8/9
THE v!rg!nWIDOW.😱
A Night That Never Pas-sed.
EPISODE 8.
DAMAGED…..AND IN THE RUTHLESS ARMS OF THE MEMORIES.
Astera’s P.O.V.
We ate lunch inside town. As usual I ignored the judging stares of the town people.
I wonder what they will be saying now?
Maybe they’ll think I’ve used voodoo or some magic portion on Stefan to make him hang out with me.
I started laughing at the thought.
“What is it?” Stefan asked when I suddenly started laughing in the middle of eating.
“Oh, it’s nothing.” I as-sured him, “Just something that crossed my mind.”
He smiled too and nodded. We went back to eating in a comfortable silence.
It was almost dark before we finished eating. Stefan and I headed back to the car and together, we went to his business p@rtner’s so Stefan can hand over the files to him.
We were back in the car when I remembered what I’ve always wanted to do whenever I come back to this side of town.
“Can we drive over to my matrimonial house?” I turned to ask Stefan, staring at his manly hands as he controlled the wheel of the car.
“Oh….you forgot something?” He asked me.
“Yes but I won’t be long. I won’t take much time.” I reas-sured him with a smile.
He nodded as he maneuvered the steering to to route that leads to my house of horror.
Stefan doesn’t nee-d to know that I want to get my box of ribbons. The ribbons he used to give me when we were d@t!ngthree years ago.
My hair has always been unruly and I tie those ribbons to hold them together. That’s why Stefan always buy them for me and I always end up saving it.
ma-king him buy more and more.
I don’t want him to know that I still have them after all these years.
We drove for a little while before we finally entered the familiar driveway, and in no time we were pu-lling into the familiar compound.
I told him that I won’t take much time as I opened the door of the car and hurried to the front door of my former home.
I unlocked it and entered, going straight upstairs, I blocked off the memories that threatened to overwhelmed me.
I entered to the master be-droom that used to be mine and Daniel’s, I walked straight to the cabinet and snatched my box of ribbons.
I made the mistake of look around and memories as-sailed me. I staggered at my feet as it flooded throu-gh me.
The beating. The screams. The roaring. The taunting.
I raised trembling hands to cover my ears and my feet wo-bbled. Whimpers to-re from my mouth…pitiful whimpers that filled the air.
I don’t know how much time pas-sed as the painful memories as-saulted me. It might as well be forever.
My cellphone rang out. It jo-lted me back to reality. It’s Stefan.
I wiped the tears I don’t even know when I shed before I fisted the box, pushing it to my heart as comfort.
I turned and ran out of the Room of Nightmares. I made my way downstairs and out of the house, trying to regain my composure during the long walk that leads to the door.
I managed that quite well. But as I opened the door, a man stood out there beside Stefan, ma-king small talks with him.
It’s a man I know.
It’s a man I never wanted to ever see again.
My ha-rd earned composure shattered again as I stared at Donovan’s face.
💖💖💖💖
Stefan’s P.O.V.
Astera took a lot of time inside that I bec@m£ worried and called her. Night has fallen alre-ady and it’s still a long drive to her house.
I was still waiting for her when a man c@m£ around and introduced himself as Donovan. He said he is the friend of the family…especially Daniel, when he was alive.
The man lost his friend, Daniel, apparently and I sympathized with him.
He said he noticed the light in the house and hoped that it’s Daniel’s widow. He said he had something to talk with her about.
Just then, Astera had opened the door and c@m£ out. Just one glance at the man and she looked like she has come face to face with Death.
“What is he doing here!” She screamed, “Get out!”
“Astera…” Donovan called to her, his voice pleading.
“Out!” She screamed, “Get the hell away from me” she turned to me blindly, “Chase him out, Stef! plea-se!”
Her cries sprang me into action, adrenaline surging throu-gh me.
I held the man by the arm and practically dragged him out of the gate even though the man was shouting; “plea-se, I’m sorry! Just hear me out, Astera!”
But Astera kept screaming. The sounds tearing me ap@rt inside, I practically threw the man out of the gate and closed it, ramming in the deadbolt.
For a moment, there was silence that naturally follows the end of such noise.
Then, Astera’s cries. I walked back to her and there she sat at the ground in front of the door.
She was shivering mas-sively as she whimpered like a child facing a hell lot of demons.
