Chapter 12: Things Aren't Always What They Seem
Rome keeps waking up to someone calling him, but they put their number as "unknown." He would call them back, but they don't answer. Rome is on his last nerve, but he has a guess of who it might be. He decided to turn off his phone and get some sleep. Tomorrow he will deal with it.
Rita got mad that Rome decided to turn off his phone. But now she can get some sleep too. She has been sleeping on the couch the whole time. She didn't want to sleep in someone else's bed or disturb anything. Rita didn't need a lot of space, and the couch was comfy. There was her laptop that she been researching on and a suitcase of her clothes.
She stares at her laptop, looking up more information about Aff. Aff and Aom had the same mother, but not the same father, and all the parents have died, interesting. But something didn't add up, there is nothing before 1987, so what happened in the first three years of her life? It's like she just suddenly popped up out of no where. Was that possible? Aom must know something, because she would have been five at the time, but would she reveal that information? Rita got frustrated how difficult this was, Aff's past didn't match up to any of the public records given. It's like she was two different people. This was enough to handle for one night, tomorrow is a new day with more information to dig up.
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Rita got ready to go to work. Right before she was going to leave, she heard someone scream, "Be Careful!" Then there was a loud thump. It scared her. Was someone trying to warn her? Was it telling her about something that happened before? Or was it her imagination? Rita wrote it off as her mind running around, she's been thinking too much about Aff.
She arrive at work, 20 minutes late, she fell asleep on the bus coming here. After a lady tapped her on the shoulder saying that she missed her stop awhile back, Rita dashed out and ran to the company. The bus driver was going to go back since there was only one more stop left, and it would only take 5-8 minutes, but Rita already left. She didn't know where to go, but she decided to take the stairs, to be on the safe side. Rome's office is on the top floor, so that meant walking all the way to the top. The stairs were getting long, the same pattern over and over, making Rita dizzy. A spiral, that seems to be endless. She finally reached the top, but the door to it was lock. No one was on the other side to open her, so she started going down. At each floor, she would stop to open the door, lock. Eventually she made her way back to the ground level. Exhausted and tired, Rita decided to take the elevator now. She pressed the button to go up, but a person went up to her and said that the elevator is out of order, and to use the stairs. Rita started to get piss off, first she went up 25 flight of stairs, then back down each one, and now the elevator is out of order and she has to go back up the stairs. She wanted to scream, but she didn't have the energy to. Then the same person told her that she needed a key card to open the doors by the stairs so then no one can sneak out or in or steal anything without being monitored by these. Her patience was wearing thin, now she gets informed. Yesterday it wasn't a big deal, she went up there without anything. And again the same person told her that Rome started issuing this today in the morning. It's almost 10:45 AM, she is now 2 hours and 45 minutes late.
Rita decided that today she won't come in to work, she'll take a personal day. She deserves it after what she did in the morning. Her stomach growled, apparently when she was getting ready, she forgot to eat. Rita walked into the same restaurant as yesterday, she noticed Chai there.
Rita: Hey Chai.
Chai: Oh, hi Rita. (shocked to see her again)
Rita: What are you doing here?
Chai: Researching. You?
Rita: Lunch break.
Chai: So early.
Rita: Yeah, I took a personal day. So what are you researching?
Chai: Nothing much, just a company that's all.
Rita: It wouldn't happen to be the 'NV' company, would it?
Chai: Um, it is. How did you know?
Rita: Lucky guess and because I work there now.
Chai: What? (almost choked on his coffee) You work for Rome?
Rita: Yeah, I'm a model there.
Chai: Let me advise you, stay away from Rome, as far away as you can. He is nothing but a snake, don't trust him. My friend, Af-- ahem, my friend did, and now that person is dead.
She knew who Chai was talking about, Aff. But Rome was her fiance, Rome wouldn't harm her. Would he?
Rita: I'll keep that in mind, but as of right now, I am an employee at NV.
After Rita finished her meal, she left Chakrit in a worry state. She knows that Chakrit means well, but you keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. And as of right now, she doesn't who is a friend and who is a foe, so she must stay close to all of them. Chakrit feels that Rita is too good to fall into Rome's hands, he doesn't want her to be the same as Aff.
Rita starts walking down the sidewalk. It was only 11:25, she still has a lot of time to chill, but the thing was that she didn't know anything in the city. Where would she even begin?
