The two-hour drive was more than enough to squash Maura with dreadful anxiety.
As she sits behind, holding her patience that seems to overflow, her legs are constantly shaking, and her hands tightly squeeze the back seat as she wishes with all her might that the driver will not let her anxiety get the best of her with his tortoise speed.
Finally, when she feels suffocated by his speed, Maura leans forward, poking her head at the driver's seat, "can't you go a little faster." She says politely with a smile.
The middle-aged driver narrows his look from the road and glances at her, although she's smiling politely, she has anxiety written all over her face, one that troubles the man.
The more he stares into her eyes, the clearer he could see his death warrant being signed if he fails to do as he's told.
Fear, panic, and distress automatically convert into a cold sweat that dances down his wrinkled face.
So, to avoid any sort of trouble, he reluctantly says, "If that's what you want, but you're gonna have to pay extra because I'm taking a risk with you." Of course, Maura is too embroiled to understand that the man fears for his life.
"No matter the cost, I'll pay." She says, glaring at him like a hungry lioness.
At her command, the man zooms off with the speed of lightning, and the wind sweeps her hair and waves it like a flag dancing to the wind.
"Blargh!!!"
Unfortunately for her, the speed backfires as she earns herself motion sickness and stops to throw up.
"Are you okay madam?"
The man asks, but she's too weak to speak and waves her hand at him to signal that she's okay.
"So slow it is." He says.
Although he was right as she needed the drive to be calm, the taste of defeat especially when she was the one who ordered it was not easily digested by her.
"Give me a minute." She says, helping herself to find a place to rest.
When she notices the taste of vomit still lingers around her mouth. Irked with disgust she frowns.
"I need water." She tells herself out loud.
"Should I get you one?" The driver who happens to have overheard her statement asks, but she shakes her head, refusing his help.
"I'll get it myself."
It wasn't like she didn't want his help, but Maura felt the need to get what she needed by herself, lucky for her, they came to a halt not far from a mall.
She grabs her purse, taking out the cash she smuggled from Neon's pocket because she knows that amount is nothing but mere change. After counting how much she has left, she walks into the mall to get whatever she needs.
Once she reaches the convenience department, Maura grabs a bottle of water and is just about to leave when she sees her reflection in the glass door. "My, I look like a mess." She says.
Contrary to her definition of her look, the right word to describe her at this moment is…
A walking corpse.
With a pale face, messed up hair, and yellow stuff sticking out of the corner of her mouth.
She practically looks like a zombie incarnate.
But hey, lucky for her she's at the mall, and she has money, although smuggled she knows she won't get into trouble for spending a reasonable amount.
From the clothing store to the jewellery store, to the cosmetic store, Maura grabs whatever she needs before her next trip.
At her final stop, the make-up room, Maura looks into the mirror, pleased with her incomplete looks and wonders how stunning she would look by the time the makeup will be over.
"And how would you like to look?" The make-up artist asks.
For a second she stares at the mirror, celebrating her stunning beauty, and even more, craved more than that.
What she dreams of, is to mark her entrance with a look, that'll send people straight to heaven.
Slowly her lips start to curve upwards. "To kill, I want to slay every soul at the event I'm going for," she says with a sinister, daring look.
"Mr Ethan, Mrs Jane, look here."
Like flies, journalists swarm the entrance of the event.
Although held back by well-built bodyguards, the forces of the journalists were unstoppable as they roared, pushed and forced their way through in a very frightening manner.
"Please look into the camera," One yells.
"A minute please," Another yell.
Everyone wanted a chance to speak, but unfortunately, the couple stands victorious as they're protected by their hefty bodyguards, waving at the journalists as if to agitate them.
The guards push back the crowd, to clear the pathway so the gates can be opened.
"It's amazing to see such a lovely couple, you know true love is quite rare nowadays." Maura's voice echoes as she stands in the middle of the road, so the couple could not drive out.
Heads turn and the camera starts flashing, as they capture Maura, dressed in a slaying red sleeveless dress that tailors her shape, with a clean slight slit at the side. As simple as the dress is, it looks like it's tailored perfectly for her.
"Excuse me, do you know who she is, do you have an invite." A guard asks as he walks over towards her.
"No, no I don't, but I've come here with a gift, I just hope you like it." She answers, staring at the two seeking refuge behind the gates.
Jane, not liking the situation before her scoff, rolls her eyes as she approaches the gate, signalling for Maura to be left alone.
"It's okay, but we don't accept gifts from strangers." She answers with a snicker.
"Is that so, well I'll show you what it is really quick."
Maura shakes her blue gift box.
The journalists anxiously wait, the couple as well, the guards on standby as they watch as Maura unravels her gift.
She dips her hand inside the box and takes it out, "what's that?" Jane asks, taking a step back, cautious and weary of what Maura takes out.
"Calm down fellas. It's just a picture of women, for maybe next time, when he suddenly wants to remarry," she says.
"What do you mean?" An angry Jane yells, sprinting forward only to be held back by Ethan.
"My friend, Raquel did everything to make her marriage work, never would she have thought that the man she loved all of her life would end up remarrying so quickly." The journalists drown themselves in the juicy story, jotting, zooming in, and recording all that's being said.
Infuriated, Jane lashes out in anger, "this has nothing to do with you."
"Of course, it doesn't, but as her only friend, I'd like to tell you this honey if he can move on so quickly, what makes you think that you're any different," Daura says with a smile, one that fills Jane with rage, unfortunately, she's being held back by Ethan and doesn't get a chance to escape.
"You're just a lady with a fine face, I don't see anything appealing other than your face, besides, you're as flat as a spoon.
Have fun deceiving yourself, and have a happy married life," she says.
"How dare she…
Security."
"Don't bother, I'm leaving."
With that said, Maura turns away, and the limousine she calls for finally pulls up, and with a satisfying grin leaves.
As soon as she leaves, Maura turns to her husband, gritting her teeth as she barks, "Ethan, do you know this woman, did you hear what she said…." Suddenly, when she turns around to face Ethan, she faces a sight that leaves her stunned.
"Ethan…?"
She takes Ethan's hand as she leans forward and stares at him.
Ethan looks pale, his eyes widened as his hands tremble with fear, his mouth wide open as he stretches out, pointing towards the direction of the limousine.
"How…?
How is she still…
This is impossible." He says with horror and fear all over him.
Jane stares at him, barely imagining what makes him so panicked.