"Let me know when the young girl is dead." Allaric said as he stepped out of the hotel room and found his assistant still standing loyally by the door.
"Yes, sir." Jonathan replied obediently.
"Let her stay in that room and allow in her misfortune as much as she wants."
"Yes, sir." Jonathan only uttered those two words again. After all, an assistant's duty is to fulfill their superior's wishes.
After giving orders to his men, Jonathan quickly followed Allaric's footsteps.
"I can't wait to see Marissa's downfall. She'll cry blood when she sees her daughter destroyed and turned into a slut like herself." A sly grin was clearly etched on Allaric's face. Jonathan, often called Jo, didn't react. Because once Allaric had made up his mind, no one could stop him.
"When will Charles return?"
Jo glanced briefly at the backseat, specifically at Allaric. "If everything goes according to schedule, they'll be back next month, sir."
"Good. After they deliver their foolishness. Once they're in this country, I'll make sure they get news that will make them die standing up."
After that, Allaric laughed loudly, filling the car cabin as it drove through the never-sleeping city's traffic jam.
Meanwhile, Jonathan only glanced briefly at Allaric. The confident expression of revenge was clearly visible on his handsome superior's face, and for God's sake, it made Jonathan shiver so much he had trouble swallowing his saliva.
*
*
"Isla, what's wrong with you? Why are you wearing a long jacket in this heat?" One of Isla's classmates asked in astonishment. It was summer, and seeing Isla covering her body tightly made her unable to resist asking.
"Oh, I'm not feeling well. So I'm wearing a jacket to stabilize my condition." Isla lied, though she was actually hiding the bruises left by Allaric yesterday. An incident she could never forget for the rest of her life.
Yesterday, upon arriving home, Isla was stunned by the state of her body. There wasn't a single part of her that was still intact. Everything about Isla was shattered, leaving nothing behind. Both her body and her soul.
"Oh, your body is a bit warm." Isla came to her senses when Aurel placed her palm on Isla's forehead.
"Why didn't you just take a day off?" Aurel continued.
"Today is the last day of the promotion exam, and I didn't want to miss it." She spoke hesitantly, trying to hide the sudden anxiety that had overtaken her.
"Are you also going to work today?"
"Hmm, I need to eat." Isla replied with a bitter tone.
"Honestly, I want to meet your mother. What kind of mother is so heartless toward her child? You still have a mother, but you're working so hard to meet your own living and school expenses." Aurel spoke passionately; she knew how hard Isla had been struggling all this time.
"Thank you, Aurel. You're the only friend I have. Thank you for caring about me." Isla was truly moved. Aurel was the only person who gave her attention and kindness, even as the world turned its back on her.
"If I were the child of wealthy parents, I would ask my parents to help you. Unfortunately, we are two outcasts in this school. Because we both rely on scholarships and assistance from students with extra funds."
Isla smiled bitterly, for that was indeed the reality. She and Aurel were the ones in need of scholarships funded by the excess contributions of other students.
"I still have some money; use this to buy food and drinks for today." Aurel handed the small amount to Isla.
"Don't do this, Aurel. I'm fine. Don't worry. I know you saved this money for something else. I can still work." Isla gently refused the money Aurel offered.
"It's not a problem. You can return it when you have the money."
"No, Au. I'll still go to work. My job isn't difficult. I just help the editor check the book for typos."
"Oh, Isla, I pray to God. May you become a person who will be lucky in the future."
'You're too late, Aurel. My future is already ruined. Even now, I no longer have a purpose in life. I no longer have a reason to keep living,' Isla replied in her heart to Aurel's words.
"Thank you, Aurel." That was all Isla could manage to say.
*
*
"Isla, Allaric Ashford wants to write a story about his business career. Come with me to that big company, okay..."
"I'm sorry, Al... All..."
"Yes, the incomparable Allaric Ashford. Usually, successful people like him demand details and perfection in everything they want. And you are my choice to accompany me in gathering the material."
Isla's body trembled violently after hearing what her senior had said at the office. "Sir, I..."
"Yes, you. Get ready. We'll go there after work because he's made time for us then."
Suddenly, Isla's head spun, and her stomach churned as if she were tasting raw bile.
Almost a month had passed since that incident, but its impact was still profound. Just hearing his name or knowing he was around was enough to torment Isla.
Even this morning, she vomited uncontrollably just from seeing Allaric Ashford's photo in a business magazine. It wasn't Isla who was reading it; she had accidentally seen someone else holding and reading it on the bus.
As a result, she had to ask to get off in the middle of the road due to unbearable nausea.
And now, what happened this morning was attacking Isla again. Cold sweat was pouring down, her body was trembling, her heart was racing, and her bones and joints suddenly had no strength.
"Why are you so pale?" Isla's senior snapped, actually confused by Isla's behavior lately.
"I can't come," Isla whispered before everything went dark and she ended up on the cold marble floor.
"Isla, hey!"
*
*
"How old are you?"
"Um... Sixteen years old, doctor."
"You're pregnant now, and you're still very young. You need to tell your parents and your boyfriend right away."
Time seemed to stand still for a moment. After fainting at work, Isla decided to see a doctor. She felt something was wrong with her health. She had already had several high fevers in the past month.
"Your uterus is very weak. I'll prescribe some supplements and vitamins for expectant mothers."
Isla hadn't responded to the doctor's words as he examined her condition. She still couldn't believe the news she had just received.
"Miss Isla, are you listening?" the doctor repeated, noticing Isla was daydreaming.
Isla jolted awake, her mind returning to reality. "Ha... Pregnant?" she stammered. She didn't know what her heart was feeling anymore.
"Yes, based on this blood test, you are currently pregnant. For a more detailed explanation, I have made a referral for you to go to the obstetrics clinic. Your body is very weak, and you need to undergo a thorough examination at the obstetrics clinic."
Isla didn't interrupt; she remained silent until the doctor handed her a referral form to take directly to the obstetrics clinic.
She stood up and walked slowly toward the obstetrics clinic as the general practitioner had instructed.
Her steps were slow and heavy, as if each step she took was a part of herself. She realized once again that life had never been kind to her.
She actually wanted to go home immediately, not caring about the pregnancy in her weakened condition. But, for some reason... Isla's footsteps gently carried her toward the obstetrics clinic at that moment.
"Look, there's a small speck of life in your womb, Miss Isla." Isla turned her head as the doctor pointed to a speck on the ultrasound. She could see a faint speck, but for some reason, she felt its presence.
"He is your baby, still very small. And his life, of course, depends on you. If a mother is under stress, his growth will inevitably be hindered. In other words, he is a human being whose life now depends entirely on you." The doctor continued.
The doctor could see the sadness in the young mother-to-be's eyes.
"He is the life that God has entrusted to you, dear. From this moment on, until the day you can finally meet and be together in this life."
Isla's tears trickled down from the corner of her left eye, directly toward the monitor screen. She couldn't describe the mixed emotions she was feeling.
**
"Oh, you're still alive? Why haven't you ended your life yet?"
Isla didn't move.
"What are you doing at the hospital?" Allaric asked curiously, but again Isla remained silent.
The weight of her thoughts was too heavy, as if she couldn't bear it herself.
"Oh, wait..." Allaric reached into his jacket pocket. "Use this to end your life, so your body will smell nice and not rot like your behavior and your whore of a mother."
Allaric handed Isla a bottle of perfume, but before it could fully transfer hands, Isla vomited the contents of her stomach onto Allaric's body.
The expensive suit perfectly fitted to Allaric's body was now covered in Isla's vomit. Allaric stared in disbelief, his mouth agape. For the first time, someone had dared to soil his body.
***