Here’s chapter 31 of the new book, Dr. Clay, I’ve been writing since NaNoWriMo 2022. Enjoy reading. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
What if you could turn back the time? Albert thought as he walked along the long, curved, cemented path heading toward the two-story building. The entry was open, so he could see people walking around from afar and hear the crowd’s loud clattering and chattering. He flashed a faint smile as he continued, stopping before entering the wide entrance. He looked up and read the silver-colored engraved letters over his head, which said “La Familia de Elizondo Foundation” in Serif.
Who would have thought I would find myself here? For him, it fascinated him how he found himself in unprecedented situations lately. First, he didn’t expect to meet an Elizondo in his villa, knowing Clay and his relationship with Marcela.
Now, he was on the second. Yet another unexpected turn of events he never knew would come that soon. A painful past he never wanted to endure again.
Regardless of his feelings, he knew it would have come anyway, so why shouldn’t he take the chance?
That’s what he was trying to convince himself from the time he left the villa, heading to a place he never expected to return. The foundation, though it possessed a symbolic meaning for the Elizondos, for Albert, it was the place where he was lost in darkness, filled with pain and heartache.
His chest constricted when he swiveled his head to the right and saw the ongoing construction. As his mind began to reel clear images, he thought he had forgotten, and he breathed deep breaths as if panic swelled around his throat down to his toes. His eyebrows twitched as he kept staring at the area. His loud pounding hammered his chest, leaving him gulping and feeling dizzy.
He briefly shut his eyes as he inhaled and exhaled deep breaths to ease. While doing it, his mind reeled a series of images, recalling his past and feeling the tight squeeze in his chest. Despite his attempts to stop, his brain seemed to have a life of its own as disobedience overrode his conscious decision.
In defeat, he kept his eyes closed while inhaling long, deep breaths and exhaling again. He did this process many times until he felt a sense of relief and could control himself.
But then, his mind showed him the images he thought he had forgotten.
“How could you do this to us? How could you do this to your own daughter, sir?” Albert sputtered with his eyes widened in anger. Though he cherished his mullets, he didn’t care if they were gone. He didn’t mind standing outside the Elizondo mansion, though he was soaked under the heavy rain.
Despite his desperation, he tried to keep himself civil, even though he was on the verge of losing himself. As much as he wanted to lash out in front of the old man, he chose not to for the sake of his daughter, Marcela, his love.
“You don’t deserve my daughter, Albert. You know that. You’re nothing but a brat who knows nothing about life. Marcela is a fine, young, and intelligent woman who deserves a better man than you,” the old man replied, screaming at the young man.
“I don’t care about what you say about me. But I can prove to myself that I am the best man for your daughter. You’ve seen how happy she was with me than this man you wanted for her. I understand your concern, sir. You want me to be a better, stable man who can provide everything you have given her, but please understand that taking her away from me isn’t the best for all of us.”
“I don’t care what you’re saying to me right now because I’ve given you enough time to show your worth for my daughter. The time’s up for your nonsense,” the old man said, turning his back while giving hand signals to the security guards surrounding him.
In an attempt to stop him, Albert dashed towards him, but a group of five tremendous men caught him. They grabbed his arms and legs, dragging him out of the property while ignoring him, screaming Marcela’s name repeatedly, hoping she would hear him before they reached the main entrance.
As they arrived, they threw him outside the gate, pushing him away until one of them managed to push the gate and lock it. Even though he may have looked foolish to the people passing by, he didn’t mind caring about them. All he thought about was finding ways to reach and talk to Marcela. Hearing her voice was enough for him to keep sane; seeing her was his addiction.
At this point, he needed her to keep that high. Otherwise, he would go crazy. “Marcela!” he repeatedly screamed while walking frantically in circles, looking confused and terribly like a madman. When exhaustion hit him, his legs wobbled, losing strength, and his throat was parched.
“Marcela,” he whispered in a strained voice, attempting to achieve his goal with his last ounce of strength. Shortly after, his eyes narrowed, even though he tried to pull away and keep his attention on the surroundings. He raised his head to see the silver-engraved Serif letters as raindrops surrounded his eyes. Then, he wondered why these letters were getting smaller and smaller until he felt a loud thud on his back. He squeezed his eyes as he let out his last scream, his final attempt before he had a blackout.
