How to Destroy a Badboy

I was sitting in front of the window. I needed to catch my breath. The phone rang, and my heart raced when I saw who was calling. Two phrases ran through my head: "It started all over again." "This will never end."

For the past three years, my life had turned upside down. I’ve read many drama, romance, and suspense novels, but I’ve never seen anything like this happen, not in stories, movies, or any family. I hung up the phone without answering. I took a deep breath and made some tea. The tears started to fall, and a flood of memories rushed through my mind.

I'm not ready. Not now. I can't go through it all again.

With the arrival of spring, I was excited to start new projects. It had been almost two years since I had produced anything significant at work. The tough times had drained my energy and all my drive. I sat down, opened my computer, and promised to dedicate myself fully to my projects. I managed to reconnect with some old clients and was really committed.

But that call left me paralyzed.

At the end of the day, I turned my phone back on. There were numerous missed calls and three messages. It was urgent. Once again, the ground was opening up beneath me, and the cause was the same. Indeed, it wasn't over. The snake was still slithering around everyone, ready to strike again, for the final blow.

I called my husband, trembling. I asked him to come home early. He arrived, looking displeased.

"Who sent those messages?" he asked.

"Your Aunt Lurdes. She's desperate. She asked us to go to their town today."

"Impossible. And even if it were possible, I already said I'm done with this."

"I'll tell her we can't help anymore. We've done everything we could."

"Okay, do that," my husband replied, ending the conversation.

Two days later, we received an unexpected visit. I heard footsteps outside, and the dogs barked. I checked the window, and there she was: Aunt Lurdes.

"Good morning, dear. Sorry for not giving you a heads-up, but I had to come as quickly as I could," she said, looking a bit embarrassed and with a suspicious glance.