The hospital finally lets me leave.
However, I had to call Irene to come and pick me up.
Of course, she isn't happy to hear that I was in the hospital. But she forgives me as soon as I explained the situation.
Now I need to return to the hotel and rest. Irene is coming with me to the hotel, then she'll leave.
However, she makes it clear that I need to keep her updated on how things are progressing.
///
I finally arrive in my room. "Thank you, Irene, for your help."
"No need to thank me. You would have done the same for me. Now you need to rest," she says, helping me lie down on the bed.
"I'll put your medication here on the bedside table." I nod.
"Don't forget to answer my calls." I nod helplessly again; she doesn't give me a choice.
"Okay."
"Okay, I'm going to go now."
"Hm... enjoy your date."
"Thanks. Bye, sweetheart!" she says and blows me a kiss before leaving.
'To think she drove four hours to get here, I hope she makes it to her date on time.'
'On the other hand, if she misses it, I'll feel bad... but it will still be her fault. I told her not to come.'
'She is a sweetheart.'
I fall asleep without realizing it.
///
I wake up and see that it's nighttime. I get out of bed and make myself a bowl of cereals.
I settle into the deckchair on the balcony and admire the view.
Admiring the clear sky.
Admiring the starry sky and the full moon.
A simple action can make me feel many emotions. But above all, wonder.
The night never ceases to amaze me.
///
I get up from the deck chair, having finished my cereal and stargazing. And I go back into the bedroom.
It's time to go to bed. But first I have to brush my teeth."
///
I take my medication and apply the healing cream for bruises that was prescribed to me, and finally lie down on the bed.
I'm still in pain, but it's bearable, unlike yesterday.
'Hmm... tomorrow, there is that evening event for company members after the information meeting on the new project. That means I don't have any work to do tomorrow... Luckily, because I won't be able to stand for long.'
I close my eyes and fall asleep very quickly.
///
I wake up with pain all over my body. "Urgh..."
I get up and try to stand, but quickly sit back down. 'My head is spinning.'
I feel like I'm going to throw up at any moment. 'Damn...'
I try to calm my breathing and catch my breath.
It takes several minutes before I finally feel able to get up. Despite my dizziness, I finish getting ready and place an order on my phone.
'Something light... hm... but I am craving pancakes.'
I order light gourmet strawberry and cream cheese waffles, fruit salad, light banana pancakes specially made for breakfast, and finally orange juice.
'Now all I have to do is wait.'
///
I take my medication and put on my cream. I decide to go and read on the balcony with a light blanket to cover myself from the cool morning breeze.
///
I wake up thanks to the alarm clock I set early because I suspected I might fall back asleep.
The sun is now well up. I remember that I still haven't called my parents.
I sit down on the beanbag and call them using my computer.
"Hi, Dad. Hi, Mom," I say when I see them appear on the screen.
"Hello, sweetheart."
"Hello, my love."
My father and mother answer at the same time, smiling. I smile back.
I start telling them about how my work is going and what's been happening. They are worried about me, of course, but I tell them that things are getting better.
We talk about all sorts of things, whether trivial or important, and chatting with my parents is one of my favorite things to do.
They are my best friends and always will be. 'That's cool. I have several best friends.'
Several minutes later, the conversation ends.
I don't know why I start thinking about her. I often have these moments, but this time it feels strangely different.
'I miss her…' I feel like she's just a mirage. A figment of my imagination. But I miss her so much.
I thought I had stopped thinking about her that way, but I was wrong.
'When will this end?'
My feelings grew stronger, and I had no choice but to write down what I was feeling.
"I want someone to love me. But that person is just a blur. I can't forget. My nights are haunted by her ghost..."
I stop writing. A tear escapes from my eye.
I look for some music to get me in the mood and start writing the end of my book.
I decided before I even started my book that all my characters would die. It's difficult to understand this decision without knowing the context that led me to write my book.
I shed a few tears because the music and the scene I'm describing are horribly sad.
'Goodbye, Camellia.'
I regain control of my emotions and start writing the details of my new book. I have to finish what the secret is that the young man discovered.
I still have doubts about which scenario to follow. And I want to have a detail about how the Drilé work.
So I start to focus on my plan.
///
My concentration is broken when I hear crying. I look up and glance around me, but there's nothing there.
'Hmm... Is it just my imagination, or what?'
I listen carefully and wait for the crying again. 'It sounds like a child…'
I put my things away and take off my headphones to put them away too. I put on my backpack and stand up.
