Chapter 272 - Where Are You Going?

One week later.

Alex didn't visit the bar for seven days. He wants to think things thoroughly if he really wanted to take his friendship with Althea to another level.

Was he emotionally ready for a new relationship?

Was he only attracted to Althea because she resembles Caroline a bit?

He needs to think about those things first, or else, if he will rush things this time, he might only hurt Althea in the process.

He has to be honest with himself. But then... he feels that he is ready now to move on from his wife and Caroline's memory.

This Friday he will decide on his feelings because sometimes he still had some hesitation occurring in her mind. If he already reached a decision, he will go to the bar and formally asked Althea for a date, for them to get to know each other better.

~o0o~

Blue Bell Residences.

Thursday. Early afternoon.

The couple together with their twins were relaxing in the living room.

"Sweetie... I'll go to the bedroom to pack my things for my business trip," Mike said.

"You want my help?" Caroline offered.

"No need," he said and left the living room.

Mike entered the master's bedroom and looked for the traveling bag. He will have a three-day business trip to Mindanao.

He opened the closet and looked for the bag, he found it at the bottom of the closet. He grabbed it and comes along with the shopping bag that has the painting on it. He recognized the painting, his wife brought it with her on the day of her return.

He examined the painting in his hands and inspected it. It was just a simple drawing of a small family having a picnic in the garden, surrounded by flowers.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

Until...

His eyes caught something, probably the artist writing...he reads it. Much Love, Alex.

His eyes widened and turned to slit in anger. Who is this Alex!?

C-could he be the same person that sent his wife's gadget back into her house? Are they lovers during her absence? Damn! He had so many unanswered questions.

Now is the time to get to the bottom of it!

He put the painting in the bed and exited the room going to the living room.

He looked at the housemaid. "Guada, take care of the twins!" he ordered, his face was already showing anger.

"Yes Sir," the housemaid replied.

Caroline looked at her husband's face, surprised by the sudden change of his behavior "What is it, hubby?"

"Follow me in our bedroom!" Mike commanded in a hard voice.

Caroline sighed and obeyed her husband's command.

The moment Caroline entered the bedroom, her husband showed her the painting that Alex had given her a long time ago.

"Who is this Alex? Is he your lover!? Answer me!" Mike demanded in a loud voice.

Caroline's brows furrowed. "I don't understand what you are trying to say..." she shook her head.

Mike showed her the message of the artist with the written words. Much Love, Alex.

Caroline's widened. No! Why is this happening? When she received the painting there was no such thing as a message from Alex, she was sure of that. C-could it be that it's Allison's scheme when she was still alive? Did she manage to write that or she had someone add that message in the painting? Or maybe, it was already there, but she missed it!

Dang!

Mike studied the expression of his wife regarding the message. But his wife is good at masking her expression. "Was Alex and the person who sends your gadget to your house in Eastwood Subdivision are the same people? Was he your lover in the past!?" he asked furiously.

Caroline released a deep sigh. "Don't accuse me of anything! I nerve had a lover when I disappeared! God is my witness!" she declared.

"Ah...I see...you're still trying to hide your past. Then tell God to explain to me what is going on? You hide a lot of things from me! How can I trust you!?" he shouted into her face. His angry voice echoed inside the bedroom and reached the vigilant ears of the housemaid in the living room.

Caroline took a deep breath. "My conscience is clean. Think whatever you like, I have nothing to explain to you..." she said in a calm voice.

Mike shut off his eyes, his face still red in anger.

Caroline immediately went to the closet and changes her clothes, for the meantime, she would stay in her house in the Eastwood Subdivision and bring the twins with her while her husband's anger has not yet subsided. She picked up her phone from the bedside table and her wallet and put them in her shoulder bag. She was about to get out of the room...

"What he hell are you doing!?" Mike stared at his wife's face and throw daggers into her eyes.

"I'm going to Eastwood Subdivision. I will bring the twins with me. I will only come back here if you already calm your anger," she said softly, trying not to raise her voice.

