The red head with a sheepish smile approaches the counter nervously. She hands her passport to the Airport officer. The man flips it open then looks at her.
Linden, Breanna May
November 10,1992
Manorville, New York
The passport officer stamps her entry then gives it back and says "Next".
A silent sigh of relief escapes from her. She smiles with triumph as she walks away to get her luggage.
At the departure area, she keeps trying to read every banner raised for the new arrivals. Where is my name? Nikola Tocci is nowhere.
"Oh, Foolish me!" She chides herself as she realized that she's totally a different person in this foreign land. She must get used to her new self. She smiles at a black man with dainty suit who is holding a banner of her name written in big bold letters.
"Welcome to Cape Town, Miss Breanna. I am your driver to the Villa, Luke." he greets her modestly as she hands him her luggage.
She smiles back, "Luke, just call me, Bree."
She puts her dark glasses on as she contents herself at the passenger's seat. One day and an hour flight from San Francisco to South Africa puts her to sudden oblivion as the car speeds through the highway from the airport. The 33 minute ride seems short when the driver calls her attention that they reach the destination. Luke leads her to a narrow walkway covered by tall trees and outlined by a well kept grassy pathway to the main entrance of the vacation rental.
A uniformed girl opens the door for her. "Welcome to Clifton Villas, Miss Linden. Enjoy your stay. If you need assistance, just call us." The girl hands her the key and exits with the driver. Bree smiles at them mouthing a 'Thank you' while handing them tips.
She starts to roam around her new place. She can now breathe with relief and satisfaction. Everything is fresh even the air. Gone is the tumultuous event of yesterday. She must erase all from her memory. She's here to celebrate another life. Nikola Tocci is gone.
She chose Cape Town because of its very cozy but laid back setting. Everything is here, beaches, hills, forests, lagoons, mountains and many more. She knows she'll enjoy her stay in her chosen paradise and this might be her future residence if everything goes smoothly according to her plan.
The rented Villa is hers for a week at $5,005. She'll first familiarize herself around Cape Town, South Africa before buying a house. The Cargill Burlingame mansion was sold at $6M. It should be $10M but a murdered owner wasn't a good history for the house.
She left San Francisco that night when the news broke out about the murder of Gemini Flynn. She flew to New York then stayed there for 3 days to sort through all her plans to escape. Once she had her passport, she withdrew all the money from Gem's account and transferred everything to Breanna May Linden. Now she's here. Smooth flow!
By the looks of it, she's learning to love the place. This is what money can do. It can get you everywhere. This is life!
Poised by the Atlantic Ocean, the place is a beautiful beachfront villa on a unique stretch of Cape Town's coastline. Clifton's string of beaches draws surfers and sunbathers for their warmth and dazzling white sands.
Bree walks back to the bedroom after feasting over the majestic scenery. She has ample time to explore and enjoy every inch of this heavenly place. Right now she's not only exhausted from the trip but also from the events of the past days. It is grudgingly tiring but she has escaped and very much content to this beautiful place.
She hits the bed and turns on the TV. Nikola Tocci is all over the news. The girl who killed her room mate in San Francisco is also the main suspect for the death of three men in Los Angeles and Culver City.
Bree closes her eyes as she starts to convince herself that it's over. She's far away. They can't get her anymore in a foreign land with a new name. Even if her picture is all over the news, her new look won't be that noticeable anymore. She's now a redhead sporting a much shorter hair, blue eyes and tanned skin. Wha's more? The cosmetic doctor who fixed her face in New York did it so well.. .nose lift, chiseled jaw, cleft chin, tattooed eyebrows, pouting lips and deep dimples on the cheeks...who could ever suspect that she's the villainous Nikola Tocci as the media put it?
She pitied her room mate, Gem. But sometimes people die to extend a life of another. Gem got caught up in the middle of a bad situation. There's no other way to do it so she lives. Thereby allowing the death of her room mate even if it's against her will.
She witnessed many deaths, gone to different places to forget. She cried over the deaths of her parents, boyfriend, husbands and other people around her. After such scenario, it's easy to accept Gem's fate. She feels no remorse anymore but adrenaline rush to move on and be in another place. Soon everything will just be a thin memory of the past. They die so she can continue living and survive against all the odds. It's survival of the fittest.
Bree turns off the tv. She wanna rest. She never thought that her long time dream could be a reality. She's free and alone. She'd been planning her escape from the claws of evil people around her but she failed numerous times. Now, she's redeeming herself from her gruesome past. She was never wrong about John Cargill though his death was untimely. She could have been in the Will so she can get much more money and go one place to another without worrying about her finances. How long will she stay in Cape Town? Perhaps after meeting a man who could make the possibility of another wandering.
She feels nostalgic as the reminiscent of the past brings her back to her birthplace....
NEW YORK
The Claytons owned a 4 bedroom house in Manorville. Larry Clayton fondly called his daughter Alex amidst the resistance of his wife. He wanted a son as their first born but unfortunately it was a girl. Sandra Clayton wanted to call her daughter Xandi but she cannot dissuade against the command of her husband.
Alexandria May Clayton grew up in the modest home feeling the love of her mother so it didn't bother her when her father hardly noticed her existence. Sandra always brought her along whenever she left home which aside from the usual shopping malls, a Fertility Clinic. She'd been trying to get pregnant but after 9 years and 3 miscarriages since the birth of Alex, the doctor said it's not advisable to get pregnant anymore. She can't tell her husband. She's scared that he might leave her and find another woman who can give him a son.
Then one day, Alex opened the door for her daddy with a woman who could be a decade younger than her 36 year old mother. She was appalled seeing a suitcase carried by the younger woman who got pregnant later on.