I stop for a moment, waiting for my head to stop spinning, then start walking. Of course, I'm still not well. The medication is gradually wearing off, and I'm starting to feel pain.
But first I have to deal with this crying business. 'Hopefully it won't end up like one of those horror stories.'
I get closer and closer to the crying. 'Phew... it's really a child. Wait—what am I saying?'
'Okay, let's do this again…'
'Oh no... it's a child.'
'Hm... that's better.'
I quickly regain my composure and head towards the child. I slowly lower myself and sit down next to him on the concrete edge surrounding the flowers, as I can no longer stand up.
I don't say anything because the pain quickly rises to my head. 'Damn it! Ouch! That hurts…'
I cry inside, but I keep a neutral expression on the outside.
I look straight ahead, my back straight, and remain frozen.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice the child lifting his head from his arms, but I don't pay any attention. 'I'm in pain.'
I concentrate to avoid feeling any more pain.
"Oh..." I hear for the child's little voice.
'Oh, what? I just hope you're not a ghost.'
And I realize what I've just thought and slowly start to get scared. 'Please don't be a ghost, please don't be a ghost…'
I start chanting it like a mantra in my mind. I'm really scared of supernatural things.
"You..."
'You who? What is this gho- child talking about?'
I gather my courage and turn my head.
What greets me is the face of the child I saved a few days ago.
My eyes widen in surprise.
"It's you!" says the child, smiling. He seems to recognize me.
'He looks about four years old.'
"Why are you here crying? And where are your parents?" I hear myself ask.
The child stops smiling and lowers his head sadly.
Seeing this, I ask, "Can I give you a hug?"
He looks at me, considers his answer before responding with a nod. 'I'm going to suffer, but oh well…'
I lift him up and place him on my lap, giving him a hug. I don't know why, but he starts crying again, his head buried in my chest.
And I let him. Sometimes you need to cry to feel better.
I tighten my arms around him a little more to show him that I'm there for him.
I don't know why, but deep down, I feel a kind of relief. It's hard to describe the feeling, but I told myself that one day I too would have my own child by adopting and would do my best to give them everything.
It won't be right now, but later, when I have a more stable life and the mental capacity to take care of a human being smaller than myself, that I will do it. A child is a big responsibility, and it's not something I want to take lightly.
In reality, I had this thought long before, but now it's as if this decision is becoming a reality; it's my final decision. I will certainly do it.
After several minutes, the child finally calms down. I ask him why he is here alone.
"I heard Mom and Mason yelling. And Mason swore at Mom and also said I was a bastard child," the child says sadly between sobs.
"That jerk."
I ask him who Mason is, and he replies, "Grandpa and Grandma said Mason is my dad. But Mom said I shouldn't call him that. I have to call him Mason."
'Well, this isn't really any of my business, so it's better to talk about something else, and besides, it seems to be making him sad.'
I took my tablet computer and removed the keyboard so that it was just a tablet, holding the little boy tightly.
"Would you like to play with me?" He looked at me and nodded with a smile.
I have a fashion game on the tablet that Irene downloaded, and I open the app.
'I hope this will distract him.'
I start showing him how to play, and it quickly grabs his attention. 'I feel like I've forgotten something... hm... Never mind.'
I look down and see what he's doing.
We continue playing for a little while.
"Damn..."
And I finally remember what I forgot.
"Hmm..." And I also realize that I forgot to ask him his name.
"Buddy, what's your name?"
He looks up from the screen and says with a smile, "Eren. My name is Eren Valentin."
"Oh... that's an interesting name," I say with a smile.
"Nice to meet you, Eren Valentin. My name is Hayley," I say with a smile, and he smiles even more.
'Ah! I almost forgot.'
"Valentin, I think your mother is probably worried. She's surely looking for you. We need to go find her, okay?"
He lowers his head, probably realizing what he had done, and nods.
"Are you coming?" he asks, looking at me.
"That's what I was going to do, buddy." I let him stand up and put away my tablet, put on my backpack, and slowly get up again. 'Um…'
"Are you okay?" Eren asks me.
"Yeah, buddy. Don't worry." I hold out my hand for him to take, which he does instantly.
I would have carried him, but I'm in pain.
We're almost at the garden exit. Eren and I are talking about his new car collection. From what I understand, he has lots of cars in different colors. And he wants to show them to me.
I'm watching him with a little smile on my lips as he tells me about his trip to the zoo when I hear exclamations. I look up and see my boss coming towards me furiously. Eren hides behind me when he sees him. And before I understand anything, I feel a huge blow to the side of my face. I hear a hissing sound before collapsing, luckily without taking the child down with me.
