II. Forgive you.

*The Following day*

Mrs. Kesh has been worried over her daughter's condition. This is going on for long she feels threatened. Like someone is doing this to her on purpose.

But who?

She's aware that Myla is not around and Eliz is dead. No one else could know that they planned Eliz's dead so who is behind this?

She needs to talk to her husband about it. Maybe he'd have a solution.

Mr. Kesh is on his way out for business and his wife walks to him.

At the look of her face he notices the worry she's putting on. He waits until she comes to stop before asking.

“What did Latif do again? Or should I say you and her?”

That question knocks her off. And she starts trembling that he must have discovered the truth.

“No one did anything. It's just . . . bizarre that our daughter has started believing in ghosts. She didn't sleep the whole night. I strongly believe someone is behind this. But I don't know who. That's why I thought I should tell you. Maybe you have a solution.”

Mr. Kesh sighs. “Since the day she ran into this house crying about Jamal's decision of entrying the same movie house as that lady, I knew she was going crazy.”

Mrs. Kesh looks at her husband in disbelief.

“So I have no solution to her trauma. There's just one place that could be of help. And that's a psychiatric hospital.”

“Horny! You can't be talking like this about your own daughter! Have you gone mad?”

Mr. Kesh opens his car. Then stops and faces his wife. “I know everything. I know you are the reason she's this way. If you didn't pressure her in murdering that innocent girl this won't be happening. Don't come to me about this again. Take care of your mess.”

He hoops into his car and drives away. Living her frozen.

...

*The wedded stranger.*

Dr. Ed shows Myla how to react when Jamal will walk in the movie. His hands keep touching her on delicate places. But Myla is very oblivious and concerntrated on doing the right thing.

However, Jamal is very vigilant as he woundedly stares at his director and everyone who can't see what he's seeing him doing to Myla.

“Great! Now you're set.” Ed announces.

Myla smiles and sighs feeling satisfied that she did is well.

Jamal walks to her and muffles. “Keep watch on Ed. He's not with good conscience.”

Myla cocks her head to look at him. “What are you talking about?”

Jamal looks down at her. “Stop being so innocent. I've been telling you this so many times. But you didn't listen. And that's why you're easily deceived and used.”

Myla blinks her eyes. “Excuse me? He was just showing me how to perform the next scene. Why can't you stop thinking overly? Stop saying what you don't know.”

Jamal sighs heavily. “This does not call for argument ok? I'm just trying to tell you that man is a pervert. From the very first day I set eyes on him. The way he looks at you, the way he touches you. The same reason I warned you about Shae. Hope you try to understand all this. Stop thinking people think like you. Besides this is what you wanted. To be in this world? So better keep your eyes open.”

Myla chews hard on her lips.

“You know what? Just swallow whatever it is you want to say. I seriously don't want to hear it.” Jamal turns to leave and she says it. “Gabriella told me everything at party. But I couldn't understand. Now I know she was right.”

Jamal halts. Then refaces her. “What did she tell you?”

“She said you still love her. And that's why you're doing all these. Your guilty about what happened to her. You're trying to control me because you were not able to control her before the accident. You couldn't even face her or come to visit her at the hospital. She's the reason you discriminate women. And now I truly understand why you said all those things.”

Jamal shakes his head, his brows firmly cringed.

“You need to face her and tell her the things you couldn't tell her. She's your fault. Fix her because . . . she still loves you. Stop thinking you know what I feel. And stop trying to control me. I'm not her. I'm Myla.”

She walks away and he forks his hands in his hair.

Dr. Ed watches as Myla lays in bed while the Camera stand by waiting for the scene to start.

Jamal decend after putting on his costume and letting some makeup artist work on his body.

“We start in one, two . . . and action!"

Chris walks into the mansion and towards the stairs. His cook, Mrs. Terraria calls over his back.

Mrs. Terraria: Sir. Chris? Welcome home.

He turns around and nods.

Chris: Thanks grany.

On turning back Mrs. Terraria speaks.

Mrs. Terraria: She refused eating. She said she'd wait for you to come home before she eats.

He halts on his steps and rolls his head to her.

Chris: What? And you let her be?

