The Wicked Mrs. Gastrell (English version)

It has been hours since Karina’s scent left me but I’m still on the floor, stuck at the same moment when she told me everything. Apparently, the Asturias killed her family, we had a son, and Elizabeth killed our little Errol and then my mother let her go.

That was pure evil perpetuated by the people in my circle. They are my friends and my family, the people I’ve cared about. It was unacceptable to think that the people who caused this to Karina are the people I dine and I do business with.

Killing innocent people is just plain evil. The killing of my son and my wife’s family by my own friends is just wicked. It’s immoral. It’s horrible. It’s making all my insides churn in disgust and abhorrence.

And it happened to my wife while she’s all by herself. Alone, scared, and with no one she can rely on. I can’t imagine how that must have felt. While I was spending my years hating her, she endured her life living through the traumatic experience and nurturing our child and then having to go through it again for the third time.

It’s like I’m going crazy now that I know everything and I don’t know Karina is coping knowing that she was with our son. She bore him in her womb for months, gave her love to him, and dreamed of a bright future for him.

Now I finally understand the sad look on her eyes, the bitter expression on her face. I now realize why she’s sneaking every night to cry at the lawn. The fire that I always read in Karina’s eyes every time she looked at Elizabeth was finally made clear. I can understand now the hatred that lives inside her.

And I admired her for being so calm outside. If it were me, I might have killed the whole of Asturias. I wouldn’t ask why she didn’t tell me the second she came back. That is because I don’t deserve to know it. She didn’t trust me enough. Why would you trust someone who wasn’t there when you were struggling and just easily believed that you left for someone else.

If I were her, I would also do the same. I was too stupid to believe the lies of Ymir who I thought was my friend. I never even questioned his motive for giving me that edited video. I just accepted it like it’s the holy truth and hated Karina for all the pain I had gone through.

I stood up from the floor and looked around the big house. The multi-million mansion is full of lavish things but it felt so empty. There was no sign of Karina, my wife, except for the piles of broken things on the floor.

I stared at the shards of glass and felt a jab on the pit of my stomach. So this is how broken she is but despite that, she still wakes up early in the morning to prepare my breakfast, arrange my clothes, and sends me off to the car with a smile on her lips like everything is well.

I cooled myself down and glanced at the maid who peeked through the kitchen opening. I understood the look of fear in her eyes so I nodded at her.

“What is it?”

She looked down before answering.

“S-Sir, Ma’am Karina’s assistant told me that he finished taking all of ma’am’s things. He told me this afternoon to tell you.”

I was tongue-tied when I heard it. I couldn’t think of anything to say so I just nodded.

Of course, she will leave me. It is evident in her eyes.

“Thank you for telling me. Go ahead. Get some rest. Just clean it up tomorrow.”

I didn’t wait for her answer and slammed the door. I angrily opened the car and drove away. I arrived at La Vida Club and went inside. I ignored the deafening blast of music and looked around.

I spotted the man I’ve been looking for at the bar area drinking by himself. With tight lips I rolled up my sleeves and clenched my fists. When I got close, I pulled Ymir upright and immediately gave him a hard blow on the face. His shocked face fell down but before he could recover, I pulled him upright again and rained a combination on his face. I never used my boxing skills outside the ring and my gym but this is different. I want to paralyze him until he can’t speak anymore. I want to twist his neck until he suffocates.

A few people who were drinking stopped and the bouncers came to stop us off but I didn’t stop. I shoved him at the liquor counter and glared at him. His mouth and nose are bloody.

“Fuck you, Ymir! I’ll kill you for real!”

I pushed him to the side and punched his face again. Blood gushed from his nose but he just laughed. He pulled back and shook his head as he wiped the blood from his face. My anger got even worse.

“Fight, you coward! You only took advantage of women and the weak, you fool.”

I grabbed his neck and held him tightly by the shoulders. His miserable eyes stared back at me.

“That’s his father and brother, man. That’s my son. You killed my son and her family! Do you think I’ll just sit around while knowing the truth? How many years did it take you to spin me with your lies? I thought you were my true friend. How about the years we have shared?! The brotherhood we had, Ymir? I treated you like an older brother I never had. Is that why you couldn’t answer when I asked you what you did to Karina? ! Do you still have a soul, man?! You just killed innocent people!”

I let go of him and punched him again. He pulled back and shook his head laughing. My anger grew even more. I can see no shame in his eyes, not even a trace that he is a bit sorry for doing it. I asked myself if this was really my friend. I see nothing of the friend I looked up to. Maybe I don’t really know him. I just acquainted myself with the very murderers of my son and my wife’s family.

