Chapter 50: Chapter 50

AFTER TWO YEARS,

Isabella's pov;

An open diner situated in some area of North Charleston of South Carolina. Open for 24 hours for drive through whereas the diner closes at 10 pm for walk-in customers.

"Here!"

A customer called in from table number six. The table had a father, mother and two sons.

I asked them with a smile on my face, "What is your order, Sir?"

He pointed at the menu card and said, "I would like to have three sausage burritos with a side salad, one double cheeseburger and don't top it with tangy pickles, my son doesn't like it."

"Noted, Sir."

He continued, "One buttermilk crispy chicken and one fish fillet, one hot fudge sundae, one baked apple pie and one hot caramel sundae and coke for three."

It looks like one of them is a picky eater.

"Your order will be served in minutes, Sir." Gave a smile and left the table.

I walked to the counter and gave the list of dishes that guy asked for and then waited for the dishes to come out of the kitchen. While I was waiting, David, one of my coworkers ran to me and asked, "Can you please go and take the order from that table?" Said while pointing to a table far away from the kitchen.

"But I'm waiting for my order from the kitchen."

"I'll take it to them. You take the orders for me."

"Why?"

"Just go. My girlfriend called me so I have to meet her. I'll serve these dishes before I go. If I take those orders, I'll be late, please?"

"Leaving? When will you be back?"

"

I pointed over to the table I took from and asked, "What is the table number?"

"Eight." And left.

What's with him?

I let out a sigh and walked over to the table. As I was getting closer to those guys, I could see that they came here for a work break during the working hours.

I asked them with a smile, "Have you decided on what you're going to eat or should I have to wait, Sir?"

One of them said, "We decided. Take the order Grilled lamb chops."

"Sir, we're not serving lamb chops here. Can you please order something else?"

"But he says he only wants those lamb chops.what should I do now? Ask him. Let's see if he changes his mind?"

I turned to the guy they pointed at, he couldn't see his face clearly since he was wearing sunglasses hiding his eyes, a mask covering his nose and mouth. I asked him, "Sir, the lamb chops weren't on the menu, Sir. Can you please ask for another dish from the menu?"

"I can't do that."

I dropped on hearing that voice. This voice!!! I knew to whom this voice belonged to! No! He can't be! Why would he be here, of all the places? I stood there being stunned.

He took the notepad from the floor which I dropped and gave it to me. He removed his mask and took off his sunglasses from his face and said, "I finally found you." And made a smirk.

"Wh-What are you… h-how you…"

I took my steps back and he grabbed my hand and said, "How are you?"

I pulled my hand from his grip and ran out of the diner. I took a cab and came to my small apartment which is near the diner. I locked the door and sat on the bed.

Mr Martinez? How did he find me here? It looked like a coincidence or wasn't it? Why was he here? Was he on one of his business trips? He said that he found me. What does he mean by that?

I should leave this place. I have to leave before he finds out where I am living. I took a bag and stuck whatever clothes I had in my hands and…

I heard knocking on the door. Who might it be? I walked over to the door and looked into the peephole and found a guy who's living next door. What does he want now?

I opened the door and asked him, "What is it? What do you want?"

He pointed to his right side and said, "He asked for you."

When I leaned outside the room and looked at where that guy pointed, Mr Martinez? How did he get her quickly?

I closed my door and ran to the bed to take the bag.

The door opened. I'm sure I locked it then how?

Mr Martinez stepped into my place and closed the door behind. After seeing a bag in my hand, he asked, "Are you going somewhere? Where are you going this time?"

"Why are you here?"

"You know the reason. Then, Why are you asking me?' He looked around the room and asked, "Where's your mother? Did she go outside?"

I opened the door and said, "Leave."

"Actually, you can't. I settled your two months rent before coming up here."

"I didn't ask you to pay for it. Leave my place now."

"Okay. After your mom comes, let's all have a little talk and leave together."

"She'll be late."

"I don't mind waiting here for her. Let her take her time."

I let out a heavy breath and said, "She won't come."

"I'll talk to her."

"She can't come here. She can't come to your house. She can't go to any of the places you want."

"Why?"

"B-Because she's dead. Do you hear me? She's dead!!!

