Ruination

22. The Plot Twist

-Time can uncover secrets that might give us closures-

Sila

Wide eyes peered deep into my eyes. I could hear the hurried heartbeat of a man who had made me experience the merciless taste of deception. He stood tall and urgent, snatching my palm and holding it tightly. 

"Here, take this card and some cash. I will meet you in a few days. Don't run away."

My eyes narrowed in fierce chance. 

There was no longer any need to hold one. 

This was my opportunity to break his hold on my dreams and strengths. "I want you to give me div-"

"Ask me that when we meet next time." For a moment, his eyes softened, and he hovered until his friend growled in urgency. 

"Eliyas! Hurry! We need to go!" 

"I NEED TO GRAB MY STASH, FIRST!" He barked back and then turn towards me, pulling up right-hand palm-first before him.

"Don't leave this place. Also, don't call anyone. I WILL get to know." He glared harshly, slamming stacks of money and a card into my hand.

I curled my hand around the offered support. He wanted me to pay his bills and keep his place running. I could help but frown at his audacity. 

The nerve...

He was absolutely crazy and insane. Yet, I was more focused on the strangest twists of events rolling before me. Maybe it was too late. Maybe I was so wrecked to enjoy any positives, but I couldn't help glaring back at my husband with a newfound sense of defiance and fury.

This man was going to escape.

After destroying so many, this man and his friend were going to take off.

His friend had shown up this morning, claiming the city police were trying to track down the duo. The man had started with so many desperate apologies and reasons for disappearing and then claimed how Jasmine had the authorities trace his steps all the way to the city.

My ears had heated up at the words!

It was humiliating to be reminded, again and again, that I was just another name on Eliyas's list. I was an absolute fool...the most naive person, falling for the most basic con. It was so shameful and crushing.

However, I couldn't linger on that emotion for long because I then saw my husband and his buddy preparing to leave. They were going to take Nabeel along!

Nooo...

I didn't know how many times they had done this, how many times they had hid the road to hide from the police, but I couldn't let Nabeel be a part of this. He was sleeping in his cot, so unaware of the harsh ways of the world.

I wanted to scoop the victim, just like me, and make a run for it.

I couldn't.

Eliyas was the father.

He was taking his son on this hit-and-run detour.

I felt terribly heartbroken.

I didn't know who this Jasmine was. I didn't know how she managed to get so far, but I wanted to applaud this woman for her fight back. She was making this criminal sweat bullet and going back into hiding. Eliyas probably wouldn't get captured, since this duck and cover seemed like a usual pattern of his lifestyle, but I saw this as an opportunity 

Maybe, just maybe, this Jasmine was going to be Eliyas's mistake. She was going to finally get the police to catch him and throw him behind bars. It was a liberating thought, just imagining Eliyas regretting all he had done to me, to others, and grovelling for mercy.