Red Butterfly Mondays

Chapter XVII "Lies and Limitations"

"When death visits you, your life is forever changed. Every moment after is more precious than the last"

Flashback, Monday 7:00 am

"Emilio, I will not stand for this! Do not walk away from me!"

Emilio Hernández exits the house, ignoring his screaming wife, looking at his watch. It is 7:00 am, his meeting with Travis Scott, the family lawyer is at 7:30 am, and he has to hurry.

Jumping into his car, he leaves Gloria alone on the porch. He will make this right again.

What he doesn't know is as soon as his car turns the corner; Gloria is in her car, following him. He makes quick time and arrives at the building with minutes to spare. Taking the elevator to the twentieth floor, he arrives at Travis' office.

"Travis, my man" he greets his friend of forty years.

"What can I do for you, my friend?" shaking Emilio's hand firmly.

"I need to change my will Travis old boy"

"You will NOT be changing anything today, Emilio Hernández." Gloria, disheveled and distressed, came running through the doors. "We are leaving now, right this second!"

She quickly turns, leading Emilio away from Travis, without a glance of recognition. The ride in the elevator is long and silent. Each opponent is standing in their significant corners waiting the call of the bell.

'Ding'

Gloria is the first to her car and Emilio scrambles in next to her. She speeds off with her husband screaming in her ear. "We are not having this conversation again Gloria. I have made up my mind, she is my daughter! I will not stand idly by and see her suffer!"

"Your daughter, Emilio? Your? God! You're so pathetic! She is not even your child!"

The words are forced quietly from his mouth, "What did you just say? What was that?"

"Isabetha is not your daughter, Emilio. She's..." Gloria laughs "she's Nicholas' daughter"

He launches at her. "YOU FUCKING WHORE"

The car violently swerves into oncoming traffic and collides with a truck. Emilio come to, and looks at Gloria, her eyes are blank with death. As oblivion beckons him, he stares at her with true hate.

"You are completely loca, Lina"

"Travis told me everything! Father went to his office this morning to change his will to include you again. Mother interrupted them. They left together, and never made it back home."

Adelina make her intentions known. "I wish you were never born. I hate the sight of you. Get out of our lives." She leaves me with a swish of her skirt and a slam of the door.

I silently pray to all that is holy, to give me strength to face this family. I couldn't go back out there. I wanted to be alone. My head bangs on the desk.

"Hello, my baby sister" Honeyed words greets my ears, my head springs up to see my beloved Aléjandro, my brother and I run to him.

"Alé, Oh God! What are we going to do?" I am crying on his shoulder, my legs weak with grief, anguish filling my gut, pain choking my insides.

"Shush, baby sis, we have each other, you, me, and Adelina"

"Please, you evil half fucking hates me"