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Rome was getting ticked off, Rita was suppose to show up 3 hours ago. His secretary informed him that someone saw Rita this morning, but she left. It was her first day, she had to do her first photo shoot at 10. Today was not the day to mess with Rome. He keep waking up, for the past few nights, his nightmares have been getting worse. He could envision Aff's throat slice, he could see her trying to scream out for help, but every time she open her mouth, blood would pour out. That image has been embedded in his head. Why must the memories he has of Aff not be enough to drive these painful visions away? Was Aff trying to tell him something? Suddenly someone knocked on his door, it was Aom.
Aom: Rome, sweetie, you haven't eaten yet. Do you want something?
Rome: No thanks. If you are hungry, you go ahead.
Aom: I really want to eat with you though.
Rome: Go on, take one of your friends with you.
Aom: They all ate already. It's just you, me, and your mother. And I don't want to eat with your mom.
Nok: What was that? You don't want to eat with me?
Aom: Uh-----ummm
Nok: It's okay, I don't want to eat with a low-standard woman like you. Even talking to you disgusts me. So if I was to eat with you, I would surely lose my appetite.
Aom: Then DON'T!
Rome: Enough! I don't want any fighting, not here. Excuse me, I have to go somewhere. (starts walking out of his office)
Aom: But Rome, I thought you said you weren't hungry! Wait for me!
Unexpectedly, Nok stuck out her foot, and Aom tripped, causing her to fall. Nok laughed it off and went on with her duties. Aom brushed herself of the floor and began walking to her desk. She gets treated like dirt, not only by Rome's mother, but Rome. He doesn't even protect her against his mother. If it was Aff, he would, faster than a heartbeat. She loves her sister, but there are times when she hates Aff's guts, so much, let's just say, it doesn't always end well. Aom laughs at herself, she's jealous of a dead person. Her own sister died, she should feel sad, but right now, Aom can feel nothing but hatred against her. She wished that she would have met Rome first, then it would have her. If she would have gone to the store to buy the cake, instead of Aff, it would have been her who would have met Rome. Why does fate have to be so cruel to her? Tears started rolling down Aom's cheeks. She quickly wiped them off, but they kept coming. She ran to the bathroom, so no one else would notice. She went in one of the stalls, and slid to the floor, crying. She didn't notice, but there was someone else in there, sitting right next to her, brushing Aom's hair to calm her down. A tear rolled down their eye too, the pain she caused her sister, she had no idea.
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Rome walked out his company for fresh air, stretching his arms, he noticed someone across the street. It was Rita, looking lost. He crosses the street and begins following her. She had no idea where she was going, everything look foreign to her. She had been going around circles, and was getting no where. Her instinct sensed that something was following her, but she didn't want to just turn her head and find out. That would be a no-no, instead Rita takes out her cellphone and calls Rome, he was the only phone number she had, and if something happens to her, Rome would know.
*ring ring*
Rome was going to laugh, she was calling him. But he kept his composure and answered the phone. "Hello"
Rita: Hey Rome! Oh my god, guess what I did today sweetie?
Rome: What are you talking about? Why are you acting so sweet?
Rita:just play along. (in a quiet voice) OH I HAD THE MOST FABULOUS DAY! I WENT SHOPPING AND BROUGHT A LOT OF STUFF! (loud enough so whoever was following could hear her)
Rome: And what else?
Rita: OH YOU KNOW, THE USUAL. I WENT TO THE GYM AND LOST LIKE A GAZILLION POUNDS!
Rome: Then why do you still look fat to me?
Rita: What are you talking about? Can you see me? Where are you?
Rome: Look behind you.
Rita: No. There's someone following me idiot, if I look back, then they know that I'm on to them. (she accidentally hung up on him, because she got so mad. when she tried calling him back, he had turn off his phone. what a jerk, she thought, just when she needed him the most.)
He started laughing. Rita was too funny. He can't believe she was so scared of being follow that she won't even look behind her. Rome quicken his pace to be right next to her ear. He started breathing heavily, trying to scare her some more. With his fingers touching her hair. There wasn't a lot of people around, everyone was going on with their days. Rita kept walking, quickening her pace, but whoever was following her was on her tail.
Rita: GO AWAY! I HAVE A BOYFRIEND, HE KNOWS WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW!
