MELINA
Melina walks out of her room and into the living room to watch some TV while she waits for her lunch to be delivered. She's enjoying her stay at the Costanzo hotel as Thomas allows her to eat whatever she wants and watch TV as much as she wants. That's a lot of privilege for someone in her position.
Taking a seat on the couch in the suite's living room area, Melina picks up the remote and turns on the TV. She flips through the channels, looking for something interesting to watch. Melina loves watching old movies because she believes the effort put into producing them makes them great even without all of the technology available today. Melina settles for a cooking show since neither old movies nor investigative series are available; she also enjoys binge-watching once in a while. Someone walks into the room, disturbing Melina's peace.
"I can't believe he brought you with him," Kimberly says from behind Melina. She turns around and sees her standing in front of the study door. Melina hasn't seen her in weeks. She wonders where she's been these past few weeks or when she got here.
"Kim, hi. How're you?" Melina gets up from the couch and turns to face her. Kimberly is dressed differently today. She's wearing matching pants, a suit jacket and black heels. Her lips aren't painted red today, but she's still wearing pink lip gloss and her hair is pulled back in a tight ponytail.
"Don't fucking talk to me like we are friends," Kim growls at her.
"Okay." Melina isn't sure how she spoke to her as if they were friends, so she decides not to speak to her again. Melina is afraid of Kimberly and does not want to enrage her.
"He should have killed you a long time ago." Kimberly walks closer to Melina by the couch. "I don't know why he's still keeping you alive." She glares at Melina, throwing daggers at her with her eyes.
Melina isn't sure why either, but she doesn't tell her that. When dealing with people like her, it's best to remain silent while they speak.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" she seethes, grabbing the collar of Melina's shirt, and pulling her closer. Hatred toward Melina dances in her eyes as she stares at her.
"I don't know what to say to you," Melina tells her truthfully.
Kimberly brushes Melina's face with her painted long black well-manicured nails. Melina swallows hard as Kimberly drags it down her cheek. "I should have ruined this face of yours that day." Cold sweat breaks out on Melina's brow as Kimberly presses her nails into her cheek, almost drawing blood but not quite.
"I see you're not pleading for help today. You must know that no matter how badly I want to destroy your face, he will not let me."
Melina remains silent because she knows that saying yes will only make matters worse, but she does not think that is the best idea. Kimberly smacks Melina's left cheek causing her hair to slap her face. As a hand print forms on her cheek, it burns and reddens.
A wince escapes Melina's lips as she touches her burning cheek. Melina is filled with a little rage as she realizes her face is burning because Kimberly is envious of her beauty. Is it my fault that I'm finer than you? Melina wishes to say something but holds her tongue, knowing better. She takes three deep breaths before facing Kimberly.
"Please don't slap me again."
"What did you just say to me?"
"Please don't hit me again." Melina's hands clench into a tight fist, as they tremble, itching to slap Kimberly back.
"Sei una troia del cazzo." ("You fucking slut.") She smacks Melina's right cheek harder than her left.
That small rage grows and spreads to the core of Melina's being. Her blood boils with rage and hatred for Kimberly. Without thinking, Melina lifts her right hand and smacks Kimberly.
Kimberly gasps at what Melina has just done, but Melina doesn't wait for Kimberly's brain to fully comprehend what is happening before landing another and another, making it three slaps. She's sick of Kimberly hating her for her beauty. For Christ's sake, she needs to grow up about it.
"You fucking slapped me!" Kimberly screams, holding her bruised face. Melina even busted her lips. Good, she deserves much worse.
Kimberly's witch nails move toward Melina to scatter her face, but Melina backs away. That isn't what stops Kimberly. Thomas grabs Kimberly by the waist and pulls her away from Melina.
"What the fuck is going on here?" Thomas yells at both of them.
Both women stare at each other, killing each other with their gaze. Melina opens her mouth to explain, but Kimberly beats her to it with her crocodile tears. I'm fucked.
"She slapped me, Thomas," Kimberly whines like a child. Melina looks at her, astonished she's going to play that card right now.
