The Curse of the Mafia's Bride

4- "Her familiar eyes..."

(Brandon’s POV)

It was supposed to be an ordinary day when I stopped by a convenience store to buy a can of soda, but a familiar woman got my attention, and the sight of her made my world stop!

The softness of her face… the subtle smile on her lips… her naturally angelic aura, and those eyes! She really was familiar to me! She reminded me of someone so dear that I lost in a tragic suicide a few years ago!

Emma! Yes, it was Emma…

I watched her while she was busy talking to the cashier at the counter, and she didn’t notice I was looking. At least, not yet.

I observed her and stared at her face. She was a different woman, with a different face, but the softness in her gestures and the way she smiled really reminded me of Emma. It was like I was looking at Emma when I looked at her…

This woman had medium-length wavy brown hair, while Emma used to have long black hair. In terms of body structure, they were really similar—petite, average chest and butt size, and fair-skinned. They were both conventionally beautiful. Another thing I noticed was that she was just a bit taller than Emma.

When she finally noticed and caught my eyes, I didn’t look away. We stared into each other’s eyes as if we had known each other for so long, even though it was the first time we ever met.

Seeing her face in full view, I could tell that she really wasn’t Emma. Yes, they might have similar features, but I was sure she wasn’t my Emma. But damn, her eyes… Why did they have the same eyes?!

She seemed a bit intrigued and curious, but no matter the reaction on her face, I couldn’t deny that the way she looked at me reminded me so much of how Emma used to look at me back in the days…

Who are you? Why do you have the same eyes as hers? Why do you look so much like her?

About to take a step forward to go to her and ask her, my phone suddenly ringing inside the pocket of my jeans, stopped me. It distracted both of us. I brought it out and answered the call. It was Alfred, a colleague and friend.

It was a serious matter about our duty. He talked about a current mission we were partnered to work on. He discussed a few things which we both agreed upon.

One glance away from the counter, and when I looked at that section once again, I felt disappointed to see that the woman I was looking at was no longer there. Just like that! She disappeared like a bubble!

I went there and asked the cashier about her, and he said that she already went out as soon as she got her change. I realized how I never got the chance to speak to her, and how it was discouraging for me. I might never see her again…

What a chance I let slip away!

Looking through the store’s glass walls, I still hoped I could see her even for the last time, but to no avail. She was no longer anywhere to be found.

I handed the can of soda to the cashier to let her punch it so I could pay for it.

“Officer? Are you still there, officer?”

I realized Alfred was still on the line. The call hadn’t ended yet.

“Yeah. Sorry. I’m currently inside a convenience store, buying a drink.”

“Oh, I see…”

“And I saw a girl who looked a lot like Emma…”

“Emma!” he exclaimed.

He was aware of my late fiancée. In fact, he was one of my colleagues who saw how Emma ended her life that day when she chose to jump off the cliff a few years ago. It was so tragic. He witnessed how I wanted to just follow her, but he and our other colleague didn’t let me.

“I was sure of it, bro. They have similar eyes. Very expressive,” I told him.

He sighed a bit heavily. “Bro, I know it’s hard to accept, and until now, you still haven’t moved on from her death. But it’s been four years, bro. Four years. We both witnessed how she ended her life that day and how she didn’t hesitate to do it in front of you. You were even the one who buried her dead body after what she did, so it’s impossible that she’s the woman you just saw today. You need to accept. She’s never going to return. You have to let her go.”

I breathed in and out, filling my lungs with enough air, which I felt I was running out of. It was so heavy, even up to this day. Every day of my life felt like torture because there wasn’t a day in the past four years that I didn’t think about her and how she ended her life because I caused her so much pain. She did it right before my eyes, ruthlessly putting an end to her life in front of me, knowing how she hated me because she thought I only used and betrayed her. This nightmare had been haunting me for years.

“Yeah. I know, bro...”

The call ended, and I thanked the cashier as soon as I got my paid soda in can.

Stepping outside the convenience store, I was alerted the moment I heard a woman screaming for help. Somebody seemed to be in trouble!

I looked at who it was, and I was surprised to see that very woman—the one who looked like Emma!

She was chasing after a kid, nearly a teenager, who snatched her bag.

My reflexes were quick to move when the boy ran past me, and I didn’t hesitate to help. I caught him right in time.

I made him lie down on the ground while I was holding both of his wrists and twisting his arms, giving him zero chance to escape. He struggled to get free, but I wouldn’t let him. To hell I would! Adding more pressure and pain to him, he screamed, feeling his bones breaking.

