Chapter 20 : Ghost in her dreams

"No!" Lara screamed, her voice filled with anger. "You can't do this to me, Leo!" She glared at Angela with intense rage. "My mother is here to discuss and plan our wedding; this is unbelievable!" She unleashed her fury on Angela, blaming her for Leonardo's sudden change of plans. "Did this woman advise you to postpone our wedding?"
"She has nothing to do with my decision, Lara," Leonardo explained calmly, hoping to diffuse the situation. He wanted to give Lara more time to come to terms with his decision, to let her pursue the job she loved most. Turning to Angela, he requested, "I would like a cup of coffee in my room, Angela."
As Angela stirred her coffee, she could hear the heated arguments between Leonardo and Lara echoing from inside his room. Leonardo's choice to postpone their wedding ignited a firestorm of anger within Lara. She wanted everything to proceed as planned, but Leonardo was resolute in his decision.
"What's going on, Angela?" Mrs. Gale inquired as she entered the kitchen with her shopping bags, her eyes widening in concern.
"It's Miss Chavez and Leonardo," Angela replied, her voice steady. She proceeded to recount the details of their argument, and Mrs. Gale listened attentively.
Angela spoke matter-of-factly, "Leonardo has decided to postpone the wedding."
Mrs. Vera joined them shortly after, sensing the tension and worried about Lara's outburst. After a few minutes, Lara stormed into the kitchen, tears streaming down her face, her anger still burning bright. "I know someone influenced Leonardo to change our plans!"
The atmosphere in the kitchen grew even more tense, as everyone braced themselves for the unfolding chaos.
Lara's piercing screams and profanity echoed through the room as she unleashed her fury at Angela. "I knew it was you! You're the one who poisoned Leonardo's mind, you imbecile!" With a pointed finger, she accused Angela, who remained silent, allowing Lara's anger to consume her. While Angela didn't anticipate Leonardo making such a drastic decision, she understood that it was his choice, and no one could reverse it.
"I haven't done anything, Miss Chavez," Angela retorted. "It's his decision, and I have no authority to change it."
Curious about the situation, Mrs. Vera interjected with sympathy, asking, "What happened, Lara?"
Lara sobbed, "Leonardo postponed our wedding without even informing me, Mrs. Vera. He has treated me unfairly, and I know someone influenced him." She pleaded with Leonardo to reconsider, but his mind was already made up. In contrast, Angela distanced herself, avoiding any involvement.
"Perhaps I should take this coffee to him," Angela murmured, refraining from mentioning Leonardo's name in front of others. As she walked away, Lara's dramatic lamentations and pleas for help reached her ears. Mrs. Vera accompanied Lara to the lawn to console her.
Angela stood still in front of Leonardo's room, taking a deep breath before firmly pushing the door open. Leonardo sat silently on the edge of his bed, gazing out the window toward the orchard.
"I'm sorry," Angela apologized gently as she placed the coffee on the table beside Leonardo's bed. "I didn't expect you to make a decision so quickly; it was..."
"Don't blame yourself; it was my choice, not yours," Leonardo sighed. "I just can't comprehend it."
"What don't you understand?" Angela inquired, leaning against the wall opposite Leonardo.
"To my knowledge, Lara had no interest in marriage. She even mentioned once that she didn't want to have a baby because it would ruin her perfect model-like figure. She also claimed that she didn't believe in marriage because divorces are inevitable when a relationship grows cold. But now, she seems more than eager and willing to commit to me. What do you think happened to her?"
This presented yet another opportunity for Angela to confess, but she wasn't ready to face the potential consequences it might bring. Above all, it wasn't her place to meddle in the tumultuous affairs of others.
"Please refrain from seeking my opinion again, Leonardo. It will only further fuel your disagreement with Miss Chavez," Angela asserted, gazing at Leonardo, who silently acknowledged her words. The room fell into silence, and Angela yearned to make a swift exit, avoiding a lengthy conversation with him, especially when Lara was just outside the house. "I should go," she stated, moving towards the door.
"I want a new lock installed in my studio," Leonardo demanded. Angela paused for a moment, then nodded and exited the room. She returned to her room, locked the door behind her, and settled on her bed, attempting to pick up any lingering sounds from outside. However, Lara's voice was no longer audible. Perhaps she had already found solace, Angela surmised.