Mrs. Terraria: I tried to convince her you'd be here soon. But she insisted to wait. There was nothing I could do Sir. Chris. She's very stubborn.

He sighs and turns to go up.

Chris: Set the table for two.

Mrs. Terraria: Sure.

After a few meters ahead he steps foot into his room.

His hands find the button of his shirt and his eyes drop on a sleeping Kim. He shakes his head and goes to the dressing room.

He takes off his cloth and switches to the bathroom to clean himself up. After some minutes he returns and Kim is still sound asleep with a book over her face.

He looks at other books on his bed and walks over to pile them up. He places all of them on her nightstand and gently take off the one she's holding.

She hums in her sleep and her eyes slit open.

Kim: (Muffling) Your back?

He nods.

Chris: Yeah. And now I'm taking you downstairs.

She frowns, still drunk in sleep.

Kim: Downstairs? Did I anything wrong?

Chris: Yes and No. Grany told me you didn't it. And no, I'm not going to punish you.

Chris: So come here. Put your hands over me.

She frowns again, not understanding his statement.

He lifts her up from bed. Her legs crossed over his waist and her hands impulsively entangles his neck.

She stares into his eyes and Myla comes in play instead of Kim. Her eyes are glittering like tears threatening to fall.

When she notices concern over Jamal's profile, she burries her face in the crater of his neck.

Tears slip down her cheeks and stains his shirt. She's sobbing.

He tells the camera to stop.

“Cut!” Dr. Ed orders.

Every body backs down and confusion settles amongst all.

“What's going on?” Dr. Ed asks.

“We need some time alone.” Jamal says.

Dr. Ed tries to oppose and their producer comes in.

“Let them be. We'd continue this later.”

They order everyone out of the room living just Myla and Jamal.

He lifts his hand over back and robes it. She tightens her grip on him as he keeps on.

They squeeze themselves together and her sob turns into a loud cry. He doesn't stop her but persistently robe her back until he hears nothing.

He walks towards the bed and settles on it still holding her unto him.

After a moment of silence he speaks. “You were right. Everything started from Gabriella. I loved her. We got engaged. She was a tad like you. Very concerntrated with career. But non of that bothered me until she the day of her accident.”

He breaths out and she feels his chest rise and fall. “It wasn't the accident that made me broken. It was something more vital. Something from me. Our baby.”

Myla lifts her head to look at him. Their proximity getting closer.

She has never seen Jamal this solemn. His eyes emanate unspoken words. They tear her heart in pieces. She feels his pain deep down in her marrows. Like he just revealed his darkest secret.

“She lost our baby before the accident. She hid it from me. But I saw the stain of blood on the toilet pot. And when I approached her about it she told me she was just stressed . . . That was a lie. Our baby was gone. I conducted her doctor to check her up. Then it was revealed. And you know all these happened because she was always working.”

Jamal's eyes blur and he blinks it away. “I'm sorry I said all those things to you. You just-reminded me of her. In ambitions, in stubbornness. When you told me you'd pursue the movie industry, I knew I'm going to loose you. I didn't want you here. And you know why?”

She shakes her head.

“Because . . . I'm in love with you. I couldn't imagine any man caressing and being extremely close to you in any movie. What if . . . I wasn't Chris? Will you let a man touch you the way I do?”

She blinks her eyes and he looks down. “Of course I can't expect you to answer that.”

She ogles him in bewilderment. Is this real? Is she dreaming right now?

Tears surround her eyes but they don't fall down. Her heartbeat is faster than a machine.

He raises his head after a moment. What should she say? That she feels the same. She's not sure she does. Or maybe she's just scared of being hurt.

Her mind is clouded. Everything he just said is difficult for her to process. Who would've known this is what he went through?

“I-I'm so sorry.”

“Shush. You don't need to apologise about anything. I hurt you. I drove you away. I let my past talk at me. And I'm truly sorry. Please, forgive me.”

Myla kisses the crown of his head and hugs him tight. “I forgive you. I did wrong too you know. I had nothing to loose. But you loosed everything you had. Everything. I forgive you.”

He embraces her tighter and weeps against her shoulder. “Thank you.”

“You're not welcome.”

He chuckles on her and they stay this way for a long time.

To be continued...