The Wicked Mrs. Gastrell (English version)

“Can you compete with that? Look at the way he looks at Ely as if she’s the only woman he can see. Can you stand that?”

I didn’t need to look back at the man to recognize him. The uncontrollable anger that suddenly roused from deep within me is enough for me to identify the person. I smirked and continued drinking my wine. I was sitting here a while ago waiting at the table reserved for Cholo and me in the middle of the hall where a birthday party was being held for one of the family friends of the Gastrells.

I was alone because my wonderful husband just left me to talk to the organizer of the event. And to my utter dismay, Elizabeth is there by his side looking like his wife while laughing with the other wives beside their own husbands. I should be in her position. I should be the one laughing with the legit wives while sipping my glass of champagne.

I should be the one holding Cholo’s arm and supporting my husband, not the mistress. But instead, I’m just sitting here drowning myself in alcohol while staring at them while talking to the other dignitaries. I dropped the glass on the table and turned my eyes away from the two to give attention to the intruder of my silence.

“No, I can’t but can she compete with the truth and nothing but the truth? Can she handle it if the man she put on the pedestal will know the truth? That she is a fake?”

I flashed the man a mocking smile. “Don’t challenge me, Ymir. In just a snap of my fingers.”

I snapped my fingers on his face.

“I can make your sister’s life a living hell. I’m about to get really bothered with her interference in my married life. So if I were you, I would tell my sister to stay away from things that already belong to other people. I’m really approaching my limit now, Ymir. Maybe I’ll suddenly explode and who knows where your sister might end up? Can you take it? Can you bear to see your only sister bound and stra-”

Ymir grabbed me by the hand and twisted my wrist. It hurts. I want to curse because of the pain but every time I compare the pain to what I experienced in the past, the physical pain I feel miraculously. disappears.

“What the fuck are you talking about?!” he gritted his teeth.

His face is dark and there is fear and anxiety written on it. I smiled at him innocently.Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

“Huh? I didn’t say anything. Who am I compared to people like you who are so influential and powerful?”

I gently patted his hand that was still tightly gripping my wrist.

“Relax. Don’t be too annoyed. You started it and now you’re not that game to finish it? You threaten me and you still have the urge to get angry even though you were the first to provoke me? That’s hilarious!”

I took the bread knife from the table and pointed it in his hand.

“You’ll let go of me or I’ll make a scandal? I have nothing to lose Ymir so better get that filthy hand of yours away from me.”

It took a while before he let go of my hand. Then he leaned back in the chair and laughed.

“You are definitely not the Karina that I knew back then. You were like a gentle sheep. A far cry from the beautiful tiger I am facing now.”

It’s my turn to laugh.

“Really?”

I parted my hair and sensually caressed the exposed neck. I didn’t make a mistake because his gaze followed my hand.

“So, what’s the verdict? Do you like this new version of me?”

His eyes became lustful. “I’ll be honest, I like the old version.”

My smirk faded. “I think I know why. It’s easier to make me a fool. It’s easier to manipulate me, to hurt me, to kill me.”

He took my glass and emptied its contents. He shook his head at me afterwards.

“No, that’s not it. The reason why I liked the old Karina is because of your eyes. I like how innocent they were.”

I looked at him blankly.

“I miss her too, Ymir. But because of what you did to me, I can’t make her go back. W-why… Why do you have to do that to me? Why did you have to ruin me?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stopped my eyes from burning. He must have caught the change in my expression because he looked away to watch his beloved sister.

“Families protect each other, Karina.”

I chuckled. My wrath is being heated up to the highest degree. I moved the chair to be closer to him. I put my hand on his chest and gently adjusted his messed neck tie. He didn’t do anything and just let me be.

“Families protect each other. What a noble thing to say. So it’s alright for you to destroy other families in the guise of protecting your own? If that is your belief then allow me to ruin yours as well. Let’s start with your sister, shall we Ymir?”

His body became rigid. He carelessly removed my hand from his chest which landed on his thigh, his eyes looked at me intently.

“Do it, Karina. I wouldn’t think twice about ruining yours as well.”

My face hardened. I clenched my fists to stop my emotions from erupting.

“Karina.”

Ymir and I looked at the source of the voice. Cholo is looking at us darkly particularly at my hand on Ymir’s lap. I casually removed my hand from his thigh and glanced at Elizabeth who was next to Cholo who are eyeing Ymir curiously.

“Hi, did it go well?” I asked Cholo.

He looked at Ymir first then to me.

“Yeah, it did.”

He extended his hand to me. I froze remembering the first time he did this to me. He moved his hand in my face.

“Hold it,” he commanded me. There was no gentleness in the voice.

“Of course.”

