Chapter 2
1446 Words
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter has been revised for clarity and improved flow.
CHAPTER TWO
ELISE POV
“Maysa pay!! Maysa pay apanen!!!” The bus conductor’s voice boomed through the vehicle, announcing that they needed one more passenger to depart. I was on my way to Santa Monica, my mother’s hometown, a place I’d rather avoid. But a phone call a few hours ago, during my company’s product launch, had changed everything. The past, it seems, was catching up with me, and i want to forget it never ever happened.
EARLIER…
Her aunt Malou was the caller.
“Hello aunt-----
“Y-your grandfather hu hu hu Y-your g-grandfather h-hija,” my aunt Malou said, sobbing. The sound of her choked sobs tore through my heart.
“W-what happened to grandfather aunt? I asked nervously.
“H-e he he c-collapsed huhuhu a-and hu hu hu,” aunt Malou choked out.
“AUNT, PLEASE CALM DOWN! WHAT HAPPENED TO GRANDPA? WHY ARE YOU CRYING???” I couldn’t help but shout at my aunt, overwhelmed with worry. This was the first time she’d called crying, and not just tears, she was sobbing.
“Please come home Ely,” her uncle Ramon said. “P-papa collapsed and is now in a coma, he needs you, please come back,” he pleaded.
The world seemed to tilt on its axis. My heart plummeted into my stomach. My grandfather, the man who had always been my rock, my anchor, my source of unwavering love and support, was in a coma. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t even process what I’d just heard. I could still hear my uncle Ramon calling my name, but I had no strength to pick up the phone and answer. Her lolo. My dearest lolo. I didn’t even realize my tears were already falling. “Is this my karma for rejecting you, grandpa? Please God, save my lolo. I promise I’ll never leave him again, just save him from danger. I’ll make up for all the years I was away from him.” I whispered, my tears flowing freely.
“Elise, what happened, why are you crying?” Alex, her superior, asked with concern. But since she couldn’t get an answer from me, she gently shook me.
That’s when I snapped out of it. I immediately picked up my phone and dialed my uncle’s number. I didn’t call Aunt Malou because I knew she wasn’t in the right state of mind. I only spoke briefly with my uncle because he was talking to the doctor. I wanted to talk to my grandfather’s doctor, but my uncle insisted that I should talk to him in person, so I had no choice but to thank him and say goodbye.
“What happened?” Sir Alex asked me with concern.
“Sorry sir, but I need to file an emergency leave. My grandfather needs me,” my voice slightly trembling. “I’ll just send it through email,” I said.
“No worries, Elise,” he patted my head as he always does. “I’ll send you to the terminal, I know you’re not in the mood to drive,” he said.
“Jeez!!! I hissed. “What about the seminar, it’s not over yet,” the work left behind and my foolishness finally sank in.
“Don’t worry, the seminar went smoothly, let Greg handle it... for the meantime, compose yourself and I’ll send you to the terminal,” Sir Alex said.
“Thank you, sir,” I expressed my gratitude.
“It’s Alex, we’re not at work,” he corrected, then he took my hand and led me to his car.
THIRD POV
There were eyes intensely watching the scenario that had been unfolding earlier. It was as if they were frozen in place upon seeing the man grab the woman’s hand towards the car parked in front of it.
“DAMN!!! NO ONE CAN TOUCH WHO’S MINE!! YOU’RE ONLY MINE, ELISE!!! ALWAYS MINE!” he emphasized each word he uttered while tightly gripping the steering wheel of his car. When he saw the car in front of him move forward, he immediately started the engine and followed it.
PRESENT…
ELISE POV
“Excuse me, miss, can I?” My reverie was interrupted when a huge man with a baritone voice approached me, pointing to the vacant seat beside me. So, I slightly moved over. Tears welling in my eyes, I didn’t notice the intense gaze and furrowed brow of the man.
“Depart! Depart! Depart!” shouted the bus conductor as the driver started the bus.
I adjusted my bull cap, my constant companion, ensuring that I wouldn’t be hurt or betrayed like my former best friend did twelve years ago, a memory I tried hard to bury. Then, I put on my face mask. I was about to close my eyes when I felt like someone was staring at me, so I looked to my left, particularly at the person beside me, but he was busy with his phone. So I just ignored it. The bus hadn’t gone far, yet I already felt drowsy, but I was uneasy as if someone really watching me. I roamed my eyes inside the bus and my gaze landed on the man beside me, but his eyes were closed. Like her, he was wearing a bull cap and a face mask, but I was puzzled because he was in a business suit. It’s not something you typically see people wearing riding on a bus. And he’s carrying an attache case.
“What’s in your attache case, huh! A gun?
“What’s this scheme? Is this your modus operandi to do something bad?” Oh, I’m a black belter, I can easily throw you no matter how big you are, tss. What a waste, you’re handsome.” I whispered a threat to the man’s ear to see if he would react, whether he was asleep or just pretending. When I saw that his breathing was steady, I assumed he was asleep. “I just shrugged my shoulders. “I guess I was just imagining things, maybe you’re just scaring yourself, Elise.” I scolded myself. I adjusted my sitting position and closed my eyes, trying to catch some sleep as their journey was quite long. Perhaps due to exhaustion, I was eventually overcome by sleep.
REUBEN POV
I controlled my breathing evenly to avoid arousing Elise’s suspicion that I was just pretending to sleep. She almost caught me staring at her and knew she was scrutinizing me, but I almost swore because of the tickle caused by Elise’s whisper in my ear. Shortly after while I was sensing this, I heard her softly snoring beside me. So I slowly opened my eyes.
“You’re beautiful as always, Elise,” I whispered as I removed her facemask and gently caressed her gentle face. That’s when I noticed her eyes were teary, and her cheeks still had traces of tears, so I gently wiped them away with the back of my hand.
My heart clenched. “What did that asshole do to you? I’ll make sure he’ll pay for this,” anger laced every word I uttered.
“G-Grandpa, Grandpa please wait for me,” Elise whimpered as abundant tears streamed down her cheeks again. This intensified my anger even more. And my anger towards Alex Hermosa, Elise’s superior and the reason for her tears. “How dare he,” I said and cursed him in my mind.
He clearly remembered that whenever ELISE had a problem, her grandfather Menandro was the first person she would run to and cry to. So he strongly felt that Elise was hurt by that man. But he couldn’t deny the joy he felt that after 12 years, she decided to return to Santa Monica.
Elise’s grandfather Menandro was the former political rival of his grandfather Agustin, not only in politics but also in love, which later became close friends as they were old enough not to fight and they did not want to pass on their rivalry and discord to their children and grandchildren. They wanted their generation to put an end to the rivalry and discord they had.
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Our curiosity about the caller’s intentions towards Elise has been clarified. But it’s still unclear who the man is in chapter one. Is it Reuben? Who is the third person? And who is Alex in Elise’s life? What happened 12 years ago that Elise is trying to forget, the reason why she doesn’t want to return to Santa Monica?
Thank you so much for reading and your support. I truly appreciate it.
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_ tagaIloCosNak
- Writer
