Theressa is not screaming anymore; she has lost all energy. She has lost every hope of Marcelo finding her, and even if he does, Theressa would never forgive herself. She would never try to get close to anyone, not after what happened to Anne, not after they decapitated her right in front of Theressa.
"You killed your friend," Pillar kept saying. And Theressa would shake her head in disagreement, fighting to deny what she herself already considered as facts.
"You are the cause of her death."
"No. Stop!" Theressa yelled, her eyes shot wide with fear and anguish.
Theressa's mind was a whirlwind of guilt and despair as she grappled with the weight of what she had done. Not only was she the cause of Anne's death, but she had also been too late to save her. The memory of Anne's pleading eyes haunted her, a silent accusation that pierced her soul with every recollection.
She remembered the last look Anne had given her, filled with fear and desperation, as the machines whirred to life and began their deadly work. Anne hadn't wanted to die, of that Theressa was certain. She had pleaded with Theressa to help her, to save her from the inevitable fate that awaited her. But Theressa had been powerless to do anything except watch in horror as Anne's life slipped away before her eyes.
The sound of Anne's screams still echoed in Theressa's mind, a constant reminder of the innocent life she had failed to protect. The lively Anne, full of laughter and joy, had been reduced to a mere shell of her former self, her spirit broken by the cruelty of fate.
Lost in her thoughts, Theressa failed to notice the presence of another person in the room until it was too late. A strong arm snaked around her shoulder, causing her to shiver involuntarily. The touch was unfamiliar, unwelcome, sending a chill down her spine.
"See, I told you I would come back for you," the voice whispered in her ear, sending a wave of nausea coursing through Theressa's body. It was a voice she knew all too well, a voice she had hoped never to hear again.
The stranger's hot breath played against her skin, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable. She fought the urge to gag, to push the intruder away, but her body refused to respond, frozen in fear.
Theressa's heart pounded in her chest as Mr. Bones stood before her, his presence sending a chill down her spine. She was shocked, yet not entirely surprised. After all, he had promised to come back for her, and now he had fulfilled that promise in the most sinister of ways.
The memory of his ominous words at the hospital replayed in Theressa's mind, filling her with a sense of dread. How could she forget the look he had given her, the cold gleam in his eyes that had sent shivers down her spine?
"I just wanted to kill you, but my lovely daughter wanted to put on a show for you before you die. Isn't it nice?" Mr. Bones questioned, his voice dripping with malice. His eyes sparkled with excitement, his smile unnervingly wide.
Theressa's blood boiled with anger at his callous words. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, her fists clenched behind her back in frustration. How she longed to break free from her restraints and confront the man before her, to make him pay for the pain he had caused.
"You call decapitating someone a show?" Theressa retorted, her voice laced with fury. The mere thought of what Anne had endured at Mr. Bones's hands filled her with a righteous rage.
"It is... for me," Mr. Bones laughed, the sound sending a chill down Theressa's spine. His laughter echoed off the walls, filling the room with a sense of foreboding.
"Why, why are you people doing this to me?" Theressa sobbed, her voice choked with emotion as tears streamed down her face. It was the only thing she could do in that moment, to let out her anguish through tears, to scream silently in her own mind, to feel the weight of despair pressing down on her.
Mr. Bones's expression darkened at Theressa's question, his once wide grin replaced by a scowl of anger and frustration. The joviality that had characterized his demeanor vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold, calculating gaze.
"My company is suffering a lot since you came," he began, his voice dripping with venom. "Since you disrupted my daughter's engagement, and you!" He pointed an accusing finger at Theressa, his wrinkled hand trembling with rage. "You almost killed my daughter. You almost killed my business. And you expect me to let you go scot-free?"
Theressa's heart sank at Mr. Bones's words, the weight of his accusations crushing her spirit. She hadn't intended to cause harm to anyone, least of all Mr. Bones's daughter. She had only wanted to protect herself and Anne from the dangers that lurked within the pack.
But as Mr. Bones continued to berate her, his tone filled with disbelief at her unsaid expectations, Theressa couldn't help but feel a sense of righteous anger building within her. They had gone too far, they had crossed a line that should never have been crossed, and now they were trying to pin the blame on her.
"A tear slipped down Theressa's cheek as she glared at Mr. Bones. She had lots to say, but her teeth were gritted in anger, her eyes glaring at Mr. Bones. If she could manage to rip off these ropes, she would kill everyone. She would inflict the same pain they inflicted on Anne.
"You are a mess, but…" Mr. Bones was close to her, so close that he could feel his breath on her lips, and she squirmed, clearly disgusted by the proximity between herself and the old man.
"Dad?" Pillar was back, and it took Mr. Bones a millisecond to straighten himself up and turn to his daughter.
"Yes, lovely," Mr. Bones smiled, and Theressa was disgusted.
"You have a call," Pillar proclaimed, sending her father out of the room.
Pillar smirked, reveling in her moment as she watched Theressa go through the misery she had set for her.
"I was wrong about Marcelo's feelings for you. He really doesn't give a shit about you," Pillar mocked, her whole body vibrating as she laughed. Theressa was utterly confused, staring at Pillar, who seemed like she was on cloud nine of happiness. Joy overflowed in her, evident in Pillar's expression.
"He hasn't made a single move to even search for you. And do you know where I'm coming from?" Pillar's eyes widened, pupils enlarging to display her excitement, while Theressa's brow knitted in confusion, trying to process Pillar's information. It was heart-breaking information. It was stupid of Theressa to believe Pillar, but she couldn't help it. Marcelo truly had no feelings for her, and their last conversation clearly showed Marcelo didn't want her anymore.
"From his bedroom. Yes, we had sex. He doesn't even notice your absence," Pillar stated with excitement, while Theressa's heart shattered a million times. She believed Pillar so quickly.
"Just kill me," Theressa muttered, her voice barely above a whisper, but it only fueled Pillar's excitement.
"I will, soon," Pillar replied, her tone cold and devoid of any empathy. It was the last conversation of the day, leaving Theressa to ponder her fate in the darkness of her confinement.
Theressa couldn't tell if it was daytime yet. There was no clock in the room, no ray of light aside from the dim bulb in the ceiling. But despite the darkness, Theressa counted the passing minutes and hours, acutely aware of the ticking clock of her own mortality.
If Pillar didn't kill her, Theressa knew that she would be the one to end her own life.