Song of Torment

Chapter Six

Chapter 6: A memory of our marriage

“I’m tired,” I complained while trying to catch my breath. I’m lying in the middle of a basketball court which is found at the back of Tito Max’s house

Matt laugh and also lie down on the ground to my opposite direction in which his head is just right beside mine.

"We've only been practicing for 2 hours. Now you’re already tired? I thought you wanted to learn self defense and some basic martial arts? You need to exert more effort, Cassidy. "

I frown when he called me on my first name.

“I told you to stop calling me by my first name! Also, I’m not use to physical activites like this. Yes I wanted to learn but will spare me some break for like a minute or two? We’ve been doing this for what? 5 days? 5 straight days! Can’t you at least give me a day off! I’m so-”

My words were cut off. He suddenly moved his face closer to mine and closing our distances. Capturing my lips and giving me my first kiss.

“You talk too much,” he said and stand up while I stayed there lying on the ground still processing what he has done. “Alright, I’ll you this day as a day off and the day after tomorrow. Get ready when we get back though because I won’t go easy on you.”

With that said, he left me there and went back inside the house.

I was startled when I heard someone whistled.

"I saw that,” Ethan said, smirking.

I know I was red like a tomato at that moment so I hurriedly went back inside the house.

"I so hate you, Matthew!"

-

"Oh, sorry."

We hurriedly pulled away from the kiss when we heard that voice and stood up. We are facing a different direction, not looking at each other and acting like nothing happened.

"What do you want?" Matthew asked irritatedly while me on the other hand, I can feel my face burning up. I mean, he just saw us making out! And of all people, it was Ethan who saw us, AGAIN.

"Sorry to disturb you guys. But, Matt, your Mother is already waiting for you in the office."

Good thing I was not looking at them when Ethan announce that so they didn’t see the shock on my face. What does Master doing here?

Oh, my bad. Matthew is my master’s son. But then we had this agreement to not see each other while I’m still not a part of Rhapsody. And another thing, Matthew doesn’t even know that I already knew his Mom amd even his father.

Master will surely get mad at me if she found out I fought Matthew.

"Okay," he said and picked up his coat that he removed earlier.

I step back when he went near me and I even stop breathing when he fixed my clothes which I didn’t notice that the first three buttons were already undone. My cleavage is actually showing! And then he tied his coat around my waist covering my legs which are very much exposed because of what I did to my skirt.

"You cut your skirt too short," he said and pulled me. Ethan just gave me a meaningful look and pointed out my hand which Matthew is holding.

I tried to get away from Matthews hold while we were inside the elevator.

"Stop fidgeting!" he said angrily which made me stop and just let him.

"Ethan might-" I was cut  off because he pulled me again for a kiss. A punishing kiss this time. I felt like he is sucking my strength that I have to hold on to his shoulder to keep myself standing while he held my waist to support me.

Ethan is just in front of us for crying out loud and I don’t know if he has any idea what’s going on behind his back!

"Your lips still taste the same," he whispered and then kiss me again. "So sweet, so addicting but so poisonuos."

He abruptly let go of me when we reach the floor to his office. He was even the first one to get out of the elevator, leaving us behind.

I can’t do anything. I am so weak when it comes to him. If this is his sweet revenge for me I would gladly accept it. If he wants to make me feel like I'm just nothing to him, he is succeeding.

I compose myself. I fixed his coat that is wrapped around my waist and also my hair. Then I wear that confident smile that I practiced many times for the past years.

I didn’t expect that Ethan is waiting for me.

“Are you okay?” He asked and I just smiled at him. Together, we headed to Matthew’s office.

Matthew’s mother is already there. They were happily talking and I also notice Matthew’s father seating on the couch and beside him is Rhyme.

They’re attention was on me when Ethan opened the office door. He urge me to come in so I did. Then I was left there alone, with Matthew and his family,

"And who is this beautiful lady?" my Master ask as she looked at me from head to toe , acting like this is the first time she ever saw me.

