Chapter 6

Luke and I had been a couple for three years and a husband and wife for almost two years that’s why I thought I knew him enough. But after five years of being together, his words and actions proved once more that I married a total stranger. Jackson did not release my hands while Luke swiftly covered my mouth with a hanky before he proceeded on driving.

“I’m sorry, Candice. Believe me; I did not want to hurt you. You’ve been a good wife to me. And I know that you loved me. I will always be thankful for that and for the help you and your family did to my family. You saved our Company. You made my parents happy. You were good to me and my family. I was sincere when I married you. I ended my relationship with Jackson before I proceeded on courting you. And in my heart, I knew I loved you.”

I closed my eyes as tears streamed down my cheeks. I could hear the helplessness and the pain in Luke’s voice. He said he loved me. Well, maybe he did. But it was obviously not enough for him to be loyal to me, for him to betray me like this.

“But one day, I received a strange phone call saying that if I wanted Jackson to live, I must give you to them,” he continued. “I became anxious when they began sending me pictures of Jack while he was in Malaysia. They were tailing him anywhere he went. The last box that they sent in my office along with his pictures was filled with blood. So I called Jack to meet me here in Manila. I told him to stick close to me because I was afraid that something might happen to him. That’s… how he and I got back together again. When Jackson and I met again, I realized how much I still love him. I’m really sorry, Candice. I’m so sorry for hurting you and I’m sorry because I know that what I’m about to do will hurt you again.”

I looked away when I saw Luke’s expression in the rear-view mirror. I could not guess what he was up to. But was there something more painful than this? I didn’t have much time to think anymore because the next thing I knew; there was a car that blocked the road which forced Luke to stop driving. He went out of the car and from outside, I could hear him yelling.

Jackson grabbed my arm again and brought me out of the car. When I turned to look at him, his face showed no remorse. He looked at me brazenly instead as if I deserve everything that was happening to me.

“What is going on here? We agreed to meet at the usual place, didn’t we?” Jackson asked. He was calmed but anyone could detect how anxious he was based on his trembling voice. “We promised to bring Candice to you and as you can see, she is with us now. We kept up our end of the bargain. There is no need for this kind of commotion-”

“Shut up!” The man wearing the black mask said as he raised his gun and shoots Jackson.

My eyes widened in disbelief when Jackson fell on the road with his left shoulder bleeding. I hated Jackson. In fact, I hate him and Luke to the core. But I never wished for something like this to happen to them. Who was this masked man? How could he shoot a person just like that in the middle of the road? And why weren’t there any cars around here? Never in my life did I feel this… vulnerable.

Just how many ugly and terrifying things must I witness tonight?