"I will hunt you down, and I won't stop until I have your head in my palms."
Adrian Vernon screamed at me through the glass partition in the prison; his voice boomed through the telephone like a crack of thunder, and I could swear I almost developed an ear defect. His broken voice pierced right into my poor soul.
The man who once told me he loved me and would whisper sweet things into my ears, who once made my little heart skip a beat, now hurled awful words that cut deep like a knife.
"Elena, you are nothing but a monster."
These last words finally shattered me into pieces. How can love turn into something this bitter, with lovers becoming haters? His eyes flashed red, rage engulfing him like flames.
I had spent a year with him and I'd never seen such a side of him.
Adrian never shouted or raised his voice at me, but today he did. We were once in love, I remembered the first day we met him in high school when I was bullied for being the daughter of a prostitute who had her way with an elite man who was my father, but he abandoned both my mother and I.
He was an orphan but he stood by me protecting me every single day. He was the perfect man every lady would wish for.
I clutched my school uniform, my voice barely above a whisper through the telephone.
"I hope you will forgive me."
I had betrayed the only person who had ever cared about me, who loved me and would die for me; I was behind his imprisonment. I recalled when I was at the court for his trial, the prosecutor's words still echoing in my ears.
"Do you swear today that you will tell the whole truth during this trial?"
"Yes, I do," I replied with a deep, strong breath.
I turned around to see the gaze of Adrian, but I could only see disappointment and disgust.
"What did you see or hear on the night of the incident, the murder of Mr. David Pepero?"
"I saw the defendant, Adrian Vernon, standing over Mr. Pepero's body with a bloody knife in his hands."
The whole courtroom was filled with gasps and murmurs. I held my breath; my heart raced fast.
I had framed him for murder and he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
You may call me a monster, but my monstrosity was built for a reason.
I knew for sure our love had died, and I had accepted my fate.
My world crumbled as I walked out of the prison. The fresh breeze blew strongly at me, but I couldn't even enjoy it; my heart was still heavy, and I just wanted a quiet place to cry.
A black Range Rover parked smoothly behind me, and I saw men in suits open the door for an elite woman. What is wrong with all these elites making an unnecessary entrance? The woman stepped out of her car, and her red heels clicked on the bricks. She came closer to me.
"You did great, child," she encouraged me. "I already wired the balance to your account and gave you more tips. Your job was flawless." she hailed me.
"Promise me he will never come for me." I requested it immediately.
Adrian's words were hurtful and a threat. I just couldn't get the thought off my mind. What if he meant every single thing he said he would do to me?
"Promise? He won't harm you or your mother. He will rot in jail." The woman replied and laughed hysterically.
"Get in!"
I entered the car glancing back at the prison. My heart still yearned for him but I knew it was better to let go now. I would never get his forgiveness. Our love story was closed forever, and no one can ever open it.
I LOVE YOU, ADRIAN, I said to myself.
The car sped off, and before I knew it, we arrived at the hospital where my mother was being treated. I ran to the ICU to check on her. I saw her weak and tired face, I knew I had to do everything in my power to save my mother's life.
I had sold everything I could sell to afford her treatment. We didn't even have a house, and as a minor, it was even worse for me to endure. My mother's sickness would get worse day by day, and no matter the treatment, she would recover a day then relapse days after. It was horrific.
I couldn't even go to school. I had to drop out so I could focus on my mother's health.
I held her hands; they were warm as usual, and my tears dropped into her hands. I heard her speak.
"Why are you crying?" my mother asked softly trying to sit upright on the bed. I helped her, and I realized she was staring into my ocean eyes.
"Who hurt you, Elena?" she asked.
I could not say a thing, but I smiled through the pain.
"Nothing, Mother," I replied quickly while holding her hands tightly.
"I got the money for treatment."
My mother's eyes widened in shock.
"The whole 1 million dollars?" She asked, her eyes still widened in shock.
I nodded trying to assure her.
"Yes, a kind man lent us the money, when I go back to school, go to college, and start working either part-time or full-time, I will be able to pay it back."
I replied with a huge fake smile, not wanting to remember what I did to get such a huge amount.
My mother could tell I must have done something illegal to get such an amount, but she said nothing and gave me a tight hug.
"You must have gone through a lot because of me. I am so sorry I couldn't be a healthy mother, but instead I gave all the burdens to my little girl." She cried softly.
I couldn't hold back the tears; they streamed down my face like a river.
I deposited the whole 1 million dollars Mrs. Pepero had paid me for my job so my mother's treatment could proceed, this time around with no relapses. My heart still felt heavy. I would always remember Adrian every single second.
I loved him.
Days passed by, my mother started receiving treatment. I could see a few changes and improvements in her health. I was joyful, finally my mother would live to see another day without her being glued to the bed.
Nightfall, I tried to sleep, but sleep wasn't so easy for me; I would sweat every night and have the most hideous nightmare. The one I remember vividly was when Adrian chased me with a knife in the nightmare. I tried my best to hide, but he caught me, and I was stabbed thirty times.
Jokes apart, I remember each stab; the number was correct, the nightmare was horrific. I wasn't prepared for the horror I was about to face at the hospital.
I was beside my mother. I noticed her bed shook violently.
I turned my gaze towards her and saw her vomiting blood continuously; I was scared.
"Mother!!' I screamed and shouted for help.
Doctors and nurses from various angles came close to the scene. All effort was made to save her.
What could be wrong? I thought.
My mom was losing her breath. I saw the monitor beeping slowly, its number decreasing. Each second, the doctor tried to revive her.
"Charge." He screamed as he held onto the defibrillator.
All effort made to save her was futile, the machine finally beeped slowly, and I saw some numbers I am afraid to say, but you know what it meant.
I screamed, wailed, and cried. I was like a banshee, the crazy mythical creature who was believed to be a harbinger of death, it was often depicted as a wailing woman, and who could foretell the death of a family member.
You can call me that at that time, and I was sure everyone in the hospital heard me.
"Mother!!!!" I screamed and was out of breath, in deep pain. I finally realized she was gone.