****
Later that afternoon, Angela attended to the task of changing the lock. The gardener returned with a new door lock and keys for Leonardo's studio. While the gardener skillfully fitted the lock to the door, Angela strolled toward the gate of the forbidden veranda situated behind the studio. She whispered to herself, "The forbidden veranda." Turning to the gardener, she requested, "Could you please fix this gate?"
The gardener silently nodded and continued with his work. Intrigued, Angela couldn't resist moving closer to the gate of the veranda. The wind greeted her face, creating an eerie atmosphere as she gazed at the broken iron hand drill adorning the veranda. She couldn't shake the feeling that something had transpired in the middle of that veranda. "Why didn't I notice it before?" she murmured, noticing the slight curve in the middle section and a part that seemed to be loosened. A chill ran down her spine, and an unsettling presence enveloped her.
"If you're a ghost, stay right where you are," Angela uttered calmly, displaying no fear of supernatural entities.
"It's done, Miss Brinson," the gardener announced, having completed the repair of the lock. "The new lock has been securely installed."
Angela cast a final glance at the veranda before approaching the gardener and retrieving the keys. After a few moments, she found herself standing alone in front of the door to the studio. Sensing something peculiar about the place, she contemplated retreating when suddenly, someone firmly grasped her arm.
"You're a terrible nurse!" Lara exclaimed, yanking Angela's hair. "Do you think you can steal Leonardo from me, huh?" She slapped Angela's face and pushed her forcefully. Angela stumbled but managed to regain her balance and retaliated by slapping Lara back.
Lara cried out in pain, "You bitch! You can't take Leonardo away from me!"
"It's not my fault that your marriage has been postponed," Angela fought back. "Ask yourself why it happened."
Instead of backing down, Lara advanced towards Angela with fury, her eyes burning with anger. She placed the blame solely on Angela, blaming her for being Leonardo's nurse and believing that Angela had influenced him to change his plans. Angela's explanations fell on deaf ears. Once again, Lara grabbed Angela, but this time Angela pushed back even harder, causing Lara to fall to the ground with a thud.
"What's going on here?" Mrs. Vera approached them with a concerned expression.
Lara quickly engaged in a dramatic performance. "Oh, it hurts, Mrs. Vera! She slapped and pushed me. This woman is a savage," she sobbed, amplifying her victimhood.
Angela was astonished by Lara's act but refrained from defending herself against Mrs. Vera, allowing Lara to continue her monologue. She knew it was pointless to argue with Lara and decided to keep her explanation concise. "I apologize if I provoked you, Miss Chavez."
However, Lara had no intentions of stopping. She persisted in blaming Angela as the reason for Leonardo's change of heart and pleaded with Leonardo's mother to dismiss Angela.
"I can't do that, Lara," Mrs. Vera expressed her sympathy. "Angela is effectively caring for Leonardo."
Lara's anger intensified, but Mrs. Vera explained that she had no control over Leonardo's decisions and instead supported his change of plans. "Perhaps it is beneficial for both of you to take some time before rushing into a marriage, Lara," she sensibly explained, eventually calming Lara down, who reluctantly agreed.
"I apologize for my son's actions, Lara," Mrs. Vera offered her apology but promised to address the issue with Leonardo at the appropriate time.
"Perhaps I should return to the house, Mrs. Vera," Angela was about to leave when Mrs. Vera noticed something.
"Wait a moment, Angela," Mrs. Vera's gaze fixed on the door of Leonardo's studio. "Is that a new lock?"
Angela paused and looked at the lock. "Leonardo asked me to have the gardener change the lock."
Lara approached the door lock and touched it. "What is all this about? Did you suggest that Leonardo change this lock?" Her anger flared up once again.
"Mr. Vera wanted it changed," Angela replied quietly. "He doesn't want anyone sneaking into his studio," she answered indirectly and retreated to the house.
Inside her room, Angela threw herself onto her bed, feeling drained by her recent encounter with Lara. Lara was cunning and adept at manipulating Leonardo's mother. She excelled at concealing lies. Closing her eyes, Angela drifted off to sleep. In her dream, she found herself once again on the veranda. She witnessed Mrs. Vera in tears, and as she approached her to offer comfort, Mrs. Vera stepped back, pleading, "Please, help me, Angela." Angela longed to console her, but suddenly, Mrs. Vera disappeared, and she woke up. "Oh, God, what happened on that veranda?" Frustration overwhelmed her.