I angrily approached the lying Ymir and made him stand up to taste my fist again. I don’t care if my fist is full of blood now. All I can want is to erase his face in this world. I let go of him panting and let his limp body fall to the floor.

I reached from the back of my pants and pulled out the gun and pointed it at Ymir. The people who were looking at us screamed. The security suddenly became alert and to my surprise they didn’t try to stop me from beating up Ymir earlier.

“Cholo, it’s enough,” Vida said behind me but I still didn’t lower the gun I aimed at him.

I wonder how many bullets I can plant in the man’s body.

“Stop it, man. If you don’t stop now, you’re going to kill him,” said Maverick, who I didn’t know was here. He grabbed my shoulder.

“That’s exactly what I intend to do. I’ll kill this fucking bastard!” I shouted for all to hear.

“Come on, Cholo. You’re better than that. Remember your wife. She still needs you. Think about what she would feel if she found out. Put that down, man. Think about Karina. She needed you the most.”

My temper suddenly lowered upon hearing Karina’s name. My wife’s tearful face and what would be her reaction to what I would do made me stop. I took a deep breath and slowly lowered the gun.

He’s right. Karina still needs me. I crouched down over Ymir and stared at his marred face.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“A few teeth and some broken bones, that’s just what I did to you. What you took from me and my wife cannot be paid by even your life. Prepare your best lawyer now because I will make sure that you and your sister will rot in hell the next time we meet.”

Ymir’s face went dead. I took it as a good sign before standing up and walking away. I ignored Maverick’s call and walked out of the club straight to my car. I threw the gun on the passenger’s seat and maneuvered out of the parking lot. My bloody hand gripped the steering wheel tightly. It’s like I’m chasing a demon with my speed but I don’t care anymore. All I want is to have answers to my questions that only my mother can give me.

I turned right at the first intersection and spent the entire hour in a state of blank space. When I reached the resthouse, my mother was already outside on the extended balcony waiting for me. With just one glance at my mother, I knew she knew why I was here.

I got out of the car and sat on the first step of the stairs while my mother sat in her favorite chair and looked away. Neither of us spoke but we both knew why we were here.

“Why did you do it?” I broke the silence and folded my numb hands. “He’s your grandson, mom. That’s my son. Your grandson. He’s my flesh and blood.”

I pressed between my eyes to suppress the emotion. I heard her sniffing.

“I didn’t know about it. Believe me or not but I really didn’t know that you and Karina had a child. Her name was different on the records. It wasn’t Karina Versoza. It was Veronika Alcantara. I don’t know why it happened. I have no time to check on that. What I knew at that time was I can finally pay some debts I owed with the Asturias. I talked to the police chief of Sta. Barbara who also owes mine to release Elizabeth not knowing that it’s the murderer of my grandson whom I’m setting free. I didn’t know, son. If only I did… then I wouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I’m so ashamed of myself. I am so sorry.”

She cried out.

“You could have avoided it in the first place if you’re practicing real public service. You’ve sworn in to be a loyal servant to the public, mom… to protect the powerless and the weak but you abused your power. And the justice for my son’s death came in exchange for that abuse of yours. We were so blind. We’re so fucking blind that we still talk to them and treat them like family not knowing that they have fucked us from behind. They killed Karina’s family! They killed my son and my mother let go of the murderer! Iyon ang balik sa atin ng karma!”

I covered my head with both hands and let the tears flow.

“I would understand if you would hate me, son. I would definitely understand if you will never forgive me at all. It’s okay. I deserve it.”

I wiped my tears and stood up.

“You’re my mother. I love you very much and I still do even after all I’ve learned. Just let me be for a while now while I come in terms with it. Because until now, I can’t accept everything. It’s just sad to think that my own mother is one of the reasons why I can no longer feel the love of a child. I will never have a chance of seeing him, loving him, spoiling him, giving him everything he wanted. You took that from me and Karina. You have deprived us of the right to be Errol’s parents.” I wiped my tears again and sighed. “I came here to be enlightened but I didn’t know that I would have more questions to ask. I’ll just come back when I’ve sorted all of these out. I’m leaving. Get some rest now.”

I didn’t wait for my mother’s answer. I went back to the car and started the engine. My chest tightened even more when I heard the confession from my mother’s mouth.

I stopped for a moment on the side of the road to release my emotions. And then I got my cell phone and called my secretary. He picked up at the first ring.

“Cancel all of the projects of Gastrell Corporation with the Asturias effective today. Tell Attorney Gualvez to come see me tomorrow at the office and prepare for a press conference. Thank you.”

I turned off the cellphone and poured my attention back to the road. I slapped my face and cursed.

This will be a long night ahead.