Amapola Part 3

"I’m going to kill you, Amapola," Carlota screams, being held back by Fabrizio.
"I hope you do exactly that, Carlota, because if you don't, every time you cross my path, I’ll beat you up," I yell back.
"I want my bag, I want my bag," she thrashes around as Fabrizio tries to pull her away, and I see him walking with her to where her bag is.
"Keep your hands off that, Carlota," Fabrizio says angrily as she tries to grab the glass that was on the table.
"I'm thirsty," she says, reaching for the glass of what I imagine is whiskey.
"Drink water when you get out. I don’t know what you did, but you put something in his drink, Carlota, and as soon as I find out, you’ll pay for it," Fabrizio threatens, and she places her hands on her chest, pretending to be indignant. I'm still trying to break free from Rico's firm grip, holding me back so I don’t lunge at her again.
"How can you think that about me, Fabrizio? You'll be my brother-in-law; Salvatore said today that he would marry me," she says, her eyes fixed on mine.
"I'll marry you, amore mio," Salvatore says from the sofa, as if everything I’ve seen isn’t enough to hear this too.
"See? It’s him saying it, not me," I see Carlota looking triumphant, and I feel like just a mere spectator in this circus of horrors.
"Enough, let me go, Rico," I plead, looking him in the eyes.
"He's either drunk or high, sister-in-law. I promise I’ll find out what happened here," I notice the sadness in his voice.
"You need to get out of here now; that’s enough," Amadeu rushes toward Carlota, pushing her out of the room.
"Let the girl go," I hear a voice I don’t recognize, and Rico suddenly releases me as we hear a gunshot.
I rush out of the room, following them, and see Carlota's security guard lying on the floor, praying to God that this situation can’t get any worse.
"If you don’t get out of my way right now, you’ll be next," Amadeu threatens, keeping his gun aimed at Carlota's forehead, and she opens her eyes in fear.
"Don’t threaten a mafia daughter," she growls at him, but he’s not intimidated. "Tomorrow, your head will be on my father's table for daring to touch me."
"I’ll threaten anyone who dares to do anything to my boss, including you and your father. Even if my head is on your table, I’ll be proud to have done my job," he says confidently.
"He has our permission to do whatever it takes; get out now, Carlota," Fabrizio orders.
"And expect retaliation. When I find out what you did to him, I’ll do ten times worse to you," Rico warns, pulling me back toward Salvatore's room.
"Are you okay?" Fabrizio asks as I sit down in one of the armchairs; I needed to sit down so I wouldn’t fall.
I avoided looking in Salvatore's direction; Rico and Amadeu were trying to help him regain some dignity while I was lost.
All my expectations had been shattered. At that moment, I wondered if I was willing to live a life of risks. Even if he had been drugged, he allowed her in; he let her sit in front of him and shared a drink with her. He was still conscious when he allowed it.
Carlota was a mafia daughter, raised to be by a mobster’s side, and I didn’t even have the strength to fight for the man I loved. How many more Carlotas would appear in Salvatore's life? How many scornful looks would I have to endure? I always wanted a quiet life; I always wanted to study, to have financial stability, and to provide a dignified life for my father. Those were my only plans, but I changed them when I admitted how I felt about Salvatore.
When I questioned my actions and my change of plans, I considered that sometimes we need to abandon our initial plans, abandon the life we had envisioned because we are no longer the same person we were when we planned it. Now, sitting in this chair, I begin to reconsider; maybe I should go back to my original plans. With the help Salvatore gave me, it was the best option at the moment, even if my heart broke. Deep down, I started to understand what was right, what was best for me.
In silence, I rise from the chair and leave, just in time to hear Amadeu notifying Matteu through the radio communicator to follow me.