"We call her surrogate mother, sweetie. She can give your dad a son. I can't", Alex's mother explained to the 10 year old girl.
At first, Alex was confused but the younger woman whom they called Sheena was quiet and only left her room during meals. Larry wasn't sweet at all to her but talked to her casually. Sometimes, she saw her mother talking to her at the poolside as they watched her swim. She can notice dad's excitement as Sheena's belly got bigger. He was even kinder to her and always asking, "Aren't you as excited as daddy about a new baby boy?"
In return, she only smiled sheepishly at the thought as Larry ruffled her hair. He seemed overjoyed so maybe it's okay to have a brother from a different mom.
Perhaps, this was a good decision of her parents. Dad was not only nicer to her but sweeter to mom. When the baby boy was born, he was named Larry Junior and was fondly called LJ. The surrogate left their house after Larry handed her a check. The following months, Sheena started ringing the Claytons with Sandra's disapproving glance whenever Larry accepted the call.
The surrogate even graced LJ's first birthday with her muscular boyfriend. Sandra's dismay was prevalent at their presence. Larry did not invite them. They just showed up in the middle of the children's party in the Clayton's front lawn. Most of the visitors were friends, employees and neighbors so to avoid any scandal Larry was civil to the gate crashers.
After a year, the Steel Manufacturing business boomed. The Claytons sold their house to move into a luxury suite in the heart of New York which was more than an hour drive from Manorville and only a 13 minute drive to Times Square. It was so sudden because her parents needed to drop her out from school without notice. Even their neighbors didn't know that they were moving out. They just left without further adieu.
Alex was confused again for this turn of event but maybe her parents knew better. She was home schooled that year.
Their new house was very elegant and modern which was located in Leonard Street with all the amenities one could wish for. There's always a party in their rooftop terrace. As the company continued to grow, more partners and employees graced their home for dinners and cocktails on every occasion like birthdays, anniversaries or any event that needed celebrating.
The Claytons also planned of buying a vacation home in Cape May, New Jersey where the family could spend weekends and holidays. Alex was happier especially when her dad started to admire her. He witnessed her reading fairy tale books to LJ during bed time. She got noticed at last and she won't let her dad's attention fade away.
When Larry Junior celebrated his second birthday, Mr. Clayton rented Eleven Madison Park, one of the most expensive restaurant in Manhattan which served multi-coursed meal. Children's party was lunchtime to 3 pm. At 4, the place was cleaned out to prepare for the 6' 0'clock dinner for the parents. The Clayton children were brought home by the driver and LJ's nanny. The celebrant must take a nap first so he's ready to be paraded to his father's guests before 7.
But LJ did not make it. He choked to his death while alone in the playroom. He swallowed a part of his toy and nobody saw it. The nanny's defense was she left the 2 kids in the playroom to get milk for the 2 year old boy so he can nap after playing. On the other hand, Alex went to her room to get a fairy tale book so she can read one for his brother to lull him to sleep. Everyone blamed Alex especially her father for not keeping an eye on little LJ. His remorse to his daughter was transparent since then.
The morose girl found comfort and solace from the arms of her mother who did not say anything harsh to her. She was just quiet until LJ's body was cremated. Larry fired all household help and never hired any replacement. He became withdrawn and always on business trips. He was rarely home until Alex heard the first argument from her parents.
"Surrogate again? No!" Sandra yelled blatantly. "The last woman you brought home asked more money after we gave her a hefty check. Calling and threatening to get her son if we don't give in to her whims. If you want another son, go!.. but not here in my house! I don't wanna move out again to escape a gold digger."
"Fine!" Larry shouted back. "I'll do what you wish!" He stormed out of the house.
That was the last conversation from her parents. Larry did not come back. After more than a month, Larry called. It was a long phone call and her mother was crying. The next day, a lawyer visited their home Sandra signed some papers.
Sandra told her daughter about everything when the lawyer left. Larry filed for divorce. He's giving her the house where they live and child support every month. He already purchased a beach home at Cape May, New Jersey where he just moved in with his girlfriend who's 2 weeks pregnant.
Sandra became lethargic since then never leaving her bedroom only to get wine delivery because Alex was of no legal age to accept it. She sought the company of alcohol day and night, leaving Alex all by herself with an ATM card which she handed to her young daughter to buy anything that she pleased.
At 12, the young girl took care of herself and her mother. She learned how to cook out of reading. Called store for food delivery. Cleaned the 4 bedroom house. Shopped alone when needed. She's always tired from school and tending the home apart from taking care of her alcoholic mother depleted her energy but she must do everything for them. She's all that she had and she never wanted to lose her mother too.
After a couple of months of her excruciating routine, she went home in a clean house. Her mother was not in her bed and a housemaid was cooking in the kitchen. The older woman introduced herself as Lucilla Jones, a permanent hire to take care of them.
"Call me Lucy. Come, bring these cookies to the rooftop. Your mom has visitors." Lucy told the dazed girl and gave her a plate.
Alex went up to the terrace which was unkempt and untouched for so long but now sparkling with cleanliness. A couple of familiar faces greeted her. Sandra gave a warm embrace to her daughter and thanked her for everything that she did while she's wallowing in pity. Alex was happier now that her mom went back to her senses after being visited by her 2 friends.
Soon after getting the divorce alimony, Sandra started to go out with her friends and sometimes Alex only received a message that they were in a cruise or flew to another country.
"Honey, I'd been wallowing in self-pity since your dad left us. I'm grateful for the alimony because I have more money so why not enjoy life? Don't worry, you can come with me during school break. You'll have a taste of this new beginning." Sandra told her in one of their phone calls while she's on a vacation in Jumeira Beach.
POSTED: APRIL 10, 2018
EDITED: MAY 28, 2018