Love is just Illusion

CHAPTER 2

Love is just Illusion by Swapie Achilles

CHAPTER II

Another bright sunny day. Birds chirping and the sun is shining. A happy day it is. But not for a certain man.

A call on Mori’s phone woke him up from his shallow sleep. It took all his strength to lift is arms and look who’s calling.

When he saw that it is his aunt Isabell, he let go of the phone with a thud. And chose to close his eyes, attempting to go back to sleep and forget his pain.

Until a ring from his door bell echoed. He tried to not listen to it but it rings consistently as if they knew, whoever is ringing the bell, that he’s there.

He forced his tired body and devastated heart to get up and walked towards the door. When he’s at the door, he peeked from the peep hole.

And he saw his aunt Isabell just outside his door. He stepped back and open it.

He doesn’t even bother to wash his face before facing his aunt. His still wearing his clothes from the last night.

“Mori…” The only word Isabell said as she looks at his tired sunken eyes. His eyes are swollen from endless tears.

But Mori, as being the kind-hearted man they knew. Forced himself to smile.  “Good morning, aunt Isabell.” But even though he’s smiling, the pain in his eyes is noticeable.

The lips with a smile can lie, but never the tired eyes.

Isabell bit his lips to keep herself from falling but the sight before her pierce her whole being. Without a word, she hugged him so tight.

She wrapped her arms around him, as if she’s trying to shield him from all the pain. “Mori…”

She can’t say a word of comfort for she doesn’t know what to say to someone as devastated as him. Mori closed his eyes and wrapped his petite arms around her.

Inhaling the scent of what he deemed to be his mother. When Isabell let go of him, Mori saw a beautiful woman from behind her.

“Mori, go straighten yourself up while I packed your things okay?” Isabell said, but Mori is busy studying the face of the other woman.

Isabell looked from behind her to see where Mori is looking. “Oh, she’s Carmel. My fiancée.” Isabell introduce her with a gentle smile.

“Hi, I’m Carmel Montemayor.” Carmel introduce herself and hugged Mori as tight as what her fiancé did.

“Fiancée?” Mori asked with his eyes full of confusion. The two simultaneously nodded with a grin and shows their hands with pretty rings.

Mori beamed at the sight, “Wow! I’m so happy for you aunt Isabell! And to you too, Carmel.”

Carmel smiled at his warm congratulatory statement. The brief celebration was cut off when Isabell speak again.

“Mori, we will have to go grandma’s house as soon as possible to take in charge of her unfinished business.” She gripped Mori’s shoulders and directly looked at his eyes.

To which Mori only replied with a weak nod. When he’s done organizing himself, he took a sit before Carmel.

He smiled at her handing her a cup of warm chocolate milk. “So, how long has it been since the two you become engaged?” He asked.

“Oh, I proposed to her just a year ago.” Carmel grinned as she remembers how Isabell reacts from the proposal.

Mori laugh with her. “She’s stubborn, aren’t she?”

“You’ll never know. Did you know when we first met, she sucker punched me in the gut. And it hurts like hell.” Carmel said.

Mori laugh from her story, “That’s aunt Isabell to you. But why did she punch you?” Mori asked as he recovered from his laughing pit.

“She thought I was going to rob her, when all I want is to give her handkerchief.” Carmel said before sipping her warm drink.

Mori’s laugh echoed on his large apartment. Which Isabell heard from his bedroom.

She let out a smile of relief and gratitude that her fiancée is making an effort to make her nephew smile. She packed all the things Mori that will need.

“Mori! Do you want me to take your tools too?” Isabell shouted, which Mori replied with loud yes.

“You know, when I’m still in college there was a guy who used to bully me. But it all stopped when aunt Isabell beat him up and threaten him.” Mori shared a funny story from his college days and they laugh together.

“Oh God, she’s really handful. I remember the time she almost broke my neck when she saw lipstick mark on my collar the next morning. But what she didn’t remember is that she chewed it last night.” Carmel said and both of them laugh loudly together.

