“Thank God, you finally answered my call! Where are you? I've been calling you for how many times, but you're not answering. The event is now going to start and yet you're not here,” my sister said from the other line.
We are currently here in Paris for a business matter, and that's to get the deal done with Mister Silvenia. So, I, together with my sister drove all the way here to attend the event he organized, and meet him.
“I'm on my way, sis. Stop nagging. I'll hang up now. I'm still driving.” I immediately ended the call. There's no way I'll let her scold me. I know she'll just trash talk and shout at me if I prolong the call. She wants everything to be as perfect as she is, so doesn't like tardiness and excuses.
Psh. I don't want to be in a bad mood just because I'm late.
I was about to turn my car on the sharp curve when a BMW car came rushing towards me. The car beeped continuously. I cursed and pull the steering wheel on the left side, but shock and fear covered me when I can't step on my brake.
“No. No. No. Please! What the heck is wrong with this brake?!” I shrieked when I saw what's in front of me: a dead end. A cliff.
From the side mirror of my car, I saw the BMW car bumped on the other side of the road before I fall into the deep forest below the road.
“Aaaaahhhh!!!! Nooo!!!!” I pant as I woke up from that dream. What is that? Is that even a dream? That's a nightmare! Why did I have that kind of nightmare? Is that a sign that I'm going to die?!
A woman in her 30s opened my room's door, and run towards me.
“Young lady! Thank goodness, you're awake,” she said with a hint of happiness in her eyes. She even held my hands and touched my face.
Young lady? I don't like any of my people to address me that way. My name is just fine. And wait, as far as I know, I didn't hire any maid here. I'm living on my own since I was 18, so how come I am seeing a woman here?!
“W-Who are you? What are you doing here in my house?”
She looked at me like I asked a weird question.
“Poor thing. Wait for me here. I'll just call the doctor. Wait here, young lady. I'll be quick.”
What doctor is she saying? I'm totally fine! I'm strong as a bull!
“Hey. No. No need. I'm fine. Just please. Can you give me some space?”
She hesitated to leave.
“Please. Whoever you are, please leave me alone.”
“You just woke up, young lady. Are you sure you can handle yourself?”
“Stop calling me that. Leave. Can't you understand?!”
“O-Okay. I'll just inform your mother.” She went out of the room.
“Hey! What mother are you talking about?! I just have my father!”
Who is that woman? Did my sister hire her? Why? To guard me? To make sure that I won't do any mistake? Speaking of, where is she?
I need to call my sister. Where's my phone?
I heard a knock on my door.
“What again? Who is that?”
“Ma’am, here's your breakfast. Your mother told me to remind you that you should eat and see her afterwards. She's waiting for you downstairs.” Another woman entered my room with a tray of breakfast on her hands. She put it on my table.
“And who are you? What mother are you saying? I don't have a mother. Why do you guys keep on saying mother? I don't have one. Where am I?”
This woman is older than the first one. She is in her 50s, I guess.
The old woman smiled. “I know you don't see her as your mother, but she's still your father's wife. You should treat her as one, although she's just your stepmom. That would be for the best, young lady. Anyway, we are glad that you already woke from your long sleep.”
Stepmom?! When did my father marry another woman?! Why am I not informed?
“What do you mean by long sleep? Did I sleep for 24 hours?” I don't know what pushed me to talk to this old woman, but I feel a little bit secured around her. I'm quite comfortable talking to her. Is it because I'm longing for a mother's love?
“It's not only for 24 hours, young lady. You've been sleeping for a month. It's my fault for not stopping you that night you are begging me to help you escape. If only I didn't help you, you wouldn't be in that accident,” the old woman sadly said.
A-Accident? One month of sleep?! But I don't remember her. Seriously, I can't find her in my memory, nor this story she's now telling me. Why would I escape?
“W-Where is my sister?”
“You mean your stepsister? She's at the—”
“Stepsister? No, my real sister. Where's Caileigh? I need to see her, now. Where is she?”
Am I still dreaming?
“Who is Caile—” The woman from earlier barged in, and she looked so nervous.
“Madam is looking for you.” Pertaining to the old woman.
“Okay, a little bit.” She gave me the tray she brought. “You better eat then come downstairs afterwards, young lady. Your mother is short-tempered,” she warned me before they both left my room.
I was left there confused. Who are those two? What stepsister? What stepmother?
Wait, let me think. Let me sort these things out. I was calling Caileigh when—no.
Then it hit me. That dream I just had was the last memory I have before waking up. That was not a dream. That was real... it definitely happened to me.
But where the hell am I? Shouldn't I be in the hospital? I looked around the room. No, this is not my room. God, where am I?! Is this still Paris? Am I being kidnapped? Where is my sister?! She's searching for me, isn't she? Oh dear, did I really slept for one whole month?
I peeped outside my room. I saw the woman I am talking with earlier, and a pretty woman having a conversation on the stairs. I don't know anyone in this house. Seriously.
Did this family save me from that accident? But, why did that woman mention something like stepmother and stepsister?
I slowly closed the door. Im thankful that they saved me, but I must leave this house. I must find my sister. For sure, she is worrying about me.
I passed through a human-sized mirror, and my eyeballs almost got out of their place from what I saw. I went back in front of it to clearly see my reflection. No way.
I pinched my arm. It hurts. I even slapped my face. It seriously hurts!
“What the heck is happening?! This is not my face!! No... no... no.”
How serious was the accident I've been through that my face was changed?! Was my face disfigured that they got me all fixed?!
“No way.” I was caught off guard when I saw a lot of pictures of me—no, not me, I'm sure of it, on the wall and on the table. I don't remember doing things like this.
Seriously, why do I look exactly like her?!
I checked all the photos in front of me. There's a picture of me—gosh, this is weird. This woman's face rather, laughing with a man while holding a bouquet of red roses. There is also a picture of her fishing, painting, playing a piano, and such.
What if... what if they thought I was their daughter, so they saved me, brought me here, and changed my face into her face? No... my face.
No, I should make this clear to them. I have my own life. They took a wrong girl.
I immediately changed my clothes and went downstairs. I saw no one, but the old woman wiping the large vase near the sink.
“Excuse me. Can I ask something?”
“Sure. What is it, young lady?”
“Did this woman—I mean, did I... did I ever involve myself in any accident, and was hovering between life and death? Ah, yes, t-that accident you told me. What is that? I know I've been asking many weird questions, but could you please enlighten me? Please, auntie. I'm so confused, right now.”
She takes a look around, making sure that no one is there aside from us.
Why is she acting all stealthily?
“You're experiencing an amnesia, perhaps. All I know is that, you got into a car accident the night you were supposed to meet your boyfriend. I was the one who helped you to escape from your room, but that was the biggest regret of my life,” she weakly said.
“Car accident? Where?”
She told me the exact location where I fell off the cliff.
Don't tell me, this woman was the owner of that BMW I was supposed to bump into? Heck?! Did she die that they took me in her place? Is it the reason why I exactly look like her?! This is totally absurd!