Haunted By The Past

Chapter 4

"What just happened out there? You couldn't wait to see the Alpha and when you finally did, you just walked away like that. Do you realize what it took me to book an appointment with him?.” Lady Macbeth fumed at Anabel for disrespecting her.

"Can we not talk about this now? I understand you're trying to help out, but there's no way I'm letting him help me. I rather wait for the cops to be done investigating,” Anabel responded unapologetically as they arrived in the neighborhood. Lady Macbeth was stunned, yet amused. She can't seem to decipher what happened out there. It all seems like a dream to her.

“Is there something you not telling me? Does he remind you of someone?” Lady Macbeth asked with keen interest.

"Oh, you meant that bastard, Dominique?" Anabel fumed, placing both hands on the head.

"Oh, I see. You even know his name. Quite fascinating! Have you two met before? Start talking now before I lose my temper," She yelled at Anabel. Her silence was beginning to irritate Lady Macbeth.

"Fine! I'll tell you already. Once I'm done talking, I bet you'd agree with me that Dominique is bad news and not in the best position to rescue my kids,” after a prolonged silence, Anabel finally disclosed everything.

"It's hard to believe that Alpha Dominique is about to rescue the same kids he sanctioned their abortion. Now I know why you detest him. I understand he hurt you in the past, but you gotta let go. He appears in the best position to get back your kids and you know that!”

"Hell, NO. I don't wanna set my eyes on him ever again. Don't you get it? Gosh! He asked me to abort my pregnancy. Who does that? He renewed my hopes in life, only to betray me when I needed him the most. Maybe I'm cursed, yes I'm cursed. Don't I deserve a better life? Why am I a victim of such circumstances?” Anabel wept and fell in the arms of Lady Macbeth, who consoled her as though she were her mother. Ever since she lost both parents, her life has been a complete mess.

"No, don't ever say that. You're not cursed. You're just a victim of such circumstances. We all got our sad stories, but you know what's important? Getting over it! I wanna help you fight your fear. You survived the first scare. This one won't kill you,” Lady Macbeth advised, acting all nice and friendly.

"Now you're making me so emotional. Why are you so nice to me? We are just next-door neighbors. You don't even know me, yet you're this pleasant and passionate about my personal affairs. What would I have done without you? Trust me, I don't take your kindness for granted.” Anabel's pretty face was brightened with smiles. She hasn't smiled in a long time.

"It's a pleasure. I'm glad I could…" Lady Macbeth got interrupted by Anabel's incoming phone call.

"I don't wanna speak to anyone,” Anabel shunned the call without confirming who it was. Lady Macbeth wasn't happy seeing Anabel sad again. A while ago, the latter was filled with happiness, but the strange call somehow conveyed sadness to her face. “It might be the cops calling to disclose sensitive information about your kids. Don't downplay it,” Lady Macbeth advised her like a mother, unlocking her eyes to the significance of answering the call. The phone rang again, and this time, Anabel responded, placing it on her left ear. “It's the kidnappers again. What should I tell them?” She whispered to Lady Macbeth.

"Put the damn phone on loudspeaker. Let's hear what they wanna say,” she advised. Before Anabel could make any utterance, one of the kidnappers blasted her for taking too much time to respond to the call.

"Please spare my sons. I'm just a civil servant. $200k is quite an outrageous amount,” Anabel begged for her sons to be released, but it fell on deaf ears as the kidnappers were only interested in the ransom and nothing else.

"We don't care how you earn it. You've got just three weeks to raise the funds. Failure to adhere, you'd be watching a live video of us slitting their throats with a dagger while we derive pleasure watching them bleed to death like a sacrificial lamb. Goodbye, ma'am. Haha haha!” He laughed mischievously and terminated the call. Frustrated, devastated, and confused, Anabel turned to face Lady Macbeth fully, “Where do they expect me to get $200k from?”

"The solution you seek is staring in your face. Yet, you can not see,”

"Wait a minute, Dominique? There's no way I'm soliciting his help,” Anabel shook her head in disagreement.

"Why compromise the lives of your children? Act fast before it comes too late. If you need someone to talk to, I'd be next door. I need to go to someone right now,” Lady Macbeth said, patting Anabel on the shoulder, and exiting, leaving her alone to decide the next move.

Moments after her departure, Anabel heard a loud knock on her door. “I wasn't expecting anyone. Who could that be?” She whispered and rushed to open the door. Standing in front of her was a big, tall dark-haired, extremely handsome guy, heavily built with sexy blue eyes. For a few seconds, Anabel was dumbfounded, staring at his succulent lips. Some parts of her body were yearning to have an exploration with this young man, but she bluntly told those parts to comport themselves that this stranger might be an abductor.

"Hey, there. I'm Antonio Reyes. And I guess you're ma'am Anabel, right? I've got a piece of information that might interest you. Mind if I come in?” The man waved at Anabel, who was completely engrossed in profound thought.

“Yes, sure.” Anabel welcomed Antonio as she skimmed the entire neighborhood, to be certain he was alone.

"Have you heard from your missing sons?” Antonio hurled the provocative question that disseminated some sparkles to her brain. Hurriedly, she grabbed his shirt and yelled, “What do you know about their kidnap? Oh, I get it. You were sent by the kidnappers, right?”

"You're choking me. Please—let me go. I know nothing. I was passing by when I saw some men come to pick up their kids from school. I noticed the absence of any striking resemblance, so I figured they might be kidnappers. Fortunately, I took a photo of their vehicle should anything happen. Passing by the school this morning, I saw a poster on the wall of the same kids declared missing. Had to seek your address from the principal,” Antonio narrated his ordeal as he struggles to speak.

"Why should I believe you?” Still gripping his shirt, Anabel doubted the authentication of his claim.

"I could show you the photo on my phone. I wouldn't come this far just to lie,” Antonio addressed.