CHAPTER 18
1607 Words
The Chains of Catherina’s Silence
When Catherina awoke the next morning, the home was quiet, but it did not feel tranquil. It pressed down on her like a weight, and every corner of the Cortez estate reminded her of chains she couldn't break yet.
The memory of the accident tormented her in its full clarity. Junior's hands gripped the wheel. He was furious when she told him her heart belonged to someone else—Bruno. His reckless speed. The collision that shattered her life. And the lies that had allowed him to completely immerse himself in her world throughout the years.
She sat on the edge of the bed, still in her nightgown, peering into the mirror. The girl who returned her gaze was no longer wearing the emerald outfit. She was someone broken, with knowledge that was too deadly to spill out.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Come in,” she said quietly.
The door opened, and Junior stepped in. His suit was crisp, his hair perfectly styled, but his eyes carried a storm that made her stomach tighten.
He walked across the room as if he owned it and remarked, "You look pale." Before he could touch her, she flinched as he reached for her hand.
He noticed. His smile tightened. "Still rattled from last night?" He asked.
Her throat constricted. “I just need rest.” She responded.
Junior watched her with a piercing glance. "You remembered something." He asked.
The words weren't a question. They were more like accusations.
Her heart beat, but she kept her face still while speaking. "Only fragments. The music. The meadow. Bruno…"
She couldn't stop herself from whispering his name.
Junior's jaw stiffened. His hand reached out and gripped her chin, pushing her to look at him. “Listen to me, Catherina. Whatever you believe you remember, you will keep to yourself. Do you understand?" He threatened as if he had something to hide.
Her pulse raced in her ears. “Why?” She questioned.
His eyes darkened as the tempest within him broke through. "Because the past is dangerous. And because I refuse to let him take you away from me." He responded.
Her chest ached as he let go, the ghost of his grip still lingering on her skin.
Junior drew closer, his words low and almost pleading. "You fainted in front of everyone, Catherina. People are watching. The entire family is watching. Speaking on issues you don't fully understand can lead to negative consequences. Not for you. Not for him." He beckoned.
Her breath paused.
Junior stood and smoothed his jacket as if the conversation had never occurred. "I will have someone bring you breakfast. Rest. I will be back tonight." He said.
The door clicked shut behind him, and she allowed herself to drop into the bed, tears streaming down her face.
She remembered everything, but she remained in silence.
Later in the day, Bruno called.
When she saw his name on the screen, her heart leaped, but terror gripped her like a prisoner. To observe if Junior was paying attention to her discussion with Bruno, she glanced around. Still, she responded.
"Catherina" He called his tone was gentle and cautious, as if he was scared she would shatter again.
"How are you feeling?" He questioned.
"I'm… better," she muttered, but the truth was far from her reply.
There was a pause. "You sound… far from it." He said.
Her eyes closed, guilt pressing across her chest. He could always feel it.
"I'm just tired," she replied immediately. "The fainting, the hospital, everything at the Gala—it's too much."
Bruno did not reply right away. She could almost hear him pondering, balancing her words against the silence between them.
Eventually, he spoke. "Catherina… You are hiding something from me."
Her throat had closed. Tears threatened again, but she swallowed them up. "No, I'm not." She insisted.
"Yes, you are." His voice was authoritative but gentle, infused with the constant concern that had always been his strength.
"You don't need to tell me now. But do not shut me out. Please." He spoke in an understanding way.
Her hand squeezed around the phone, the wordless lines connecting them tugging taut. She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to scream the truth and have him carry it with her.
But Junior's words echoed in her head. "It won't end well. Not for you. Not for him."
She gave a shaky laugh as she spoke.
"You always think too much. Only when it comes to you." He answered.
The silence stretched on, heavy with all they weren't saying.
Finally, Bruno reassured her, "When you're ready, I'll be here." Her chest ached when she hung up.
The chains encircling her heart tightened, not just from Junior's threats, but also from her own silence.
