The next day.
Caroline wakes up at 7:15 in the morning.
She rises from the bed and went to the bathroom.
She emerges from the bathroom, left the room, and went to the kitchen to prepare her breakfast. She just cooks the ham in the frying pan, adds some mayonnaise and tomatoes, and made a sandwich for her breakfast along with hot coffee.
She took her time eating her food.
She's going to miss this place.
After eating her meal, she cleaned her mess and the kitchen, she makes sure the kitchen is spot clean when her husband arrives home later.
Done in the kitchen.
She went back to the bedroom, tidied the bed, and took a thirty minutes shower.
She emerges from the bathroom, went to the closet, picked up her clothes, and donned them on her body, she grabbed her black jacket. She put a baseball cap on her head and put her sunglasses on her eyes.
She's ready to go!
"Goodbye husband, see you again, a few months from now. I hope you don't forget me," she said teary-eyed.
She took off her sunglasses and wiped the tears from her eyes, then she put it back again on her eyes.
She looked at the brown envelope and the car keys one last time, after making sure that the bedroom was in order, she left the bedroom going to the living room.
She sat on the sofa and called her husband.
"Sweetie...I was about to call you. Have you eaten your breakfast already?" Mike asked.
"Yes, I'm done eating breakfast, hubby. How about you?" she asked him back.
"I'm done as well. I'm so very excited to come back home. I miss you so much, sweetie!" he replied cheerfully.
Caroline swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "I love you hubby, take care of yourself and happy trip!"
"Bye, wifey. I'll call you later after I arrived at the airport," he said.
"Bye...hubby..." Caroline replied.
The call already ended awhile ago.
But Caroline was still fighting back tears from falling from her eyes.
She breathed deeply. She needs to go now!
She stood up, put back the sunglasses on her eyes, and grabbed the bag.
She exited her husband's place and entered the elevator. After landing on the ground floor, she flagged a taxi outside the entrance of the building.
She told the driver to bring her to Divisoria Market one of the largest flea markets in the Philippines.
One hour later.
The taxi arrived at their destination, there are already many people doing their shopping in Divisoria.
Caroline paid the driver her fare and exited the vehicle. She went inside the flea market and walked with a specific direction in mind.
She passed by so many cheap products displayed on the stall such as dresses, children's clothes, bags, shoes, beauty products, electrical products, and many more to count. She bought a new sim card 'coz she will no longer be using her old one later.
She strolled the flea market until she reached the end of the building and made an exit. She flagged a taxi cab and instructed the driver to bring her to the nearest hotel nearby.
It only takes fifteen minutes and the taxi dropped her on an ordinary hotel, nothing fancy with the building. The name of the hotel is the Sunflower Hotel.
She paid the driver her fare, went to the reception desk, and booked a room good for 24 hours using a fake name.
She stayed in the room on the second floor.
Still using her old number, she composed a message for her Mother Thelma and told her that she left a letter beneath her old clothes in her closet for her and her sister.
She will send the message later at exactly 1:00 in the afternoon.
She placed a call to her husband. Good thing his phone was ringing.
"Sweetie..."
"Where are you hubby?"
"I'm on my way to the airport, wifey! I'm getting excited to board the plane so that I can finally go home and hug you," he said excitedly.
"Okay, hug you hubby. I miss you so much. I love you, take care and happy trip!" she said.
"Bye sweetie, I'll call you after the plane landed at the airport."
"Bye hubby..."
The couple's conversation ended.
She placed a call to Allison.
"Hello...Caroline...wazzup?" said Allison
"Ali...send a vehicle near Divisoria...find the Sunflower Hotel and wait for me outside. I will board the car at 3:00 this afternoon," she gives her instruction.
"Wow! This is finally happening!" Allison said happily. "Sure, I will comply with your request. I will personally be there to wait and welcome you," she said.
"Alright, see you later, Ali. Don't call me on this number because I'm changing my number. I'll call you instead. Bye," Caroline said.
