STORM: IT'S A CURSE TO REMEMBER

by Gurpreet Kaur Sidhu

  When he tugged her hips inward, Samantha flinched from the discomfort as he pressed against her spine. As much as she wanted to cry in agony, she couldn’t let Adrian see her in pain. He took in this moment before he stepped back, admiring Samantha’s beauty.

  “I’ll have my driver take you back to my home.”

  “Have you gone mad?”

  “You’ll be safer there. I need to take care of something.”

  Samantha was concerned. “What are you going to do?”

  “Something I should have done a while ago.”

  Samantha tugged on his arm. “Are you out of your mind?”

  Shocked, Adrian had become anxious about Samantha’s decision to stay. Why hadn’t she left Derek yet?

  “I can ask you the same question! You don’t deserve to be treated this way. He doesn’t deserve you!” He couldn’t begin to imagine the pain Derek had put her through. “I love you and I want to spend every living moment with you. I can’t do that if you’re still married to him!”

  “Do we have to do this right now? I mean—”

  “Why do you want to spend another day with him? Please explain that to me because I can’t seem to wrap my head around it.” She could hear the frustration in his voice.

  “I don’t want to,” she whispered.

  “Then let me take care of this. Just wait outside while I have my driver come and pick you up.”

  Samantha started to panic. She had no idea what Adrian was going to do, yet at the same time didn’t really want to know.

  “Wait, wait,” she said. “Can’t we just enjoy tonight? I don’t want to ruin everyone’s evening.”

  Adrian gritted his teeth. “You care so much about everyone else, you’ve forgotten about yourself. Samantha, he’s taken everything away from you!” He paused for a moment, looking out into the field. “I want to wake up next to you for the rest of my life. I want you. I need you. I cannot have any of that if you’re still with my brother.” He sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Do you still love me? Are you in love with me?”

  Adrian fell in love the day Derek introduced Samantha to the family. She was off limits ever since. It was only until a year ago when he confessed his feelings for Samantha, when he couldn’t keep them hidden any longer. To his surprise, she had felt the same way all this time. She was sure after she married Derek, her feelings would have gone away. But they didn’t. They only grew over time.

  Samantha took Adrian’s hand in hers and responded, “Yes, I’m still in love with you. But please don’t do anything tonight.” She desperately needed Adrian to stay away from any trouble. She couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Adrian hurt in any way.

  Adrian was aggravated. “I have waited a year, Samantha, and every time, you say it’s not the right time. It’s always a different story. Are you even willing to leave him? What has he promised you that it is making it hard for you to leave?”

  “You don’t understand how dangerous he is. What if something happened to you?”

  “Stop living in fear, Sam. Nothing is going to happen to me. Trust me, will you?”

  “I can’t bear to lose you,” Samantha choked. “Adrian, I’m begging you not to do anything.”

  Adrian sighed. As much as he wanted to destroy and humiliate Derek in front of his friends and clients, he didn’t want to upset Samantha any more than she already had been.

  His eyebrows furrowed. “Fine,” he uttered.

  There was silence for a beat.

  “Thank you,” she said, fanning away the tears. There was silence between them. “Are you going to go back inside?”

  “In a bit.”

  She studied his demeanor. Samantha knew Adrian wasn’t too pleased with her but Adrian’s safety was more important to her. She looked deeply into his eyes and kissed him on the top of his forehead. “I love you. Please don’t stay out here too long.” she said before heading toward the entrance. She lifted her dress as she walked, not wanting to get any grass stains.

  Once she entered the ballroom, from a distance, she met Derek’s gaze. He stood with a champagne glass in hand, watching her. His attention was focused on Samantha and no one else. A million things ran through his mind.

  Samantha felt a knot form in her throat as she approached her table, knowing Derek’s eyes lingered over her. She felt she had been caught red-handed. Was he on to her? Adrian and Samantha kept their affair under wraps—as to their knowledge. Now Samantha wondered if Derek knew of anything. He needed just a little bit of suspicion in order to track down a trail back to Adrian and Samantha’s affair.

