Tainted Sanctuary

Chapter Five

I reached for my phone and opened my contacts. There was one name that stood out: Aria, my best friend since childhood. Aria worked in the city’s shadows and knew the underground world of the mafia well. Her husband was a mafia hitman known as Carlo ‘The Carver’ Camilleri. I dialed her number, praying she would pick up. When she did, I begged her to come over.

"Maria?" "Is everything okay?" "I heard what had happened."

"Of course, you are not okay!?" she rushed in and held onto me so tightly, but that was what I needed.

"No…no…it's really f*****g not Aria…please help me, I don't think I can do this?" I sobbed, sinking to my knees.

"You f*****g can and f*****g you will. I will always help you. I'm always here for you. Let's end this once and for all!"

"Do you know anything about...her...?" my voice trembled.

"Are you sure you want to open that can of worms?" Aria replied, cautiously. "It might be dangerous, but it may also change the way you look at Mauro?"

"I f*****g need to know," I insisted.

"He died because of this. I can’t just let it go. She killed my Marco. I must know!"

"I... I…please don’t be mad at me, I found her. Yesterday. She’s called Gia…she was his accountant."

"She’s also been posting these cryptic messages online. She’s reveling in his death and in Marcos' death. It’s like she’s taunting, acting as if she’s won some sick, twisted f*****g game."

"What?" my voice barely above a whisper, "She did f*****g what?!" I shrieked.

"I… I…want her dead", my voice barely audible.

"Maria! You can’t be serious. That’s… that’s just…"

"Just what? Justifiable? She ruined my f*****g life! My son is f*****g dead."

"My baby is a f*****g angel all because of her and that demon I married!"

"He killed himself because of the guilt, and she’s out there celebrating my f*****g misery." My voice laced with anger.

"I know it's f*****g hard, but murder?!"

"Murder isn’t the f*****g answer, Maria, maybe nearly killing her, but not killing her, that’s an easy way out" She sighed.

"… You are onto something. I want to stage a funeral… for my husband. One that honors my son too, and I’m going to invite Gia." "Right by our son’s grave…" I smirked.

"Maria, you’re scaring me. "This isn’t you." She whispered.

"This is me. This is who I am. This is who I’ve always been."

"You’ve never been like this before, Maria, I'm worried about you?"

I smirked: "You have no idea what I’m capable of."

"I can’t make you understand."

"I can’t make anyone understand what I feel!"

"I can’t even explain it to myself, but what I do know is she must feel the pain I do – one way or another!"

"I am no longer a victim to her, but she will be a victim to me!" I sadistically laughed.

"Fine but it's got to look like an accident, a tragic twist of fate, perhaps another suicide?" she muttered coldly.

"Are you serious?" I smiled.

"Deadly serious," she giggled. "... But no matter what you do, hurting her will not bring Marco back. I need to know, you know this Maria?"

A shiver runs down my spine. “This is for him. It will make things right, even in a twisted way, but I am doing the Lord's work, Aria, trust me!”

"Fine!"

"What do you need me to do?"

"Well, I need you to help me set up the funeral. Make it look real. I don’t want anyone to know my plan."

"I’ll speak to Carlo, he knows what he’s doing. "I’ll forward you the documents, but I’m not going to help you hurt anyone – okay?"

"That’s OK, you are already helping, but you know this is my only chance to make things right. "

"To repay her for what she stole from me!" I breathed as I contemplated what was about to unfold. A menacing smile crossed my face.

The days that followed turned into a blur and, before I knew it, I stood in front of the mirror, but I did not recognize the woman staring back at me. My fingers traced the dark circles under my eyes, a murky memento of the sleepless nights replaying my life, the things I could’ve and should have done differently, the laughter of my sweet baby to silence. Seeing his cold, limp body at the morgue, unable to hold him, unable to kiss him goodbye. Hearing my husband’s final words, his shaky breaths, and the click of his gun. How everything changed in an instant, from having everything to nothing. Being on top of the world to living in hell, a hell that I couldn't escape.

"Maria, are you ready?" Aria’s voice broke through my thoughts, her tone filled with worry.

"Yes, just a minute," I called out, forcing a smile that felt more like a frown.

"Are you certain about this?" Aria whispered, her eyes a mix of concern and skepticism.

I turned to her, my hands trembling slightly. "You know this is the only way. She took everything from me."

"Every-f*****g-thing!"

"You know this isn’t healthy, Maria!" before she could finish, I stepped out of the room.

"Healthy? What’s healthy about watching her live while I had to bury my son?"

"Is that what you call healthy Aria?" "You seem to be on her f*****g side, can I even trust you?!" I shot back, my voice sharper than intended. "After all that w***e has done, this is just a small price to pay, the consequences of her actions."

Aria paused, biting her lip. "I am on your side, I promise you, but hurting her won’t bring either of them back. You know that."

"I f*****g know that!" my fingers clenched into fists, "but it will damn sure make me feel better than I do now!" I snapped.

"Maria-"

"Enough. That’s a f*****g enough!" I yelled, the word carving through the air. "I need you to trust me on this Aria, please."

The silence between us thickened. I turned back to the mirror, adjusting my veil, trying to hide the darkness that crept across my face.

"Fine," Aria finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But promise me you won’t do anything extreme. I know you said you wouldn’t kill her, but please, I can’t lose you either."

"I promise you, I'm not going anywhere," I replied. I knew the truth: I wanted her dead. I wanted vengeance.

As we walked to the chapel, the sun hung low in the sky, a fiery orange that painted everything an ominous glow. I could hear the faint murmur of the mourners, who were a blend of those that wanted revenge like me and loyalists, each playing their part in this grand facade. My heart raced, not because of the sorrow that I was supposed to feel, but because of the hell I was about to unleash.

The chapel was dimly lit, candles flickering like the remnants of my hope. I could see Gia in the front row, her delicate frame draped in black, a picture of sorrow. I felt a surge of satisfaction. She was here, and today, I would ensure she felt my pain. "Stay close and look pitiful." I murmured to Aria as I made my way to the front. I stepped onto the small platform, my heart racing. The words I had practiced fell from my lips.

"Thank you all for coming to honor my husband," I said, my voice steady, hiding the storm raging inside me. "He was a wonderful man who loved deeply, but life can be so harsh, so unexpected." I choked.

A few nods, hushed whispers. I spotted Gia’s tear-streaked face, and it hurt all over again. She was the embodiment of my husband’s betrayal, the woman who had wormed herself into our lives, claiming his love while I was left to rot in misery. "Sometimes, love can lead us astray, and we find ourselves consumed in the darkness."

Gia looked up, confusion flickering across her face. She should be confused. I hope she was panicking, feeling scared. After a few more poignant remarks, I concluded, "In honor of my husband, I’d like to privately bury him with his closest individuals. I invite Gia, his wonderful, caring assistant, Damion, his closest friend, and Elena, who’s been our rock. Everyone is welcome to pay their respects afterwards. Thank you." Gasps echoed in the chapel, and I couldn’t suppress my smirk. I watched as Gia hesitated, her eyes darting around the room, searching for an escape. But there was none. "Um, I-" she stammered, rising slowly, but she couldn’t escape just like me, just like my Marco.