CARRIED FROM THE PAST

CHAPTER 2 – DOUBTS AND THE DOUBT

=DYLAN=

                I watched as the woman in front of me, rose, smiled and turned away. She is physically still the same. Her midnight, black hair still flowed towards her waist, moving with her movements like a silk sheet, her bone structure was still flawless and that skin of hers seems fairer than before if that is even possible. She is beautiful but she is the type that didn’t care if she was beautiful or ugly, at least that was how I observed her before. However, her deep green eyes have changed. As annoying as it sounds on my part, I found myself secretly surprised whenever I looked at her eyes. It was like looking at a sea that is calm, too calm that it’s scary to think of what could be beneath the water. It was surprising because I remembered it being full of life and “sparkles” but now, it looks…emotionless. I gripped the armrest in annoyance as I caught myself worrying for her.

                She betrayed me and her betrayal affected me so much that it should. I am not a coward to admit that I had deeply loved her explaining why I am like this after so many years. That night still replays in my mind every day and even appears on my dreams. I still remembered vividly, Agatha half-naked with a man on top of her and her flushed face. On top of that, it was in our bedroom. What made it more painful was the fact that she never once tried to explain or defend herself. She had quietly signed the divorce papers and left without a word. However, something is always gnawing on my brain and heart whenever the memory resurfaces but I don’t want to admit that I never really believed everything that night. There was always something missing whenever I ask the question why.

                Whether I had moved on or not, it was time to face Agatha and closed that part of my life. I refuse to let the pain she caused rule a part of my life.

=AGATHA=

                I watched as different objects passed by my view on the moving car. When the car stopped on a red light, my gaze went to the people crossing the street. One couple caught my attention. They were just walking side by side and are not holding hands but their faces tell me that they are a couple, love and happiness. It reminds me on the walks that I had with Dylan outside the house. We never held hands when we were in public places but he would always look at me with that gentle expression of his. Did I look at him like how that girl looks at her partner? I sighed when I asked that question. Seeing Dylan again seems to be bringing up memories I just want to bury in the past.

“Miss?” My driver asked when he heard me sigh. He’s not just a driver though. He is one of my father’s men placed beside me for protection.

“It’s nothing, I’m fine.”

“The boss would like to know how the meeting went with Mr. Reginald.” He said and I smiled. This driver of mine is basically my father’s spy who reports on my daily activity to my father. He is honest though, to both me and my father.

“It went well. I have to bother you from now on since I will be meeting him often from now on.”

“I will always be at your service Miss.” He said and the car returned to its normal silence.

                My father, in the eyes of most people who know him, is a merciless and evil man. He runs the Underworld, both an illegal and legal business. Illegal because there are things that the Underworld does, like force, to obtain some things or achieve some things. It is a legal, on the other hand, because the government, especially the army, is a frequent client. This is why my father literally does not exist in any records for his protection from both anti-government parties and other countries since my father is a vital middle man for a lot of things. For such kind of man to raise me would have attracted all sorts of objections but I would not have had it another way. I will never change anything if I were given a chance to do so. My father may appear like the demon in front of other people but his face is the exact opposite when he is in front of me.

                He was a young father who had no idea on how to take care or deal with a baby but he did not hesitate to take responsibility of me. I hear a lot of stories of when I was brought to the mansion, where everyone was living, as a baby from my father’s friends and people who had been there. My father was really clueless on how to take care of me and panicked a lot when I cried. Then my grandparents came and helped. Although, my nana died of a heart disease before I could even walk, I would hear a lot about her from my father and grandfather. I was raised with so much love from the two men that having no mother did not bother me at all. As I grew up, I was taught a lot of things by the Underworld including fighting. However, that was it, my father never really wanted me in his life because of what he does and the dangers that came with it so I followed his wishes and left the mansion. This is how I started working as a librarian, a low key job. When I met Dylan, I could only tell him that I was an orphan which was in a sense true.

“Speaking of the devil.” I smiled at the caller ID before answering. “Hey dad.”

“It’s your grandfather!” My grandfather’s voice echoed through the phone.

“Hey Pops!” I greeted and he harrumphed.

“When are you coming home for dinner?!”

“I will come home soon Pops, not right now though but I promise to come this week.”

“You’d better or I will drag your ass here myself.” There were noises in the background. “I heard you met that boy.”

“Everything went well dad. Nothing happened.” I said.

“Are you sure? Are you okay?” I heard my dad this time and knew that the phone must be in loud speaker.

“I’m fine.” I assured them.

                After my divorce with Dylan, I ran to my father and grandfather. They dropped everything they were doing to console me and I had to stop them many times from going after Dylan. The events that happened afterwards eventually made them forget about Dylan and focused on me. When I left the mansion again, this time, they did not dare leave me alone and was always shadowing me. It can be pretty annoying sometimes but I felt safe and warm.

“Why does it have to be him of all the other choices out there?” Pops asked and silently sighed for being asked the question so many times already.

“Because he is the best and I want to leave the company to the best.”

“He is the worst.” Dad said and Pops hummed in agreement.

“Okay, he is but I cannot trust anyone else for this.”

“Fine but if that bastard hurt you again, you know you won’t be able to stop us this time kiddo.” Dad said and I nodded even though he can’t see me.

“Thanks dad and pops. I will come home soon, I promise.”

                When I got off the phone, the car had stopped at another red light and we stopped beside a bus. I shook my head at how ironic this day has been progressing. Pasted on the bus is an advertisement for  a perfume and the face is none other than Veronica, Veronica Reginald, the one and only little sister of Dylan. My ex sister-in-law hated me since the day she saw me next to Dylan. Dylan knew but of course what could he do about his sister’s feelings. Life went on, we got married and his sister’s hate for me did not change. More importantly, she was the main reason for the divorce.

                On that certain night, Veronica came to visit the house where I was living with Dylan. I ignored her criticism on everything around us and still cooked dinner for the three of us but Dylan could not join us then because of a late business meeting. I did not realize then that my dear sister-in-law had drugged my food when I was in the kitchen to get more food for her. The drug took its effect and the set-up happened. Dylan saw what Veronica wanted him to see but what hurt me the most is that Dylan only believed what he saw. I was mad and betrayed to even have the energy to explain anything to anyone.