Toxic Relationships

Bad Day

...Happy Reading ...

Clara looked at Tiffany, Judy and Anne who looked so happy. After they played with satisfaction at the Parco Tutti Insieme playground, they now started eating the best pizza in Italy, the Rosamunda’s restaurant. It's so bad to go to Italy and not taste pizza and lasagna.

Clara's smile expands. Jack was right, if there was a presence all three of them did not feel boring. Even he has set foot in the country of birth of the famous author, Marco Polo is already the third day. It all feels like a vacation now. The boredom he often experienced at the hotel seemed to not feel at all. Especially how Tiffany who likes to melt the atmosphere and Anne replied to Tiffany's speech so innocently. It is like being in the middle of a family.

“Mommy, I don't want to go home.”

The five of them who were waiting for the order laughed at Anne, Judy's special little daughter. Jack who saw him smile, he thought it had been a long time he did not vacation with Anne, his beloved niece. Even with Clara who in fact almost every day they meet.

Indeed, if not for the presence of Anne, Judy and Tiffany, Clara seemed to only accompany him at the Hotel. He hardly ever vacation while doing business work abroad. He just worked, then went back to his country doing nothing. And maybe that's why it makes Clara seem fed up, she's just locked up in the hotel because of language limitations. Unlike her, Clara only knows the language of the country they live in.

“Tomorrow we should go home Ann, later if Uncle there are some jobs abroad again. Uncle will take Ann, how?” Jack stroked Anne's short shoulder-length hair, the little girl smiling with sparkling eyes.

“Uncle promise?”

“Sure, Dear.”

“Yeayy!!”

Clara, Jack, and Tiffany laugh at Anne's funny behavior. Judy looked at her little girl with teary eyes, so many problems she went through with Anne, and she was so happy to look at Anne's fluffy smile, that she wanted to cry from happiness.

“I have to go to the toilet.”

Without saying anything else Judy now gets up from her chair and walks quickly towards the corner of the room that says ‘Women's Toilet’. After entering the toilet room, Judy's tears seemed to have been unstoppable. He cried with his mouth shut, trying not to cause a prank. Crying in silence is what she often does when Anne is at her side.

She still remembers four years ago, when Anne was three years old, her ex-husband who berated her for giving birth to Anne. He even accused her of having done forbidden things with other men and often hit him. When the man even changed women every night.

She used to regret, regretting why she gave birth to Anne, a child with Down syndrome. He nearly drowned Anne in the bathtub, drowning an innocent child. Even Anne never chose to be born under such circumstances, but it was as if her ex-husband was blaming the innocent little girl. And that made him so depressed.

“Sister, are you inside?”

Judy gasps when she hears a knock on her bathroom stall. It was Clara's voice, they all must have been worried about her. Now Judy opened the tap and washed her face, although she knew it would not work to cover her face.

“Sister, are you okay?”

A second knock rang out, Judy now tidied up her clothes and opened the room door. He could see Clara now looking at him with a worried look.

“Sister, what are you-“

“Sorry, I have a stomachache. Has the food been delivered?”

Judy has now switched the conversation. She smiles now, and Clara understands enough that Judy doesn't want to go further.

“Yes, food has been delivered. I'm afraid you'll run out later.”

When the two girls came out of the toilet door a man and a woman were standing right in front of them. Clara just looked at the man and woman in confusion, while Judy looked so surprised, especially looking at the man in front of her. Judy squeezed her hand hard. Worry, anxiety, nervousness are now one in Judy's body and Clara sees very clearly Judy's significant change in expression.

“Ka.. You?”

For so many days, why today? As she tries to enjoy her vacation with Anne. While Clara just looked at Judy who stuttered and was very surprised. Actually this man in front of him looks so familiar to him, but he forgot to ever see this man where.

“Wow, now we meet in Italy, Judy. I guess, of course from the pity of your little sister huh?”

Clara looked at the man in confusion. Rich brother? A pity? Who is this guy so daring to talk sarcastically to Judy? She also knows Jack, the only sister Judy has.

“And where is your handicapped child?”

Instantly Clara gasped, she looked at Judy who only looked at her with a sad look, as if she was holding back her cries to get out. Why is Judy doing this? Judy is a brave woman with a high ego, she should not stay silent when her pride and Anne is dropped like this.

“Disabled child coming from a prostitute mother.”

Plaque!

That one loud slap that Clara had now slapped, she was completely fed up with this man. Judy and a girl next to the man looked at him in disbelief. Clara's chest is now up and down, her emotions are peaking. Some restaurant visitors are now staring at the fight.

“A jerk with a trash mouth like you should be quiet.” Clara looked at the man sharply.

“You! Crazy woman!”

Buk up!

One blow was now thrown at Clara, making her fall on the floor. Clara held her left cheek, she felt her mouth now full of blood. The guy's punch was so strong.

“Chal, chal are you okay?” Judy now holds Clara's shoulder, until a punch hits her right in the man's jaw, causing the man to fall to the floor.

Jack, now taking a position on the man's body and hitting him in a row. Ignoring the screams of some customers there, while the girl who was with the man had run away somewhere, she definitely did not want to get involved with this.

“Buck jerk! I'll kill you!”

Two waiters approach them, trying to hold Jack's blow on the man. But the result is nil, Jack's strength seems not comparable to the two servants. Clara now stands and tries to hold Jack, Jack seems to really want to kill him, while the man's face is now full of bruises and blood.

“Jack, Enough Jack, Jack.” Clara's words as if not heard by Jack, the punch did not stop, as if getting louder. Clara's heart is beating, she's afraid the man will actually die and Jack will definitely be hit by a criminal case, and this is not even in his country.

“Jack, I said enough Jack!”

Clara's shrill cry seemed to pierce Jack's ear. Now he stopped his punch and looked at the man who was not even clear on his face. Other than being bruised, the man's face seemed to have been covered by his blood. Jack's breathing was stirring, he looked at the man with a pushy look. He had not seen this man for a long time, and even once he had met he nearly killed him. This man is Leo, Judy's ex-husband.

To be continue...