MEMORIES

"I can't believe this. W-what's all this Michael? What have you done to me? What's that, that I lack and you've found it in her. Tell me Michael...I need to hear it from you. Tell me that all this is a lie. Tell me that you love me so much that you can't marry someone else."she was crying like a kid.

"Why are you not saying anything dear. I know you're innocent in all this, it's only that this woman here..... I can't believe she influenced you into doing this. You can't leave me like this love."this time she was on her knees but Michael wasn't saying anything.

"Hey... how dare you take my husband away from me. You shameless woman, how can you not see that he already has a family? He's a husband and a father to someone. How did you convince him that he fell for your trap. I can't believe he agreed to abandon all his responsibilities as both a father and husband just for you. What magic did you use, you mistress."she was yelling at his wife. He could've tolerated everything but this time it was about his wife. " How dare you call my wife a mistress! How could you Marina. Why can't you understand that I'm happy with her and not with you. Asherah isn't at fault here because if there's someone to blame, it's me. I'm the one who asked for her hand in marriage and it's not her fault that she agreed.

She isn't selfish like you. Do you even know why, she almost took down my proposal when I told her I have a family."

"Innocent my foot! What made her change her mind then. Did you get rid of your family?"she was talking in that challenging tone.

"You won't understand. Only selfish people like you think that others are selfish like them too. Only I know how nice my Asherah is. She's an angel in disguise.

The sweet lady accepted to marry me on conditions and here, you're calling her selfish. I'm warning you Marina, don't drag her into this matter. It's between us, you and I. And I'm sure you know why I did this, don't you? Do you need me to remind you. I think it would be better if you just let us be."

"It's like you've forgot what I'm capable of doing. I didn't want to be bad but since you've decided to be on my bad side, prepare yourself for what's coming your way. I guess I've warned you in advance. The rest is up to you to decide."

Wait! Was she threatening them or what? Who even knows after all she was a witch.

Michael didn't take Marina's threats serious but Asherah did. She was scared for her life and their unborn child, maybe she needed to beg her to take her husband away and spare her and the baby. Sometimes love means letting go especially for the happiness and well being of your loved ones.

It's obvious that Asherah was in deep love with Rodrigo but what would've been a point if she decided to stay with him and maybe lost him in the process just due to her selfishness.

"Hey madam. You really don't need to do anything harmful to anyone. I admit it's my fault that I fell in love with your husband when I shouldn't have and I'm sorry for that. Rodrigo isn't to blame like you said earlier, I indeed influenced him into marrying me. I promise you that he's innocent so please take him back home. You also need to make sure that I don't ever see his face again."

Only God knew how she was bleeding inside as she said those words. It felt like she was breaking all tie with the man she loved more than anything.

If was Rodrigo's fault. He shouldn't have told Asherah anything about Marina. Now Asherah knew exactly who Marina was. She knew what she could do if she wanted to, so provoking her to that extent was something she didn't want to see it happen.

"I must say you're a very lucky woman that I'm sparing you after snatching my husband away. Count yourself lucky... Anyways thanks for giving him back to me. I promise he would forget all about you soon. You don't have to worry about him now because his legal wife is going to take good care of him. All between the two of you ends today.

Never ever think of coming anywhere near my family or my husband otherwise the consequences would be tough for you."she warned her.

"I promise."Asherah said before she ran inside to cry her pain out.

Rodrigo who was shocked by Asherah's decision that she just took out of the blue, felt like following her inside. He knew it was so difficult for her to make such a decision.

Before he could go inside, Marina grabbed his hand.

"Don't make it even worse for her. Refusing to go with me after her sacrifice would be like inviting death to her way. You know it's been long since I devoured someone so don't try my today Michael."she then let go of his hand, giving him a chance to decide.

All Marina wanted was for him to make a mistake and step inside the house and all would be over for his human wife.

Thank God Rodrigo decided right. He knew he heartless Marina was so killing Asherah in just a second was like a game to her.

"Let's go home now."he said which sounded like a joke in Marina's ears.

Feeling seemingly happy Marina took her husband back home.

