Chapter 136 Trauma

• [WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS AN UNSETTLING SCENE] EARLY in the morning, Albert was in the middle of a meeting with Alison when he received a call from an unknown number. He doesn't want to answer the call, but there's a voice in his head telling him that he needs to, when he answers it. He is surprised to know that it is Latton telling him that she was released from the facility and will not return home for a while. Before he could even object, the call was already disconnected, and when he tried to dial the number, it could not be reached. He frowned, "What are you planning?" He thought to himself as he tightly gripped his phone. Alison saw the look on his face and asked, "Who was it?" "Latton," he mumbled. "She's out of the rehab, but she's not coming back," he added with gloom on his face. Alison scoffed, "Don't worry about her. She's broke, she'll return soon." He heaves profoundly, "You're right. She's just acting stubborn. When the money in her pocket runs out she'll run back to me." Meanwhile, at the other end of the line, Latton was grinning eerily. Soon, music started playing. "Let the games begin." She mumbles as she walks slowly while holding a bouquet. - After 3 months. Merle Cafe. “Good morning, Daddy!” Latton yells as she walks toward Albert. Her father was seated in a comfortable cushioned satin maroon chair enjoying the dessert in front of him. He almost jumped when he heard her gleeful voice and when he glanced at her, she was smiling from ear to ear. “Something was amiss,” he thought to himself. He sent his daughter to rehab 5 months ago. She is enraged and aggrieved, and now she’s standing in front of him happier than ever. "Rehab does work," he said to himself. Her jovial mood scares him, but he could use it to his advantage and tell her about his marriage with Alison. While he was still thinking, Latton sat on the chair opposite of him. “You don’t look happy to see me.” She mumbled with a frown on her face. “Of course I am. I’m just surprised to see that you’re in a good mood,” he muttered, then lowered his head, "I just want you to know that our wedding plans will resume." He added, anticipating her retort, but it never came. "Of course, it's about time for you to move on." She replied gleefully. He gasped in disbelief, "Really?" She nods then smiles from ear to ear. He grins, then gestures for the waiter to take her order. She checks the menu and orders two plates of steaks. “I already ate,” he says. “It’s not for you,” she responded. “I'm happy that you were able to meet me on very short notice.” She added. He clears his throat again and is unsure how to tell her. “I want to see you and ask you about the wedding.” She tilts her head to the side while grinning at him, “You don't want me to attend your wedding?” She asks. “It’s not like that, I want you to be there but… “ “It’s fine. No hard feelings, we’ll just call it quits for not inviting you to “my” wedding.” She intervenes. He was dumbfounded by what he heard and thought he had misheard her. He tried to open his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Seeing how stunned he was, she continued: “Don’t worry, I didn’t marry some random junkie. You actually know him, like ‘know him, know him’.” He looks at her in disbelief and dismay that he starts touching the bridge of his nose. Shortly, a tall man catches his attention, a familiar figure walks towards them and his face changes immediately from disbelief to resentment. The man stopped at their table and put his hand on Latton’s shoulder. She glances at the man, and they kiss in front of him, so passionately that he wants to gouge his eyes out and vomit right then and there. He was extremely mortified that he stood up and hit the table with his hand, jolting the table and causing a scene in the serene restaurant. “What’s the meaning of this Latton Carol Ripley!?!” He yells at the top of his lungs, the veins on his forehead bulging and throbbing as if they’ll pop out any minute now. He stood towering and staring down at her, ignoring the prying eyes and the murmurs of the restaurant patrons. - A vague memory enters her mind when he calls her by her full name. A memory she once pushed at the back of her mind. It was her 13th birthday and a small celebration was held at school. She noticed that after she blew out her candle her father went missing. She walked in the corridor, to look for him, but he was not there. She continued walking, and then she heard some rattling sounds from one of the classrooms and thought that someone might have left an open window. She walked to the room, but before she could open the door she heard voices. Unsure of what lies ahead, she slowly opens the door to take a peak, and what she sees scars her for life. It was her father and Alison at the teacher's table half-naked. Her eyes wide open, unable to fathom what was happening, she breathed heavily, as she kept on repeating in her mind, “Daddy and Alison. My father and Ali, what?” Her heart was pounding hard as she closed the door quietly and ran away from the building as fast as her legs could take her. Clueless that danger lurks near her, in a swift turn of events, a white van stops near her and drags her inside, “Latton Carol Ripley,” one of her masked captors says while looking at her school ID. Soon they hurriedly drove away from the school area to an abandoned building. She was terrified of them but at the same time thankful that they took her away, away from her Dad, away from everything. They carried her into the building, and sat her on the cold, dirty floor, her back leaning on the building pillar where they tied her up and covered her mouth. One of the captors kept on glancing at her, at her legs. When they were left alone, those glances became physical, he touched her leg, and slowly moved his hand to her thigh, maliciously pinching her skin every step of the way. Sending chills all over her body. She gasped and began crying. “Shhhh. It's better if you remain silent. No one can hear you here.” He whispers in her ear. His voice filled with malevolent intent. He moved his face close to hers. Sniffed her hair and neck. He then unbuttoned her uniform and played with her breasts, licking, and nibbling her nipples. Soaking her delicate innocent mind into a spiral of nightmares. She felt she was in a limbo. Unable to move, speak, do anything. He forcefully parted her legs, lifted her skirt, and removed her underwear. She saw how the disgusting man sniffed her undies like a dog looking for drugs. She wanted to vomit or simply die at that moment. Her whole body was shaking. She felt a pit in her stomach and her lips pallid. Her heart sank when he heard his voice again whispering to her ear like the devil, “Don’t worry, I’m more of an ass man.” She began to sob uncontrollably. He hated it, he slapped her so hard in the face, that she almost lost consciousness. Her vision starts to blur and all she can hear is a buzzing sound. He picked her up and bent her over the table. He unbuckled his pants and jerked himself, then spat on her asshole. Pushing a finger slowly inside her ass. All she could do was cry silently. She could feel her skin stretch as he inserted his forefinger deeper. She winces in pain, her lips trembling in fear, her vision blurs with the tears rolling down her eyes like waterfalls. Before he could do more damage to her, another one of her captors entered the room, and pushed her assailant, then yelled, “Dominique, what the fuck are you doing? You’re a fucking sick bastard. After this job, don’t ever come near my family.” She saw how the other man punched and kicked Dominique, his face swollen beyond recognition. Beyond her shaken, frightened, and distressed state, she was smiling, wishing that the man wouldn't stop hurting him. From that day, she was never left with Dominique alone and, with that, the incident never happened again. She was kept in that filthy, dingy, abandoned building for three days. No food or drinks were given. She was extremely dehydrated and almost on the brink of death when the police, together with her father, rescued her from the kidnappers. She never told him everything that happened that day, the reason she ran away, and doesn’t plan on telling him ever. She wanted it to stay buried at the back of her mind, but the situation where she was right now made her remember that day. She sighs deeply and closes her eyes. Chanting her mantra repeatedly in her mind, "Everything is fine. Everything will be okay. You’re okay." "Dominique is dead, I'm safe now." She said to herself. - She calmed herself and glanced at her father, thinking that her father’s wedding would happen no matter what. Even if Catherine was still alive, she would just suffer like her. She giggled, then said, “No need to be overly dramatic, Dad. Meet your son-in-law. My loving husband, Victor York.”