CHAPTER 6: Pretend

— LIA —

The plane started going up in the sky. When I turned my attention to the window, several clouds greeted my eyesight.

I let out a sigh of relief. After some hours, I will finally leave Spain’s territory. I’m just wishing that they will not search for me anymore. Although I think it is impossible to happen, I’m still believing just for the sake of my peace.

“Oh, my goodness!” A loud squeak from a lady disturbed my thoughts. “Dennise?”

Hearing that name, my eyes widened, and my heart started palpitating. It’s the same feeling I had when those men were chasing me.

Are those people in the flight? Did they follow me here?

What should I do? In this plane, I’m sure that I have nowhere to go! I can’t ask for help! They might succeed in seizing me! They might torture me even if I didn’t do anything!

“Dennise! Yoohoo! I know it’s you,” the lady added when I didn’t respond to her.

Slowly, I turned my head to the owner of the voice. That’s where I saw a lady, maybe the same age as mine. She was wearing a black halter top. Her hair was done in a messy bun while her face was glowing with makeup.

“Hi?” I answered her. I actually don’t know how to respond. First of all, I am not Dennise. Second, I don’t know who this woman is. Lastly, I don’t know how Dennise acts!

“It’s been so long! I haven’t heard anything about you after you got married,” she said while smiling at me, as if we were close friends. “How’s it going between you and Alejandro?”

Alejandro? I think I have already heard that name before.

My memories flash backed to the talk I had with Yvette.

“The old man beside her is just as bitch as well!”

“He also treated their bodyguards like shit, and I mean, like a damn shit creature! Bagay silang dalawa. Parehong anak ni Satanas.” (They really complement each other. Both are children of Satan.)

“Did you hear the name of the man?”

“I’m not sure, but is it Sandro? Mando?”

“Aha! Alejandro! The man’s named Alejandro!”

I quickly opened my notebook to check. I know that I wrote the man’s name here.

When I finally confirmed that it was the same name, an idea popped into my mind.

“Oh, yeah. Everything’s going well between me and my husband,” I answered.

This woman know who Dennise is. Not just that, she also know about the relationship between Dennise and Alejandro. If there’s someone who can answer my question and give more information about them, this woman in front of me is the answer.

She clapped her hands. “That’s good! I’m sure you still have him wrapped around your fingers,” she said and followed it with an amused laugh.

I also laugh with her. I tried to make it as natural as possible. If I want to get more information, I should act like Dennise and squeeze details in a way that this lady will not notice.

Strategy number one: Act like Dennise.

Alejandro’s wrapped around Dennise’s fingers, huh? From that sentence alone, I can say that Dennise might be a dominant kind of woman. If not dominant, then she is manipulative, unless that Alejandro loves her so much and he is dumb as hell.

“Of course! As if I will let him escape my hands.” I made my voice slightly feminine, but with a hint of authority.

“That’s good then. As long as you have him under your control, then you can do anything with his money!” she exclaimed while making a money-sign on her left hand. Her voice was loud that the people from other seats turned their heads to us.

I made a hush-sign on her. She put both of her hands on her mouth, as if she looks embarrassed. However, one look from her, I can say that she is not embarrassed at all.

This woman, like Dennise, I’m sure is attracted to money. I’m not saying that being attracted to money is a bad thing. We all need money to survive. But the fact that they’re using other people, specifically men and husbands, is unethical for me. They’re using the love and feelings of those who love them to get the material things that they want.

“How’s it going on you?” I asked her, trying to look friendly and close to her as I can.

“Everything’s fine! I’m actually going to the Philippines for a vacation. How about you? Are you on a vacation, too?” she asked me while getting a juice from the attendant.

Wait. I should think about my answer very well. If I’m going to say that I’m going to my country for a vacation, I’m sure that she will insist to come with me.  I can’t do that!

Or maybe, I can say that I already have my etinerary and I have to stick with it? Nah, what if she will say that we can follow my etinerary instead of hers?

I gulped. “Just meeting someone,” I answered briefly.