Every day Michael would try hard to suppress his feelings for Asherah but it was like impossible because the more he tried to forget her, the more he missed her.

The situation was like that for some good months till his love for her managed to defeat his fear. It was too much to control any longer.

Without informing Marina, Michael drove straight to Asherah's house.

Asherah was cleaning her baby, since she was the one with that melodious voice, she was singing some good songs for the baby when she heard like a car parking outside. She wasn't expecting anyone.

She felt like checking before she realized that there was no way she could leave the baby alone in the bathtub.

She had started dressing her daughter when she felt someone breathing behind her.

She was left in surprised when she saw who it was, - Her long gone husband, Rodrigo.

"You! What are you doing here?"she said coldly.

"Shuhhh. Don't ask me something like that. How are you my love. I missed you."Michael said ignoring her questions.

"Love? Don't you feel ashamed Michael. Is this how you understand love, is it?"she was overwhelmed by her anger.

"I know you're angry with me. I can feel that you're hurt but what could I have done when you agreed so easily to do as per Marina's wish. I wanted to say no to her because I had thought of taking you so far away from here, to a place where she could never have found us but then, you got so scared and ruined everything. I don't blame you though, it's all my fault. We should've left before she could even know about us."

Although Asherah was still angry with him, watching him cry like that wasn't her cup of tea. "Calm down dear. I guess we were destined to separate. Stop crying please."

"This baby here.... Is she my da.. daughter?"

"What do you think! Of course she's ours, but unfortunately destiny hasn't been fair to her."

"I'm very sorry my child. Your father was so helpless that he chose to abandon your mother just to keep the two of you safe and alive. I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive me child."he was talking to her like he was talking to an oldie. It felt so good to hold her in his arms.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were pregnant Asherah. I could've stayed with you no matter what. Seriously I didn't know that you had conceived."he was giving her a questioning look that made her stutter, "I.....I... just.."

"Stammering, aren't you?"

"No, honestly not. Actually I wanted to surprise you that very day with the news about my pregnancy but then your fierce wife stepped in before I could and ruined everything. You remember I promised her that I would never see you or ever talk to you again, that's why. I knew I had to handle it alone afterwards."her eyes were tearing up.

"Damn you! I can't imagine how you must have felt or gone through while staying here all alone when you were already a casualty yourself.

I'm a bad person... I failed to fulfill my responsibilities as both a father and husband.

I can't imagine what you always did whenever you experienced mood swings - I had that women feel like scolding their husbands for no reason during a certain stage of the pregnancy. That they always claim that the baby wants that."he chuckled.

He was able to bring back a smile on Asherah's face.

It was on that day when Rodrigo vowed to give Asherah and the baby respect and love they deserved.

He could spend a week at Marina's house and one at Asherah's house.

He did that for six years and now....

"Why did you do this Marina? Why.... How could you betray me like this!"he was crying, feeling like he had been dripped in the pool of pain.

All those memories were making it worse for him. The pain he was feeling was too much to bare.

He was sure that all was over for his wife, Asherah but he still had hope that his daughter Araxie, could still be alive in that pit.

Feeling seemingly furious Rodrigo stood up from the ground before he spoke, "let's go madam."

The dumb lady knew that Michael wasn't thinking right at the moment provided the situation he was in.

She knew he was planning to take her straight to his house yet she wasn't ready for that. She didn't want Marina to ever find out about her at all.

With a soft touch on his shoulder, the lady struggled again to tell him something. He could understand that she meant she wasn't going anywhere with him.

It was then when he got in the car and drove off, leaving the lady around the pit.

on reaching home, he started shouting out for Marina. With just a quick look at him, Marina thought that maybe he had met with an incident or what.

She never thought he would ever find out what happened with Asherah and how it happened.

That was out of her mind.

"What happened love? Did your car crash down? What happened to your eyes, they're so ref and teary. It looks like you've been crying. What happened?"she was asking just like a caring wife little did she know that Rodrigo was burning with anger inside.

He had no time to answer her stupid questions.

He was on a mission to save his daughter at any cost.

Without saying a word to Marina, he entered the house and brought Casey with him.

She was nine old by then.