I dropped on the floor and started crying thinking about my mother.

"What happened?"

"Her surgery failed. She got that damn cancer growing inside her again. Is that enough information for you or do you want to hear more? I couldn't earn enough for her surgery. When I asked my mother to use the money I got from Olivia, for the surgery again. She refused it. She banned me from using that money. She said she would rather die than use that money for her surgery and she did it like she said. That was the moment when I saw my mother refusing money my entire life. My mom died in front of my eyes, and I couldn't do anything. I let her die. I was the reason for her cancer. If she took care of her body rather than looking out for me, she would have been alive by now. I was the reason for her death. I killed a person. I killed my own mother. I couldn't do anything!!!... If rich people get cancer, that's not even a thing for them. They use their money to get it cured but if cancer comes into a family who are struggling to keep their stand and who are struggling for a three meal, they have to die, right? Dieing is the only cure for their cancer. Why? Because we don't have money."

I stood and walked to the wardrobe and took the money which I got from Olivia, threw it over him and said, "These are just pieces of paper that don't have worth. She died of cancer because of these pieces of paper."

He came closer to me and tried to give me a hug but I pushed him away and said, "Don't ever think about touching me."

"Let's go home."

"Home? Who's home? I lost my mother. I don't have a home anymore."

He said, "Even if you refuse, I'm still taking you."

"Are you nuts? What are you blabbering?"

"Don't make me force you!"

"Are you threatening me right now?"

He took some paper out of his pockets and showed me, it looked like an agreement. When I looked at it, it was the agreement I signed. Why is he showing me this contract now?

"Did you miss to read the termination condition?"

I took it from him and read, "If subject B fails to execute the task and responsibilities outlined here, Subject A may terminate at any time and without prior notice. Failing the task, Subject B should provide ten million dollars as compensation??? Who made these rules? Ten million dollars? Are you kidding me?"

"Do you have ten million dollars to give me?'

"It's ten million dollars, not ten bucks. How will I have that much money in my hands? Look around the place, do you think I would stay here if I had money?"

He took a look around the place and said, "Okay. Pack your things up, we're leaving by tonight's flight."

"Why should I have to come with you?"

"You don't have money with you so you're coming with me."

"No! I won't go anywhere! Leave my house!"

"I thought I could talk it through to you but you didn't give me a choice."

Mr Martinez did something on his phone and some guys being very muscular walked into the room.

"Wait, who are you guys? Why are you coming…"

While I was asking them, they held both of my arms and asked Mr Martinez, "Can we leave, Sir?"

He nodded and left the room.

"Hey! What's going on here? Who are these people?"

One of the guards plastered my mouth and said, "Kidnapping." And took me on his shoulders.

I struggled to escape but I couldn't do it since they were strong as they looked. He dropped me into a car and left.

Mr Martinez thanked them and started driving the car. I mumbled in the back seat while he was driving. He kidnaps people? I never knew he's like that. Is he gone mad? Why is he doing this to me? Asking me to pay for compensation even after hearing mom's death. How on earth he's made of. I moved and started hitting the back side of the car.

"You're going to get hurt if you keep doing that." Mr Martinez said.

I ignored him and continued to hit the back of the car, it made a sound like someone's inside the car trying to escape. I rolled up on the car's floor, towards the bonnet side and started kicking it to make a huge noise from the back of the car. Suddenly, he stopped the car and opened the back door and dragged me to the front of the car. I knocked him on his chin with my shoulder and tried to run away from him but forgot that my legs were tied too so I fell on the ground. I looked around me to find someone to ask for help but there wasn't anyone. There weren't any buildings or shops by the road. It looked like some deserted place. Where is he taking me?

He made me stand and said, "You're sitting with me."

He held my elbow and made me walk to the front. After opening the car's door, he pushed me in the front seat beside the driver's seat and said, "Stay still until we're boarding the flight."

Flight? But the way doesn't look like it'll lead to the airport? He walked around the car and sat beside and started the car.

After sometime, "It's weird to see you like this. Being all silent."

I ignored him.

"Will you scream if I remove this plaster?"

I nodded hurriedly to him.

