You Need Me

Chapter 3

In a well-lit corridor, not far from the dining room, a running water sound could be heard coming from the washroom.

Inside, Viola was trying to wash away the stain in her dress. This was the only proper dress she had now and although she did not want to admit it, it was her favorite dress. A gift from Walter, she had wanted to throw it away when she left her house with her father that day − but in the end, she could not bear to and still held onto it until now.

Before she knew it, tears started flowing down from the corner of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away. She had promised herself that she would no longer cry for Walter. Not after what he had done to her family.

Walter Aran had been Viola's boyfriend for 6 years before they got engaged a year ago. They met in the university and he had come and trained under her father's architecture company right after graduation to learn to become an architect himself. He was talented and a hard worker and her parents adored him very much. His genuine passion for architecture and his uncompromising take for perfection had led him to many successful projects. Her father was extremely proud of him and had even planned to leave the company to him when he retired. Although Walter was never the perfect boyfriend, he had never mistreated Viola during their courtship, at least not until she found out he had betrayed her and her family's trust in him.

The news came like a storm. Three months ago, her father had decided to take a break from his work to take care of his critically ill wife and left everything to Walter and his trusted aide, Eugene. Eugene and Walter would come by every few days to report the company activities. There were no abnormalities. Everything seemed to be going well. And then three weeks ago, an unimaginable thing happened. Police came to their house with a letter of warrant to arrest George Ernest for fraud. George's company was accused for deceiving clients by taking advance payments and abandoned the projects soon after. Her father tried to contact Walter and Eugene but both had disappeared. As a result, George, as the head of the company, was detained until further investigation.

Viola left her job to take care of her mother while anxiously waiting for her father's news. She did not know who to turn to for help. She still could not believe how Walter and Eugene could do this to them. Soon, her mother learned about the news. Driven to despair, her mother died two days later without her husband by her side. Her father flew into rage and cried uncontrollably when he learned about his wife's death in jail. The police felt sorry for him and agreed to let him go back home to mourn for his loss. When Viola saw her father came back, she ran to her father and they hugged each other and cried for a long time.

The wake was held the next day at their home. It was only attended by Viola, her father and some of their household attendants. Suddenly, a loud commotion was heard. A maid reported that a group of people had gathered outside their house, yelling and trying to force their way in. They demanded Ernest family to return the money they took from their clients. The two police who were stationed there to keep an eye of George were outnumbered. They could not block the people from entering the house. Before long, the mass reached the room where the family was gathering. They quickly located Viola and her father and jumped onto them like hungry wolves, pressing them violently to the floor while the helpers were tied to the chairs.

That afternoon, Viola witnessed how her home for 25 years was destroyed and shattered to pieces. The group rampaged through the house, throwing out, damaging everything they could get hold of. There were scream and laughter. Viola felt sick. Their objective was clear and they would stop at nothing, not even at the poor dead woman's casket. Viola noticed one of the members was going towards the casket. She used all her strength to break away from the person who was holding her and ran for her late mother. She was not going to let anybody hurt her mom. The thug saw Viola coming for him and without thinking, turned around and charged towards her. He punched her on the face, sending her to the floor with a loud thud. Viola felt numb. She could feel blood was flowing out from her nose and her vision darkened. Before she passed out, she faintly heard the footsteps of many approaching the room and her father calling out her name desperately.