I reached for Cholo’s hand and stood up. I stuck myself closest to him before looking down at Elizabeth who now turned her gaze to his brother sister who was also looking at us. Cholo just nodded to Ymir before pulling me towards the dancefloor where there were already dancing couples.

I put my arms on his neck and swayed with him. I looked at him just in time for me to see his eyes burning with anger.

“I brought you here as my wife, not to flirt with another man especially to my friend,” Cholo said disgustingly.

I smiled bitterly. Why am I not surprised that he will interpret the situation in this way?

But just like all the other days that I have successfully hidden my emotions from him, I did it once again through smiling and shrugging the pain away.

“Hub, relax. Don’t show the people here that your marriage is a miserable one.”

I placed my head on his chest.

“Smile. Don’t let it affect you. Ymir and I were just talking. He approached me about your secret project with him. I said I don’t know about it but he won’t believe me. That’s what you saw.”

I felt his hand land on my bare back. “You may make others believe your lies, Karina but not me. I saw how you flirted with the man.”

A triumphant smile appeared in my lips. It’s nice to know that I am not the only one who’s affected by us being in other people’s presence.

“So, you’ve been watching me all this time?”

I raised my head so that we could both look at each other.

“You can’t let me out of your sight, can you?”

He smiled back at me but I know it’s not a smile of amusement but an insulting one.

“Don’t flatter yourself too much, wife. I’m just preventing you from making another scandal that will bring shame to our name. Don’t forget that you are a Gastrell. As much as I wanted to strip off the title from you, I couldn’t for the sake of this fucking election. It’s like eight years ago all over again.”

I still kept a calm face and a smiling lips even though I wanted to curse because of his mention of the past that plunged me into my endless pain and suffering.

“Cholo, do you think it’s easy for me to see that you’re ignoring me as your wife? Did you hear any complaints from me? Did I make a scandal during the time that I’m here? Never. What I’m only asking from you is respect. Yes, I know I can never get back what I used to have. You love someone else and it’s not me. Just don’t rub it on my face because I’m still human after all. I’m hurting too. Please, don’t make me look like you never needed me every day. I already know that. I’ve known it for a long time, believe me

I didn’t realize that we had already stopped dancing and were now just standing staring into each other’s eyes.

“Then why did you come back here? What was your intention other than to wreck havoc in our lives? Haven’t you done enough damage to me, to us?” he asked in between his gritting teeth.

I chuckled forcefully.

“You ask why I came back? Because I love you, Cholo. Very very much. What else can be the reason? I’m rich. I don’t need your money anymore but my heart wants to be here with you. Do you think it’s easy for me to come back here even though I know that everyone hates me, especially you? You said you can only tolerate me until after the election which is only a few months away from now. I know that no one can stop you from completely divorcing me once that time comes. I also know that I can’t do anything else so I’m begging you to let me be with you until that day that we will finally part our ways. I’m putting my best foot forward now. Please, I’m begging you. Let me be with you until then. Let me show you how much I love you so much. I’m not expecting anything in return from you. Just let me do it for fun. This is my way of telling you Cholo that… that you are the only one from then until now. Even if the time passes, even if you forget me, even if you hate my whole being… that won’t change the fact that you’re the first man who offered his hand to me. Give me a chance, please.”

Neither of us spoke after my long litany. We were just standing there in the middle of the music and couples who were softly dancing along to the accompaniment of classical music.

I am looking directly at his eyes to send him my sincerest message. This is what I’ve wanted from the very moment our eyes locked up that one summer afternoon while he was inside his posh car laughing at his friend’s jokes. This is what I wanted from the day I opened my eyes and felt the empty bed beside me. This is my biggest dream: to return to his arms no matter what it takes.

Our gaze was interrupted by an explosion that echoed all around the hall. This was followed by the sound of breaking plates and glasses on the tables. Like disturbed ants that have been blown away by wind, the guests started panicking. Screams and shouts filled the place along with a few more gunshots. Cholo pulled me down and covered me with his body. His eyes wandered back to our table’s direction. I immediately knew what he was going to do so I stopped him.

“No. Stay here,” I begged him but he didn’t seem to hear anything from me. He stood up and left me.

“Ely!” I heard him scream before he was engulfed in chaos.

The place suddenly seemed to tighten on me. The cries, the panic in everyone’s voices, and the sounds of the bullets in the convention area began to. seriously trouble me. I clutched my chest as I began to struggle to breathe. I blinked my eyes while trying to see the surroundings that were gradually turning black in my sight.

No, this can’t be happening again. No, no, no!

From somewhere there was a blessed hand that carefully carried me in his arms.

“Ms. Karina. You’re safe now,” said a baritone voice. In my blurred vision, I still saw Vishen’s worried face before my consciousness left me.