That evening, as the sun set behind the city skyline, Catherina wandered into the music room. Bruno's song, the one he had sang at the Gala, stayed in her head, and it had unlocked her memories.
She gently touched the piano keys, pressing down a note that echoed around the empty room. She sobbed at the sound.
Music had always served as a bridge between her and Bruno. It was now a prison, reminding her of the vows they had made and the secrets she was terrified to reveal.
"Catherina," a stern but recognizable voice said. It was Junior.
She turned. Junior remained in the doorway, observing her.
Her hands remained still on the piano keys. "You shouldn't push yourself," he remarked, approaching her. "You need to heal."
She forced her voice steady as she said. “I’m fine.”
"You're not." He put a hand on her shoulder, hard but not harsh this time. "You are frail.
"You need someone strong to protect you." He said.
Her stomach twisted. "Protect me from what exactly?" She asked.
Junior's gaze intensified, but his smile remained intact. "From the world." From those who do not know what is best for you. From Bruno most especially." He responded in a malicious manner.
Her blood became chilled.
Junior stayed near the piano, his gaze consuming her with a desire that made Catherina's skin crawl. He took slow, deliberate steps closer, until she could feel the warmth of his breath.
"You don't understand, do you?" He mumbled.
"I have loved you since our eyes met in the classroom. Since before the accident. Since before Bruno came back into the picture.” Junior said.
His palm gripped her jaw and tipped her head toward him. She froze, her heart pounding against her ribcage.
"Junior… don’t” She yelled.
He ignored her appeal and leaned in, his lips inches from hers.
Catherina turned her face swiftly, his kiss falling on her cheek rather than her mouth.
The rejection was quiet yet thunderous.
Junior stopped, his chest rising and falling with strained breaths. For a brief moment, she feared he might shatter totally.
But He continued speaking;
"Bruno has already caused you pain”, Junior explained further. He creates mayhem, Catherina. Check out what occurred at the Gala. Take a look at what he stirs in you. Do you really believe he can keep you safe? He reiterated as if he were an innocent culprit in all of this.”
Her hands trembled while resting on the Piano.
She wanted to scream the truth: it was Junior, not Bruno, who had caused her the most pain. And that he was the least likely to keep her safe. But her voice broke, crushed by terror. So she didn't say anything.
Junior smiled, satisfied, as she remained silent.
That night, laying in bed, Catherina clasped her phone to her chest. She wanted to call Bruno again and tell him everything.
However, as her courage grew, Junior's voice returned, dark and ominous, reminding her of what was at risk.
She remembered Bruno's expression at the café, when he stated, "I will not lose you again."
And she remembered the crash— the sound of the rear mirror glass breaking, Junior's face blazing with reckless resolve, and the life she had almost lost because of him when she banged her head in the car.
Deep down she always knew that her heart belongs to Bruno. Junior was responsible for her pain as well as her silence.
The string connecting her and Bruno were heavy now, laden with secrets she couldn't reveal. Every day, they became tighter, threatening to snap.
Catherina knew that if they did, the world around her would shatter again. But for now, she remained silent.
Because silence was safer.
Or so she told herself.
Catherina's chains were not visible, but they were strong—made of fear, guilt, and the implicit menace Junior had placed around her.
She'd regained her memory, but the price was silence, which was its own prison.
Bruno sensed the truth pressing against her words, but he could not force it from her. Not yet.
The strings that held them together were alive, resonating with the song of what went unsaid. Catherina could only worry whether the silence would finally break, freeing her or destroying them both.
***
Catherina sat still long after Junior had left the room, her reflection in the glossy surface of the grand piano gazing back at her—a pale, quivering girl torn between love and fear. Her chest ached from the weight of words she feel like screaming truths she wanted to throw at Bruno, but the memory of Junior's threats pressed down like an iron shackle: "If I can't have you, no one can."
- Writer
