Marigold
I knocked on the door of the hotel room and waited for an answer.
I don’t know why Will insisted we meet in a hotel. Could it be because he’s very busy? Maybe it’s this hotel that they are using to shoot the movie
I knocked on the door again and there was no reply. My phone then vibrated in my purse and I brought it out. It was a message from him saying I should come inside
“why didn’t he just open the door?” I muttered to myself and chuckled. Who knows, maybe he has a surprise for me. A romantic surprise I guess
I opened the door hoping to see a room decorated with beautiful rose petals on the floor and the bed and sweet smelling perfume, then a beautiful table set for a romantic dinner with candles and food. But the room was just normal, like really normal. I didn’t even inhale the smell of his perfume
I closed the door
“uhmm, Will?” I called when I didn’t see him
I walked further and stood in front of the bed, I dropped my purse and looked around
“Willie” I called again and I heard a sound from the bathroom.
“oh, he’s in the bathroom” I said and I relaxed on the bed. I brought out my phone and decided to take a picture so I stood up and went to the mirror. I took only two shots when the bathroom door opened.
I looked back immediately and expected him to walk out but he didn’t
“Wilbur?” I called and looked waiting for him to come out. Slowly, he stepped out with a towel and he was dripping wet. When I saw the feet, I looked up into his face instantly because those feet weren’t his. His feet are tender not veined and thick
It was Eduardo not Wilbur. He had a smirk on his face. I was taken aback
“Eduardo?”
What am I doing in Eduardo’s room?
_____
Wilbur
“it’s switched off now” Eliza said and I bit my lower lip
“and she took her car right?” I asked
“the text said she should take a cab” Eliza answered
“this is serious” I said and my heart skipped several beats
“I’m calling my manager now” I said and immediately began to dial his number. He picked up almost immediately and that’s a good thing because I would have run out of patience just waiting for him to pick up the phone
?hello there’s a problem
?what is it this time?
?Mari got a text from me saying she should meet me in a hotel by 7pm. I didn’t send that message and now her phone’s switched off
?I don’t really understand you
I groaned and felt like hanging up but I needed his help
?just meet me at the station okay? The police station, now
?okay, I’ll be there
I hung up and breathed a nervous sigh
“I don’t think we have to worry. She might come back if she doesn’t see you there” Eliza said
“someone sent a text to her using my number. Saying she should come to a hotel and she should carry a cab not her car. And she actually went, and it’s been an hour since she left and you called her phone, she didn’t pick three times then the fourth time her phone is switched off. I think you know we’re supposed to worry” I stated and palmed my forehead
“I’ll follow you to the police station”
“okay, get a jacket. It’s cold tonight” I said and she nodded and ran inside
_____
Mari
“you’re highly welcome” he said with the smirk still plastered on his face. He began to move towards me and I moved back
“I’m supposed to be meeting Will here” I said and he laughed
“I studied Computer Science partially and I’m very good in hacking someone’s phone” he said and I furrowed my brows
“I don’t understand” I said and I somehow felt in danger. But I shouldn’t be in danger, this is Wilbur’s best friend
“you don’t understand? Wow, you’re just as dumb as your boyfriend” he said and I gulped down.
I looked at my purse and at the door.
“excuse me, I’ll take my leave now. Sorry for intruding” I said and walked to the bed
I picked up my purse and he took just two steps forward and grabbed me by the neck. I screamed and both my phone and purse fell down to the floor
“where do you think you’re going? You want to walk out on me?” he barked and I shivered and choked at the same time. I couldn’t breathe.
“please… Please put… Put me down please” I stammered and coughed at the same time.
He lifted me up and my feet floated in the air. I got even choked up more and I know if he hadn’t dropped me, I would have been gone in the nearest one minute
I landed on the bed and I began to cough for the next five minutes. My eyes were burning and bringing our tears. My nose suddenly began to run and thick saliva filled my mouth
I didn’t even know when he brought a bottle and forcefully opened my mouth and poured in the content. He lowered my head and let my face face the ceiling. That way I uncontrollably gulped down the bitter liquid. He then forcefully pushed me away
“what did you give me?” I managed to ask with my voice that had suddenly gone low because of the choking
“something to make you sleep for some hours” he replied and I gasped and stared at him
“by the time I’m through with you, you’d regret choosing Wilbur” he said and at that instant, my eye lids pulled down uncontrollably
______
Wilbur
I ruffled my hair as I paced round my room. It was midnight and I couldn’t sleep. Mari hasn’t come home yet and her number is still switched off The police have started their search through the different hotels here in Manila. We don’t know the exact one she went to because she didn’t tell Eliza the name.
