Hunting my ex

Chapter Two

CH2

KALE

I jolt out of bed immediately, screaming. My eyes darting from one side of the room to another, I was covered in cold sweat, the bed sheets soaked. I scurried out of the bed as fast as i could, the sheets curling around my ankle in the course of my struggle. It tripped me as I tried to hop out of bed. My whole body crashed on the hard rugged floor.

The bedroom door swung open immediately. The head maid, Nana rushed in, going on her knees. I hugged her; my body trembling against her. I buried my face in her apron, my tears soaking it. What kind of nightmare was that? It was so real.

‘No, No, No.’ I threw away that thought immediately. ‘It didn’t happen. I know it. I’m fine, everything is fine.’ I repeated it over and over in my head, still clutched tightly in Nana’s embrace.

All of a sudden, Nana shuddered. She pushed me away as gently as she could and stood up. I raised my eyes to find out why she was suddenly frightened. That’s when I saw him. Half-confined in the dark, his perching gaze would send shivers down anyone’s spine; anyone except me. I had gotten use to it. The disgusted look on his face too. After all, he was my husband.

“Get out.”

Nana flinched and shrunk away, her footsteps fading down the passage. I heaved tiredly lifting myself off the floor. I straightened up and faced him. My hands squeezed tightly together. I hadn’t gotten over one thing though. I was still scared of him.

“It's 2am in the morning, do you really have to wake up the entire house with your despicable screaming?”

“I… I had a nightmare.”

He scoffed. “Don’t kid yourself, Kale. If you’ve decided to start lying, at least be good at it.” He looked away disdainfully.

“Besides-“ he muttered. “The only nightmare I know is living with you.”

“Gary, please don’t say that. It hasn’t gotten that bad yet.”

His eyes trailed back to my face, he scanned me like I was unreal all of a sudden. His looks marred with bewilderment. He let out a small disbelieving smile. “The divorce papers are lying on your reading table, Kale. Tell me what good marriage needs a divorce lawyer!” he yelled. I flinched, my heart skipping beats. I shrunk away a little, biting back a whimper.

This didn’t make any sense. We weren’t getting divorced. When did this happen? My mind flashed back to the nightmare. I brushed it off immediately.

“Silence, really?” he scorned. “I’m wasting my time with a stupid woman like you.” His baritone voice made those words sound scary as he uttered them. My lips parted but I couldn’t find my voice. For the first time, I took a look at the room. It was different; from the color of the bedsheets to the curtains. The date on the calendar was circled April 8th. My brows furrowed, I already lived through April 8th. At that moment I realized, besides faces, everything else was entirely different. My eyes flickered as I tried to make sense of why now seemed like an actual dream and my nightmare seemed like reality.

‘No. No. No. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s not possible. It’s not true.’ I shook my head vigorously. I must be so tired, I‘m thinking of crap.

I laughed at myself and looked towards Gary. His face was quirky, his eyes twitching. He was anger and he was— -------

I ignored what he said, taking some steps forward. “Gary look I know we aren’t doing so well but you don’t have to make stuff up.” I chuckled nervously. “We are not getting divorced. I’m even having your baby.”

That entire quirk on his face vanished; a deep frown settling instead. His fists clenched before my eyes and he gritted his teeth. He glared at m with bloodshot eyes. I felt my blood curl and my gut tighten. I froze up.

“How dare you bring him up? How dare you talk about my boy you lost?! Are you trying to see if I can kill you?!” he yelled. I stumbled back immediately. Shock laced my eyes.

“No … No” I took off my shirt immediately and stared down at my stomach.

My breath seized.

‘It’s flat. I’m due in five months, it shouldn’t be flat.’

I trembled, looking up at Gary. Tears trickled, my knees buckled. I crumbled to the floor. My lips parted but I couldn’t utter a word. I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t a dream. I really died.

My mind flashed back to my last words while I lay bleeding away on that wet forest floor. It came true but Tommy, he wasn’t brought back with me. I… I lost my baby. My baby is dead.

“Ahhh!” I screamed. “NO!!! TOMMY!!”

The bedroom door banged shut and stumbling footsteps disappeared down the hallway. In a situation like this, Gary left me in pain. I threw myself on the rug, buried my face in my knees and just cried.

My body broke out on me, and I blacked out on the floor, from exhaustion. When I opened my eyes, it was morning. Nana was right beside me, muttering a Spanish prayer. Her eyes lit up when she saw mine open. She helped me into the bathtub and ordered me to soak while she made something nice to help my mood.

I sank into the lukewarm water, the water going all the way up to my nose. I took slow long breaths, trying to picture Tommy’s face from my past life. While I was crying last night, I came to terms with my reality and I decided that I was going to do exactly what I was reborn for. In this life, Gary still hated me because of that other woman; because of Joana.

The water bubbled as I let hot air escape my lungs. That b***h, Oh she was going to pay. I opened my eyes and tilted my head. The toilet where I hid my gun, stared back at me. I smiled maniacally. I don’t need that. There is more than one way to kill a woman; more than one way to accidentally fall off a skyscraper.