Chapter 12: “Don’t touch the Crying Lady”

As they made their way back to the main house, Mrs. Vera revealed that they had some unexpected visitors and asked Angela to assist Mrs. Gale in the kitchen. But Angela couldn't shake the feeling that something mysterious was going on behind the barred gate of the veranda.
Angela glanced back at the veranda, feeling a sense of unease. She couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. As she followed Mrs. Vera back to the mansion, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder at the studio and the veranda that circled it. The broken baluster, the rusty iron, and the barred door all seemed to whisper a warning to her.
Later that day, as she was assisting Mrs. Gale in the kitchen, Angela couldn't help but feel distracted. Her mind kept wandering back to the veranda and the sense of danger she had felt. Suddenly, she heard a noise that made her blood run cold. It was a faint whisper, like someone whispering her name.
Angela looked around, but there was no one there. She felt a chill run down her spine as she realized that the veranda had not been the only eerie thing about the mansion. She wondered what other secrets it held, and what dangers lay hidden in its shadows.
A few hours had passed since the kitchen duties had been taken care of, and Angela decided to step outside to get some fresh air. As she walked around the garden, she noticed Miss Lara Chavez hiding behind a large leafy plant, speaking in hushed tones on her phone. Angela quickly retreated into the house before being noticed by Miss Chavez.

Later that afternoon, while Lara was busy taking care of Leonardo, Angela decided to explore the woods. She spent some time picking fruits and climbing apple trees until she heard the sound of a car pulling into the parking lot near the studio. Curious, she climbed higher up into the tree to get a better view.


To her shock, a gasp caught in her throat as Fredrick emerged from the car, his eyes locking onto the studio door. Time seemed to slow as Lara materialized from the depths of the main house, her steps purposeful as she closed the distance between them. In an instant, their bodies collided, melding together in a passionate embrace that stole Angela's breath away.

Angela's perch on the tree transformed into a perch of anguish and disbelief as the scene unfolded before her. The air thickened with a sense of forbidden desire as Fredrick and Lara shed their inhibitions, their hands entangled in a seductive dance of undressing. Unaware of their silent witness, their bodies intertwined in an intoxicating display of raw sensuality as if the world ceased to exist beyond the walls of Leonardo's studio.

Unable to bear the sight any longer, Angela descended from her arboreal sanctuary, her heart pounding in her chest. She fled back to the safety of the house, her footsteps echoing her tumultuous emotions. Disgust and betrayal mingled within her, tainting the air she breathed. Doubt seeped into her thoughts, casting shadows on the mansion's facade; leaving her to question what other hidden truths lay concealed. Did others in the grand estate harbor knowledge of Fredrick and Lara's illicit affair, or was she the sole bearer of this devastating secret?


