Eight

"Please eat something ate. if you worry like this, your blood pressure would actually skyrocket." Anette pleaded to the depressed looking man.

"My life is filled with so much scars that I don't know where it hurts anymore." Lorenzo muttered after which he tried to get on his feet but his knees were weak bit Anette supports him before he could fall down. it seemed like he was under the influence of alcohol but the sign of known just explained that he was drunk in his sorrow.

Anette makes him sit down and he holds her hand urging her not to leave him but seat beside him which she complies to.

"I caused this all. I caused all this from the entire begin."

"No, it's not your fault Jack got caught up with the wrong crowd. "

" Well I should have be more cautious. I should have stop him from being the beast he turned out to be. "Charlie insist.

" No, I'm sure you did your very best. I know it was though for you to deal with your son's bad habit and mourning your wife. You are a great father and I see that in you everyday and you have no hand in all this. It's just fate playing out."

" No!! " He stands up in anger but she stands up but doesn't reach for him as she watches him cool off little by little.

" The very day he first brought her here, I knew she didn't deserve him. She was so innocent and loving and I didn't want her to suffer. I can remember it all like it was yesterday. That warm smile when she introduced herself. And she went on like Hi, Mr, Charlie, I'm Hazel. I've heard a lot about you and I'm so happy to meet you. Would it be okay if I call you dad. " He began to sob.

" She just was a replica of a daughter I always wanted. I tried saving her because I had a feeling he might hurt her. I did leave her a note in her bag and I was clear that he wasn't the one for her and that he was addicted to drinking and acts crazy when he does. She shows up the next day and tells me she knows and she's ready to help him change. I should have tried harder to convince her of the consequences but I was just amazed by the love she had for him that it greatly reminded of my wife. I was weak at the moment and didn't stop them from wedding. She looked so happy on her wedding night but she realized the thorns of her bed of roses just weeks after her wedding day.... "

***17 YEARS AGO***

" We're could he be? It's already so late. " Hazel paced the house worried for her husband who hadn't come home by that late hour. She goes to the entrance of the house and leans against the a structure and is later accompanied by Charlie who came to urge her to go to bed, that he would take watch for his son but she persisted on staying up while Charlie goes to bed. She makes Charlie go to bed and returns to the entrance to find a car driving in. A man comes out of the car and then brings out her unstable husband who could barely stand on his face. With a worrisome face she rushes over to them and helps them into the living room of their home without waking Charlie up.

"His fine don't worry so much. He just had so much to drink at a friend's party." The stranger tried to comfort her.

" Thank you very much..."

" ...Tommasco. But you can call me Tom. I and Jack work together. But who are you to him?" Tom asked innocently.

" I'm his wife." She asked trying to wipe her tears.

"Wow. I mean Jack never mentioned being married or having a girlfriend. It's a shock to me, I mean the fact he actually has a very beautiful wife that cares so much about him. He's really lucky." Tom smiled warmly.

" Thank you." She replied trying to dry her face with her palm.

" Here." Tom hands her his handkerchief.

" Thank you very much. " Hazel smiled as she dabbed her face dry with it.

" Nice embroidery." Hazel smiled at the embroidery on the handkerchief.

"Yeah." he chuckles. " My grandmother does it. She has don't on almost all my personal belongings because I used to loose things alot while growing up." He smiles and she returns a warm loving smile.

" Well let me help you get him to bedroom." He offered and she couldn't refuse it as she couldn't carry her husband all by herself due to her small size. Tom helps her get Jack to bed and she takes of his shoe and Tom watches with a weird facial expression watching the beautiful lady tend to her drunk husband. After which they head to the living room and Hazel bids Tom goodbye and goes back to watch over her drunk husband. This was the first time he was getting so drunk after their wedding and she could only wished that it wouldn't be a recurrent thing but she was proven wrongs within few days later. The late night drinking suddenly became occurrent and Tom always brought Jack home safely and Hazel was grateful each time. In the morning when he was all sobered up, he would apologize but he kept drinking. It got worse when he began to get drunk during the day and then began to abuse Hazel. He would hit her every chance and then began to accuse her of being a slot and whore. It subsided when Hazel got pregnant but later kicked off again with a new found hatred.

***

"I don't know why Jack took such a fast turn but I do know that this all started that night that son of a bitch came her. After that night, it became occurrent. He destroyed my family and I couldn't save it." Charlie cursed Tom bitterly.

" I feel so ashamed of myself. I'm loosing everyone I hold dear and there's nothing I can do about it." He added and Annette stood up to stand behind him and place her hands on his shoulder loving.

" No Lorenzo, I'm still here." She cooed and he rose up to his feet to meet her gaze.

" I know times are hard but I know it's gonna be alright." She smiles and he hugs her passionately like a baby clinging to its mother.

"She'll be found. I just have a feeling that she's coming home soon; very soon."