Rebeca

The Witch

That fool proposed to me, thinking I loved him. He doesn’t know that I will leave him to suffer, and he will never forget the name Rebecca for the rest of his life.

I am Rebecca, the witch, known for my captivating beauty. I love wealth and and I will do anything to obtain it. My magic is wicked enough to change people’s natures whenever and however I please.

My childhood was black—I remember nothing except being raised in a filthy orphanage run by filthy people. Lucy and I escaped, searching for a better life, and ended up as waitresses in a nightclub. That was the first time we saw life. Our work was limited to serving the middle class; the wealthy had their own private wing, and reaching it was nearly impossible.

Lucy, my friend, met a handsome young man. She never told me his name, but he was rich. How could a girl less beautiful than me fall in love with a wealthy man? My jealousy grew, and it grew even more when I knew she would leave work because this man decided to marry her. She married him and abandoned me alone in that wretched place.

One day, walking through an alley shortcut to the club, I saw an old woman calling me.

—“Rebecca… come.”

—“Excuse me, how do you know my name?”

—“I know everything.”

—“How so?”

—“Don’t you want to be strong like me?”

—“I don’t believe you. If you were strong, you wouldn’t be here.”

—“Who said I’m here for nothing? I feel the energies of hatred, jealousy, and resentment. I am here to help you, Rebecca…”

I trembled with fear. I found myself running and running until I reached the club, her strange words echoing in my ears:

—“Rebecca, you will crawl to me… Rebecca, Lucy is evil. If she cared for you, she wouldn’t have betrayed you. She would have taken you out of this hell.”

I asked my manager for leave because my head was about to explode from that witch’s words. How did she know my name? Was I hallucinating from exhaustion?

For a moment, I thought of returning to the orphanage, but I knew I would be a servant there. I was eighteen years old—too old, a burden. I had to work hard to reach the wealthy wing or find a rich man like Lucy did to take me out of this misery.

After a year of work, I found a vile way to reach the wealthy wing. But this path also made me alcoholic. I finished my daily work at the bar and took enough alcohol to numb myself. No one wants to see the ugliness of their deeds while sober.

The wing was luxurious, and every day I met new people. But no one wanted a waitress with a bad reputation like me. The road to reach this place required sacrifices.

One day, while buying makeup, I saw Lucy with her handsome husband. They were walking together. I stopped, wanting to greet her, but she turned her face away and whispered in her husband’s ear. I watched them change their path and leave, while a foolish smile of longing remained stuck on my face.

Smoke rose from my ears. Was she truly so low-born? Did she forget me? I was her only friend.

—“I’ll show you, Lucy. You’ll pay dearly,” I said, though I didn’t know how.

Perhaps I had drunk too much the night before, but inside me there was a boiled volcano of rage and jealousy.

On my way back, I saw the last person I expected—the old witch, dressed beautifully, looking at me and laughing.

—“What’s wrong, little one? Haven’t you changed your mind?” she said with a wicked smile.

—“No, I’m not evil. I just want a man to take me out of this miserable life.”

—“Then you’re asking the right person. Let me tell you…”

—“I don’t want to hear anything.”

—“But do you enjoy drinking and…”

—“Enough…”

Silence filled the place. She looked at me strangely. I stood, thinking. I had to see what this witch wanted from me—maybe then she would leave me alone.

—“Tell me, what do you want?”

—“I want you, my dear. I love the energy of hatred and resentment.”

—“But when someone is angry, they say strange things.”

—“Rebecca… I feel this energy. I know when it’s real and when it’s false. Let me finish—or better yet, let’s go to a restaurant and talk.”

I looked at the clock. I had an hour before my shift.

—“Fine, one hour.”

—“One hour is enough.”

We sat in a restaurant called South Road. She said:

—“Listen, my child. I can give you powers to control people’s natures. You can use them to make anyone obsessed with you!”

—“What nonsense!”

—“It’s very simple. A few words from a small book I’ll give you, plus a strand of hair from the person—that’s all it takes.”

—“But why me?”

—“I told you, I sense true hatred. No sorcerer exists without hatred. But beware…”

—“Beware of what?”

—“You can use this magic under one condition: never fall in love. If you do, it will turn against you.”

—“What do you mean?”

—“I’ve told you what I needed to. Are you ready?”

I stood in silence, thinking of my miserable life. What harm if I made someone love me to the point of obsession? My society was full of wealthy men. This would bring me closer to my dream of escaping misery. They would no longer see me as the disgraced waitress.

—“I agree!”

—“Every Wednesday, meet me here. This place is my magic ground.”

—“This restaurant?”

—“Yes. You’ll understand later…”

I began visiting the restaurant every Wednesday to learn magic from the old woman. Once I mastered it, she said:

—“From now on, you are my daughter. As I told you, love is forbidden. Otherwise…”

—“Otherwise what?”

—“Terrible things. But I’m sure you’ll never reach that point.”

She left me. I grew afraid. What a trap, Rebecca the fool. I had risen to the wealthy wing—what more did I want?

That day I took leave, and my thoughts consumed me. I drank more than ever before.

—“I’ll try the magic tonight and see what happens,” I said aloud the next morning.

I went to work with the little book in my pocket. Everything was fine until my first victim appeared. I tried the magic—and soon he came every Wednesday, searching for Rebecca.

My manager joked: “You’re a witch. You bewitched him.”

That confirmed it—I could do anything.

I tried it on my manager. After I managed to get a strand of his hair, I made him irritable with everyone, seeing only Rebecca—the only waitress fit to work. He promoted me, and I began earning the highest salary in the club.

Days passed, and I bewitched the customers so they would return. As money grew, I grew happier. I decided to open a restaurant.

Perhaps a sushi place or a luxury restaurant where I could enchant the guests to return. Then I saw an ad on the wall:

“South Road Restaurant seeks a new investor.”

This was the place of my memories with the old woman. I had to invest—and I did.

Maybe I used magic for my own gain without harming anyone… until that day.

I was at the restaurant, making my routine inspection before heading to the club. My manager didn’t know I was the investor, and I hadn’t yet saved enough to buy an apartment.

Suddenly, I saw Lucy and her husband enter the restaurant. Normally, I went to the bathrooms to collect stray hairs from the floor to practice my magic. But how could I make one of them go to the bathroom? And what would I gain if they came to my restaurant regularly?

Then the most diabolical plan came to me. I asked a waiter to spill water on Lucy so I could speak to her husband. Speak to him so I could take a strand of his hair. Why not? She stole an happy life from me. What would have happened if she had taken me out of the club? Wasn’t I her friend?

I approached him and introduced myself:

—“I’m Rebecca, Lucy’s friend—the one you despise.”

—“So you’re Rebecca…”

—“Wait, sir, there’s something on your head.” I plucked a strand of his long hair. “Forgive me… I meant to say I miss Lucy very much. I’m not as bad as she says. Please, I’d like you to do something so I can meet her.”

He looked at me strangely. Had I acted well enough?

—“But she doesn’t hate you. She’s just afraid of you.”

—“Afraid of me?”

—“Yes. Because you used to hit her in your sleep and speak in an unknown language.”

—“Me?”

Then my alarm rang.

—"I have to leave.."

—“Henry.”

—“Mr. Henry, please try to bring me to her.”

—“I’ll try.”

“I left, flying with joy. Mr. Henry is a handsome man—so why not ensnare him?”