"I'm Cassidy Reigan Ramirez, Ma'am. The new member of Rhapsody's Legacy and a new artist of SMAC."

"Oh. Are you the famous Reigan who is a theater actress and singer in LA and New York?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Then were lucky to have you here," Matthew’s father said.

"Thank you, Sir."

"Cut the crap. I know you guys knew each other," Matthew said.

"What are you talking about?" Master asked, pretending not to know anything.

"She knew how to defeat the Melodic Death, Mom and I know that you’re the one who taught her about that. There were only three people on our world who can do that move! You, Rhyme and I! And I am sure that it is not me nor Rhyme who taught her about that deadly love!”

"And that makes me the one who taught her?" his mother asked and then looked at me again. "This is the first time I saw her."

"Then who taught her?!" Matthew asked almost shouting.

"Stop shouting! And why are you so mad about this huh? Every move has a weakness and I accidentally found the weakness of that famous move. Are you angry because of that? Or you are angry because you can’t accept the fact that I defeated your sister and that makes me part of the RL?” I said.

"I told you I am the one who make the rules. And I never said that you’re already part of RL. You failed to win over me so you're not going to be part of the RL or even the gang."

"Wait, you guys fought? Is that why you look like that?" Master asked calmly but I know, she didn't like it.

"A battle is not allowed in the office, son. These matters are not even allowed to talk about in here," it was Matthew’s father, Nicol. "Also, once you made a rule, even the rule maker should follow. This lady here is technically part of RL the moment she defeated Rhyme."

Matthew remained silent. The whole office became silent for a minute when Rhyme stood up. He heels were making a sound as she walks towards me.

"You accidentally found out the weakness of that move, meaning it's not your first time seeing it," Rhyme suddenly said making our attention turned to her. "I mean, you may knew about Melodic Death but unless you experience it, you will never know the weakness of that move. So tell me, where did you saw it? Who’s the one you saw doing it?”

She got me there and I can’t even answer her question. Matthew is also just looking at me and I can also feel my master and her husband’s look on me. Waiting for my answer.

"When I did that move, you already knew what to do. You already knew how to attack that move so that's not the first time you saw that move."

I gulped a few times and think about what to answer. And then I remember something.

"The first time I saw that move is from my brother.”

I’m sorry Liam for dragging your name into this mess I made.

I saw Matthew clench his fist but I continued. "He's part of the RL. He's actually a co-founder of the Rhapsody together with your brother. He saw that move from Matthew and tried to copy it. I was there when he was practicing it. He almost perfected it but there were some little mistakes and when I learned how to fight and decided to be part of RL, I knew I have to defeat that move."

I just looked intently into Rhyme’s eyes when she suddenly smirk. A smirk that brought shivers to me.

"Oh well. Let's say you guys don't know each other. Then I want you to meet your daughter-in-"

"Daughter's friend!" I cut her off and laugh. "I’m a close friend of Rhyme and actually, she’s like a sister to me.”

I held her hand and squeeze it.

"Is that so? But we all know Rhyme’s friends. She doesn’t have many actually and I’ve never heard about you before."

"Mom-"

I squeeze her hand tighter.

"Maybe because I’ve been away for a very long time. I can’t even remember how long since the last time we saw each other. I think the last time was in LA.” I look at Matthew and ask for his help through my eyes.

"Mom, I think you should get going. The investors that you’re meeting might already be waiting in the conference room," Matthew said.

And that’s when they left the room. Thank goodness.

"You better start explaining and tell me everything about you guys before I go after them and tell her things that I know," Rhyme demanded.

Matthew just sat on his table and started reading the files he has there.

"Matthew!" it was Rhyme who is trying to get his brother’s attention.

"You already knew things that you should know. Yes we're married. When her brother married my bestfriend Heiz, they went to LA including her. I followed her because I was madly inlove with her and I want her to carry my name and my child, my children."

He then looked me into the eyes. Anger, sadness, longing and hatred were visible in his eyes. I can’t even bear looking at him like that so I looked away.