  For the rest of the night, Samantha made small talk with the wives of wealthy and corrupt lawyers who came around to her table. She smiled and acted as if everything was picture perfect. Below the surface, she feared what was going to happen on the ride back home.

  That night, Samantha stood in the bathroom, removing her earrings, carefully laying them down in the box. To her surprise, Derek hadn’t said a word on the ride back home. She leaned forward, examining her face. The bruises were slowly fading, but she still needed extra cover up for some of the heavy wounds. It had taken a couple of days for the swelling to go down. Marks from the belt Derek whipped her with were still very present as she unzipped her dress. The redness had decreased in size, but the pain still stung.

  She looked in the mirror to find Derek standing in the doorway, watching her as she examined herself. He was still dressed in his pantsuit.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, as he approached her.

  When he neared Samantha, she became tense and stepped back as a precaution.

  “Please don’t come any closer,” she begged.

  “I’m sorry, Samantha. I don’t understand what overcame me.”

  He continued to inch forward, in hopes of potentially rebuilding the trust with his wife.

  “Please,” she said. She shivered from the thought of Derek’s hands on her body.

  Derek’s voice started to quaver. “I’m sorry, Samantha. I don’t know what’s happened to me. This is not like me. You know that, do you not?”

  Samantha looked into his eyes, breaking eye contact after a moment. She didn’t understand what was going on. He was forthcoming with his apology, something that was long overdue. But why now?

  She nodded, apologetically. But all she needed was for Derek to leave her alone.

  He moved closer. “Do you forgive me?”

  Derek could feel the tension between them. Samantha looked uncomfortable, yet he believed the right words would gain back her trust and everything would go back to normal.

  Samantha stepped back, looking away.

  “I’m sorry for hurting you,” he said, kneeling down as he pressed his palms together for forgiveness. “I’m sorry. Please, Samantha, forgive me. I don’t know what came over me.”

  Derek’s lips trembled. Tears shone in his eyes. Deep down, he knew he’d hurt Samantha. He knew how much she loved him and yet he took her for granted. He knew the things he’d done to her were inhumane and would have landed him in jail for years if it weren’t for the people he knew. But because Derek always had an out, nothing stopped him from continuing with the offense.

  “I’m sorry,” Derek repeated.

  And Samantha, believing there was still little good left inside the man with whom she once fell in love, believed him.

  “Okay,” she said. “I forgive you.”

  Her heart sank as Derek clung to her legs. She used all the strength in her body to prevent a nervous breakdown. Samantha clenched her jaw, feeling vulnerable; she didn’t know exactly what to feel. This was the first time she had seen Derek cry.

  He looked up at Samantha. “Please don’t leave me,” he sobbed.

  She examined his face. “I won’t.”

  Little did she know what was coming in the weeks ahead.
r />   ***

  It had been a few weeks since the annual charity event. Derek had been pleasing to Samantha. He’d taken her out on dates and bought her new jewelry, a new dress. On the weekends, he even helped Samantha with the dishes after dinner. When they lay in bed, he’d wrap his arms around her, wanting Samantha to feel loved and appreciated, like any woman wanted. But yet, there was still that demon that resided inside of him and it would take a miracle to destroy that part of him.

  It was midafternoon, long before she was going to start preparing dinner. She finished stocking up the pantry knowing how Derek never liked the idea of food shortage let alone money. She planned to make a bubble bath for herself, listen to some soft music, followed by a pedicure, but Derek had something else planned for her.

  Deep in thought, she was startled by the front door slamming shut. Frightened, Samantha cautiously walked out into the living room to see who it was.

  And there he was.

  Samantha’s heart dropped. She leaned against the wall to keep from fainting.

  Derek pressed the gun against Adrian’s head. “Would you care to explain what has been going on, Samantha?” Derek said in a calm tone.

