The Sealed Fate

Chapter Eight

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WHEN I sit down on my bed, I catch a glimpse of the jacket Luis lent to me yesterday and a smile creeps on my face. Whenever I am looking at it, his face is registering inside my mind and yes, I admit that I look like a teenager having a secret crush.

Am I not one of those teenagers?

I shrug and stand up from my seat, walking toward the large window beside a table inside of our room. Dad's car isn't outside so I assume that he is not going home, that makes me feel nothing but relief.

And this means, he isn't going to sleep in the same room as me.

My eyes spot something shiny over the cabinet, wherein pictures of my mom, dad, and I stand. Walking onward, I grab that image of us and look at it more intently, then I see a strand of black string that is hidden behind it.

That's when I notice that it looks like the picture has bulge on the side. To my curiosity, I remove the cover of the frame and something falls from it, making a clanking sound on the ground.

I squint my eyes and kneel down, seeing a dark USB laying still. It looks like a keychain because the string is tied at the end of it, and based on its shape, it is hidden there for a long time and is there for a purpose.

When I get my father's laptop, I quickly insert the USB and explore its content. As I am scrolling down passing some files, something catches my attention.

MY BEAUTIFUL HELENA.

After reading the file's name, I click it without any hesitation. There is only one thing inside of it, and it's a video clip without a name. The beating of my heart starts to rush in an abnormal state as the curiosity I'm feeling increases in my head.

That's when I click it, only to regret what I did.

"When I tell you to do one thing, you'll do it, Helena," he says as the woman squeals with a trembling body underneath him.

She continues to shake her head as her cheeks become wet from the tears. Her face is unrecognizable because of the bruises on her face; the only thing that brightens on her is her frightened forest-like eyes.

"Please, stop hurting me already, Ken! My bruises hurt so bad!" She tries to crawl away, but he pushes her hard on the bed.

With his long fingers, he grips her broken jaw making her wince and yelp in pain. "I won't stop unless you tell me the fucking truth. I'm gonna ask you one more time, Helena. Is she really my daughter?" he hisses as his spits splatter on her wet face.

When she stays silent, he tightens his grip onto her aching jaw. "Fucking answer me!"

She lets out an obnoxious sob while her body shakes in fear. "She's not! I lied to you all these years, Ken!" She starts to bang on his chest in a hard way. "Stop on taking a video! You're insane!"

A strong slap collides on her cheek making her head to turn aside....

As I watch it, my vision becomes blurry because of my threatening tears. All the memories of her register inside my brain, and now, it all starts to make sense.

How could I forget?

I was there when it happened and I didn't do anything. I didn't protect her when she needed me the most because I was such a coward, until now.

With my shaky hands, I stop the video because it hurts so bad that I want to go right through the screen and punch his face. I want to have justice for my mother and I, to end all of this and to end his bullshit.

I unplug the USB and bring it inside my pocket, wiping the tears with the use of my backhand.

I love you, mom.

***

"OH, HEY! What makes you go in h-h-here, Luis?" I stop on watering the flower bed in front of our house as I stare at him with a slight smile.

He is holding a large plastic, but I can't take a glimpse at it because it's too big. And besides, it's not my business to know what's inside of it.

"Just tried to visit you since I really missed you." He scratches his nape and winces in embarrassment.

My smile never disappeared, but it is changing into a jittering one when I notice something. "H-H-How did you know where I l-lived?"

His jolly face dissolves and replaces it into something I cannot read. "Oh, uh . . . Lily told me about it."

I am about to suspect him, but he has an alibi and I really gave my address to Lily only since dad don't like boys in the house.

I beam at him, removing my nervous face. "O-O-Okay, if you say so."

He looks down on his wristwatch then turns to me with a sheepish grin. "Gotta go. I need to fix something up."

"What's that?"

He raises the plastic bag a bit and shrugs. "I'm making a bed, actually."

It opens a little that makes me peek at it with narrowing eyes. There is something shiny inside, more like a metal thing and chains. He brings it down and gives me a nod, indicating that he will walk now.

"Okay, b-bye, Luis," I say while gripping the sprinkler so tight.

"Bye, Helena!" He starts to step away from me, causing me to let out the heavy breath I am holding for too long.

Sometimes, Luis is acting so strange and weird but then, he is too nice and gentle toward me.

But . . .

Even the nicest person has bad sides.

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Vote and comment my adorable readers!

-Faller❤