The Promise

Playing the Game

A week has passed since the day Arhianna had gone back to her parent's house. She was unable to do much findings about Glaizel's whereabouts. Paul has not yet found anything as well. She can always use social media, but its not safe. 

David has been her frequent visitor. He comes at noon when she just woke up and leaves in the middle of the night when she's already asleep. She don't know but at night, she can't hold her sleep. She can usually stay up until dawn. She needs to find a way to escape from David's observant eyes.

The following day, Arhianna woke up having David reading a book on her white rocking chair by her closed window. He didn't went home.

"Aren't you tired of doing this, David? We both know we are not as like before. Drop the charade," Arhianna started with her sarcastic voice.

"Well, good afternoon to you too, sweetheart," he stood up and sat on the bedside, leaning to kiss Arhianna's forehead.

Arhianna pulled her blanket up until her whole body was covered.

"Its too early to irritate me, Arhianna,"

"Then. Leave. Me. Alone,"

"Then what, you're going to find that harlot? Not on my watch,"

"Just let me go, David. I no longer love you. I could have still but... Damn you disgust me with your true color,"

"You have no choice. You are stuck with me,"

Arhianna sneered. She swung the blanket over David that it covered his face. Gotten irritated, he crossed over the bed and grabbed Arhianna by her hand and pulled.

"Don't pull my strings. You thought you're way ahead of me, but the truth is, you're miles away behind me," David spoke in a hard tone. His eyes glaring with hatred.

Arhianna glared back with her own hatred towards the man speaking to her. Crease forming on her forehead. 

"You wanna play a game with me? Alright. Lets play a game of chess. Lets see who can have check mate first. I checked you, taht woamn dies,"

"That "that woman" has a name. And her name tastes sweeter in my tongue than you bitter name,"

"Whatever. You checked first, she lives,"

"You monster!"

"You made me this way, Arhi,"

"You've been born that way,"

"Do you remember Gerald from college? One of your classmates under Ms. Pearl Sy ,"

Arhianna thought for a moment. Refreshing her memory about the name David had mentioned.

Gerald was her classmate in one of Miss Sy's classes. She was very fond of him for being such a gentleman. David was studying in a different college and he picks her up every weekends in Laguna for their weekly family reunion together with David's family. 

David often gets jealous of him because he always see them together when he arrives at the LPU gate while waiting for him. No matter how many times she told him that Gerald was just accompanying her, David will argue until they arrived in Manila.

The following day after their graduation party, Gerald's lifeless body was found floating near the shore of Laguna de Bay. His body was already stiff, blood-red eyes almost popped out. His neck was marked that shows he was strangled tightly using a cord. He was stabbed number of times and his heart ripped open. Forensics said that he must have been dead more than 8 hours though it was hard for them to determine the exact time when the postmortem starts because he's been on the waters.