OUR UNFORTUNATE BONDS

Part 2

CHAPTER 7

Too Good At Goodbyes...say hey new life

"For heaven's sake, Zeta, it's just a year and I'll be home after six months for a short break. Trust me, it's for the best," Viktor said, wiping her tears. "Trust me, what could go wrong? Venice, I'm sure, would be good." As he did his courtesy to Alma and picked up his bag, he trailed behind Alejandro.

"Please let go of me!" I screamed as the taller figure grabbed me from behind, sharpie in hand. "I know, right? The irony. I've faced a psychopathic gay man and assassin, but I couldn't wriggle my way from whoever this slightly trained person was." He remained mute, except for occasional grunts from my struggles. "Let go of me!" I struggled and aimed for his face mask.

"Stop!" a sharp female voice called out as he dragged me into an empty alleyway close to Hillers Hospital, from where he smuggled me. I was injured, sore from my last psychiatric ward shift. Apparently, the bodybuilder they brought in was completely normal but was framed after a drug test. So he knocked me unconscious. I woke up ready to go home to enjoy my free day, but does the problem never stop?

Now, back at the alley, as this woman's voice calls out to the man who held my hands tightly behind my body. "Let go of him," she remarked. "Sorry. I wouldn't take a scared stranger misgender me," I snapped. A slap from a petite woman, and I didn't really place her face immediately graced my face. "Shut up," she said. "I'm sure you know me already, so there would be no need for an introduction. I am here for a peace treaty."

"Well, kidnapping me from my place of work isn't the best way to start a peace treaty," I said, folding my arms. "And who are you?" The woman was dressed in a black Banarasi saree, draped the South Indian way. Her hair was long, braided at the front, and let to fall free and wavy at the back, like a half-finished cornrow.

She was shorter than I was, looked 5 foot 5 inches, while I was a whole 6 foot tall. The man who brought me here was about 6 foot 9 inches. Now, imagine the irony of such a woman slapping me across my face. "I am Salima Daphaen Kartik, or you can call me Silvia," she said, technically almost like you. Born African American and adopted, but no, I was kidnapped by Indian men. Well, I escaped and here I am, in love with my boss, who recently found out I am pregnant for, but he is in love with you."

"Are you done, Silvia?" I asked her. She nodded her head, confused. "Well, thank you for your honesty, and I hate that you misgender me. But how would an uneducated maid know what it's like to be loved by such an important family?" I turned to take my leave, but she latched her hand to my wrist, half panting and her eyes filled with anger.

"Now, you listen to me, man woman," she said, almost whispering. "I have finally found a way to give myself happiness and give my brother a good life after years of unjust treatment and hard labor. I won't hesitate to call the family of the late Salim Salami, your adopted father, to come pick you up any minute since there's a great bounty on your head. I'm sure it would be off your body as soon as you step into Uttar Pradesh because, one, they hate people like you. So, the choice is yours."

Three days later...

"Isabelle, where are you?" Alma blared into her phone. "I know you've had your differences with Lamar, but you not making it here today would hurt him. Now, please come here, it's an all-white welcome party, and please pick up your calls."

As the house bustled with workers and a not so visibly pregnant Silvia taking care of the arrangements for Viktor's surprise welcome party, to Alma, this was more than a welcome party. She almost lost him to a psychopathic serial killer, and she didn't have time to ease him off that trauma. He was with the wind to Venice. Alma's greatest worry was he wouldn't forgive her for letting him go at that point. So, a grand gesture to welcome him home was her go-to option. Silvia, on the other hand, was readying herself for her plans to eliminate Zeta from the Josephs' household. As the house bustled with different intentions, Zeta and Silvia remained distant from each other because of their previous encounter.