Another Day Has Come

Nightmare

No! Please, don't do this! Please don't hurt me. Pleeaaassee!!!!!!

That was the third time this week Catalina had her usual nightmare. She wasn't sure whether to believe if the nightmare and the monster will ever go away. She cleaned the sweat on her brows with the back of her hand, went straight into the kitchen and took a glass of water. Just then it hit her, she remembered having Gerald in her room and the whiskey and the sex. She covered her mouth with her palms after dropping the glass on the floor.
"You can get hurt with that." Came Gerald's voice and with him leaning on the wall with all his glory. He looked way hotter than he did the first day she met him. He pushed himself away from the wall and came closer to her. Even though she didn't have the energy to push him away, she had to, the look of hurt in his eyes made her squeal inside. She felt her heart burning and a part of her vanish. She moved towards the kitchen sink and grabbed a broom with a dustpan and started collecting the broken glass. After disposing of it, they stared at each other for what seemed like forever until Catalina spoke.
" Breakfast?" She asked him and he nodded in agreement. She went over to the kitchen and made pancakes. After cooking, they sat at the kitchen counter to eat. The meal was silent until Gerald had a phone call, he picked it up and Catalina's heart sunk when she saw the caller ID. After the call and the meal, they both went to wash the dishes.
" Your girlfriend seems to be missing you a lot," Catalina said in mock anger and Gerald scoffed.
" Tania is not my girlfriend, it is just complicated... " after a long a pause he continued" and about last night I- " " last night was a terrible mistake, something that should never have happened and will never happen again" she ended with a cold stare. Gerald just looked at her for close to a minute, grabbed his phone and his hotel key. Without saying a word, he disappeared. Catalina fell to the floor and wept. She didn't want all this to happen but as the saying goes, you can't lose something that you never had.
" You have to do this for them. You can't become weak now. " " I know and I am trying but I am getting more and more attached. I want to get this project done as soon as possible. We had sex yesterday, who knows what will happen next." Catalina ended the call rather quickly when she heard footsteps. She turned around to find Jason standing behind her. Jason is a private detective who was wired by Aurora or Catalina to find her mother. He found her six months ago in a hospital, he has been keeping an eye on her since then.

"Aurora, Esmeralda is fine, but she has not been able to talk or move for the past year. The doctors say, there is no improvement but I think what she needs is you" he added and placed a hand on her shoulder.
" Jase, you are not just a private investigator but a friend as well, and I am very grateful for your help but I don't need you to tell me how to take care of my mother. " She ended and walked towards her glass window, looking outside at the view.  Crossing her hands over her chest, she remembered her nightmare and sighed.

********
Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. The project was coming to an end and so was Catalina/ Aurora's patience. She was getting tired of pretending to know nothing about Gerald, while even his cologne drew her crazy. Every bit of his body took her breath away. She knew she would face all this once she had to see Gerald again, but if she had known from the beginning that it was him, she would have stayed in Australia. She wouldn't have come back. She wouldn't have shown her face.

She was packing her things to go back to her apartment in Toronto the project was complete, and there was going to be a party at Gerald's house to inaugurate the building. She placed her suitcase in her bag and drove off with all the speed her car could have. Two weeks later, the party was organised and she went with Marilyn and Antonio. Both ladies hand their hands in Antonio's on each side. Immediately she entered the house, her eyes looked around for him. For that one person, she had to stay away from. She didn't see him anywhere, so decided to go to the kitchen to get something to eat. All this pretence was making her hungry.

Immediately she walked into the kitchen she saw him standing in front of Fernanda his nanny while drinking champagne. She walked in on them as they were laughing. Her heart skipped a beat and for a moment she forgot she had trained herself for a day like this. Fernanda looked at her with a twinkle in her hazel eyes, but Aurora/ Catalina composed herself took a glass of champagne and left. If she took any food, she would expose herself.

The party went on well. Investors from far and wide came to discuss business deals, Aurora/Catalina saw Gerald talking to Tania most of the time or she saw them make out most of the time. She had to pretend none of it affected her, but she was dying each time she saw them kiss. She didn't think letting go of this life of hers would be this difficult.

The party finally ended, everyone was gradually leaving, Gerald coaxed Tania into leaving and it was time for Antonio to take his children home.
"Gerald, I haven't congratulated you and Catalina for a job well done. The hotel is very beautiful" he ended with a wide grin.
"It was the most productive work I have ever done." He responded while looking at Catalina. She looked to his eyes and after some time, they left.

" Antonio, I left my purse in Gerald's kitchen! " Catalina said in horror and Marilyn stopped the car immediately.
"Why is the purse so important. You can just buy another one" Marilyn stated and Catalina stared at her in horror.  "No, no, you don't get it. Everything is in that purse. My credit cards, my driver's license, my apartment key, and a photo of Gerald, my mom and brother. If Gerald opens that purse, he is going to know I have been pretending all this while. Gerald will never forgive me!" She ended, got out of the car, picked a taxi and went straight to Gerald's house.

Immediately she entered, she went straight to the kitchen, but she was too late. He was holding all her belongings in his hands and staring straight into her eyes. They looked at each other, hearts beating, tension brewing, anger rising and hatred gathering, trust defeated.

"Why... Why! Aurora why!!! Answer the damn fucking question. Why did you do this!!! Why!" Gerald was screaming by that time while shaking Aurora. She was numb, out of the world and unable to speak. She didn't prepare for this, she didn't prepare for her explanation and she didn't think she had the strength to give it.

"Why the fuck did you do this to all of us! Forget about me, what about your mother and your brother. What did they do wrong? Aurora do you even know what happened to your mother after your death! Do you know where she is? Hunh?? Answer me! ... Do you know where Esmeralda is? .. She is in the hospital, unable to move or speak due to the shock she had after your death. And Julio? Do you know how difficult it was for him to survive without you?? And all for what! And all for what Aurora. All so that the almighty Aurora would come back and pretend all this doesn't matter. Now that I think about it, I would prefer you were dead right now!!...." Aurora's eyes shot up to his face when he said that, a cold wind rushed all over her body in calculated speed. Gerald's anger was justified and no amount of explanation or reason could change that. She was not just numb, but she was angry and disappointed in herself.

"Get out of here! Because from this moment you are dead! You don't exist! I said leave! " Gerald demanded and pushed her, but Fernanda came to hold her. She saw a tear fall from Aurora's eyes, something she never expected to see. The glow in Aurora's blue eyes was gone, her cheekbones weren't having that excitement and most of all, she didn't have food in her mouth.

" Come with me." Fernanda held Aurora's hand and took her out of the house. She looked at her and smiled. Aurora just got out her grip and took to her heels, running as fast as she could. She took off her heels and walked until it started raining. The rain was not as hurtful as the words she had heard. She kept getting drenched and slowly she started feeling dizzy. All she remembered was hitting her head so hard on the road and smelling blood before everything went dark.

So we finally know exactly who Catalina is. Aurora is the same as Catalina but for some reason, she had to pretend. She had to let go of life and family she adored with her whole heart.

If you were Gerald, what would you have done? Do you think Gerald's words were too much for what Aurora did?

And do you think their love will ever get a happy ending? Will Gerald forgive her? Or will this be the end of their love?

Join me in the next chapter to find out.

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And leave your reactions for this chapter in the comment section.
Love y'all. 🥰  Marcia.