NOTE: The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the authors. To the extent any real names of individuals, locations, or organizations are included in the book, they are used fictitiously and not intended to be taken otherwise.
"Elizabeth! Oh! Elizabeth! Why must you go in her place? Why did you use her car? Why? Can't you see how lonely I am now? I miss your smiles, your cheerful laughter, your frowns, your frustrations and your other expressions. Ouch! My heart is breaking in pieces again! This happens everytime I think of you, my Elizabeth!" He was lying on his bed with one of his hands covering his eyes. You can't really see any expressions on his face or in his eyes. He was like a robot having his monologue.
The man looked neat and handsome. He's rather young for his 40-year-old self, more like early thirties with his younger-looking face.
On his bedside table was a picture of him and two other women. One of the women was crossed with a marker but you can still see her smile with only the lips showing.
It was a picture of their college days, the happiest time and the saddest time of his life.
"You must have seen your daughter, right?" slowly, a sweet smile appeared on his lips and a glint of joy flashed across his eyes. "She has grown into a beautiful woman. She looks exactly like you when you were young. Beautiful and carefree! I shouldn't let anyone taint her like what happened to you!" he abruptly sat up on his bed and his joy turned into malice.
He started following Jillyanna when she was in middle school but he would just stand from a far, looking at the beautiful young girl. Sometimes, she would walk home by herself or with Cielo and Lucian.
One time, he approached Jillyanna. "Hello little girl. Do you remember me?" he asked Jillyanna who looked at him before shaking her head. "You forgot me already? That's fine." he smiled at her and rubbed the top of her head which made her flinch a bit.
"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing?" It was the little boy named Lucian. He was more of a brother to Jillyanna so he didn't put his guard on him.
Jillyanna ran and hid behind Lucian as if her knight came to save her. "Bro, he touched my head. I didn't think he is bad cause he looks familiar to me."
"Familiar? Is he one of your stinking relatives?" Lucian asked in anger but his gaze never left from the man in front of him. He knew that Jillyanna wasn't loved by her relatives - just her money.
"I don't know. I might be mistaken." Jillyanna's soft and small voice came from behind him. Lucian was even looking more fierce than ever while watching the man cautiously.
Suddenly, the man in front of him chuckled faintly. "You don't have to be so ferocious. I am not a bad person. You can call a police if you want."
This statement made Lucian lower his defense. A criminal won't ask for a police so definitely, the man in front of him wasn't a bad person.
"Just stop approaching our little Yanna. I will call a police next time." Lucian said before leaving, holding Jillyanna closed to him to protect her. They still have to wait for the other girl named Cielo.
"Oh my! What a soft hair she got. It feels just like yours whenever I got to touch it during our hugs." the man whispered while his eyes followed the back of a little girl.
After so many years, he witnessed how beautiful Jillyanna grew up and over the years, his love and care for her increased.
When she left the country after graduating, he was devastated. The woman she protected in the shadows left without knowing him.
"My Elizabeth, why did you leave me again? Will you be coming back? I want to hug you just like in the past. Oh! Elizabeth! My Elizabeth! Stop breaking my heart!" His cries echoed through the whole house. The sound could make anyone feel pity for him. Soon, his cries turn to maniacal laughters. Then, he kissed the photo of a woman, from the younger version to the current one.
"You belong to me, body and soul!" It took him almost half an hour to kiss a dozen of stacked photos. "Your lips must be sweet. How wonderful!" He licked his lips and put down the last picture before taking a different picture. It was a bigger size of the ones on his bedside table.
He stabbed the woman on the left side with a kitchen knife that he kept under his pillow. "It was all your fault! I lost her because of you! It was all your fault! Your fault! You bitch! Just die!" He stabbed it more than ten times when realization hit her. "Oh, you died already. Did you feel guilty and just resort to suicide? You should feel guilty!" He stabbed it twice more and threw it on the ground.
The mess inside his room was opposite to how the house and other parts of the house looked. It was the only place littered with so many pictures, broken frames, knives and ruined pillows.
The man stared at the wedding photo. It was him and Elizabeth having their wedding. Their smiles were contagious and anyone who would see it would smile, too.
The picture was placed on the wall facing his bed. It was a very large size, occupying half of the wall and on its side were smaller photos with different poses but same wedding theme.
"I will wait for you." he whispered with a faint smile.
Even though he knew that she left, he would always visit the house and check if she's home. Everyday, he would sit on a cobble stone few meters away from the house. He would only leave the place after half an hour.
This became a habit and he was never tired of doing it.
After a year of doing it, he was elated from so much happiness. The woman he was looking for was finally home.
He remembered the texture of her hair and the sweetness of her smile. "I want to hear her cry when she's under me. Ain't that exciting? Ahh, those eyes must only look at me. Elizabeth! My dear Elizabeth! Come and see me."
He was watching her from his car while she watered the plants on the garden. His hand moved faster and faster until hot and white stuff came out.
"Next time, I will come and get you."