The CEO's Painted Skin

Inside Catherine's mind...

She was staring at the serene lake in front of her. She was mesmerized by its calmness. The lake was located inside a cave and was surrounded by small trees, beautiful flowers, and green grasses. This cave has been her home for as long as she can remember.

It all started when she found herself falling straight into the cave's mouth and landed on the lake, that was a long time ago. The mouth of the cave was very high, she never attempted to go up and venture outside, for her she found peace in this lake and it becomes her home.

She can see sun lights coming from the outside, it passes through the entrance of the cave.

There were days she thinks of wanting to see what's on the other side of the cave. Will, there be some bigger lake waiting for her outside, compared to the one she has been admiring right now?

What lies on the other side?

But her curiosity was useless because she was afraid to leave the comfort of her surroundings. She belongs in this cave surrounded by the beautiful enchanted lake and colorful exotic flowers. She already got everything she wanted in this cave.

No need to venture outside...

All of a sudden, a shimmering light entered the mouth of the cave, it descended slowly and landed on one of the big rocks surrounding the lake.

Catherine was mystified to see that the moving light was no other than a little angel, complete with little fluffy white wings spread behind it's back. It's the first time she saw a winged creature inside the cave.

"Hello Mother!" the cute angel greeted her.

Catherine raised her brows in puzzlement. "W-who are you?"

"I'm your son! I reside in your tummy. I'm here to fetch you and bring you out from this cave," said the little angel.

"You are not my child!" she said horrified with the thoughts of having a child.

"Look at your tummy, Mother! Can't you see it's getting bigger now?"

Catherine looked at her tummy. It's indeed looking bigger and rounded, she looks pregnant. Who got her pregnant? No other human being was inside this cave only herself.

"You already got pregnant with me when you fall into this cave, Mother. You need to get out of this remote place as soon as possible. You can't stay and hide here forever. You have to face your fears and live again into the open. Hold my hand, Mother, I will take you outside with me," he said, coaxing her, he extended his little chubby hands towards her.

Catherine shook her head. "No! I will not come with you! I will stay here forever. This is already my home, I like the peaceful atmosphere of this place. I am satisfied and contented here. You can go back to where you belong. Just leave me alone and don't disturb my peace of mind! Go away!" she tried to shoo the angel away.

But the angel only flew above her head, looking at her with sympathy and compassion in his eyes.

"Don't be a meanie, Mother! I'm your son and my task is to get you out of here. Come with me, Mother! Daddy is already waiting outside for your homecoming. You've been gone for too long already. He misses you so much!"

Catherine showed him a puzzled expression. "W-who is your father?"

"My father's name is John. You don't remember him?" asked the angel.

Catherine shook her head. "I don't know him! I never meet him. And I don't want to meet him. His name sounds like big trouble to me. I don't want to see him! You can go back now and leave me alone!"

The little angel's face becomes sad. "Please don't say that, Mother! You don't want to see me, as well?" he asked.

"No! Just go away! And don't ever come back again. Don't disturb my home and my peace of mind. I'm satisfied with my life here! Get out of my home!" she screamed at the angel annoyed with his presence.

When the angel didn't fly away, she picked up a pebble and throw it at the little angel, almost hitting his wings.

"Oh no! Please don't hurt me mother!" he tried to avoid the pebble that almost hit his wings.

Catherine picked up another small stone and throw it hard at the angel. But the winged creature was quick enough to dodge the stone, it hit the wall of the cave and bounced into the lake creating a beautiful ripple of water.

The angel was very disappointed with the way his so-called mother acted. "I will just return the next day, Mother. Looks like you are not in a good mood today. See you again, Mother! Bye-bye for now!"

The winged creature flew up towards the mouth of the cave and finally disappeared from Catherine's sight.

'What a naughty winged creature! Hope he won't come back! Such an infuriating creature! She doesn't want to see him again!' she murmured to herself.

She would strangle that little creature if she had a chance to wrap her hands around his little neck! How dare he disturb her peace of mind?

She feels at home in this cave. She will remain in this cave forever.

She stared at her tummy, it's indeed getting bigger every day! No, she can't allow this to happen! She is not pregnant!

She tried to find a pointed stone or a stick, when she finally found a pointed stone, she began hammering her tummy with it, she winced in pain as the pointed part of the stone began cutting her flesh, but she endured the pain and hold on as long as she can and continue hammering the stone into her tummy until the blood spilled down her stomach.

She was happy when she saw her tummy getting smaller. But she also noticed that the flowers that bloom around the lake start to shrivel and died. She was deeply saddened witnessing the sudden depressing phenomenon that was occurring inside the cave, and she wondered why the flowers that have been her companion for a long time suddenly died. Tears began to appear in her eyes and then trickled down her face, she can't stop crying. She already stops harming her tummy because the sight of the flowers dying before her very eyes were making her miserable.

She runs to the lake and dived into the deepest part of the water to wash clean her body from the blood, after washing the blood off her tummy, she slowly got out of the lake and was horrified to see that her stomach was still the same as before, as if the blood she saw earlier did not exist. Then the flowers start blossoming again around her.

Then she starts feeling happy again.

A few moments later...as she was staring at her tummy...she feels bothered again.

Then she cried harder, frustrated with her growing tummy.

She doesn't want to get pregnant!

She doesn't need a baby! She doesn't need a company inside this cave she called home.

She wanted to live in her world alone.

She wants to be alone!

She found peace in this cave. Nothing exists in her world anymore only herself. This cold, hard and silent cave don't require anything from her, and it's a good set up between the two of them, she has nothing to give anymore and the cave doesn't need anything from her. It's a perfect set up for both of them.