I saw that the woman was now standing just behind me. I gave her back her bag.

“Don’t you know that stealing other people’s stuff is a crime, kid? I hope this is the last time you’d do it, or else, the next time I catch you again, you’ll be in bigger trouble,” I warned the young man. He needed to be taught a lesson.

Instead of responding and promising that he wouldn’t do it again, he only growled in frustration and struggled to break free, which triggered me, and thus, my grip tightened, and I threatened to break his arm completely if he didn’t say what I needed to hear!

He got scared. “Y-yes! Yes! I promise, I won’t do it again! Just let me go!”

“Enough! That’s enough!”

The woman’s sudden shout and intervention distracted me. I was surprised when she even pulled me to help the young boy free from my punishment.

I stared at her in disbelief. Seriously? She would just let it pass without teaching the child a lesson he needed to learn?

My hold of him loosened a bit, but I still did not fully let him go. I just made him stand up, but I was still firmly holding his arm.

“Now, you decide what we should do about this child. Should we take him to the right sector and let the authorities catch him so he could be taught a lesson and ensure he would not repeat doing what he did today?” I asked the woman who looked like Emma.

“No! I’m begging you! Please let me just go! I promise I won’t do it again, Sir!”

I saw that the woman’s emphatic face softened, and she seemed to be easily convinced by the child’s crocodile tears!

“It’s okay. Let him go. After all, we have my bag back. It’s the most important thing.”

I almost couldn’t believe how easily she was swayed by the young boy's simple display of acting pitiful, getting manipulated by his acting as if he were the victim here!

“Are you seriously just letting him go as if nothing had happened? What if he repeats the act? What if he will do it again, not to you but to another victim he can possibly prey around?”

“No, I won’t do it again, Sir! I promise!” He swore once more, but I was still not entirely convinced.

I knew the types of these young thieves. They would act regretful when caught, but when released, they would do the same crime over and over again to different victims they could target!

The woman, on the other hand, stood firm with her decision. It was heart over mind! Sympathy over logical thinking!

“Let’s just give him a chance. He seems regretful now. Besides, he already swore he wouldn’t do it again.”

I looked at the child’s eyes. I was skeptical. “I doubt he’s not going to repeat it.”

“That’s for you then!” The woman raised her voice a little, ready to start arguing with me. “For me, everyone needs a second chance! Why are we going to deny it to him? He’s just a child—”

“Yeah. Just a child but he’s a criminal in the making if we’ll let him continue to be a pain in the ass in the streets!” I answered her, unfiltered.

She glared at me. I gave up. Fine. I would just let her see for herself how wrong she was and how she shouldn’t be too trusting, even if it were for a young boy…

“Are you sure this is what you want? Freeing him after what he did?”

She sighed and nodded. “Yes.”

I followed her and I let the child go.

And as I expected it to be, the boy spat dirtily near her side and smirked evilly at us before he ran so fast to get away.

The lady almost froze from shock.

I smirked. “See? How ungrateful! Aside from not apologizing for attempting to steal your bag, he didn’t even thank you for letting him go despite the serious case he tried to commit! Worst, he just laughed at you for how he easily manipulated you! Now, that’s how you raise a future criminal! Thanks to your very sympathetic and easily swayed heart!” I lectured her sarcastically.

I didn’t want to be rude to her, but I couldn’t help it. The world was cruel enough. She needed to learn that not all people were going to be kind to her just because she was kind to them. Sometimes, being too soft-hearted would just get her into more serious troubles.

Nothing was coming out of her lips. She remained stunned and sad, of course.

I could just shake my head in disappointment. “I saw it coming. He should’ve been taken to the right sector and have the authorities teach him a lesson he has to learn.”

Still, she was quiet, just taking all the lectures I was giving her. Probably, she was beginning to realize that all I was saying was right.

“If you only listened to me, we could’ve saved that kid’s future instead of easily freeing him!”

I was thinking that because she was quiet, she was listening to me and taking all my harsh but genuine advice. But when she opened her mouth to speak, she caught me off guard because she was actually mad at me!

“Fine! It was my fault! Are you happy now, mister? Stop scolding me already, could you?! In the first place, I didn’t even ask for your help!”

I was completely out of words in disbelief. Just what?! Instead of facing it and taking accountability for the mistake that she made, she actually put the blame on me, sounding like it was my fault that I was man enough to take the initiative to help her get her bag back!

She was so different from Emma!

They only had the same eyes, but they were two completely different women, especially in how they dealt with these kinds of situations…