers. She will cry in front of you, yet you won't be the man enough to wipe her tears. Good bye Price. Your time in hell starts now!!"

Her yellings echoed in my ears as I tried to crawl towards her, but before anyone can come for our rescue, or I can reach them. She lit up the matchstick, and threw it on the car burning herself along with my family.

Another blast hit the air, as I screeched loudly in pain, "Nooooooooooooooo!!!"

Present

Pain, agony, hollowness like I have never felt before, were seeping in my every nerve as I finished revealing my past for the first time. My mind was lost in that night, and my control was at the edge.

A pounding ache rose up in my chest, as I fell on the ground on my knees, and yelled loudly towards the heavenwards, "Ahhhhhhhhh!!"

"Mommmmmm!"

"Daddddddd!!"

My broken voice echoed in the entire apartment, as I cried my heart out letting out every single thing from my chest that I have hidden from so long.

The regrets, the guilt of not being able to save my family, the helplessness, the vulnerability, the forlorn; everything was roaming around me while I cried for all five of them, whose life was snatched away because of my one fault.

The thunderstorm outside was nothing as compared to the cyclone that was running inside my nerves. The sound of the clock striking past midnight was all I could hear apart from my heavy breathings.

My knees were aching due to bending down on the tiled floor since so long, but the physical pain was nothing as compared to the emotional turmoil that I was undergoing in that split moment. I never wanted to be in this place, but here I stood on my knees all defeated and broken like a hopeless lover.

My eyes hurt; my vision was blurry due to the crying, while my heart was clenching with every single breath it took. The defeated part of my mind, was asking me to give up whilst the rational one was still holding me back.

Before I can actually visualize my own thoughts or actions, a pair of hands squeezed my shoulder from behind, and as I turned my head a little to peek a look at the person; I felt the blood gushing out of my system. My body began to shake with anger.

Before I knew the turmoil I was going through, I uttered the one name which I thought will never leave my lips.

Carolina!!

I was seeing her right infront of me. Yes, the girl whom I hated from my very existence stood right infront of me and today I won't leave her.

My eyes frantically searched for something with which I can kill her straight away, and there I saw the knife kept in the fruit basket on the coffee table.

Standing up I reached for the knife, and getting hold of it, I took long strides towards the bitch who was looking at me horrified.

Today you will die worst of the worst deaths, Carolina Rodriguez!!