Charles has moved on.
1354 Words
Brea and David asked me to watch Sophia while they went out for a drink. We had rented a nice apartment in Monaco.
It was in David's name.
I loved spending time with Sophia. She trusted me now. It had been two months since we fled in the middle of the night.
I loved Monaco. I was a nobody there.
My life was now beginning again. I valued my freedom.
Mostly I stayed to myself in the apartment. But my sister talked me into visiting Monte Carlo with her.
We dressed in casino attire. Very James Bond stuff. Her dress was a black thigh length number. Mine was gold.
We did our hair up in big curls, and did eachother's make up.
Once we arrived, we had to pay a fee to enter. It was magnificently worth it though, so iconic.
I was drinking cosmos and having the best time playing table games.
Brea steered me to a poker room. I liked poker, but that's not why she took me in there.
To my surprise, Charles Hudson was sitting at a poker table playing with a group of men. He looked very handsome in a black tuxedo. His hair was trimmed short. He had lost weight.
" You did this didn't you?" I asked her.
She smiled and nodded.
" I knew they were in europe, I had heard rumors they lived in Paris now, I sent him a private invite."
I turned to leave, feeling nervous.
Charles saw Brea, recognizing her immediately. He stood up and smiled.
Brea grabbed my arm.
I held myself very still as Charles folded his poker hand and approached us with his well known swagger.
" Brea, what are you doing here in europe, I was surprised to get your message, is David here too?" he kissed her cheeks, the French way.
He saw me and nodded politely, not recognizing me.
I looked at his chisled chin, his face had fine lines around his eyes now.
It took a few more moments before he saw it was me.
When he did, his smile faded.
" Holy s**t, it's you! You are alive."
He grabbed me and pulled me to his chest.
His tears were flowing into my hair.
" How?" He asked as he dried his eyes, but they kept flowing.
" Come, let's talk in private." I said, not wanting a scene.
I told him about my escape, running for my life.
My father and I had ridden dirt bikes in the dunes when I was a teen. I could ride, so I stole a motorcycle and hid on a boat.
I didn't give him any details about my husband. It felt too raw to share anything about him. I was still getting over him.
Charles wouldn't stop looking at my lips.
He did not kiss me though, not once.
I saw his wedding ring then.
" Lana is your wife now?" I asked numbly.
" Yes, I believed you were dead." He said, frowning.
" Do not tell her I am here, please promise me." I knew she would try to hurt me again.
" Ok, I'm sure she'd like to see you Jo."
I shook my head, choosing not to tell him just yet.
" Can we go somewhere and talk?" He took my hand.
I eyed that ring he wore and moved my hand away from his then.
" Promise me you won't tell her about me." I begged.
" Ok, but you are mistaken Jo, she cares for you." He said, feeling sorry for me, thinking I was crazy and paranoid after all I had been though.
My sister hailed our car and we made our way to a small restaurant in town.
She dropped us at the entrance.
" I have to go check on David and Sophia, I'll come back in say..an hour?"
Charles nodded and took my hand, pulling me into the restaurant to a table in the back.
" I searched everywhere for you. I hired detectives and went to the FBI. No one saw anything. Well, there was a sighting once, but it was nothing."
" Charles, I was taken by some ruthless men. They...uh had an auction. I was sold to a powerful and dangerous man. He forced me into marraige. Charles, I am technically still his wife. I don't dare try to get a divorce, he will find me.
I wanted so badly to escape, but after a while, I admit that I was too afraid he would kill my family.
But the last straw was when he threatened to kill my niece.
I didn't know he even knew about her. I was wrecked by that. He had convinced me he was a changed man, that we could have a true marraige.
I had to make the best of it. But when he threatened to kill Sophia, I ran. I knew he would kill them because of me."
I shivered.
" That's horrible. I'm so sorry you had to go through that Jo. I will have him hunted down and brought to justice." He was angry.
What I told him next would change his life forever.
" Charles, it was Lana who gave me to the s*x traders. That man, the chef...Daniel. Lana paid him to take me.
He was undercover CIA, he never planned to go through with it, but the s*x traders caught wind and he risked blowing his cover if he let me go.
Lana gave him ten grand. She took the bracelet you gave me, said it was her souvenir." I rubbed my wrist.
Charles stood up now.
" That's enough, my wife would NEVER do this to you. I almost believed you Jo, but after all this time...it's too much.
I don't know what to believe. But I can't believe this about my wife." He threw some money down on the table and walked away.
I finished my drink, sipping on it slowly. The truth hurts.
My food came, I ate in silence.
I didn't want to go back home to be around David and Brea.
I text Brea. "Going to a hotel, I'll call you later, K?"
She text back," Hell yah!"
Thinking I was with Charles.
I walked down the street to a hotel and got a room.
I took a hot bath and soaked my bones. My back ached.
Sometimes the scars ached and cause me pain.
I felt a bit lonely and defeated.
I thought Charles would want me back, to reunite with him.
I knew now, it was over.
My dad called me as I soaked.
" Hi daddy." I said.
" Are you ok kid?" He asked me, sounding a bit strained.
" Daddy what is it?"
" Hello Phina."Manuel was at my family's home.
" Don't tell him where you are." My father yelled.
" I am coming to bring you home Phina." He said.
" Fine. Let my parents go, now!" I yelled.
" Really...do you mean it?" He asked, surprised.
" Yes, really. Tell daddy you are sorry. Don't scare them please."
" Where are you Phina?" He asked, expecting a lie.
" Monoco. I'm staying at the Grand hotel. I'll wait for you, or do you want me to come to you?" I had tears in my eyes.
I would never be free from this husband of mine.
" I'll be there tomorrow. Phina, I'm sorry. I crossed the line."He admitted.
"Which ones? The punishments, the threats, the shooting on sight edict?" I sighed.
" Sorry. I'm not able to give you up it seems." He admitted.
"Put daddy on."
" Joey, I told you not to tell him where you were!" He was mad.
" Daddy, we are married. I am his wife. Can you try to forgive him.
I know that whatever he has done to me in the past, can be so much worse.
He won't rest until he finds me. I'm fine, I'm resigned to my fate, besides Charles has moved on, he basically called me a liar.
I have to accept that I lost him forever."
- Writer
