92. Overwhelming Emotion

The following day, Clarice woke up to a bright new day. She got up from bed, looked in the mirror and saw her eyes swollen after so much crying last night. She entered the bathroom and splashed water on her face. She recalled what had happened last night. She fell asleep thinking about whether she would agree to Demetria's offer to kill Viviana. Is it morally right to kill Viviana? She felt guilty just thinking about it. She technically stole Viviana's husband from her. Now that she was gone and dead in their eyes, would she still hold on to her husband, knowing that she could never go back to her old life because Demetria wouldn't allow her? Maybe it's about time to allow the ex-couple to reconcile. She can't go home anyway. The moment she accepts her fate, an avalanche of tears falls from her eyes. After crying for almost half an hour, Clarice finally left her room, went straight to the kitchen and made herself a hot coffee. She took crackers, sliced bread from the cupboard and ate her breakfast in silence. After she finished eating, she put the dirty dishes in the sink and went outside the house to breathe fresh air. She stared at the blue sky above for a few minutes and then shifted her attention to the vast ocean below. She sighed heavily, aware that she would never get out of this place alive. This place will become her burial ground. She bit her lower lip. Her heart was throbbing painfully. She heard footsteps coming her way. She turned around and saw Demetria walking towards her and standing beside her. "Lovely morning isn't it?" Demetria casually commented. "For you, it's lovely but for me, it isn't," Clarice replied sarcastically. Demetria looked at her with a raised brow. "Oh, so you woke up in a bad mood today, eh?" "What can you expect?" Clarice snapped irritably. Demetria shrugged. "Alright, since you don't like accepting my offer, I'll just go somewhere to entertain myself. Is there anything you want me to buy for you today?" she asked. Clarice shook her head. "Nothing," she replied gloomily. Demetria saw the sadness in Clarice's eyes. "OK, I'll take my leave," she said, walking away, heading back to the house. Clarice breathed deeply. Demetria suggested outrageous things to her but ignored her request for release from her captivity. After a few minutes of staring at the horizon, drowning in loneliness and sorrow, Clarice finally returns to the house to wash the dirty dishes on the kitchen sink and perform some house chores around the house. It's a simple activity she likes performing every day so she can forget her current situation and prevent herself from going crazy due to loneliness. Hours went by. Lunchtime came. Clarice cooked her food and ate lunch afterward. Afternoon comes and goes in a flash, evening finally comes. Clarice sat at the table and ate her dinner alone. After she finished eating dinner, she went to the living room to pass her idle time, staring at the darkness of the night outside, lost in her own thoughts. Meanwhile, a thousand miles away... At 9:00 in the evening, a powerful entity arrived at Alpha Callum's mansion; she couldn't be seen by anyone because she was invisible. The powerful and mighty Demetria arrived at Alpha Callum's mansion to do some kidnapping, her gift for her stubborn companion back home. She sat on the sofa, watching the inhabitants of the house pass her by, unaware of her presence. A few minutes later, the time to sleep has finally come. The housemaids locked all the doors in the mansion, preparing to retire for the night. When one of the maids finally turned off the lights in the living room, and went to their rooms in the house, Demetria stood up and floated in the air and disappeared. She appeared in Caden's room a moment later and froze the nanny and the boy. She placed her hand on Caden's right arm. "Come with me, little boy. You are going to see your mother in a minute." Demetria and Caden disappeared from the room. When Demetria arrived at her house, she found Clarice already asleep in her room. She placed Caden's sleeping form on the bed beside her and nudged Clarice's arm, waking her up. "Wake up, dear. I have a surprise for you." Clarice rubbed her eyes and looked at Demetria. "What do you want? You want to suck my blood?" she asked sleepily. Demetria shook her head. "No. It's not time for feeding yet. Can't you see who's beside you now?" she asked, grinning broadly. Clarice looked at the empty space beside her. "What are you talking about?" she asked, confused. Demetria waved her hand and Caden's sleeping form became visible. Clarice's eyes widened in surprise. "My son!" she blurted ecstatically. Happiness filled her senses at once. She hugged her son's sleeping form and showered his head and face with kisses. Her heart was overwhelmed with elation. "Enjoy