When he opened his eyes, revealing the fire in his dark brown eyes, he thought, was his decision to come here the right one? Or was it wrong to relive his history with the Elizondos? Thinking about how it was for him made him feel sick. However, he also didn’t want to disappoint his daughter. He felt trapped.
How he felt didn’t matter because it wasn’t the reason for coming in the first place. That was what he had been telling himself since he drove from the villa. Yet, deep down, it was a different story.
Despite his inhibitions, he understood why he said yes and wanted to be part of something positive. As he recalled how Agatha had talked to him before, he sensed her desperation, which compelled him to take this initiative into his own hands. In his mind, it was his chance to make a bold decision to face the taunting past he had once tried to avoid at all costs.
In hindsight, he knew returning to this dark place he had overcome would be a stupid decision.
For thirty years, he strove and worked so hard to reach the highest stair—at the pedestal which he had created—became successful with it. Enduring his gut-wrenching life with more than a handful of life-staking compromises paid off. Equipped with desperation, hunger, and survival, he reached the peak of success in business and politics, leaving every chapter of his youth behind, and moved on to a new life he only once imagined as a kid.
Yet, he found himself in a place where he shouldn’t be.
It has been thirty years, hasn’t it, Saturnino? Albert thought, scoffing in his head, as he dragged himself towards the building, revealing himself before the crowd. When he walked in, he stretched a smile when people looked at him with widened eyes as if they saw a celebrity entering the space. He decided to look around, enjoying the ongoing business of the place.
Albert walked, leaning forward when he found something that caught his eye. It wasn’t until he saw a familiar face a few meters away. He stopped dead with his eyes widened and then narrowed, trying to have a good look at her. As he said “his and hellos” to a group of people before him, he went over, though his eyes glued on a woman, busy talking with the guests.
Even though he barely moved a step with people walking before him, his height gave him the privilege to see her. She stood taller than the people surrounding her, at least five-foot-six in height. He admired how her black long-sleeved polo, matching two white pearl buttons, tucked to her neck. But that didn’t stop him from trying to hear as if he needed to be there. Although his mind reeled with many questions about why he was doing it, his heart felt like he had to reach her.
After he managed to make a way against a sea of guests, shoving them while keeping himself civil, he reached closer to her. At that moment, he felt like he knew this woman as his chest hammered him with loud and hard punches, pounding him. Despite feeling disturbed, his eyes moved lower, and he noticed her white plaid slacks, which revealed her curves from her waist down. With his eyes glued on her, he sucked her scent, though he knew it wasn’t right. The scent was familiar.
But when she turned her head in his direction, shit, it was too late for Albert to react and look elsewhere. As their eyes linked, he widened his eyes when he understood she caught him staring at her. Realizing this, he stood there, frozen and stunned.
“Marcela?” he asked, almost stuttering despite his attempts to act natural. He didn’t want her to see him that way because, in his mind, he was too old to spark the man’s dying fire.
Author’s Note:
Thank you so much for spending time reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did when I wrote this part three months ago. This chapter, in particular, reminded me of those times when I sat before my desk, seemingly prepared to type in words, but I struggled to keep it up.
It took an external motivation to get it through, and, at that time, the NaNoWriMo event was upcoming. At that time, I thought, “This could be a great opportunity to try and give this a shot one more time. You’d done an excellent job with ‘The Rival,’ so you could do it, Mecyll.”
You know, it’s easier said than done because writing a chapter with a clear intent to finish it requires more than just a skill. Since I started writing fiction, I realized how much this work demands my ability to be naked and the guarantees to answer whether I was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepared to face my fears, conscious or unconscious.
So, being able to write this down meant I managed despite the countless times dancing around with depression and enjoying the roller coaster rides my anxiety provided me.
This is why I don’t know how to thank you for your support, regardless of the scale or contribution size, from sharing my work with others or buying my books. It doesn’t matter because, for me, every small act you show is appreciated.
Again, thank you, and have a great day!
If you like to support my writing life, here’s what you can do:
- Get a copy of “The Rival” Uncensored Gay Romance Novel.
- Check out my upcoming book, “Non-Native Speakers Only.”
- Find more writing tips on my website (i.e., content writing, freelance writing, copywriting, self-publishing, novel writing, and many more!)
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