Her Ravaged Life

Ch. -9-

 He just stares at me with his unforgiving and cold eyes. The dark grey eyes leave holes into my soul.

 “No no no.” I keep repeating out loud and silently to myself as I keep looking at the picture lying before me. 

 I look at their smiling faces and I know this is not true, this cannot be true. He is simply trying to mess with my head using all the tools he has in his disposal. 

 He’s saying my parents murdered someone. My parents who wouldn’t even buy a bug zapper cause they thought it was too cruel. He must’ve made a mistake. There are like millions of Mendezes out there. 

 “Let me know when you are ready to continue,” he speaks like he just showed me a picture of grilled cheese sandwich instead of blaming my loving parents for murder and deceiving me.

 “Ready? Ready for what? More lies, more sham, more games?” I get emotional. The stress is starting to weigh down on me and I don’t feel good. I try to swallow the lump in my throat and blink away the tears. 

 I need air. Desperately.

 I stand up and run to the door to get out but the door won’t budge. I can feel the tears pooling and I cannot keep them in any longer.

 My knees surrender and I succumb to the desperation that washes over me. I curl up against the door to cry as silently as I can and he lets me. He doesn’t barge into my space to shake the weak lump I have become like I thought he would.

 After few minutes I feel my body getting some strength back. I wipe away some last tears and take a deep breath to collect myself physically and mentally as well.

 I have always looked life with my mind and eyes wide open. I have embraced new opportunities and tough choices, but this is too much. This is not opportunity or choice. This is ravage.

 “Do you need to see proof?” Barraza asks his eyes locked on me.

 “I know my parents, they would never sacrifice me. They would die for me.” And this is the truth. Most parents would and mine are no different. They brought me into this world and they would do anything to protect me from the harm this world sends my way. 

 My parents love me. They have always loved me. We don’t talk every day or meet on every holiday but they have always been there for me. How could he even indicate that they sold me out to him to save themselves.

 “No one here even knew you existed until dear mommy and daddy sent me all the information needed to go after you,” he said and tossed the binder on the table where he placed the picture earlier. “Look for yourself. Educate yourself.”

 “Everything can be fabricated, especially by someone like you,” I scoff at him. Why should I believe anything he says. He is not in my list of people who I trust. Hell, right now only person in the world who I trust less than him is f*****g Dan.

 “Suit yourself. But for the future, don’t ask questions you can’t handle the answers for.” He reaches over to collect the binder. 

 “STOP!” 

 I want the answers, I need the answers. Whether I believe the ones he is giving me is another thing. But the journalist in me will take a look.

 I get up from the floor I have been crouching on, dust myself off mentally and straighten my back while taking cautious steps toward his diabolic table. I sit while keeping my sight on him. Not ready to see what he has assembled for me.

 He looks at me and our eyes lock on each other. I can feel his probing gaze on me like its burning holes to see inside of me.

 I don’t understand this man. And I am not sure if I even want to. The darkness that’s radiating from him is frightening. But the same time I get this inexplicable pull to unravel his fortress to see the real man behind it. I try my hardest to fight this feeling.

 I drag my eyes from him and take the binder from the table. I flip it open and start to look through it. 

 There’s everything. Pictures from my graduations and birthdays. My address, bank information, insurance, social security and even birth certificate for Gianna Mendez. This certificate was destroyed, burned like my name and childhood as Gianna Mendez but somehow I am staring right at it.

 “How did you get all of this?” I ask.

 “I already told you.”

 “Your word against theirs,” I say and look straight into his eyes. I am not bluffing. Yes, the documents clearly show that someone very close to me set me up but it doesn’t prove that my parents did this.

 “Should we ask them?” He raises his eyebrows when asking. He opens the top drawer of his desk and hands me my phone, “They don’t know you are here so you decide how you’re going to play this. Just put it on speaker.”

 Is this a trick? Why can’t I see through his plans or read anything from his face. 

I just don’t know what to do anymore so I take the phone and hold it in my hand for few seconds before unlocking it.

 No missed calls or messages. No one is looking for me. Just great.

 I dial my mom and but the phone on speaker like the big bad boss ordered.

 “Gia?” my mom answers with a cautious voice that makes me little uneasy. Lying actually, a lot uneasy.

 “Hey mom, how are you?” I hope to sound as casual as possible. I need her to think this is just me checking in.

 “Oh honey we are doing good. How about you? Are you staying out of trouble?” Something is off with her. I can sense it in her voice.

 “I got my next assignment, I have to go and interview this crook Nikolay Barraza,” I say and see him smirk on the word crook. “But I don’t have a good feeling about this. I think I should cancel.”

 My mom hated when I started working as journalist and she was devastated when she heard I wanted to specialize in crime and criminals. She always said how I should do something less dangerous and focus on finding a wealthy husband and enjoy life. You know, live the gold-digger lifestyle.

 I am silently praying that she will support my pretend opinion to cancel the interview. Not just to prove Barraza wrong but to make sure that my life has not been a huge lie and pretense. 

 “NO! I think it would be a great opportunity for you,” she says and a single tear runs down my cheek. “And do you know where the interview will take place?” She asks with obvious interest in her voice.

 My world collapses at the end of her question.