Velika: The story of a lover

They drove to Daniel Heinrich's apartment, where he miserably lived for around three months after moved back. He almost how in disrepair that place was after he returned to his old lifestyle. The apartment was on the first floor in an old building on a narrow, filthy street, which reminded Velika O'Sullivan of where Dr. Mills' lab was.

"Your place is, well, impressive." Said Velika O'Sullivan sarcastically when she walked through the door.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Daniel Heinrich rolled his eyes.

Velika O'Sullivan threw herself on the sofa. Daniel Heinrich could tell she was processing what had just happened silently in her mind. More and more he thought she didn't just work for Romeo Leontes, she had her plans.

He passed her a cup of water, she took it and placed it on the table beside her. He sighed and sat on the bed.

"Heinrich," Said she gauntly, looked up at him with tiredness in her eyes, "Give me your phone, I need to call Romeo."

"Sure." Daniel Heinrich passed her his phone, and said in a concerning, thoughtful tone, "You know from now on every move you make has to be thought thoroughly, I don't want to risk my life with your bold life choices."

"You are a puppet," Velika O'Sullivan said coldly, "Do you think you can leave? I don't need you to warn me."

Her face looked the same as two years ago when she let him go. The impassivity, apathy and loathing smile once again was on her face, which brought Daniel Heinrich an even worse thought that he was in utter helplessness. For those people in the power chasing game, Velika O'Sullivan was the key to one side's victory, either Romeo Leontes or Astoria Leontes and Daniel Heinrich was nothing but a chess piece. What pathetic was that he didn't even have the strength to fight back. He started thinking, perhaps two years ago, when Velika O'Sullivan spared his life, the plan was already seeded, and was just waiting for a good time to sprout.

She called Romeo Leontes, told him to check if they had brought Dean O'Sullivan in and if they did, she told him to keep Dean O'Sullivan away from inhumane tortures. Romeo Leontes was surprised when she told him that Natural had placed a tracker on that poor man. He promised her that he'll search every inch of the building stealthily without alerting Astoria Leontes.

After she put down the phone, she threw herself back to the sofa again, staring at the marks drawn by the leaking water on the ceiling. Daniel Heinrich sensed her confusion and struggle, he decided not to say anything, just sitting there, waiting for her to talk. If she wanted to, she would tell him the truth. Underneath the surface there were too many lies, no one was innocent, Daniel Heinrich regarded himself as sophisticated, but Velika O'Sullivan took it to the next level. Gradually he began to see her complexity, and there was a part of him longing to know all about this woman.

"Dean O'Sullivan is my husband, we never had a chance to get a divorce," Said Velika O'Sullivan slowly, she seemed that she had to overcome extreme difficulties to talk, Daniel Heinrich didn't expect she decided to open up about her life under this situation, "I guess he told you already."

"O'Sullivan, you don't have to tell me about your past." Said Daniel Heinrich softly, "We can talk about it later."

"It's time for me to gain some trust from you," Answered Velika O'Sullivan firmly, "Indeed there are other things I can't tell you, but I want you to know that I truly want a collaboration. Admit it, Heinrich, it's a cruel world, we are both animals locked in the cages."

Daniel Heinrich nodded since he had no other sources and no others to trust. He had to stick with her and see how things panned out. Hopefully, he could find a way out by himself, plus his wish about knowing her past had finally come through.

"Velika O'Sullivan isn't my name," She started, with a sigh, "It was never my name. When I joined Natural, they erased all my old records, and this became my name. That's why you can never find my file anywhere, I don't exist. Velika is the name Dean gave me, and of course, O'Sullivan is his last name. Now I've been using this name for so long that I almost forgot what my real name was, it wouldn't matter much anyway."

"You had a horrible early life, now you are about to hear worse," She continued, didn't have many emotions on her face, she was staring aimlessly in the messy, disarranged room, like she was talking to herself, "When I was fourteen, my mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia, paranoid type. She was paranoid that my father might have an affair. Later her condition got worse, she became suicidal and wanted to take me with her since she was worried that my father wouldn't take care of me. So, one day, she tried to suffocate me with a pillow when I was asleep, my father found out and dragged her away. As they were fighting, he accidentally pushed her towards the window. The window was open, she threatened my father that she would jump. Then, as you guessed, she jumped, it was the sixth floor."

"I'm so sorry, O'Sullivan." Daniel Heinrich frowned, he never thought she had such a traumatic childhood.

"Thank you, but don't feel sorry too early," She fake laughed, and kept telling her story in a flat tone, "After my mother passed away, my father couldn't stand the thoughts and blames he got for, and quote, murdering his wife. Not even a week after my mother's funeral, he hanged himself. My aunt, who married away and came to this country, hoping to help me overcome the trauma, had decided to bring me over and offered me a new start, even my uncle-in-law never liked the idea of adoption. However, regardless of his objection, with all the best wishes for promises for a bright future, I came to this country with my aunt when I was fifteen. I lived with my aunt's family in the bay area for a year before my aunt was killed in a car accident. I was believed to be a jinx in the family. My uncle-in-law had been suffering from substance abuse disorders, particularly in alcohol for a long time. It only got worse after my aunt passed. He would beat me after a night of drinking, or when he was in a bad mood. I could stand the beating, what I couldn't tolerant was the fact that he took advantage of me, countless times during the period I was staying with him. He threatened to kill me if I dared to tell anyone. So, I would lie about where I got the bruises because he was my only financial support, I had no power to control my fate."

Daniel Heinrich had the impulse to hug her, but he didn't, he listened to her quietly. The sheer moonlight shone on her face, made her a lonely statue from the renaissance.

"I think it was the same year when I first met Dean O'Sullivan," She said, there was an indistinct smile on her thin lips, "I met him when I was volunteering at a local hospital and he was already in medical school by then. He had such a vivid, positive character, and a big dream, he wanted to be a surgeon. I admired him so much, as he had things I didn't. Gradually we became closer to each other, I think our exotic accents acted as a catalyst. My past didn't bother him, he cared for me, helped me with all the difficulties I encountered in my life. At least that was what I thought back then. And after I turned eighteen, my uncle-in-law's abuse became even more intolerable, so I ran away from so-called home. Dean O'Sullivan purposed to me. I still remembered the scene he said, 'Marry me, Velika, I'll care for you no matter what'. Call me crazy, but yes, I eloped with the man who I thought was the love of my life at the age of eighteen and he was twenty-four. Then naturally, I moved to San Francisco city with him as his school was there."