=DISCLAIMER=
©2021 NOT A SAINT written by JL Dane
All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental. PIRATING CONTENT IS ILLEGAL: If this content is captured and published, the offender can be traced and will face the full extent of the legal ramifications stated by the law.
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I FOUND my belongings packed and organized. I throw a look, checking what is missing.
“W-What is this?” I asked, confused.
My belongings or clothes are already outside the door next to the main door. I pulled back the two luggage bags putting them in my room. Looks like mommy put them in there and seems to want to kick me out speedily. I know how my mom loves the presence of Bellevera, but it doesn’t mean that she will almost brag about me to Bellevera. This is so unfair. I know life is unfair, but this isn’t how I wanted to be.
I locked the door, and it was up to mommy or Bellevera to fight tomorrow.
I forced myself to sleep even though I could still feel the pain in my lower back. Bellevera is indeed an evil one. He always did what he wanted, even when I didn’t want to. He always forces himself to me. No matter how many times I push him away, he always appears in front of me.
I changed the clothes I took from my luggage. It looks like mommy has no intention of leaving even a few pieces of my clothes here at home. I took a half bath and went to my bed. I closed my eyes; I don’t want to think for no. I’m going to leave early tomorrow.
From the alarm, I set it was a message who woke me up. I talked to the investigator that we should meet at six o’clock tomorrow morning. When I woke up at half-past four, I immediately prepared to leave. I need to meet him.
In the place where I got lost was what I said was the venue for our meeting. There is a part of me that is so excited about the result of the investigation—of the search.
It will only take one week he informed me that he could find a way to find the person I was looking for when I checked my phone before going to mommy’s house. He had an immediate response. He even sent me a photo. That was exactly what I was looking for. She was the exact one I bumped into at that moment.
I can say he’s good. He was indeed a good investigator.
Since any establishment was still closed, we talked about meeting in a parking lot. I even gave him my mom’s car’s plate number, so he can find me that easily.
A few moments later, there was a knock on the car window. I immediately glared at the investigator’s face. He was wearing a cap and his face mask was covering his nose and mouth. He lifted it when I opened the lock of the car and let him inside the car. I am wearing my shades and I put on a face mask, too. I don’t want to see my identity. I even used a fake identity just to make sure there was no evidence that I did it. The sim card I used, I will go to get rid of it after this.
When he got in the car, he immediately handed me a brown envelope.
“It has everything you need about what you are looking for. I am glad that I know her from the area you mention, so it was easy for me to find her.” I smiled behind my face mask. He did a great job!
“Great job!” I accepted the envelope and opened its contents. A two-by-two picture of her exposed from her document that looked like the investigator had taken from a company just to get a photo and a personal curriculum vitae. He gave me a five-page and I keep it back before handing over the money inside the envelope.
I withdraw the money the other day before Bellevera could find me.
He demanded only one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in compensation.
“I give additional payment when I confirmed the photo you showed me was based on the person I was looking for.” I put an additional twenty-five thousand in because of the cleanliness of his work. “Just make sure we are the only ones who know. Otherwise, I can hunt you down.”
“Yes, boss! After my work, I will disappear like bubbles. Only if you still want to have the next job and I am still willing to accept another job from you.”
I shook my head. “For now, this will be the last one. I will see and check it.”
“Thank you for the money. I will make sure I work well again. I will always be careful, not to have any mistake and no cliffhanger,” he said and got out of the car. That’s based on his profile, that’s the tagline.
He looks okay to work with, but I still don’t trust him this much. That was probably my first and last working with him. I’m not used to finding people and I’ll admit it’s only now that I’m interested in finding and getting to know this one. But in the person's look, I was looking for, I immediately had an interest in the documents I have.
My heart jumped when I saw her. I have something in myself that I want to get to know her better and make help. Not because I wanted to take advantage, but I wanted to know why she did that kind of work. I also want to know if she can accept a job from me if I give her a decent job than robbing.
I PASS BY to a restaurant for breakfast and then went straight to the vulcanizing shop where my car was. I will check if I can use my car. Since Bellevera damages it before, it’s only right that he will do the fixing. And at least I can have a reason if mom or Bellevera looks for me.
I took a photo of the information in the paper when I got in the car and saved it in some app that even if I lose my phone and someone hacks, they can’t find it. I read the contents of that document a few more times as if I had memorized all the information.
I found out that her name is Karina Tumbaga, she’s twenty-five, and she’s only ahead of me only one year but her face looks younger than my face. She had a boyfriend but left when she was probably pregnant. That was more than a year ago. And because of that, he has never into a good relationship. Karina’s mother has a tumor in her heart and maintains a medication, while she supported her two other siblings in her studies. Karina only finished high school. Changed jobs as a server or sometimes a cleaner. Until she lost her job a year ago.
“Indeed, Karina needs a job. I will give her a job she won’t refuse.”
I smiled at the thought of that. I only imagine and I feel like I’m getting in heat from my seat. I need to prepare the house a rest house in Albay where we can be alone and have a great time together. But maybe for now I will look for a place or province rather that is relatively out of the city.
Instead of wasting my time coming home, I just took a trip to Cavite, driving long hours. It takes around three hours to travel after using shortcuts. There, I immediately noticed houses that looked vacant. Until I pass through a private subdivision.
I rolled down the car window when I met the guard. “Excuse me.”
“Yes ma’am. What do we have?” he asked me politely.
“Do you know a renting house or rest house inside? Any vacation house?”
“Yes ma’am. There was inside. Just inquire there.”
“Thanks.” I raised the window up. Security is not very strict, but next time, I will advise them to tighten the security, especially if Bellevera follows me here.
When I finish this, I will let mommy know that I will fix the rest house in Albay so that I can stay there for a few months. Maybe after my project is done. I still need one week to prepare for that.
Aboard the car, I walk around the area until my eyes hit a placard outside the gate. It looks like offering a rest house. The house is large and opposite the clubhouse. I didn’t want to be noisy, so I skipped that. Until I got to the end. Quite close to the forest which has not been very renovated. It looks like a remote area that seems to be the end of the subdivision. I noticed many more houses that had not been touched and were obviously just new to the subdivision. So, maybe security isn’t tight because of the housework. There is only a division of tall barbed-wire fences. But anyone can get in there on the other side and the other end looks beautiful. Tall grassed and like a forest in the city. I like the forest. I love to explore forest-like adventures.
My mind kept working that there might be waterfalls there that might be close to possible. And it looks fun over there. I turned my mind and focused on the house, which was not big but beautiful on the outside and looked like it could be turned into a vacation home, even temporarily. If I like it, I can buy land and build a house here.
I end up dialing the number that flashes in that placard hanging from the gate outside of that house.
Immediately, someone answered my call.
“May I know how much would be the price of staying in your house? I am outside right now.”
“Yes. All right, I’ll come out to let you see inside the house.” The woman replied.
Moments later, she disappeared into the line. Until a woman came out of the gate. Her hair was short with plump, white, and curly. I think her height will only reach up to my shoulder’s height.
I locked the car and turned off the phone, walking to meet her.