"Ah, that's what you're good at! Always running away! Dammit! Why can't you tell me who is Alex!?" he shouted at her indignantly. All the negative emotion he's been trying hard to bury in his heart was all coming out to the surface and he can't stop himself.

"I bought that painting in the street..." she lied.

"Liar!" Mike sneered at her. He picked up the painting, threw it on the floor with much force, and it was broken in half. "And who sent you the gadgets? Tell me, who is he!?" he shouted in rage.

Caroline was shaking her head. The only way for her husband to calm down is for her to leave the place. She was trying to evade a full-blown fight with him. "I'm leaving," she said calmly.

"If you leave this house, I will never take you back! I will never allow you to take the twins away from me!" Mike warned her.

Caroline bit her lip in sadness and frustration. Tears shimmered in her eyes. She looked at her husband's enraged face for the last time and went out of the room silently.

She passed the living room and left her instruction to Guada. "Take care of my twins, Guada. I will return if my husband finally calms down," she said and proceed to the door, tears falling from her eyes.

"Okay, Ma'am," Guada replied. She already finished texting Susan about the couple's fight.

Mike stormed out of the bedroom and went into the living room. "Where is she!?"

"Ma'am Caroline already left, Sir," Guada answered in a trembling voice.

"Fine! Don't let that woman enter this house ever again. She is no longer allowed to see the twins!" he ordered, still seething in rage. All the pent-up emotions he was trying to hide just exploded on the surface, he had a hard time controlling his anger.

"Yes, Sir!" Guada replied.

Downstairs.

Caroline exited the lobby and went to the parking lot and entered her car, she started the engine and drove the vehicle out of the building.

She's driving without any destination in mind, feeling sad and heartbroken. She was still reeling from the shock, how come her perfect world turned upside down just because of a painting?

Did Alex wrote those words in the painting!

She needs to ask Alex if he wrote those words that angered her husband! She drove her car going to Alex's office.

~

Meanwhile.

Inside Alex's office.

He was reviewing the proposal regarding the workers' salary increase when her secretary spoke on the intercom.

"Sir... a certain Caroline Ramirez is waiting here in the lobby wanting to see you."

What? Alex's heart beat faster in his rib cage. What is Caroline doing in his office? He never expected this day will come that Caroline will come to him! Never in his wildest dream!

"Okay, let her in..." he said in an excited voice.

The door opened and Caroline entered the room.

Alex studied her face, she looks like she was fresh from crying, her eyes were red. "Hello, Caroline! Long time no see... please sit down," he said and directed her to the sofa.

Caroline didn't go to the sofa instead she went to him. "My husband saw the painting you had given me a long time ago. It has written words on it which says...Much Love, Alex. Did you wrote it on purpose?" she asked, her hands forming into a fist wanting to slap him.

Alex shook his head vehemently. "No! I never do such a thing! I'm not that stupid to leave a trace!" Alex denied her accusations quickly. "I know everything about the murder. I could get you back to my side anytime if I wanted to, by blackmailing you, but I never resort to that. Besides, when you accepted the painting, you must have noticed that there's not a single word written on it. You didn't see it, right? Because I have never written them in the first place," he explained bearing a serious face.

Caroline released a deep sigh. She went to the sofa and wrapped her face with her hands. Then she starts sobbing uncontrollably. "Allison must have done it when she was still alive!" she grumbled. But what can she do now, her enemy is already dead.

Alex went to her side and sat on the sofa. "Shh...what's the problem? Let me drive you back to your home," he offered.

"No! I'm not going back to my house. My husband is still angry at me. He was accusing me that I had a lover who's name is Alex!" she said between sobs.

Alex released a deep sigh. "How about your home in Eastwood Subdivision?" he said.

"I won't go there, they will only be asking me a lot of questions. I want to be alone for a while," she said and rose to her feet, going to the door.

"W-where are you going?" Alex asked worriedly.

"Going to a place that no one knows me!" she replied.