Angela burst into the house, her eyes burning with fury and disbelief at the sight she had just witnessed. Her heart was racing and her hands were shaking as she slammed the door shut, not even bothering to glance back at the studio where Fredrick and Lara had been entwined in a twisted, lustful embrace. The sound of their moans and the sight of their naked bodies writhing on the floor were seared into her memory, and she could feel her stomach churning with revulsion.
She stumbled blindly through the house, her mind in turmoil, and collided with Mrs. Gale, sending them both crashing to the ground. Angela's head spun as she struggled to her feet, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Gale," she gasped out, trying to steady herself.
Mrs. Gale looked up at her, concern etched on her face. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"I saw them..." Angela paused, debating whether she should reveal the truth.
"What did you see?" Where have you been? "
"I was in the back... picking apples when... when I saw," Angela stammered.
"See what?" Mrs. Gale was eager to know.
Angela finally finished her sentence, "I saw a snake... no two snakes colliding."
"Snakes in the backyard?"
"Yes, two snakes, Mrs. Gale." She added, "Near the studio."
Mrs. Vera emerged from her room to join them. "What's going on here?"
Mrs. Gale continues the story. "Angela saw two snakes in the back, madam."
"What? Oh no, call the gardener. Mrs. Vera said, "Let him get rid of those snakes," and Mrs. Gale dashed out the door to summon the gardener.
Lara and Fredrick arrived a few minutes later, their faces etched with concern as Mrs. Vera recounted Angela's sighting of the two snakes in the backyard. Fredrick's complexion turned ashen as he processed the news, and Lara nervously wrung her hands.
"Are you positive they were snakes, Angela?" Fredrick asked, his voice tinged with anxiety.
Angela swallowed her anger and replied evenly, "Yes, I'm sure. They were two snakes colliding as if they were in love."
Mrs. Vera's face twisted in horror. "That's terrible. We have to find them before they hurt anyone."
Lara remained silent, her mind racing with worry.
Fredrick turned to Mrs. Vera. "Have you seen any snakes around here recently?"
Mrs. Vera nodded. "Yes, but they were small and harmless. This seems like a different situation entirely."
Angela gritted her teeth, still seething with resentment towards Fredrick and Lara, but she kept her cool. "The snakes I saw were big enough to swallow a whole mother pig," she added, her tone sharp with contempt.
"When was the last time you saw them?" Fredrick asked, his eyes scanning the backyard for any signs of movement.
"It was only a few minutes ago," Angela explained. "I was picking some apples and pears near the studio when I saw them."
Lara suddenly interrupted her voice urgent. "Excuse me, I need to check on Leonardo." She hurried out of the room, leaving everyone else in tense silence.
A few minutes later, Mrs. Gale appeared with the gardener in tow, ready to search the area where Angela claimed to have seen two snakes. As they combed the area, Angela noticed that Fredrick's demeanor had shifted. He had become silent as if he had sinned. Angela sensed that he was skeptical of her story.
"Can you show us where you saw the snakes, Angela?" Fredrick asked, feigning eagerness to catch them.
Angela accepted his challenge with sarcasm, revealing who the "two snakes" really were. "Oh, they collided on the floor in front of the door," she replied. "I bolted, of course. I'm not fond of snakes."
Fredrick and Mrs. Gale continued to search, while Angela observed. "What about you, Mrs. Gale?" she asked. "Are you afraid of snakes?"
"Of course," Mrs. Gale replied, "especially the large ones. I saw one once in our province that could consume an entire chicken."
After a few minutes, the gardener returned with a small snake he had caught from behind the studio's large bamboo plant. "Is this what you saw, Miss Brinson?" he asked.
Angela hesitated, not wanting to reveal what she had seen. "I'm not sure, perhaps," she said. "Perhaps that is what I saw."
"But that snake is too small to have scared you, Angela," Mrs. Gale said. "Remember, you knocked me down because you were nervous."
"Perhaps they had already escaped," the gardener suggested. "Snakes don't like having people around."
"Clean the entire area," Mrs. Vera instructed. "I don't want to hear about another snake in this area."
After the snake incident, Angela returned to the house and prepared Leonardo's lunch, which she brought to his room. When she entered, she saw Lara combing Leonardo's hair, and they seemed happy together. Angela wondered what had caused Leonardo to smile, but she kept her thoughts to herself, realizing that the snake chaos had not reached his ears.
"Here's your lunch, Sir," Angela placed the tray on the table. "Sir, all the plates were in the same place. The water is..."
Lara interrupted her, "Enough with the elaboration, Angela. I'm capable of feeding him with my hands."
"But..." Angela started to insist.
"Please leave us alone. Let me take care of my husband," Lara firmly instructed.
Angela stayed quiet, realizing that Lara and Leonardo were back together again. "We're getting married, and I'll soon be Mrs. Vera. So, I have to take care of my husband-to-be," Lara added.
Leonardo listened to the women silently, not bothering to speak up. "Just clean the bathroom, Angela," he advised. "I don't like the air freshener they hung there. Replace it with lemon fragrance."
As Angela was tidying the bathroom, Lara asked about Leonardo's most recent painting, the "unfinished crying lady."
"Leonardo, where is the 'unfinished crying lady' painting?" Lara inquired.
"Why do you ask?" Leonardo responded solemnly.
"Fredrick was considering finishing it for you..." Lara said.
"Don't touch the crying lady!" Leonardo exclaimed.