"We got married there. With her brother, Heiz and Ethan as the witness of our wedding."

"So even Ethan knew about this," Rhyme mumbled enough for me to hear.

"We lived as a happy married couple for a year but the next year of our marriage became rocky. Things aren't good in the gangster world. You were also kidnapped which made me come back here. But I went back to her instantly when everything became alright. That’s what I’ve thought. Things got worse. Her brother died. A lot of death threats came. I wanted to end our marriage just to keep her safe. I am the reason why her life is always in danger. We keep on switching places because someone who wants me dead is always following us. The only thing that kept me from holding on is the love I have for her."

He stood up and look at the glass window where he can see the whole city. But I knew better. He want to hide his emotions from us.

"I love her so much that even if the most dangerous place for her is by my side, I can't let her go because I belived that I am the only one who can protect her. I'm so afraid that if I let her go, she be in a get into more danger. My enemies already knew then that she is my weakness. So I selfishly kept her. I can't let her go, so she’s the one who let me go."

"Matthew,” Rhyme called him.

"She left me with our unborn child. I searched everywhere but when I found her, she's in the hospital. She lost our child. And then she runaway again."

"Oh gad," Rhyme cover her mouth with her hands to cover the whimpers that are trying to get out as she cries for her brother.

"Now go. I don't care if you plan to tell Mom and Dad. It's over anyway."

He went back to his table and continue reading and signing the documents ledt in there.

Rhyme is crying so hard but she didn’t say another word. On the other hand, my tears also won’t stop falling as I recall the bittersweet memories of our marriage and how it ended. Then I felt Rhyme's hand. She pulled me out of her brother’s office. Out of that building.

We were in front of their company’s building when I felt the sting on my left cheek because Rhyme slap me hard.

"Why do you need to hurt him like that?! And why did you keep on pushing yourself in his life again if in the first place you were the one who walk away from him?!" She’s angry. No. She’s livid because of me.

The eyes of the employees inside and outside the building were on us. I look back at Rhyme.

"I have reasons why I left him back then. And I keep on pushing myself to him again because I was still madly inlove with him despite of the things that happened in the past,” I said.

"You don't know what happened to him when he came back from LA. The only reason that we know on why he is in that place is because of the expansion of the company. We lost our contact on him. So Mom and I went to LA to know his whereabouts. Broken vases, picture frame, glasses, and plates were scattered on his penthouse’s floor when we got there. Even the TV was broken. And he was just lying at the middle of his living room, staring at the ceiling."

She wiped her tears then looked at me again.

"Now I remembered. It was your name he kept on chanting that time. You were also that girl that I saw from those broken picture frames. You know, he kept on chanting your name and saying he is sorry in his sleep. Mom was so broken seeing his son like that. He is not talking to anyone even to Ethan. He barely eat and he doesn't sleep at all. They took him to the psychiatrist and he finally healed for more than a year now."

She took a step near me.

"Whatever your reasons, I don’t care. I almost lost a brother because of those," she said before walking away but she stop and looked at me again. "I know you were lying earlier. I don’t know how you knew Melodic Death and how you learn to defeat it, but one thing for sure. You are also a master of that move. Just like my mother. And also, my brother is already okay, so please let him be. I don't want him to go back to the way he used to be a year ago."

And then she left.

I covered my mouth with my hands to stop my whimpers as I cry harder and remembered our last meeting before I totally vanish in his life.

"You lost him?" Matt asked while I just stared at nowhere. He sat on the chair beside my hospital bed. He held my hand tightly and started crying.

"You shouldn't left the house!" he shouted angrily as he cried harder. I turned my cold gaze at him.

"Why not? Why would I stay with you if you were the reason why my brother died?! And this? This happens because of you! It's all because of you, Matt!" I shouted at him.

I shouted and throw things at him until the nurses and doctors came into the room and tried to calm me down. Then I felt sting on my arm making me feel dizzy and started to lose consciousness.

"You killed my brother," I told him before everything went black.

--