  “I told you, there’s nothing going on between us,” Adrian mumbled.

  Derek shouted from the top of his lungs. “I didn’t ask you, did I brother?”

  He kicked Adrian hard enough to make Adrian fall to his knees.

  “Derek, please, put the gun down,” Samantha begged.

  Her heart raced. She’d never seen Derek with a gun or was even aware he owned one.

  “No!” he shouted. “Tell me. What have the two of you been doing behind my back?”

  Adrian looked at Samantha helplessly.

  Samantha wondered, had she listened to Adrian that night, would this all have been avoided? Thoughts zoomed across her mind. The what-ifs and could haves. There wasn’t a technical and logical answer to the questions that were rumbling through her mind at the moment. Unpredictable as Derek was, it was unclear what he was capable of. He wouldn’t kill his own brother…would he?

  Derek knew exactly how to manipulate Samantha and he had done it well. Scheming a master plan was one of his proficiencies.

  “Derek,” she said, fumbling for words, “nothing is going on, I swear to you.”

  “I saw the two of you.”

  Samantha tried to swallow, but the back of her throat had become so dry, it was impossible. The truth was, she didn’t know when and to where Derek was referring. Was it in downtown? Had he followed her outside of the city where Adrian met up with her for a wine tasting event? They had gone to the hotel down Peach Lane numerous amounts of times. Adrian had taken Samantha horseback riding out in the countryside. They went on a hot balloon ride. He took Samantha out on his yacht. They had done a lot of activities as well as making sure to keep their relationship as discreet as possible. But it still begged the question: Where did Derek see them?

  Samantha knew the truth would always come to light and it was the only thing that would set her free. But she wasn’t ready to face the reality, not yet.

  She was pregnant. Given that Derek and her hadn’t been intimate for over a month, she needed a chance to rekindle their romance before it raised red flags in Derek’s mind.

  Samantha always envisioned raising a family of her own. It was the plan Derek and Samantha agreed on, but soon after, when things started to change in their marriage, that dream had become a fantasy. She only imagined what life could have been like if she had babies. It was only after Adrian came into her life that her dream had come alive again.

  “Where?” She tried to look confused as possible. There were many possible answers to his question.

  Her heartbeat pounded through her ears. She couldn’t think clearly.

  “You know exactly where.” His agitation grew. “Tell me what is going on or I will blow his brains out, right here, in front of you.”

  After quick thinking, she strategically responded. “We were discussing your birthday party. Adrian wanted to throw you a surprise party but I didn’t know if it would work, since your birthday is on a weekday and you tend to come home a bit late. I wanted all of your friends and family to come, but I wasn’t sure if it was possible.” She paused for a moment. “That’s it.”

  Derek let her explanation sit in his mind for a moment.

  Samantha could see the sudden change in Derek’s demeanor. A part of him believed Samantha. He had become less tense. He slowly lowered his gun, looking at Adrian, who had been silently thanking Samantha for the exceptional save she made, under the circumstances she was put in.

  “Get up, Adrian,” Derek ordered.

  Samantha, wide eyed, watched as Adrian dusted himself off. He looked at her, and mouthed the words ‘thank you’. She subconsciously placed her hand over her stomach. She still needed to tell Adrian she was carrying his child.

  Derek chuckled as he looked at his gun.

  Chapter 12

  It was Tuesday morning and Evan awoke, kicking and screaming, drenched in sweat and heart racing. He sat up straight, looking over his shoulder to see a damp spot on his pillow.

  Now he knew who Adrian was.

  How could he do that? How?

  The image of Derek pointing the gun at Adrian kept reappearing in his mind and sent shivers up his spine. Evan squinted his face, forcing the image out.

  He sat at the edge of his bed, with his head sulked down to his chest. How could any human being point a gun at their own sibling? He was flabbergasted and his heart was still beating out of his chest.

  Slowly crawling out of bed, he peered at the clock and just like every time he woke, it was 3:30 in the morning.