your son for two hours. I will return him to his father's house after you are done with him. But if you want, you can always have him as your companion here. It's up to you," Demetria said. "I can also make him awake so you can talk to him freely," she suggested. Clarice stared at her son's chubby face. Would it be enough for her to just kiss her son? She wanted to hear his voice and have a proper conversation with him. "If he awakens later, will he remember what we have talked about?" she asked. Demetria nodded her head. "Yup, but I can also make it appear like he was dreaming of you and nothing is real. You decide what you want," she said. "OK, I want him awake now, make it appear like our reunion was just a dream in his mind afterward," Clarice said excitedly. "Alright, your wish is granted," Demetria said. She disappeared from the room and Caden opened his eyes. Clarice smiled happily. "Hello, son!" she said, teary-eyed while caressing his chubby cheeks. Caden looked at his mother in absolute surprise. "Mom? "Mommy, you are alive!" he said, shocked. "Yes, I'm alive, son. I miss you so much," Clarice replied, hugging her son lovingly. "Dad and the others thought you were already dead, Mommy," Caden cried. "But I told them you are still alive because you keep appearing in my dreams, telling me you are alive," he said. "Yeah. I'm still alive, but I can't come home yet. My current situation is complicated. I can't go home yet," Clarice said, swallowing the lump forming in her throat, wanting to cry but couldn't do it in front of her son. Caden saw the pain in his mother's eyes. "Why can't you come home? What's wrong, Mom?" he asked in puzzlement. "Because my situation is hard and complicated. I'm sorry, son, I can't tell you about it. I'm just happy that you are growing bigger and healthier every day despite the fact that I'm no longer by your side to take care of you. I really want to go home, but I can't," Clarice said miserably, her voice trembling in agony. Caden was confused about why his mother couldn't go home. He roamed his eyes around the unfamiliar room. "Mommy, where is this place? Whose room is this?" he asked curiously after realizing he was not in his own room. "Um, I can't tell you, son. Let's just talk about your father. How is he? Did he miss me?" she asked, changing the topic quickly to divert her son's attention. "Daddy is fine but feels very sad because he missed you so much," Caden replied. Clarice smiled. "You take care of your dad, for me. You take care of each other, okay?" Caden smiled. "Yes, Mommy. I'll take care of Daddy." "Son, what's happening lately in the house while I'm away?" Clarice asked. "Auntie Viviana is now living with us in the house because her house burned down, and I also met my sister. She is so tiny but cute and smiles a lot. I love my sister!" Caden replied gleefully. Clarice's eyes watered instantly. "Did Auntie Viviana treat you right? She didn't hurt you?" Caden shook his head. "No. Auntie Viviana is kind to me." The pain of jealousy tore Clarice's heart. 'Do you like Viviana to be your mommy?" she asked. Caden shook his head. "No. You are my only mommy. No one can replace you in my heart. Auntie Viviana is my baby sister's mommy." Tears of happiness sprang from Clarice's eyes. She was satisfied with his answer. Pleased that her memory will always be alive in her son's mind and heart. His answer made her heart swell with pride. Caden looked deeply into his mother's eyes. "Mommy, is this a dream? Am I seeing and talking to you in my dream right now?" he asked. Clarice's eyes rolled down her face. "Yes, son, this is a dream. We are in a dream right now." She lied. Her heart was breaking inside. She planted a kiss on his cheeks lovingly. "I love you so much, son. Please remember that always." She hugged her son tightly, embedding their beautiful moment together in her mind. A wonderful memory that will last a lifetime. Time flies too fast... Before Clarice knew it, two hours had passed like a blur. Suddenly, Caden froze in her arms and she sadly realized her time with her son was up. Demetria appeared in the room. "Dear, I hope you enjoyed bonding with your son. I will return Caden to his father's house now before everyone panics that he went missing." "OK." Clarice nodded her head and hugged her son tightly. She planted kisses on his cheeks, and tears began to fall from her eyes. "Goodbye, son. I love you so much," she whispered in his ears, not ready yet to let go of her son's frozen body. "Let him go now, dear," Demetria ordered gently. The moment Clarice released Caden from her embrace, he disappeared from the room along with Demetria. Tears of sadness and anguish flooded Clarice's eyes. She broke down and started sobbing hard. Her pitiful weeping filled the room. Will she ever see her son again?