"Alright, bye!" Allison ended the call at her end.
Caroline put down the phone at the bedside table.
At exact noontime, Caroline ordered room service, she ordered rice, and sinigang na hipon (Shrimp with Tamarind Soup) for lunch as well as mineral water.
One hour later.
She sent the message she composed earlier to her mother. After sending the message, she removed her old sim card from her phone and inserted the new one.
She put her old sim card in the pocket of her traveling bag for safekeeping.
Right now, she can no longer cry.
She was done crying, if only her problem can be erased by the volume of tears that she already cried in the past few days she will keep crying, too bad that will never happen.
She released a deep sigh.
All she can do now is wait for Allison to pick her up so that she can start her end of their deal and eventually be freed from this crazy situation she put herself in.
The time on her phone is already 1:30 in the afternoon.
She picked up the remote control and power on the TV, searching for something to watch to take her mind away from her predicament.
She ended up watching a local noontime variety show.
The host of the show was very good in comedy but this time the host failed to make her laugh with her green jokes.
She's dead inside.
She was about to enter a world full of uncertainty. She was just hoping that she will be able to get out of her problematic situation, sanity still intact.
The clock hanging on the wall of the hotel room pointed at 2:30.
She placed a call to Allison's number using her new sim card.
"Hello...who's this?" Asked Allison.
"Ali, it's me, Caroline, this is my new number," she said.
"Ah, okay, we are approaching Divisoria flea market. I'll call you after we arrived at Sunflower Hotel," said Allison.
"Okay, I'll wait for your call," Caroline replied.
"Bye..." said Allison.
The call was ended by Allison at her end.
Caroline put everything back in her bag. She continues watching the variety show while waiting for the call from Allison.
By 3:15... she receives a call from Allison.
"We already arrived at the Sunshine Hotel, we parked the car in front of the pharmacy store. You may go down now," Allison gives her instruction.
"Okay, I'll go down now," Caroline uttered her response and turn off the TV.
She put her phone inside the traveling bag, put back the baseball cap on her head, and covered her eyes with the sunglasses.
She sauntered towards the door and exited the room. She went down the stairs and handed the key of the room to the hotel staff at the reception desk.
Holding her bag, she exited the hotel door and walked towards the pharmacy store on the right side of the hotel building and saw Owen, Allison's minion standing near the door of the store.
She approached the guy. "Owen..." she called his name.
"Hello Ma'am, I will take your bag," he offered and grabbed the bag. "Follow me to the vehicle, Ma'am," he said.
Caroline allowed the guy to take her bag and followed him.
They entered a black car. Allison was already sitting on the backseat smiling broadly at Caroline.
Owen put the bag in the compartment of the vehicle, then he entered the driver's seat to drive the car.
"How are you Caroline?" asked Allison.
Caroline took a deep breath.
"I'm feeling bad and guilty for leaving my husband and not telling him the truth," answered Caroline sadly.
"It's okay... when all this is over, you can return to your husband as if all this never happens at all," Allison said casually.
"I wish you are correct Allison," Caroline replied.
"Well, your disappearance is a shocker... and after you come back to Mike's side, you will finally see if your husband truly loves you. If his love for you is real, he will welcome you with open arms," Allison explained.
"It's not that easy, Allison. My husband will surely ask me what happened to me and why I disappeared without explaining the real reason why..." said Caroline, her eyes were flashing with pain.
Allison shrugged. "Well... that is a given. But if you just keep your mouth shut and don't tell him the real reason why... then nothing happens. What can he do if you won't tell him anything? There's nothing he can do to you. I'm sure he will be very grateful if you come back to him alive one day."
"I'm hoping you are right, Allison," Caroline said. She massaged her temple and keep to herself. She was thinking of her husband, right now, at this very moment, he was already in the bedroom reading her farewell message.
"Madam, where are we going?" Owen asked.
"Home," Allison answered.
Owen drives the car back to Allison's mansion.