"An... An.... Angelina?"
Panic seized Marlie as she found herself standing alone in the room, with Chad and the others having departed long ago. The sight of the woman with fierce, penetrating eyes sent shivers down her spine, compelling her to let out a piercing scream at the horrifying apparition before her."aaahhhhh.....!!!!"Her cries reverberated, prompting nurses to rush into the room to investigate the source of her distress."Mrs. Baristanas….." they repeated her name in an attempt to calm Marlie."Angelina is here, she's alive, she's here!!!"She pointed towards the door, persisting in her claim, yet the nurses searched the room and the doorway fruitlessly."I saw her... she was there... she was right there," Marlie explained. Despite her attempt, no one seemed inclined to believe her."Ma'am, you may have imagined it."The nurses were not intentionally dismissive; there was simply no one by the door."No, I saw her there...""Perhaps it was simply a dream, ma'am,"A male nurse entered the room, his words resonating with Marlie as all eyes turned towards him."Mrs. Baristanas, perhaps you had a dream. You may have witnessed something in the dream that startled you." He offered a reassuring smile to Marlie.Marlie composed herself. Yes, it was all a dream, which had likely led her to believe she had seen Angelina by the door."Who are you? You're new to me."One of the female nurses spoke up, noting that the male nurse was unfamiliar."I'm new here. I'm James."He introduced himself, displaying his name tag to the nurses."You shouldn't be here. This is a VIP ward. Mr Baristanas won't like the interference."The nurses assisted Marlie back into bed, yet a sense of unease lingered."You need not fear, ma'am. Everything will be fine."James reassured Marlie before departing from her room with the female nurses leading.As friendly as he sounded, midway down the corridor, a figure materialized behind him. He halted having noticed the figure. The female nurses were far gone. A sly grin appeared on his face, and he spoke out."You frightened her, cousin. She's trembling with fear and anxiety. I doubt she'll hesitate to call Chad and inform him."James turned, to face the figure. Marlie, it turns out Marlie was not seeing things. It was really Angelina she saw at her door. She stood there in flesh and blood. Angelina was indeed alive. And the fact was simple, James was her accomplice, her cousin.Angelina had survived the fire at the asylum. She orchestrated setting the place ablaze to fake her demise."I shall make them both pay dearly."*****On the brink of nightfall, Marlie slumbered peacefully. To her, her problems were all gone now. Until she was stirred by screams and shouting.Marlie didn't know what was happening outside. It was usual that a hospital would have such disturbance at such an unholy hour. She got down from her bed and walked to the door to find out what was causing the screams.It wasn't just normal screams. People were running out of the building in shouting."What's going on?" She wondered."Didn't you just give birth?"A shaky voice spoke from behind Marlie. She was startled. Turning, she came face to face with the speaker, a fellow mother cradling her infant.A bewildered expression crossed Marlie's countenance as she replied. "Yes..., in the morning.""You must run, their ward in fire!""What?!!!"The urgency in the warning propelled Marlie into immediate action. In sync with the fleeing crowd amidst the blaring alarm, her eyes honed in on the nursery, her heart gripped by dread."My babies," Marlie whispered as she darted towards the nursery to protect her twins. However, her path was blocked by firefighters battling the flames."Please, my children are in there. I must go to them," Marlie pleaded, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to break free from their grasp."Ma'am, the fire is spreading. It's too dangerous to enter," the firefighter urged, attempting to guide her away from the danger.Despite her desperate pleas, Marlie's tears and anguish could not sway their resolve. It was too much pain for her. She sank to her knees, eyes welling with sorrow and helplessness."Please, let me reach my babies..."She hoped someone would listen to her and help her save her babies but she felt deserted, no one was helping her."Ma'am, your baby..." A voice interrupted her anguish. Marlie looked at the man standing in front of her. Her attention quickly drew to a baby wrapped in a blanket, held by a familiar figure. It was James."I believe this is your son." James motions towards Marlie. That proved to bring out the lost hope in a mother. She quickly got up from the floor and noticed it was her son, Evan.Overwhelmed with relief, Marlie embraced her son, tears of gratitude and relief mingling on her cheeks."Evan, my son, my baby..." Marlie's voice cracked with emotion. She planted kisses on her son. She