Chapter 17: Rosalia Dying Message
1311 Words
Around a year ago.
Rosalia trembled on her knees as her hands were tied to a rope in a locked room in an abandoned warehouse. Her body was in pain after received electric shock from an electric shock device. She had passed out and had just regained consciousness.
When Rosalia opened her eyes, she was surrounded by burly men with scary faces. She saw that her office laptop had been taken from her. One day before that day, she was told that this week was her last week of work. She was pushed to resign.
"Who are you guys? What do you want from me?" Rosalia asked in a trembling voice.
"You know too much, Rosalia. Looks like your brain is stupid enough! How dare you try to inform your findings to Surya Gemilang! What do you want? Money? Fame?" asked the man with the scar on his face, grinning savagely with a pressing aura.
"Let me go," Rosalia whispered softly. Her heart pounded with fear and her body trembled to withstand the frightening mental stress.
"If you were smart enough, your life might still be fine. Now it's too late. You are dead," the man said coldly.
"The data you want is on that laptop. Just take it! Let me go!" said Rosalia trembling.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk! Not that easy. By the way, do you know this person?" asked the man with the scar.
The man with the scar showed his cellphone screen and played a video recording. On the tape, Yuri was seen walking on campus to enter the classroom.
"I don't know her! Let me go! Don't involve others who have nothing to do with me!!” snapped Rosalia with the remnants of her strength.
The man with the scar on his face squatted and smiled coldly at Rosalia.
"Listen! My men can easily kidnap your sister and ruin her life. We can torture her until she lost her mind. I think I can sell her to human trafficking. Of course, after we torture and enjoy her body first," threatened the man with the scar on his face while licking the blade in his hand.
Rosalia looked away angrily.
"Yuriska Novita. Yuri. What a nice name! Hopefully, her skills on the bed are good too!" said the man with the scar laugh, sickeningly.
"BASTARD!!! DON'T YOU DARE TO TOUCH MY SISTER!" Rosalia shouted angrily. She ran and spat in the face of the man with a scar on his face.
The man with the scar on his face dodged and pulled Rosalia's hair very hard. He glared so that the veins on his face looked bumpy.
Rosalia grimaced in pain but she bit her lip tightly, trying to stay strong.
"Listen, crazy woman! You have two choices! If you want your sister to survive, do as I say! Or, if you resist, you know what happens to your sister next," threatened the man with a sizzled voice.
"What do you want?"
"The first choice, I killed you and I tortured your sister until she lost her mind. The second option, you go home and suicide yourself. I will not touch your sister," said the man with a scar on his face grinned.
The man with a scar on his face put a small bottle and a can of soft drink in front of Rosalia.
Rosalia's lips trembled with anger, her eyes filled with tears.
"How do I know that you will keep your word?" asked Rosalia.
"You won't know because you were dead at that time. But whatever choice, you will still die anyway. So, say your choice," said the man with the scar on his face.
"Why did you give me a second choice? What's in it for you?" asked Rosalia.
"Nothing in it for me. This is purely a superior's order. Only actions to reduce the risk it seems. Enough of talking! Make your choice! I am not a patient person," said the man with the scar on his face began to get annoyed.
Rosalia looked at the small bottle of poison in front of her. Between the two bad choices, she had to choose.
"Fine, I agree with the second choice."
The man with a scar on his face grinned. "Wise choice. Don't give your sister any hints. If she suspects your death is not suicide, you know what happens next to her."
Rosalia returned home with a pale face and kept her promise not to say anything. She went home as if nothing had happened.
"Sis, your face is pale. Do you feel not well? Or perhaps exhausted? How is the development of fraud cases in the office?" Yuri asked with concern when she saw Rosalia came home with a disheveled face.
"Ah, that's fine. My body isn't feeling well. Regarding the case at the office, it's settled. Internal audit has handled it with corporate management," said Rosalia while forcing herself to smile.
"Oh, good then," Yuri said.
"I want to go to bed early today. I haven't slept much lately. I feel very tired," said Rosalia.
"Okay, I won't disturb you. Tomorrow is Saturday. No need to get up early," said Yuri, smiling understandingly.
"Yes, thank you, Yuri," said Rosalia. She then entered the room and never went out again.
Yuri found Rosalia's body the following afternoon. She thought Rosalia slept until noon. When late in the afternoon, Yuri knocked on the door, but there was no answer.
"Sis Rosalia? It’s already late afternoon. I bring you some food, Sis," Yuri said.
Worried that Rosalia had passed out due to illness, Yuri used the spare key to open the door. On the bed, Rosalia lay quietly.
"Rosalia?" Yuri asked, touching Rosalia's hand.
Rosalia's hands were cold and reddish. There were vomit marks near Rosalia's mouth. On the edge of the bed, there was an unpleasant soft drink that smelled of bitter almonds. Yuri's heart was beating really fast.
Rosalia, don't leave me, please!
Yuri patted Rosalia's cheek while calling out to her but there was no reaction. She looked at Rosalia's chest and stomach, but there were no signs of breathing. Trembling, Yuri put her finger on Rosalia's nose and panic swept through her body.
Yuri ran out of the room and looked for her cellphone to call an ambulance. Everything happened so fast. The medical team came with an ambulance, then the emergency room officer brought Rosalia in for emergency help. After being declared dead, Yuri was asked for autopsy approval. Then, the statement came out that this case was stated as a suicide case. Then, Yuri buried Rosalia without anyone besides her.
***
Yuri held Chan's hand so tightly. Her body shivered with fear. The image of what had happened a year ago appeared in her mind like a film playing, leaving a deep scar on her heart.
Chan tightened his arms to Yuri. The girl needs his support right now to open the last video that Rosalia left for her.
Yuri's question that day would be answered. She repeatedly asked herself, why her sister committed suicide and kept it a secret from her. But Rosalia was never there to answer.
Rosalia's personal laptop was found by Yuri after the thief entered Rosalia's room. She was suspicious because Rosalia's room had been searched by thieves without any valuables being lost. Even though Rosalia didn't give her a hint, Yuri knew that everything was connected.
When Yuri discovered a secret hiding box, she learned that Rosalia left something on her laptop. She knew Rosalia might have discarded the charger and battery cables so that the data was not easily accessed. That's why Yuri needed to be patient and not be able to draw attention to reveal Rosalia's secrets. She was already dead anyway. There was nothing else Yuri could do for Rosalia but to continue living.
The video was taken amateurish and rushed using a laptop camera. It seemed that the recording was taken a few days before the day of Rosalia's death. Yuri could guess that from the clothes Rosalia was wearing in the recording.
"Test ... test ..." said Rosalia, starting the recording.
Yuri's tears immediately flowed profusely and her body shook from sobbing.
- Writer
