So I wanted to portray Catalina's naivety before moving forward. Next chapter we'll be doing a time jump. Whatever you're thinking, it's going to be much worse 😜
Seven years later My fingers ghost over the tubes and I settle on the darkest one. Picking it up, I swipe it over my lips then smack them together to spread the color evenly. Whoever invented red lipstick deserves all the money in this world. It's my favorite. Always has been but when someone said it made me look like my lips were stained with blood, I loved it even more. Throwing it back on the counter of the vanity table, I run my hands over my body. The black figure-hugging dress I'm wearing highlights my curves. It ends right under my ass and paired with the red stilettos makes my legs look longer. "What do you think?" I ask the man standing behind me. "It suits you" "We need to improve your vocabulary, Salazar. Beautiful, pretty, sexy, hot, devilish. Feel free to use any of those words" "We should leave" "Why? It's not like they can start without me" "If we don't leave early, you'll have to wait until next year to kill Ramon" Well, that is one way
"It's just procedure ma'am. After they leave, you won't hear anything about it again" "I don't pay you just so I could go through procedures" I slam the phone down, my blood boiling "He's not getting paid this month" "Calm down..." "Why should I when the fucking police are in my house? Did you find the person who posted that photo? I will carve out their intestines and feed them to Bruno" "They're not leaving until they speak to you" "Go and scare them away or threaten them. I don't care. Just make them leave" "Ma'am!' "WHAT?" "They won't arrest you. They're only here to talk. Answer a few of their questions then I'll make them leave" "I'm not... I'm not scared" "Let's go" Salazar walks out, forcing me to follow him. I hate how indifferent he is. As if nothing scares him. Not that I'm afraid of the police. Seeing them just pisses me off. But I guess it's better they're here instead of asking me to go to the station. Two men are sitting in the living room, each with a cup of c
Being here feels unreal. Nothing has changed but at the same time, everything looks different. To me, it's only been a few months since I left but to the world, it's been seven years. The house looks the same. The furniture, decor, the men outside, it's all just as I left it. Except the owner has changed. The news of Uncle Fan's passing wasn't as shocking as finding out who had taken over from him. I'm curious as to how things turned out this way. The investigator I sent couldn't find out much. According to him, no one dares to speak about La Diabla without her permission. She has everyone on a tight leash which is impressive and concerning at the same time. After all, she is a woman. The fact that she got to where she is now means I shouldn't underestimate her but I'm curious as to how she accomplished all this. I also want to know how Uncle Fan died. Was he sick? According to Nina, he only visited once and never came back. She said he was trying to have a baby with his wife but I c
The look on his face is priceless. I wish I could capture it on my phone and look at it whenever I'm down. I'd pay to know what he's thinking. Did he expect me to be some old ugly bitch or what? Leaning closer, I take a peek at his phone screen to see what he's staring at. It's the photo of me covered in blood. I'm still pissed that Salazar hasn't found the person who took it. But on the bright side, I'm trending again. My social media accounts have more followers which means there are more men falling at my feet. What else could I ask for? Folding my hands in front of me, I look at him shyly. A skill I have perfected and used many times to get what I want "It's edited" When he looks up confused, I add "The photo. It's edited. Salazar told me about AI and how it can generate photos that look real but of course, no one believes it because they all think I'm the devil" "Is that so?" "Yes" I sigh and then plaster a look of resignation on my face "You don't believe me either... It's fin
"Mama, papa, I'm home. And let me tell you that I am now a proud..." I screech to a halt, my eyes going to the three men in our living room. One is seated while the other two are standing. I wonder if they're Papa's friends because he never brings anyone around "Oh, we have visitors. Hi" "Run Catalina. Run" Andres yells from the other side of the room. I furrow my eyebrows, wondering what has gotten into him. "Quiet. Can't you see we have visitors?" Papa snaps. "Is she the one you were talking about?" One of the men asks turning to look at me. He gives me a once-over and then nods. As if he approves of what he's seeing "We'll see if the boss accepts her" "She's pure. Untouched" Papa rushes to say. For the first time, I notice that he is kneeling and Mama and Andres are standing in a corner, hurdled up together. These men don't look friendly at all and despite their size, they are too young to be Papa's friends. A feeling of foreboding creeps up my spine. Who are they
The car pulls up in front of a large gate guarded by several armed men. The driver nods to them and one of the guys speaks into a small radio. They're all big and look like they could crush me under their feet effortlessly. How will I be able to escape from this place? The wall surrounding the house is so tall. Not just that but these men have guns. What if I try to run and they shoot me? But I can't just sit still and wait for them to take my organs. I'd rather be dead when that happens. The car starts moving again, making me snap my eyes up. The gate opens up to the biggest and most beautiful mansion I've ever seen. My breath catches in my throat at the breathtaking sight. It looks like a castle and for a moment, I forget everything. Wondering what it would be like to live in such a house. To have money, nice clothes, and cars at my disposal. To have so many servants that I didn't have to lift a finger to do anything. I picture my life with Santi here. He always sa
"I can wash myself" "I didn't ask" Susana snaps and then continues scrubbing my skin with more force than necessary. Just when I thought Julio was going to slit my throat, the boss told him to have Susana wash me and put me in clean clothes. At the mention of a woman's name, I breathed a sigh of relief thinking she might be able to help me but I was wrong. Not only is she mean but she's also ugly. Mama told me that women should always help each other and never put each other down but I guess she was also wrong. Because if she had helped me, I wouldn't be standing in this fancy bathroom getting scrubbed by a fat, mean, ugly lady. When I tried to ask her for help, she slapped me and threatened to lock me in a room with a few men. She also called me a prostitute and has been mumbling about how no one respects her or they wouldn't make her do such things. But every time I ask her to stop, she scrubs harder. If my skin doesn't have bruises after this, I'll be luck
"When did you get back?" I stop, one of my eyebrows lifting in annoyance "What are you doing in my bedroom?" "I heard you were back. How is your asshole uncle?" "Still the same" I reply running a hand through my wet hair "Why do you expect him to be any different?" "Who knows? He might have discovered God or joined some cult that convinced him he should die first before he fully becomes one of them. I would donate all my money to that cult by the way" "Keep dreaming" I drop the towel and walk to the closet butt naked. Nina whistles and her heels click on the floor as she follows me. I look over my shoulder to find her leaning against the door frame. Her eyes run over my naked frame. "I'm starting to think that you're showing off how well you're hung so I'd regret turning you down" "Do you?" "Maybe" "Your problem. If my nakedness is bothering you, get out" When I first brought her here, she didn't even have the guts to look me in the eyes. Now she walks