Curse or not

The next day, Jessa went to the police station since he was summoned by the inspector for investigative purpose.

Inspector Regis from the suicide division is investigating the death of Carl David de Leon, Jessa Pearl Fuentes's last boyfriend. He knows there's foul play, but he can't find any leads. His prime suspect is Jessa, but he lacks solid evidence, so he keeps it to himself.

He decides to call Jessa to invite her for questioning, and she agrees.

"Do you know that there were no fingerprints of Carl on the rope?" Inspector Regis asks.

"I didn't know that," Jessa replies.

"How did you find out that Carl was dead? Where were you when you heard the news?" the inspector inquires.

"Carl's sister called me. I was still at school then," Jessa answers.

"What time was that?"

"Around 10:30 PM. I went to the hospital. It was around 10:15, I think," Jessa recalls.

"Why were you still at work? It was already late."

"I was filling in for Mrs. Garcia, who moved to Manila. I was promoted as the adviser, so I had a lot of work to finish," Jessa explains.

"I see..."

The inspector was about to ask more questions about their argument before Carl's suicide, but he paused when he saw Jessa's tears.

Jessa remembered how happy Carl was for her when she told him she became an adviser. She couldn't help but cry, and now she was sobbing uncontrollably.

Her brother, SP02 Carlos Fuentes, quickly came to her side.

"Inspector, excuse us, but I need to take my sister home. She won't be able to answer properly like this," Carlos says.

The inspector nods as Jessa walks away. He was so deeply intrigue by this crime. The more he think of it, the more interested he becomes. He almost vulontarilly investigate this inccedent that moment he knew all about Jessa's lovers commiting suicide.

Mrs. de Leon left the room after her conversation with Jessa, and Jessa was now facing Inspector Regis for questioning.

"Is there really no problem with your son?" the inspector asked.

"No, that's why I'm not convinced that he committed suicide," Mrs. de Leon replied.

"Did he have any enemies or people who might have been jealous of him?" the inspector inquired.

"None," Mrs. de Leon answered succinctly.

Inspector Regis pondered deeply. He wondered how it was possible that there were no fingerprints on the rope Carl used to hang himself. It reminded him of his first case three years ago involving Bogart Beltran.

Both cases were eerily similar, except for the method of suicide. Bogart had slit his wrists with a knife, while Carl had hanged himself with a rope. But in both cases, there were no fingerprints on the materials they used to end their lives.

"Do you have any more questions, sir?" Mrs. de Leon asked.

"The progress of my investigation is a bit strange," the inspector replied. Though it was not his intention to say that he thinks that was the right word for it.

"What do you mean?" Mrs. de Leon was taken aback.

Inspector Regis excused himself from Mrs. de Leon and left the room. He did not say anything about what he had found out else he will alert his prime suspect. Though he is still wondering why Jessa did not escape if she really did it to those men who loves him.

His action makes Mrs. De Leon's expression becomes vivid.

The inspector knocked his head off saying to himself that it shoul'nt be the case as his thought was still lock on that suicide case. He just couldn't understand how they manage to commit suicide without touching the hook or the knife. Something is wrong about this. He always thought that another person is involved here and they are murdered.

After leaving the police department, Jessa went all the way to visit Carl's wake. It was already late afternoon.

Jessa spoke with Carl's mother. She apologized for coming between their relationship and blocking them. She had initially hindered their relationship because she discovered that Jessa's boyfriends were dying. But now, she realized that she truly loved her son when she saw him grieving. Mrs. de Leon blamed herself for their relationship issues thinking it was all because of her that leads his son into commiting suicide.

Those days, she always warned his son beliving Jessa is bringing bad luck the moment she found out the deaths of her former lovers. She always told her son to breaks up with her before it is too late but Carl loves Jessa so much that he did not listen to his mother.

"Why are you not listening to me!"Carl's mom yelled at him.

"I already explained several times already but you don't want to listen" he answered.

"Because I don't need your explanation, I told you already to break up with her but now you are telling me you are going to marry that bicth!"

Mrs. De Leon was loud so almost all her neighbors could hear them.

"Do you really not know about that girl's boyfriend? You know what happened to them?" Asked his mom.

"I know it, you don't have to tell me" Carl answered.

"You fool" The mom sighed then she continue to speak.

"You know it, yet you say you are going to marry him. Are you stupid?"

Carl replied, "Be stupid if you say, but nothing is going to change my mind now. I am still going to marry her."

"No, you can't. You will die if you do that." Mom warned.

"I am not afraid of dying so you don't have to worry I won't even kill myself." Carl replied jokingly.

"Stupid fool, that bitch is curse how can you avoid that?" His mom asked.

"I think if I marry her infront of the altar, her curse will be broken by me" Carl replied.

"You don't really understand your situation,

"I shouldn't have come between you and Carl. Maybe he took his own life because of what I did," Mrs. De Leon said.

"Don't blame yourself. It's already happened," Jessa replied.

"Do you really know what's going on?" Mrs. de Leon asked.

"What is going on? Of course I know. I am going to marry the most beautiful woman in town second to my mom" Carl said that makes her mother smile for a while it also makes her calm.

Jessa was surprised and worried by Mrs. de Leon's question.

"Why do all your boyfriends end up dead or committing suicide?" Carl's mother asked again.

"I can explain the deaths of the first two boyfriends, but the recent ones, I don't know. I don't understand why they took their own lives. There were no problems between Bogart and me, and the same with Carl," Jessa explained.

"Could there be a curse? Maybe someone cursed you, and that's why this keeps happening," Mrs. de Leon inquired.

Soon Mrs, De Leon' s senses was back to her present. She was still in the front of the casket of her son. Tears kept falling as she remembers those events.

Someone tap his shoulders to comfort her. That was actually Jessa who was still beside her.

"Are you being curse?" Mrs. De Leon suddenly asked Jessa and everybody at he wake hear her but she don't mind.

Jessa felt ashamed because she become the center of attraction right now and all eyes and all ears are on her. Everyone is waiting for her answer. She thought that Carl's mom was seriously apologizing her but as of now it turns out the other way.

"What the hell are you looking at her?" Mrs. De Leon shouted at the wake. The people's gazes suddenly left on Jessa.

"Now answer me, Are you being curse? Do you know the reason why the faith of all your lovers are death?" Mrs, de Leon asked again but it was now calm and gentle.

"I don't know. I really don't understand. I'm so confused," Jessa replied.

"It might be best if you come with me to a spiritualist I know. Let's visit her this Saturday. It's for your own good. Maybe we can break whatever curse is affecting you, so your next boyfriend won't end up like the others," Mrs. de Leon suggested.

"I don't believe in curses and I don't believe I'm being curse" Jessa reacted.

"It's ok we will just try and see. All you need to do is just come with me. If you are being curse, the spiritist will help you get rid of your curse so that you can live a happy life and no more deaths to you love ones will occur.

"But aunt, I don't have a curse like what you believe." Jessa answered.

"I don't believe either but I want to erase all my doubts. You know many times I told my son to break up with you after knowing you have such creepy background but he didn't do it. Now that I have known you, I can already understand why my son loves you so much." She explained.

Then she hug Jessa and Jessa hug her too. It was really a scenery at the wake infront of Carl's casket.

Then Mrs, De Leon' speak " I won't force you to believe me, but if in case you change your mind you can just come to me or call me anytime. I really want to help you this time."

Then, Mrs de Leon gave Jessa her call card.