was glad to get her son. But she needs one more baby. "Where is my daughter?" She questioned, darting her eyes around to see if Evelyn was also nearby.James somberly met her gaze and sadly shook his head, hinting at the grim news to come."I regret to inform you, Mrs. Baristanas, that we could only rescue your son," James delivered the heart-wrenching update to Marlie, who could not fathom the truth, tears cascading down her cheeks."What? Wh... what do you mean? No, no, not my daughter. She has to be there somewhere. My Evelyn has to be somewhere. I must find her; I will go and retrieve my daughter," Marlie declared through her tear-stained rage, although they could not permit her to enter the engulfed building."Ma'am, I doubt your daughter is inside, but even if she was, she would not have survived. The fire has spread in all directions and everything within the room, animate or not, may have been completely consumed by now." A firefighter gently relayed the harsh reality to Marlie.That was too much to take. Marlie collapsed to the ground, refusing to accept that her daughter was gone. "I'm sorry, ma'am, your daughter is no longer with us," James pronounced to the grief-stricken Marlie, clutching Evan tightly to her chest. No amount of condolences could assuage Marlie's sorrow. The revelation of her child's demise in the blaze was unbearable for her.Marlie couldn't handle it and fainted.Grief was all Marlie could be left with. She thinks her daughter is in the flames but Angelina stands, cradling her baby girl.She observed Marlie's anguish for her lost daughter, a daughter she now held in her arms. "Angel, do you see the suffering of your mother? That is but a fraction of the pain I wish for her to endure.You are now my daughter, Angel Rodriguez. And you will take my revenge for me!"18years laterAs she strolled through the school grounds, she found herself growing increasingly tired. Her mid-thigh skirt, paired with a blue shirt and a loose tie resting against her chest, made her stand out in the crowd.Clutching a map of the school in her hand, she was determined to familiarize herself with every nook and cranny of Westford High School.However, there seemed to be a disturbance in the school environment. Girls were yelling and dashing around aimlessly, creating chaos."Hey, transfer student! Why aren't you joining us? The wealthy boys have arrived." A girl extended her hand towards her before darting off in the direction where the crowd was heading.It was intriguing for her. She glanced back to see what kind of rich boys could captivate the attention of all the girls in the school in such a manner. Curiosity danced in her head, she decided to go and see for herself without any hesitation.As she approached the mob of excited students, she couldn't help but fee
"Welcome, Miss Rodriguez. Please come inside; your classroom awaits."With her textbooks in hand and bag slung over her shoulder, Angel entered the room."Good day, everyone." greeted the principal, "We have a new addition to our class. I will allow her to introduce herself," The principal declared, beckoning Angel forward with a welcoming smile.She pivoted herself in front of the class. The attention of the class turned to her."Hello, I am Angel Rodriguez, a scholarship student transferring here," she said, maintaining a constant smile on her face. The class welcomed her in unison, "Welcome Angel.""Wow, we have a beauty in our class.""Do you want to be my friend?""Scholarship? Then you must be brilliant!" Students murmured, impressed. The principal was done with her work and left Angel to her teacher."Any empty seat?" the teacher asked."Yes Miss Mandy, one is .... here" A girl from behind motioned with her hand, an empty seat at the back.However, silence fell over the class
Exactly 10 minutes later.A sleek SUV glided into the school's premises.Taking his time to get down, he appeared charming in his grey suit, his broad and sturdy shoulders commanding attention.His dark, slightly tousled hair, the hint of muscles underneath the coat, and his authoritative strides resonated through the school corridors. His stern expression belied a beauty not to be underestimated.Upon perceiving him, one might easily mistake him for a man in his twenties. The declaration of his true age, 43 years, would undoubtedly spark a debate. Perhaps his slender frame hindered the natural aging process, or perhaps his striking appearance bestowed upon him an air of immortality.He knew the principal's office and needed no guide. The hallway was empty, a suitable environment to address Evan's matters.As he entered the principal's office, Evan was already stationed, impatiently awaiting his arrival— or should we say, Chad Baristanas, as he calls it.The minute he locked a stare w
