The CEO's Painted Skin

One night, Jerome visits Catherine's home.

"Good evening, Auntie Thelma!" he brought with him some street foods that the older woman and the kids love to eat.

"Thank you, Jerome!" Thelma accepted the foods with a smile of gratitude on her face.

"Where is Catherine?" he roamed her eyes around the tiny home, hoping to see the lady love that he misses very much.

"The hotel sends her on a 3 days training in Cebu City. She will be back after 3 days," answered Thelma.

Jerome was disappointed to know that she was not home and get more agitated when he knows that she will be gone on training for a few days.

"What kind of training, Auntie?" he was puzzled. Why would a company send someone with a low position such as Catherine into a 3 days training in Cebu? Was there any more capable person in the hotel fit for the training other than her?

The kids suddenly entered the door of the house and gathered noisily around Jerome.

"Yaay! It's Uncle Jerome!" shouted Lily

"Hello, Uncle Jerome!" Jacob greeted him.

He fished out some loose change from his pants pocket and gave to the children.

"Thank you Uncle!" the kids uttered their thanks to Jerome.

"Go buy some foods in the store kids!" he sends them away and they run outside in glee.

He picked up his phone from his backpack.

He typed a message asking Sherry of the specific place the seminar was being held and attended by Catherine in Cebu City?

As he waited for her reply, he was thinking of better ideas on how to continue his evil plan. He won't stop until he can finally have Catherine whether she likes it or not. He was entertaining the idea to just do it here inside her home with her mother's help.

His phone beep...he immediately checked the message. His eyes turned cold upon discovering that Catherine was not really in a 3- day seminar, in fact, she was in Zamboanga Del Sur right now in the arms of her lover. And he knew too well what will happen between a man and a woman for 3 days in a faraway place. He felt immense outrage, jealousy, and envy towards Catherine's boyfriend. What is it in that masked guy that he doesn't have. He was a tad more good looking than that ugly boyfriend of hers but why Catherine love that ugly guy so much?

Why?

So, Catherine was lying to her mother. She was still secretly meeting her lover behind her mother's back. This does not sit well with Jerome, he doesn't like it when she does something like this it makes him insanely jealous!

He was about to tell the older woman about the truth that her daughter was lying about the seminar but he decided against it due to her sensitive health. She might collapse again due to anger that might complicate things further and he doesn't want any drama right now.

He texted Mark that he wants to meet him tonight at the bar nearest to his place. A few moments later Mark replied telling him that he will be there.

"Auntie Thelma, I will go now. I will just come back to see Catherine again after 3 days."

The older woman smiled and bid goodbye to him. "By Jerome."

He rose to his feet and exited the door. He rode his motorcycle heading towards the bar to meet Mark.

...

Once inside the bar, he looks for Mark inside. He hasn't arrived yet. He chooses a table far from the crowd. He texted his friend that he was already in the bar waiting for him.

A few minutes later a smiling Mark arrived in the bar.

Jerome eyed his friend's happy countenance. "You looked different today, bro!"

Mark grinned wider. "This is the face of a guy in love bro!" he chuckled

Jerome smirked. "So, you and Sherry are heading into a serious relationship? I thought it was just a one night stand?"

"Yes, at the beginning I thought it was but the more we texted each other and having a regular communication the more I fall deeply for her. I didn't expect I will fall in love with another woman again after Cynthia. But here I am going through the same thing again, the best thing about this is that the woman I'm falling in love with is also falling for me. The bonus point, she doesn't mind me having a child, she fully accepted my status as a single dad."

"So, you will get married soon?" asked Jerome wryly. He felt envy towards his friend, why he can't have the same happiness as him? Why he and Catherine can't have the same relationship such as Mark and Sherry? Why? The more he thinks about it the more his desire to obtain Catherine as his woman grow stronger in his mind. He was feeling miserable now while the woman he loves was having a good time with his boyfriend in a faraway place.

"Nah. Sherry and I are not in a hurry to marry. We want to enjoy dating first for maybe two to three years, then let see if we are still in love during that time. If she won't change her feelings towards me then I will probably marry her. It all depends on fate and time 'coz sometimes time can change a person. As of now we just want to enjoy each other company as being girlfriend and boyfriend. What Sherry and I shared right now is purely magical, I've never been so alive and happy in my entire adult life until I meet her. She come into my life when I was about to give up having a partner to share my life with. She is a Godsend into my life and sometimes I think I really don't deserve her 'coz of the bad things I have done to Cynthia before. Maybe God has forgiven me already, I really don't know why God has given me so much happiness right now. Sherry and my daughter both completed my life making me whole again."

As Mark continues sharing to Jerome his new found happiness in the arms of a new woman he recently meets, Jerome was sulking inside in his mind. The obsession to own Catherine runs in his mind stronger than before.

I got to have Catherine!

I will get her!

I won't stop until I owned her body and soul!

The evil thoughts kept taunting him, tormenting him and the only way to satisfy his raging desire for her is to own her completely. He can't wait for his next plan to unravel. Since Catherine won't go out with him anymore, he will enlist her mother's help to make his evil plan come in fruition. If he had to do it inside their house so be it!

Mark examined his friend's face who is currently in deep thoughts.

"By the way, I'm glad that you are no longer thinking of continuing your evil plans towards Catherine," said Mark.

Jerome just smiled at his friend's statement. "Who says am quitting my plan? I'm still actively pursuing it in my mind. I just meet an obstacle and my plans got halted but am not gonna quit. I will still keep pursuing Catherine even if I will suffer in the end," he said in a serious manner.

Mark shook his head feeling sad for his friend. "By the way, I will no longer be supplying you with that r-ape drugs, am sorry bro!" he can no longer tolerate Jerome's bad intention.

Jerome eyed Mark a bit disappointed. "No worries bro. I can always buy it somewhere from someone."

"You are not angry with me 'coz I refuse to help you this time?" asked Mark.

Jerome shook his head. "Disappointed maybe, but angry? no. No matter what happens we will stay friends. If my obsession with Catherine will ruin the two of us then I will no longer involve you."

Jerome and Mark continue drinking until 10:00 PM that night. Fifteen minutes later they call it a night, they exited the bar and goes on their separate ways.