The Wicked Mrs. Gastrell (English version)

Even before my body warmed up from lying in bed, I heard from the open window the hum of the approaching cars. I immediately got up and peeked through the opening. I saw Ymir get out of his black BMW. His face was red with anger and his fists were clenched. His guards also followed out in another vehicle.

I went out of the room and ran just a few inches from the staircase enough for me to see what’s happening from below.

Cholo is already in the living room who stood in front of Ymir who is very livid in his red face and aggressive stance. His bodyguards were outside the open door. I looked at my husband who was just as calm as earlier when he put me to sleep. I can’t even see a trace of fear on his face while listening to Ymir’s angry voice.

“Where is your wife, Cholo?! Bring her to me so I could give her what she wanted!” Ymir yelled at his friend.

I saw Cholo’s eyes darken and he took a deep breath. “Watch down your language, man. You’re talking about my wife. I’m your friend, so I know you’re not this kind of person, so I’ll let go of what I heard now. What’s the problem?”

“Your wife just killed our lifelong project! And if that is not enough, she even implicated my sister! I can ignore what she did to sabotage our business but she made a mistake when she eie that to my sister. You know that I could do everything for my sister, Cholo. You also said that you know what kind of person I am, man. I wouldn’t think twice about harming anyone that would hurt my family.”

“Careful with the accusation, man. Karina is my wife. She can’t do that.”

Ymir chuckled and shook his head. “You don’t know your wife’s true character, Cholo. I doubt it if you really know her identity, man. You believe her lies, I don’t. She’s just using you to ruin our family. She came back not because of you but for her vengeance. Don’t let Karina mess with you, bro. She’s not the girl you think she is. She’s nothing compared to Elizabeth, my sister. Do you know why she looks like that now? Like an expensive rag? Hadn’t it crossed your mind how many men she’d been through to look like that? Your wife will only use you, Cholo. She’ll use you too, she’ll make a per-”

He wasn’t able to finish what he had to say when Cholo punched him in the jaw without saying a word. I flinched when Ymir landed on the floor who immediately stood up and hit back. The two exchanged blows while Ymir’s men watched and did not intervene.

Cholo landed another punch on Ymir’ face who is on the floor already and dragged him forward and pushed him to the sofa. Blood marred their faces but they seemed to be not minding it. There’s a minor cut on Cholo’s brow where the blood is oozing out.

I just looked at them while the light in my eyes slowly faded away.

Cholo fell to the floor panting and wiped the blood from his face with the sleeve of his polo shirt. His face is still dark, his temper is at its highest with the way his chest heaved in and out.

He threw his head back into the cushion of the sofa and laid his arm on his raised knee. His breaths are heavy to control himself.

“You’re out of the line, Ymir. I’m your friend but you’re insulting my wife. Disrespecting her would mean you’re rudely asking to sever our ties. Don’t do that. I don’t want to cause another drift between us,” Cholo spoke softly.

Ymir chuckled and stood up to sit on the floor, too. He took out a cigarette and a lighter from his pocket then nodded to the bodyguards outside who immediately left. He lit a stick and smoked.

“Your Karina took everything from me. What we worked for for several years is gone in the blink of an eye. Damn.”

Cholo didn’t say anything. He just kept on staring at nowhere. Ymir stood up and wiped the blood from his own face.

“Drop that woman for your own good. She can’t bring you anything good. Take it from someone who had helped you a lot in the past, Cholo.”

Cholo moved slightly and looked coldly at his friend. “Our brotherhood wasn’t only built on giving favors to each other’s advances but if you have to count every single time you have helped me then be fair as well. Also remember what kind of help I gave to your sister, Ymir. I also sacrificed some things to grant your wish for her.”

“The help you gave me before for my sister is in waste now thanks to your beloved wife.”

Ymir looked at Cholo and sighed. Another drop of blood lined the side of his face. “Hide your wife when that happens because I won’t recognize anyone as a friend by then. Not even you.”