Her mouth formed an “o” shaped. “I see. It might be for your business.”

I just smiled at her. I can’t say yes since I’m not aware if this lady here knows what kind of business Dennise have. I need to be very careful. One wring information and she will grow suspicious of me.

“By the way, Alejandro’s not with you?” she asked again.

I’m starting to get irritated because she has a lot of questions. Because of that, I need to squeeze ny brain heavily in order to come up with the best response.

“He’s… busy fixing some things in Spain,” I answered her, not going deep into details.

“Oh, I just find it weird that he’s not with you. I mean, the Gonzales’ House is still looking for you,” she replied. “Your husband is too careful not too show you to the Gonzales.”

Who”s that? Gonzales? It’s a pretty common surname in the Philippines, but I don't know anyone in Spain who has that surname.

Could it be the surname of the man who kidnapped me? This woman said that the Gonzales’ House is looking for Dennise. Does it mean that there are a lot of them who are hunting me?

Having that thought made me uncomfortable again. I started to feel that there are a lot of eyes watching me.

“Alejandro made sure that I will come out of the country undetected. He will follow me after some days to make sure I’m safe,” I answered her.

“Wow! He really made sure that the Gonzales’ will not discover your steps,” she responded, and her tone says that she is amazed. 

“I bet that the Gonzales’ will never find you. It’s been almost two years since you left your ex-boyfriend, Kelleon Gonzales. Look, you can even go to another country without them knowing, even if they have the control over Spain’s borders!” she exclaimed and followed it with a short laugh

Kelleon Gonzales? I’m sure that’s the name of the man earlier.

“Well, I’m not surprised that you’re still free. Alejandro knows every movement that the Gonzales’ do.”

Her statements made me shook. First, she said that the Gonzales has the control over the country’s border. I think that I’m just lucky that I was able to fly home before they close or monitor the borders.

Second, she said that Alejandro knows every movement of the Gonzales. It only means one thing: there is a mole inside the Gonzales House. It might be Alejandro himself or another person who has the connection with the Gonzales.

Hearing those things, it made me wonder how cunning and influencial that Alejandro is. The fact that he was able to hide Dennise for several years, even when they’re going public, takes a lot of power to conduct.

These people are no joke. One wrong move and they might be able to find me.

Throughout the whole flight, this lady and I talked, more like she was sharing a lot while I was trying to extract information without getting suspicious.

At first, we were only talking about myself and my married life. Some of her questions are too personal, like when was the last time Dennise and Alejandro had sex. I’m uncomfortable not because it was about sex, but because we were not really close.

My friends and I like to talk everything about sex. Even when we were talking about it in public place and we were talking so loud, I never get uncomfortable. This is because I am close to them.

But this lady? I don’t know her! I don’t even know her name even when we were already talking for ours!

Fortunately, I was able to slowly divert the topic to herself. She was talking about her plans for her vacation for hours, nonstop. I was only right there, listening to her talk.

I admit that she is fun to talk to, except that she talks too bluntly. I like her humor; it reminded me of my friends.

Slowly, the plane was landing on the Philippine soil. I was just looking at the window, but I can already feel the heat in this country.

“Denn,” the lady called me by Dennise’s nickname. “I’m sure were going to be busy here. Can I have your number? So we can meet some other time.”

“Sure,” I nodded. She handed me her phone. I typed Dennise’s name and my extra phone number that I don’t use often.

I also handed her my phone. “Here. Put yours, too.’

She typed something on my phone and handed it back to me after. We walked out of the plane, then out of the airport. I waited until she was able to ride a taxi.

“Bye, Denn! See you soon!” she shouted while waving her hand.

I waved my hand back at her with a smile. “Bye!”

The taxi started driving away. My smile slowly faded when the taxi was already out of my sight. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and opened it.

“Chynna,” I read the name of the new contact.

Chynna. So, that is her name.

Although a little bit unethical, I will use you to get the information I needed about that Dennise.

I’m excited for the “tea” you can provide.