Love is War

Chapter 68

After that encounter with the man, I safely escaped and I was gone for too long that made dad worried, and find us. It was midnight when I was discovered by one of dad’s men, and took me in immediately. I never felt so safe when I saw dad’s face.

I hugged him tightly right after I saw him, and obviously he hugged me back, and he asked me about mom’s whereabouts and that is when things get crazier because that exact moment is when I became agitated and told him the whole story, and as we speak mom is being chased by that creepy man, and also about the debt because that never got out of my mind, as dad might know something about it, but I did not get my answer as dad sent me home immediately as he search for mom.

I heard the same words from, ‘everything is gonna be alright, don’t worry,’ the exact words that I heard from mom. As usual, I trusted them and let them do the work.

But you know how it is, the next morning is where I saw dad being terrifying towards his men for the first time. I saw that he shot one of his men right through the head, when I got out to check what is happening.

“Dad?!” I called to dad, and this time I am very afraid that he might hurt me too, but that time dad quickly changed back to his loving father image, and that is when I realized that dad’s personality change when in front of different people.

“What’s up honey? You are early,” he said in disbelief as he is gesturing his hands towards the other men to clean up the mess, but I already saw it and dad is trying his best to block the gruesome view. Yes, my whole body especially my knees are shaking when I saw it that time.

“Why did you hurt that man?” I asked him and he looks back, only to silently growl towards the other men for being so slow in cleaning up the mess.

“No, it’s not what you think it is,” he said to me as excuse. “We are just playing, dead...” he then scratches his chin and his face brightened when he thought of something. “Like a roleplay, just like in movies, right?” he turns around to gain the sympathy of his men.

“Yes boss,” they said in unison, but I am not that innocent, my mind is not young anymore to shallowly perceive the things I see, but that time I don’t have the clear view of the line between right and wrong, and as long as it is family, I see it as a right thing no matter how gruesome it is. That’s why I decided to ignore the killings that time because it is my dad.

“Where’s mom, dad?” I innocently asked him looking to his back but dad is still blocking the view maybe because of the blood trails that were left behind. He smiled awkwardly towards me because he is not really expecting me to come in his room this time.

Also, I noticed, besides the awkwardness of trying to hide something from me, I sense that dad is worried about something, and his smile slightly fades, but still dad puts the facade.

“Mom is still hiding dear, hiding from me, we will find her soon,” he said to me and my gut instincts were not wrong. He tried to hide the real situation, by disguising this situation as a game to my eyes, but dad did not know that I already saw right through it. He is still thinking that I am still just an innocent child.

I decided not to dig deeper because that will only tip off dad, and I am still terrified on what I had just witnessed for myself that time.

“Okay daddy,” I said innocently because I knew that time that I can use this for my advantage on gaining information without them being worried or knowing that I understand complicated things early in my age. I went to my room and waited for the news about mom’s arrival.

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Days have passed and mom is still not home, I noticed that dad, for the first time has distanced himself away from us, siblings. I wanted to ask dad about mom but I know that it is not the best time to ask him about it.

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I can see police right outside the house and I can tell that dad is not getting enough sleep. That time I was afraid that the police will also take dad away from me. That’s why I ran towards him that time in panic in hopes that I can use my charm to prevent dad from being caught.

But I was thankful that I did not rush so suddenly just to get to them because that time I had the chance to hear their conversation without them noticing me.

“Officer, are you really sure that is my wife?” dad asked the police officer in disbelief as if he was trying to refuse accepting the fact on something.

“Unfortunately, sir, it was a hundred percent that your wife’s dna matched the body that we have found,” the police officer replied with sadness and fear in his voice.

“I- it c- can’t be,” dad fall onto his knees, and there I was frozen in my place trying to process all of this inside my mind because until now, I still can’t process what they are talking about, I am ashamed of myself that I am proud of having such intelligence in such an early age, but when I needed it the most, I cannot access it.

“We are in deep condolences with your family, sir but you wife is gone,” and there I realized the whole meaning behind their conversation. I backed away trying to refuse that all of it, all of what I just heard now is not true, all of it is not true, I am trying to refuse to accept reality that time.

Then I tripped and caused a ruckus that caught all their attention. Naturally the police were not alarmed on seeing me there because I am obviously the daughter of this house’s owner, but the dad was once again surprised to see me there and facepalmed as if he was saying ‘not again,’ because I gotta admit that I am appearing at the very wrong moments, and I need to agree with that because I really am appearing the worst time possible.

“Honey?” he called onto e but my mind is all about rejecting all what I see that time. I can’t see very well that time because my tears are covering my eyes that time and my hands and feet moved on its own that time as I try to crawl away from them.

Dad tried to chase me but I already stood up and I ran as fast as I can towards my room and for the first time, I locked my room from the outside world and I started to grieve. I regretted all my actions that night. I never should have left mom alone with that monster, I never should have run away. I should be with her.

I should have told her about the man early on, but I chose to hide it from her. I never should have agreed on going on a hotdog trip with her in the first place because that is the reason why we are chased that night, if only I should have listened to dad about not having hotdogs, then mom is still here with us.

Tears and self accusations all day long and my mind is full of what ifs that day. I cried and cried until my eyes were completely dry, I really can’t take it. Dad tried to knock on my door, but I locked the door.

That lasted for only a few days because I was a child that time and had a very young mind, believing that once I open the door again, I will see mom serving breakfast for us, helping the maids with their work and dad trying to get her full attention away from work.

Then after a few days, a funeral began, there mom’s body were not shown to the public, even for us her own family. Those days were full of sadness and tears. Then I overheard that mom’s body was mutilated and can’t be recognized because of stab wounds. It was back then that I started to accumulate all my anger inside my heart and what I am thinking that time is all about revenge. Exacting my revenge on that man is what’s on my mind. But what can I do? I am just a child.

But still that anger lasted on the whole funeral of my mother, until now in the present times. I am still trying my best who is that man but we failed on getting information about him because I was the only lead, and unfortunately for me and us, my memory that time is vague and I can’t state the man’s appearance clearly.

The man was never caught and still on the lose and who is that man serving for is still unknown, why he killed mom and what is all about that debt, only dad knows about it.

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I opened my eyes again and saw myself dying, my lower torso is numb and the enemies are rushing towards me right now. Will I just accept my fate? And the last thing that I remember is the most painful thing in my life? The most regrettable moment in my life that until now I still regret what happens.

My minds are getting foggy and I let the darkness to take control of me.

I fainted.

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“Hey, open your eyes!” I heard Alexis’s voice. I opened my eyes, are we in heaven? But that thought quickly fades away when I feel that all around me is shaky, and when I got up, I was surprised that I am inside the helicopter.

And what surprised me the most, the helicopter is burning.