  He stumbled to the bathroom, doing what he had to do every morning at 3:30. Evan flipped the light switch, then looked at himself in the mirror. He leaned forward against the sink. Derek was a piece of work. He wasn’t a stable man, emotionally or mentally.

  Evan turned the knob and waited as the water started to warm up. He pondered the memory. There was a part of Derek that was messed up and only an insight of his childhood would help Evan understand why Derek found pleasure in hurting someone who loved him. Adrian seemed the opposite of Derek, which meant there was a difference in how they were brought up. However, Evan had no insight of Derek and Adrian’s childhood, which put him in the dark.

  There was a part of himself that he hated, even though he was no longer Derek Will. Evan couldn’t build a time machine and go back in time and fix what he had done to Samantha, but it was something he wanted to do. His stomach churned in disgust.

  After drying his face, Evan entered his bedroom, feeling the need to get some fresh air. He pulled out his hoodie from the middle drawer and slipped it on. He traveled down the stairs, slipping into his sneakers then making it out through the front door. It was peaceful outside. The night was cold. The stars danced around in the sky, making the night all more beautiful. Evan walked further and found someone sitting on the curbside wearing what looked like a gray hoodie and pink sweatpants, with their knees propped up. This was new. Of all the times he’d come out during the middle of the night, no one ever appeared to be out there. He was always alone, which was nice. Skeptical, he walked in the person’s direction. As he neared, with the streetlights shining down, he realized who it was.

  “It’s not safe to sit on the sidewalk all alone, you know?” he chimed.

  Shadow looked up and laughed under her breath. She raised an eyebrow. “Then come join me and we can be rebels together.”

  Evan crouched, planting his butt on the cold cement. He left some distance between the two of them as a courtesy. “Rebels?” he said out of curiosity. “I get the feeling you weren’t rebellious when you were a kid, huh?”

  Shadow laughed. “It’s that obvious?”

  “I studied psychology. The way someone says some
thing, their word choice, their body language, it all forms a language of its own,” he said with a smirk.

  “Oh jeez. I should be careful about what I say around you then.”

  “Let’s just say I’m not a psychic.”

  “In my defense, I was the only child so my parents had high expectations of me. I did everything they told me to up until college. That’s when I took a stand. Otherwise I would be some sort of doctor. I’m guessing you were pretty rebellious growing up, huh? Your parents probably looked forward to your bedtime.” She giggled.

  “My parents weren’t around for it,” he said, pausing for a moment. “They died when I was four years old, two weeks apart from one another. My grandma was the one who raised my sister and me. I did give her a hard time. I would jump from couch to couch. I tried to start a fire in the backyard with sticks a couple of times. I did a lot of little things like that.”

  She rested her chin on her arms and looked at him.

  “You lost your parents when you were four?” she said with the slightest bit of shock in her voice.

  He looked at her and responded, “Yeah.”

  “I can’t imagine what you went through. You were so young.” She examined his eyes for a brief moment. She didn’t feel Evan was completely healed from his parents’ loss—and to her, as someone who hadn’t experienced the loss of a loved one, it was odd in a sad kind of way.

  “I was.”

  They sat in silence for a moment not feeling awkward with one another. They were perfectly content with sitting side by side.

  “Why couldn’t you sleep?” she asked after a while.

  Evan contemplated how to respond. He simply couldn’t tell her the truth, but didn’t want to lie either. “I have a bad habit of waking up in the middle of the night. How about you? How come you couldn’t fall asleep?”

  Her mind jumped straight to Marvin’s visit. “Life.”

  Evan laughed. “That was sitting at the tip of your tongue, wasn’t it?”

  Shadow giggled and gazed into his eyes that appeared more a darker shade of blue. She let out a deep sigh before she responded. “I guess.” She studied his face. There was something about Evan that felt familiar. She gazed at him before continuing. “I just wonder if I made the right decision. Maybe you can help me since you studied psychology.”