Eliza is so worried and sad. She even burst out crying around 10pm while we were still at the police station.
Wini said she’d take the next flight back home from India where she went for her special beauty treatments.
But who could it be that kidnapped Mari? The innocent girl isn’t at loggerheads with anyone reasonable enough to be responsible. The person made use of my number so that person is aware she’s my girlfriend.
Could it be that someone is trying to get to me by using her? Could it be the same person who sent that anonymous text?
“damn!” I yelled and sat on the bed
I hope it’s just an ordinary kidnap and that they’d demand for a ransom. I can’t even imagine what Mari would be going through right now
_______
Mari
I opened my heavy eyes and heaved a very long and deep sigh
“I thought I had mistakenly given you poison. You just wouldn’t wake up since” Eduardo’s voice echoed
I blinked my eyes repeatedly and managed to take hold of his image. He was standing in front of me with his hands in his pockets.
I looked away from him and managed to look around. We were no longer in the hotel room.
We were now in a wine cellar.
“it took you ten whole hours to wake up. That’s quite unusual, it’s supposed to be five hours only” he said again
I tried to turn my head but my whole neck hurt badly. I then found out I couldn’t even make a sound.
I was tied up to a chair.
“you might be wondering where you are. You’re in my house. I wanted to show you my wine collection. You see I’ve always tried to get more wines than Wilbur but you see, he has this secret place he gets his wine from. And he gets the most expensive and historic wines. I wonder how, he’d never tell me. Maybe he told you. Mind sharing them with me”
He walked and stood right in front of me. His eyes were red and his face was hard like someone who just took hard drugs
“I’m talking to you so answer me!” he yelled angrily
“idiot, you covered my mouth” I yelled but of course it came out as mumblings and not actual sounds
“you… You’re a witch! Everything started working out better for him when you came into his life! He became better than I when he found you! He began twice as rich and famous as I was because of you!” he yelled and punched me in the stomach. I felt intense killing pain and I screamed.
He removed the duck tape on my mouth aggressively and it was so painful, I even thought my skin would peel off with the tape.
“you know what? I’m going to keep you here till I bounce back! You’re going to be mine until I see him lick my feet again!”
Wilbur??
I didn’t get any sleep last night at all. I stayed up all night drinking, Now my head hurts so bad and huge eye bags are hanging underneath my eyes. I managed to shower and come down for breakfast because I was so hungry.
I managed to eat much food because I knew I might not sit down today to eat. I had my manager cancel all my work today.
Immediately after breakfast, I went to the police station and hoped for some good news. There was no news at all concerning her. Not even a clue. All the restaurants and hotels they went to overnight didn’t have any record of her coming in that night. Hopefully, there would be a positive angle today with the other hotels.
I was about to leave the station when Eduardo came rushing in
“hey, I heard what happened. Any news yet?” he asked me
“no, no clues no news. Everything is just blank” I said with despair in my voice. He tapped my shoulder
“don’t worry, there’s still time. She’ll be found” he said and I breathed out
Winifred walked in also and began to look around. She saw me and breathed in then hurried towards me
“Will are you okay?’’ she asked and hugged me immediately
“I’m fine thanks” I said and she disengaged
“don’t worry she’ll be found okay? And the culprit would so be put behind bars. Nobody messes with your happiness and goes scot free” she stated and I smiled
“thank you” I said. She smiled too and then looked at Eduardo. Her expression changed
“ohh” she said as she looked at him
“I didn’t see you there” she said
“it’s nice to meet you too” Eduardo said sarcastically
“I never said it was nice to meet—”
“—don’t start now Wini, please” I pleaded and she stopped talking. She glared at Eduardo then took my hand
“come on, let’s talk” she said and pulled me
.
.
To Be Continued