It begged a lot of questions.
What the hell just happened?
Who is Donovan?
Why is Astera reacting to him like that?
Hell, what the fv¢k just happened just now?
THE v!rg!nWIDOW.😱
{A Night That Never Pas-sed}
EPISODE 9. revea-ling.
Stefan’s P.O.V.
I held Astera and huddled her to the car. She isn’t saying anything and I didn’t expect her to say something either.
She sat stiffly beside me, shivering like she’s having a case of mas-sive cold.
I gave her all the time she nee-ded, driving out of her former house and into the streets.
It was a long drive and so many minutes later before she took a de-ep breath. “I’m sorry….about what just happened?” She whispered and she wasn’t even looking at me.
“What was all that about, Tera?” I kept my voice as soft as I can, to mask the confusion I was feeling.
She didn’t answer it. Instead she took me by surprise when she asked, “Can we go to your house tonight…plea-se? I-I don’t think I can stay alone—”
“Hey, it’s okay.” I st©pped her when I say that it’s becoming really ha-rd for her to speak. “Of course you can come home with me.”
💖Astera’s P.O.V💖
Whenever I remember the way I acted with Stefan, I can’t st©p the flush of embarras-sment that turns my cheeks ru-by.
Seeing Donovan again have left me disconcerted and so raw.
I know that Stefan probably has questions to ask but he isn’t asking them now and for that I’m happy.
We arrived at his house. I took in the big house that used to be so familiar to me before.
This house has been in their generation for years. An old house but well renovated and very beautiful. The house, even from outside, practically screams old money.
He showed me to my room. His housekeeper looked at me so condescendingly, her eyes judging and calculating.
But Stefan glared at her…a cold cutting glare that can cut glas-s and she apologized hastily and hurried out of sight
“The shower is in the other side. I’ll check on you when you’re done.” He said gently as he made his way out of ‘my’ room.
That must be another way to say, “We’ll talk later.” I decided with a little humor as I nodded and watched him walk out.
I didn’t sit down and dwell on my encounter with Donovan. Instead, I went to the bathroom and took a nice bath.
Afterwards, I put on the white long T-shi-t I found on my be-d when I c@m£ out of the bathroom.
The housekeeper must have brou-ght it in and it must be Stefan.
The T-shi-t covered me pretty well and it always c@m£ up to my knees, reminding me of my petite stature. I drew in de-ep breaths just to take in the lingering scents of Stefan on the T-shi-t.
I stood at the mirror and looked at myself. I don’t recognise the woman staring back at me.
My bad marriage changed everything about me except giving me a premature gray hair. de-ep lines emphasized my once happy face, giving it more of a matured look.
I look lost. Sad. Drained.
It’s high time I let it all out of my che-st, I decided. It’s high time I tell someone about it.
Stefan might have hurt me in the past, but he’s always been a good companion and a better listener. I will tell him.
♨️Stefan’s P.O.V.🧡
Astera and I ate dinner in comfortably silence. My housekeeper have retired to her small ap@rtment at the back of the big house for the evening, leaving only Astera and I.
After dinner, she got up and took the kitchen before she joined me at the living room.
“Who was the man we met at your late husband’s house and why did he upset you so much?” I asked her softly after she took the chair opposite the sofa.
She left quite, looking down at her hands as if contemplating how to answer that question.
The silence continued to lengthen and I began to get the impression that she wouldn’t answer.
“His name is Donovan.” She replied, taking me by surprise.
I kept quiet and allowed her to continue.
“He was friends with Daniel.” She focused her gaze on one p@rticular f!nger and started picking it. “Daniel he…he is not exactly a good man.”
The whispered words shocked me. “He isn’t?” I asked, my memory recalling a soft spoken good man.
She shooked her head. “No. My marriage to him was hell. He beats me all the damn time.”
“What!?” My voice c@m£ out disbelievingly.
“All the damn time. I was his personal punching bag. Daniel…he has…issues.” She swallowed as she spoke the words, “He took out his anger and frustration on me.”
Her eyes found me. “You don’t nee-d to believe me. I know the image Daniel portrayed to the world but I was married to him, I know him.” Then, she averted her eyes. “You can’t know about Donovan though, if you don’t know about my husband.”
Tbc