"The time has come"Angel vividly recalls her strategy. "It appears fate is finally on my side. Now he is in the school, I can't lose this chance" she heaved a heavy sigh. She also checks her uniform, adjusting it well.Confident in her decision yet, anxiety crept in. She glanced at her reflection once more in the washroom mirror, and her heart raced. She was prepared, but as the moment approached, her nervousness exceeded expectations, perhaps even fear. A sharp inhale escaped her lips. The question of whether it was going to work or not lingered in her head. "It has to work... no matter what, I have to meet Chad Baristanas today." She remembered her mother's words clearly. "You must make a lasting impression on him, so he won't forget you every time he sees you, or better yet, dream of holding you in his arms, my darling Angel."Seducing someone as distinguished as Chad Baristanas, a 47-year-old, was no trivial matter, especially for an 18-year-old girl like Angel Rodriguez. But
"So she was faking it?" Mark questioned inwardly. He turned to look at her properly and then he realized the loose shirt. Her pale skin was staring at the man. And her cleavage...?That was not too good a sight for Mark. His jaws tightened. He shut his eyes to shield him from what he was seeing. He had a choice to shove the girl away.But, Evan was also approaching. And Mark could feel the nervousness of the girl in his arms. She had no choice but to tug her face into his coat. "Who is she?" Evan didn't spare the chance to ask. Her face might be hidden but he was not dumb not to notice her features. It hadn't been long since they met each other."Her?... What the hell! " He scoffed irritably, "Of all people, how come she is here?" The displeasure on Evan's face was evident."Wait, you know her?" Mark inquired, surprised by the situation. While Mark was aware they attended the same school, Evan rarely acknowledged girls, let alone interacted with them more than once. He couldn't care
It seems the sun always sets in the south for Evan. He came out of his car with his usual 'I am an angry bird' mood! Home was not a better comfort to his annoying mood.Having had to control himself from confronting Angel in the day was making him angry not to mention the scowl he wore when a servant greeted him."Welcome, young master," said the servant. Evan merely adjusted his coat and ghosted past her into the mansion as if she were a spirit.Standing by the door was an old woman, Vien, in her 60s, waiting for his return. They had all been worried about Evan since they heard the incident that happened in the school. So when old Vien(Nanny) saw Evan through the plain glass door, she hurried her old legs to welcome him."Marlie, Marlie, your son is back." Vien's husky voice came out of the mansion as Evan walked in."Evan, my son," Marlie exclaimed. Evan's expression gave away his sour mood, a fact noticed first by Vien but not by his mother."Son, how are you feeling? What happened
Upon releasing her hands, he gently cradled her face and locked eyes with her."It appears that we have located her," Chad stated.Marlie was shocked at this revelation. She had waited for this day to come but she wasn't expecting this news all of a sudden. "H...h...how?...when.... how did this happen all of a sudden?" she managed to stammer."I chose to confirm it as a surprise, to spare you from any further distress. It was necessary to verify if she was truly our Evelyn.""And now...?" Marlie inquired.Chad nodded. "Indeed, she is. The DNA results are a match. We have finally found her."Tears of joy streamed down Marlie's face, her emotions overflowing. Vien, too, couldn't contain her happiness and shed tears of joy. After the mourning days, there is light for them to rejoice. Marlie fell into the embrace of Chad in tears."Hush, now... you can finally let go of the tears," he comforted while rubbing her back."I always believed my little princess was alive. I just knew it," Marl
"Evan, my dear son," Her words interrupted Evan's movements. "What would you say if your dear sister were here with us today?"A hush fell over the room. All eyes were fixed on Evan, even the servants' eyes were on him. Everyone eagerly awaited his response.Evan calmly set down his utensils, taking his time to process the question. A smirk curled at the corners of his mouth."Who? The dead one? Has she suddenly come back to life?"The tension in the room was palpable. Vein and Marlie had stopped eating, but Chad continued to devour his food."Ahh, You went through yet another pointless test, didn't you? Or perhaps... you found your beloved child... mother." Evan's eyes blazed with anger, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice."Evan..." Vien spoke, her voice filled with caution.Evan let out a cold, sardonic laugh that sent shivers through the room. Chad tried his best to focus on his food, but his grip on his cutlery tightened. Evan then turned to his father, as if the next words were