Chapter 8
Santiago’s dislocated shoulder had been reset, his head stitched with over a dozen sutures. His body was covered in bloodstains, an IV needle mark still fresh on his hand. By all accounts, Santiago should’ve stayed in the hospital for observation–but instead, he rushed back here.
This six–foot–tall man broke down the moment he stepped inside.
He sobbed so hard, he couldn’t string together a single complete sentence.
“Elizabeth… was that really how you feel? You… you hate me?”
“I did all of this for you! I lied to Catalina, played her like a fool, all for you! And now, you say you hate me?!”
“Then what was it all for?”
“I let you smash my head open, refused proper treatment just to get back here and see you. I put my life on the line for you!”
Elizabeth scoffed bitterly, slumping onto the sofa like a shattered doll.
“I don’t care why you did it,” she said, her tone hollow.”But the fact is–you ruined everything | had.”
“Do you even know what it feels like to endure every single one of Catalina’s deaths? That agony? That despair?”
“You keep saying it was all for me. This–this nightmare–is what you call love?”
“Will you
suffer in my place now? Can you end this endless immortality for me?”
“I hate you, Santiago. I hate you with every piece of what’s left of me!”
“You didn’t save me. You shoved me straight into another hell. Did you ever think about what I
wanted?!”
The two of them argued, voices full of venom.
Whatever love had once existed between them had long withered.
Eventually, we all fell silent, too exhausted to fight anymore.
I began packing away every trace of myself from Santiago’s house–ready to walk away for good.
Elizabeth insisted on leaving with me, which sparked another ugly fight between her and Santiago.
That night, while we were asleep, Santiago snapped.
He stormed into the room, eyes wild, clutching a knife. He pinned me down on the bed, screaming that he was going to cut me open–that he’d put everything back the way it was, that I had to give Elizabeth back to him.
Oddly calm, I looked him in the eye and said, “If you cut me open now, I won’t come back. This body won’t regenerate again. I’ll bleed out and die–for real this time. And you will be the
murderer.”
“The law isn’t like it used to be. Life is sacred now, not disposable. And more importantly- Elizabeth won’t let you touch me.”
Right on cue, Elizabeth burst into the room.
Chapter 8
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3:02 pm DD&D
Without hesitation, she launched herself at Santiago.
The once–delicate woman now had the strength of an immortal.
Still injured, Santiago didn’t stand a chance. Within moments, he was on the floor, groaning in
pain.
Elizabeth wrenched the knife from his hand and held it to his chest.
“If you ever lay a hand on Catalina again, I swear I won’t let you walk away” she spat.
“Face the truth: there’s no future between us. We’re done.”
“From now on–we’ll be together forever.”
Santiago collapsed completely, the last spark,in his eyes was extinguished.
He buried his face in his hands and wept like a man who had finally realized the weight of his
sins.
“I regret it all,” he choked. “I know I was wrong. Catalina… I’m so sorry. I was cruel. I shouldn’t have used you to save Elizabeth.”
“Please… I beg you, give her back to me. I’ll do anything–anything–just don’t let things end like this…”
I said nothing, and just watched as he reaped the bitter harvest he had sown.
He cried the entire night.
A week later, they announced their breakup to their families, called off the engagement, and vowed never to cross paths again.
The wedding photos, taken just a month earlier, were still mailed as promised–quiet remnants of a love that had once existed, now frozen in time as their final keepsake.