He removed the plaster slowly from my lips. I didn't scream like I already agreed. Even though I screamed, people didn't come help me in this deserted place because there wasn't any either.

I asked him, "Where are you taking me? This road doesn't look like it'll lead to the airport?"

"It seems like you know this place well but not that much."

"Seriously, where are you taking me?"

"If I took you by flight like this, I'm sure you'd escape so let's travel to California like this."

"What?!"

"It takes 39 hours from north Charleston to California so sit tight."

What the hell is wrong with him? 39 hours? Am I going to be tied up for another 39 hours? No! I should escape but how can I do it?

In the afternoon,

I felt something chill on my cheek which woke me up from sleep. When did I fall asleep? When I opened my eyes, he was standing in front of me, holding a can of beer.

"Are you feeling thirsty?" And drank it while I was staring at him.

The car was stopped in front of some gas station, when I looked around the place I couldn't see a soul.

He asked me again, "Do you need anything to eat?"

"Where am I?"

"Um, somewhere in atlanta. Well, what do you want to eat?"

I looked around again and said, I don't see any diners here. Are you going to feed me the gas, Mr Martinez?"

He made a smirk and plastered my mouth and tied my hands to a steering wheel while saying, "I know what you eat so stay in the car." Locked the car and left.

After struggling for some time, I gave up because I felt tired and hungry too.

Soon I smell delicious food in the air, am I imagining things now?

Mr Martinez knocked on the car window and waved at me. After opening the door, he placed the tray of food he bought on the tiny table which was in the car.

He opened the box and said, "This is homestyle huddle wrap where bacon, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, skillet potatoes, sausage gravy is served in a warm grilled tortilla. This is a Mega Bacon cheese huddle burger with two patties, smoked bacon, cheddar cheese ...."

I mumbled to take off the plaster on my mouth.

He removed the plaster from my mouth and continued to open the boxes.

"How will I eat if my hand is tied up like this?"

After my hands got free, he tied my one hand to the window saying, "One hand is enough for eating."

I took the wrap and started eating hurriedly since I was so hungry in the morning.

After finishing eating, he gave me beverages he bought, Chocolate milk for me and he drank coffee.

He got rid of the empty boxes and plastic bottles and started driving the car.

After a while, when I looked at him, he looked so focused on the road. He forgot to plaster my mouth and tie my hands together. So I used this chance and waited until we arrived in the city to ask for help but fell asleep during the drive.

I felt like I was drifting here and there like I was in a boat. Suddenly, I hit my head on something which hurted me, making me wake up from sleep. When I opened my eyes, it was dark in the front and some lights were flashed now and then. I rubbed my eyes and looked in the front of the car. The car which I'm in was moving right and left like it's stuck in some wind. When I looked at Mr Martinez, he fainted. I think he fell asleep while driving. I held the steering wheel and tried to keep the car from running in the middle of the road. While I was struggling with my one hand, I shouted, "Mr Martinez! Wake up!" He's not waking up, what should I do now? I couldn't move him since I'm driving the car using one hand while my other hand was tied up to the window.

I started screaming out of my lungs, "Alexander Martinez! Wake up! Alex, Can you hear me? Wake up! Alex!!!"

Mr Martinez suddenly woke up and saw me struggling with the steering wheel. He held onto the steering wheel and said, "Didn't see it."

I let out a relief sigh and leaned back on the seat. He splashed some water on his face and continued driving the car.

He asked me in a low tone, "Did it scare you?"

"Scare me??? I thought we're going to crash into something and die!!"

He let out a chuckle and asked, "You know how to drive?"

"A little."

The silence between us continued after that incident.

After some time, he said, "I'm sorry." And continued driving.

I ignored him and looked outside the window to look at the night sky. There were a lot of stars spreaded here and there.

"There's a tale that if you count a thousand stars, your wish will come true."

"Do you believe in those things?"

"I did once but i didn't get what I wished for so i don't believe them anymore."

"What did you wish for?"

I didn't give a response and continued looking at the stars.

"Did you wish for your mother's recovery?"

I nodded and continued looking at the stars.

He patted my head and said, "My mom once said 'never stop wishing, it'll happen for sure'."

"I don't think mine will happen." And continued looking at the stars.