"You did what?" Thomas shouts, arching his eyebrows at Melina.
Fear grips Melina as she realizes that slapping Kimberly back might not have been the best idea.
"She slapped me first." Melina tries to defend herself. She knows it won't help, but she's still willing to try.
"And that makes you think you have the fucking right to hit her back?"
As his words register in Melina's brain, a stray bullet enters her heart. Melina has never felt more betrayed by Thomas than she does right now. Melina knows she shouldn't expect him to take her side, but that doesn't make it hurt any less.
"No, it doesn't." Tear fill her eyes.
"Apologize to her."
"What?" Melina knows he won't take her side, but this is too much. Her heart breaks a million times more. She couldn't believe he'd do this to her.
"Fucking apologize to her." The tears escape her eyes, flinching as he yells.
"I'm sorry."
"Repeat it bitch." She grabs Melina's hair, pulling it hard. Melina's scalp burns, but she doesn't feel it. Her heart was in too much pain for her to feel any physical pain.
"I'm sorry."
"Kneel and beg forgiveness," Kimberly snarls at her. Melina's eyes widen. She looks at Thomas, wondering if he would actually make her do that. "I said to fucking kneel." She pushes Melina to the ground, causing her knees to buckle.
Melina doesn't take her gaze away from Thomas; she keeps staring at him. She couldn't believe this was happening.
"Apologize and beg me for my forgiveness," Kimberly says, but Melina doesn't acknowledge her. "I am fucking talking to you," Kimberly says, grabbing her face and forcing her to look at her.
"I'm..." Melina is cut short as Thomas does something unexpected.
"Oh, vaffanculo." ("Oh, fuck it.") Thomas bends down and picks Melina off the ground.
"Thomas," both women say, taken aback by what he has just done. Melina looks at Kimberly, whose face mirrors hers but only for a few seconds before reddening with anger. Kimberly turns to face Thomas and ignores Melina at the moment.
THOMAS
"La stai proteggendo di nuovo," ("You're protecting her again,") Kimberly says, gritting her teeth.
"No non sono," ("I'm not,") Thomas growls.
"So, what do you call what you're doing?" They continue to talk in Italian.
"I'm saving you from embarrassing yourself further."
"Embarrass myself? Are you fucking kidding me?"
"No, you keep embarrassing yourself with your obsession with her beauty."
Kimberly's face pales at Thomas' words. She moves closer to him with tears filling her eyes and shoves her finger into his chest as she says the following words. "If anyone is obsessed with her beauty, it's you. The man who is still in love with her even though she broke his heart."
"Kimberly," Thomas growls, balling his hands into tight fists.
"What? Am I fucking lying? You're still in love with her. Why else isn't she dead?"
"Shut your fucking mouth, or I'll shut it for you."
"Now you want to shut me up because I'm telling the truth," Kimberly says, faking a laugh. "If you shut me up, it will just make what I'm saying truer, Thomas."
"Get out!" Thomas yells.
"What?"
"Go back to Italy. I don't need you here anymore."
"You can't be serious," Kimberly says, looking at him with disbelief.
"Leo," Thomas calls, and he walks into the room.
"Inform the driver to get the car ready. He's taking Kim to the airport in an hour."
"Okay, sir."
"In an hour, are you fucking kidding me?"
"No, I suggest you go back to your room and start packing." Thomas turns, takes Melina's hand in his, and begins to walk away from Kim.
"Wow, all because of this bitch!"
"Goodbye, Kimberly," Thomas says as he walks into his room. Thomas points his bed to Melina. "Sit."
"Can you tell me what you guys were saying?" Melina inquires.
"No," Thomas says, bending down in front of her. "Does it hurt?" he asks, staring at her bruised cheek. He didn't know why but it didn't fucking sit well with him to see her porcelain skin tainted.
"No." He lifts his hand and touches it, and Melina winces.
"You suck at lying. I'll get you something for it."
"Thank you."
"If you're truly grateful, stay the fuck away from Kimberly." He walks to the door to leave.
"I will," Melina says before he is out the door.