Rome (in a disguise voice): I think you're lying. But if you tell me his name, I just might leave you alone.
Rita (not knowing what to say, said the first name she could think of): ROME PATCHATA!
Rome started laughing hysterically. Rita recognized the voice.
Rita: ROME!!!!!!!!!! It was you following me.
He couldn't stop laughing, he can't believe Rita actually said his name. And at that split moment, he didn't feel any sadness or heartache. Rita slapped his arm, for scaring her like that. She can't believe he was behind her the whole time. All this time she was scared of getting raped or mugged, and it was just him.
Rita: Stop it. Why didn't you tell me it was you?
Rome: okay....okay...hahhahaha...ahem. I did tell you that I was behind you, you didn't trust me.
Rita: Ugh. I'm leaving, you jerk.
Rome: Wait up. I have to talk to you. You didn't show up today at work. And you had an important shoot. Hurry up and let's go back.
Rita: I was there, but then I decided to take a personal day. Since someone decided to issue a key card access today, making me walk up and down the stairs forever. But today, I want to finish my day off.
Rome: I give you two options: One, you come with me peacefully. Or two, we do it the hard way.
Rita: I choose option three, I don't go with you. End of discussion.
Rome: Well you left me with no choice.
He walks closer to Rita. Afraid, she backs away, hitting the wall of a building. He grabs her waist and lifts her over his shoulder. Rome could hear her gasp in shock. He smiles at her reaction. She's mad, but doesn't put up a fight, at least not yet. He carries her to the company which wasn't that far away, there were probably only a block away, which made Rome laugh even more, how lost Rita was in the city. As they entered the building, employees started gossiping. When Rome looked at them, they stood up straight with their mouths shut, but when he turned his back, they started to chatter away. He brings her to the elevator, and presses the up button. Still carrying Rita, gets into the elevator.
Rita: I thought the elevator was broken.
Rome: No, it works perfectly fine.
Rita: What? No, this morning it didn't work. And someone told me that it was broken.
Rome: No, it's working fine. And what person?
Rita: That person I told you about, the one who said you started issuing key cards today.
Rome: Um, I started issuing key cards like 2 years ago. When you were talking about issuing key cards today, I thought you meant new ones. Because I issue new ones ever 6 months so then people who got fired can't use their same card to get in here. What did this person look like?
Rita: Hmmm...it was an older man, I say like late 40's. He still had some black hair. Nothing out of the ordinary with him. And on his key card, it only had his first name, I think. It was 'Jit'
Rome: Jit, hmmm I heard that name before. Jit.
They get off the elevator, and more employees sees Rome carrying Rita on one of his shoulders. He doesn't care how many eyes are on him. They go into his office, he drops Rita on the couch, while he goes to his office chair. He was typing something on his computer.
Rome: Are you sure he had a key card from here?
Rita: Positive. He showed me the front and back of it. It had the company logo and everything. There was no mistake, I was standing like 2-3 feet away from him.
Rome: I hate to break it to you, but that can't be possible.
Rita: Are you saying I'm lying? I'm not. I saw him with my own eyes.
Rome: You couldn't have because the only Jit we hired died two years ago. About few months before I even issued key cards, so he wouldn't have known about them.
Rita: You must be mistaken! His name is Jit. J-I-T. I saw him wiith my own eyes. I even talked to him.
Rome: Well the weird thing was, the day he died, it was reported that the elevator was broken that day.
Rita: Stop messing with me! It's not funny anymore.
Rome: I'm not, this is for real Rita.
Rita: If what you are telling me is true, then I just talked to a ghost.
Rome: That's what I'm saying.
Rita: Well, what was his occupation here?
Rome: Let's see. It was.......night guard. His friend that was working that day reported that Jit left his area because he heard a lady scream, like she needed help outside the building. He went out to help her, and never returned. When he didn't return after a few minutes, his friend called the police. He was 48 years old, died on...oh my god.
Rita: What?
Rome: It was the same day Aff died.
TBC
i decided to put the cat fight in the next update..sorry......
spoiler: how far is rita willing to go to find out the truth? will she risk her own life???
hmmm i'll give you all some hints:
1) aff may or may not know what she's doing....
2) rita and aff ties go way back...but how far??
3) aff may or may not want rita with rome...there is still her sister aom too....