He finally turned around and headed for the door.

“What did you do to her, Ymir? What sin did you do to my wife to make her hate your family that much?” Cholo said in his icy cold tone.

Ymir’s shoulders stiffened slightly but he didn’t answer.

“I’m a bad enemy, Ymir. I don’t even recognize a friend, especially if I find out he’s wronged my wife.”

I looked down and let the tears fall. I can feel the sincerity and anger in his voice. It shot right through my heart which bled upon the remembrance of my slain family.

“It’s true that I hated Karina for leaving me but I cannot even remember that part now. I don’t care about her past, how many men she has been with. That’s beyond me and our relationship. The important thing is that she is with me again now and I will not let her go again.”

Ymir faced him and grinned. “Your mother was right when she told me that Karina is your weakness. Everything you need to know is right in front of you already but you still choose to believe your own lies. That’s tough, man.”

Cholo carefully stood up and gave the person in front a cold look.

“It is never a weakness to love this hard, Ymir. Maybe you should also try to love someone truly. Maybe you can also understand where I’m coming from.”

The man just laughed sarcastically before approaching Cholo and tapping him on the shoulder.

“For all the years of our friendship, man. I don’t think that only a woman can end this. Your wife hurt my sister. It’s personal to me and you should feel the same way, too. Elizabeth devoted her entire life to you.”

“Which I’m thankful for but I didn’t ask for it. I love your sister, you know that. Just not the way she wanted me to.”

A long silence reigned between the two before it was interrupted by the ringing of the cell phone in Ymir’s pocket. Without a word, he turned and walked out the door. Cholo was left standing in the living room.

I wiped off the tears in my face and went back to the room. I lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. My chest hurts not only because of what I heard and saw but because of the emotions that are slowly rising that I didn’t realize were just there inside of me.

The emptiness that I thought I was able to control is making itself felt again. Two hours later I went out again to look for my husband. He is no longer in the living room. The whole place that was messed up earlier because of their rampage is now squeaky clean.

I looked for him in the bar area of the mansion but he wasn’t there either so I went to the library where I knew I would see him but he wasn’t there either. Maybe he’s somewhere in the house.

He didn’t go away because I didn’t hear a car engine earlier. I went outside to the garden to get some air and think about things but I wasn’t able to do that when I saw him on the ground beside the water fountain.

He’s not wearing anything on top while drinking from the bottle of Glenfiddich 1937 whiskey. The faint light from the garden lamps cast a glow on his melancholic face.

There’s a part of me that wants to approach him to talk to him or at least accompany him but guilt stops me. I caused this to him so I don’t have any right to offer him my comfort especially when I know it’s not the first time he’ll be dealing the same blow from me.

I was startled when his cell phone rang in the trimmed Bermuda grasses. Cholo picked it up and answered.

“Mom.”

I froze because of the name he said. I turned around but I still heard his low voice of defeat.

“Not now, mom. I’m as down as you.”

That ripped me. His heartbroken voice snatched my heart apart. I ran up the stairs back to the room and buried my face in the pillow. Even if I don’t want to, I can’t stop crying again.

I can’t take this anymore. I have to end it. Each day I’m feeling like a monster. I thought I’m a callous being with a ruthless heart.

At least that’s what I stuck in my brain before I came back here but Cholo changed me. He melted me from the inside and now I don’t know how to act like the Karina I patiently built for years.

I should be happy because everything is going according to plan. I should be opening a bottle of wine and celebrating but instead I’m crying because of the same man who abandoned me.

Love is both transformational and destructive. It’s just my bad luck and I’ve experienced both of them in one lifeline. Life has given me so much.

I flipped over and stared at the ceiling again, the place started wilting while I’m lost in my thoughts. Another hour was eaten away before I felt the bed moved and Cholo’s arms surrounded me. He buried his face into my neck and kissed it.

“Love you,” he whispered and tightened his arms around me.

I answered through my trickling tears.