“HAHAHA! That’s so funny!”

Isabell saw how Carmel make Mori forgot his pain for a while. But… “What are you guys talking about?” She said with a menacing smile as she dropped the luggage with a loud thud.

Both Mori and Carmel, slowly look at the glaring form of Isabell. Their sweats are quickly building up.

“H-hi, love.” Carmel’s shaking hands are noticeable.

Isabell slowly trod towards her with same smile on her lips. Until all hell broke loose.

“What are you saying to my nephew, huh?!” Isabell grabbed Carmel’s collar and easily pulled her up from her seat. “Are you ruining my image?!”

Mori clasped his hands on his mouth to prevent any sound that might trigger his aunt to pummel him.

“T-that’s not it. L-love listen to me.” Carmel said in between choking sounds. “…breathe, l-let me… oxygen.”

Isabell yelled at her asking what she said to Mori. Their conversation itself made Mori laugh out loud as he holds his stomach.

The sight of him laughing made the lovers’ hearts warm. As they look at each other and shared smiles, Mori spoke. “Aunt Isabell, she said you’re scary!”

Carmel’s eyes widen when Mori spoke. And Isabell’s smile faded into a demonic scowl.

“I… I… d-didn’t say it! Love, babe, honey, sweetie, please believe me!” Carmel begged, running away from the wrath of Isabell.

She shielded herself from the chair that Isabell is holding. “I’m not your love, babe, honey or sweetie you wanker! I am your murderer!” She yelled throwing the chair to her.

As the two bickers, Mori is dying from laughter. He can’t breathe and his stomach is aching from too much laughing.

And for a moment, he forgets about all the pain.

The three went outside and Carmel starts to packed Mori’s luggage to her car’s trunk.

“Aren’t we going to commute? I mean it’s easier this way but…” Mori asked on why the lady is packing his things inside her car.

Carmel closed the trunk with a loud thud before answering, “Nah, it’s fine. I got this.”

“Come on Mori, let’s get inside.” Isabell said to which he replied with a simple nod.

On their way to his grandma’s home, the city of Lothario, all of them didn’t speak a word. Only the music loudly busting inside the car was heard.

Isabell looked from the front seat of the car to Mori who’s seating on the back, “Are you hungry? We’re not going to a stop, since we can’t afford to lose too much time. So, we just packed food.”

“Nah, I’m alright.” Mori said as he sighed still looking outside the window. Looking at people busy with their own business.

“I need you, please…” the moon brightly shines on the inky yet colorful sky. A virile man hovering above him said, as he’s piercing eyes directly looked at Mori.

A loud thunder struck and the man can be seen on the window of his balcony, with his eyes full of anger. “I thought I can trust you…”

Mori tried to reach the man but he jumps out of the window.

“Look out!” Isabell screamed before the loud screeching sound of tires were heard and an ear-splitting sound of crash resonated, which awaken Mori.

The sudden break of the car makes him bump his head on the seat in front of him. “What happened?!” He hurriedly asked as he rubbed his forehead.

They’re in a full stop and lots of people are gathering around them. “Mori! Are you okay?!” Isabell return his question.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” He said confused. But as soon as he saw another vehicle in front of them which rammed on an electric post, his eyes widen.

The car is severely destroyed due to the impact. Luckily Carmel was able to kick the breaks before they entangled with the accident.

Sirens from ambulance were heard and the bustling sound of footsteps clatter as they hurried to rescue the people inside the destroyed car.

“That was close.” Carmel exhaled loudly as if she’s holding her breathe for too long.

Then a policewoman knocks on Carmel’s window, she rolled it down and asked her if could come out, they’re just going to asked her few questions.

Carmel step out from the car. Mori and Isabell only looked her figure as they talked outside.

“Thank God…” Isabell threw her head back at the seat and exhaled. Mori who’s just woken up didn’t saw what happened but from what the other vehicle looks like he knew he should thank the heavens.