Flashback of Last Night in Richmond Ranch

Ang was helping Dr. Miles in the kitchen. They were about to have a dinner with the Little Miss, who just recently came home after three years of staying in the Manggan Island. Dr. Miles had some strawberry muffins in the oven, and he was seasoning the chicken when he called his attention.

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"Ang can you get me some lemongrass in the garden?" Dr. Miles asked him.

"Of course, Dr. Dugmoch," Ang obeyed and head for the front door. Their vegetable garden was beside Xhemin strawberry field situated in front of the grey cottage.

"Bring some flashlight since its already dark," Dr. Miles instructed.

Ang grabbed the flashlight near the door and ran toward their garden. It took him few minutes to find the lemongrass and he cut some of those sharp leaves to bring to Dr. Miles. When he thought he had gathered enough, he went back but find no one in the kitchen, except for the chicken that was left unattended.

Ang thought Dr. Miles just went to check something, so he put the lemongrass beside where the season chicken laid and turned to finish peeling the potatoes he was doing earlier. But then, he heard some voices outside the kitchen door so he went to check, but his feet got stuck with what he had seen before he could step out the door.

"Where is she?" The man's voice was still calm when he asked Dr. Miles who was standing parallel to the kitchen door, just few meters away from it. He heard some commotion with the chickens outside and when he came to check, a long-time acquaintance had given him a visit with a gun pointing at him.

"Who?" Dr. Miles answered, "Please, put the gun down. No need for violence,"

"You had hidden her away all these years, didn't you?" Their unexpected visitor said, shaking with fury, "When I thought you retreated away from everything, I thought you were contemplating about your sins and was feeling guilty on what you did. But looked like I was wrong, you laid low for a reason and the reason was not because you were feeling sorry about everything. It was because you had hidden her and was planning some schemes behind my back,"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Dr. Miles calmly denied. It was just easy for him to get some help, but he knew he cannot escape his visitor's gun. The latter can already shoot him before rescue will arrive, so he opted to talk his way through him. "Please, come inside and let talk without resorting to any casualty,"

"Just tell me where she is?"

"I don't even know who you are looking fo—"

"Where is Aviona?" The man voiced a name of a person Dr. Miles knew very well, "Where is Aviona Leigh?"

"She's already dead," Dr. Miles jaw twitched when the woman's name was mentioned, "You buried her without letting me see her,"

"She's alive!" The man shouted, believing not the words Dr. Miles had said, "She's alive and you know where she is,"

"I don't know how you came up with the idea that she was alive!" Dr. Miles retorted at him with rage, "You buried her already! You buried her together with the crimes you did to her!"

"I did nothing but loved her!" The man hollered in the air, "But you…. Both of you… played on me and made me look like a fool,"

"You loved her?" Dr. Miles almost laugh at the thought. Even though there was a gun pointing at him, he opted not to limit his words, not sparing a damn single care how mad his unwelcomed visitor will turn out, "And how can you explain the fact that you cheated on her—"

"She cheated on me first!" The man cut off Dr. Miles words.

"You know that is not true," Dr. Miles disagreed, "She married you. She fought for your marriage until she could, and you made her miserable just because she cannot give you a child. She was soo desperate when she came to me—"

"She cheated on me for continually loving him," The man pushed on his truth on him as if there was no other reasonable version than the one he had. "And you help her cheat on me further,"

"She did not," Dr. Miles stood his ground. The past was something that anyone can just tell without making casualties and wounded feelings. He knew no matter what he does, the man in front of him will simply not believe him as he even went blind and sent the woman she loved into misery. "Aviona Leigh has long been gone, let her be at peace,"

"The Diamond prince made a statute with her dancing with the youngest Montreal," The man made few steps closer to Dr. Miles, "That only means both of them saw her. And guess who was close to both the Diamond Prince and the Youngest Montreal, wasn't it you Dr. Miles?"

Dr. Miles was left shock with the man's words. He was certainly did not see that coming. The mention of Huzey and Ziggy's name made the thing more threatening and complicated than it had already been.

"And guess who would Aviona turns to when she's in thorough need," The man added again, the anger in his eyes was burning and he was already determined to pull the trigger. When the possibility of Aviona being alive hit him, it took him in heights that he was about to lose his mind so was what's left humanly in him, "Wasn't it also you, Dr. Miles?"

"Please do not do this," Dr. Miles hollered while contemplating what to do. He cannot of course tell her that it wasn't Aviona he had seen as that would only make the situation worst, but he was losing all his options, "Please calm down, you'll regret this if you do,"

"I should have done this years ago," The man revealed. "But I was so devasted when she died that I let you off only to find out both of you were hiding, waiting for a perfect time to hit back at me!"

"That isn't true!"

"That's the truth and you'll have to tell me where she is or I'll make sure she can turn to one else this time," The man's threats were getting real. "Tell me where she is right now, or I'll kill you!"

Ang who listened to the two's conversation cannot move at all. He was left dumbstruck and fearful. He was not able to run away quietly and asked for help but was left to watch the two adults as their arguments unfold. When he saw that the man was already determined to kill the old doctor, that was the time that he was able to pull his legs off and ran to protect Dr. Miles. The first shot hit his left arm and Ang fell into the ground, hitting his head on a small stone that was nearby.

"Ang!" He heard Dr. Miles called his name and another gun shot before the sleepiness consumed him.