"Mason! What have you done?" I hear a voice say.
'So it's my boss. Oh, the bastard…' I think before passing out.
///
"You couldn't have refrained from acting like an idiot, seriously." I hear a woman's voice say.
"How dare you insult me?" says a man's voice.
'Can't they just shut up?'
"You're an asshole, and I'm not ashamed to say it. Just because you argued with my sister, and Eren ran away when you were supposed to be watching him, you think you can hit an innocent person. You really are an asshole. I don't even know why my sister doesn't divorce you."
'Touché.'
"Watch your language. You're going too far with your words," said the man's angry voice.
"Mason, you're not my parent or my boss, so I'll say whatever I want." Apparently, the woman is angry, too.
'Wait, Mason... Ah, I'm the one who got hurt. I must have passed out. And where am I? Fuck!!! My head is killing me…'
'Hm... I think I'm on a bed. Very comfortable.'
"Go away, I don't want to see your ugly face anymore," the woman says harshly, and I hear footsteps right after that and a door closing.
The woman must be someone important. 'Ah... she said it's her sister's husband... oh.'
Curious to know where I am, I try to open my eyes.
'Hm... light!' I keep my eyes squinted until I get used to the light, then I open them a little more. When I'm finally able to open my eyes wide, I look around a little.
'I'm literally in a princess's bedroom.'
I see the woman, and her gaze falls on me. Seeing that I'm awake, she lets out a sigh of relief, I think.
'She's pretty.'
Immediately after, her face takes on the expression of someone who has just remembered something and is heading somewhere.
My attention is focused on my body. I want to know if I can move. Seeing that everything seems to be fine, I think to myself, 'I have to leave…'
I focus on the lady with her back to me. 'What is she doing?'
I quickly get an answer when I see her turn around and bring a glass of water.
She helps me up and hands me the glass of water, which I drink immediately.
After finishing, I ask, "How long was I lying there?"
She looks at me and replies, "About 15 minutes..."
"Hm... Okay." I begin to slowly remove the sheet and get up. 'Fuck, my head!'
"What are you doing? You should stay lying down, you have a fever... The doctor will be here soon," said the woman, trying to stop me. I pushed her hands away and said,
"Don't worry, I just need a good night's sleep after taking my medicine."
I'm about to get out of bed, but she stops me again, "Please wait at least a few minutes for the doctor to give the go-ahead."
I look at her silently, trying to figure out what she's up to, and nod my head when I see the sincerity in her eyes.
She smiles and says, "Thank you, you won't regret it."
After leaving me alone, I lower my head, lost in thought.
'Her gaze... reminds me of hers.'
'Why?'
'Is it a coincidence?'
'She looks a little like her...'
'What if…'
'She mentioned a sister...'
'Is it her?'
'No... No, no!'
'I have to go...'
'Now!'
Even if I'm wrong, I'd rather be wrong and leave than be right and stay.
I got out of bed, being careful not to make myself dizzy, put on my jacket and shoes, which were luckily next to the bed, and grabbed my bag, all that with pain running through my body.
'I hope no one sees me…'
I take a deep breath and slowly open the door.
I go out and start walking towards the end of the hallway. There's an elevator, but I don't want to take any chances.
I go down the stairs and find myself in a kind of... 'It's a penthouse. I'm in a penthouse. Damn, damn, damn!'
I feel panic rising inside me, but I quickly get the upper hand and focus on my goal of getting out of there.
Luckily for me, I don't run into anyone, and I quickly get out of there.
There are two elevators. I press both buttons and hide at the end of the hallway so that no one can see me, and I can see both elevators.
The first one arrived and, luckily for me, there was no one in it. I pressed the button for the third floor.
After a few seconds of waiting, the elevator opens and a couple gets in, then the elevator stops and opens on the third floor a few seconds later. I quickly get out and head for the stairwell as if nothing had happened.
'I have to hurry…' I quickly descend the stairs without paying attention to the state of my body.
I finally arrive at the hotel lobby.
Several times, I almost fall, but I quickly steady myself and continue my descent.
I look around to make sure I don't see the woman from earlier, and start making my way to the exit as if everything is fine.
I see a group of people entering the hotel, and I tense up but continue.
One person caught my attention, and my mind went completely blank. My consciousness seemed to freeze.
Fortunately, my subconscious took over, and my body continued toward the goal I had set for myself.
I finally leave the hotel and don't give myself time to understand what just happened. I quickly head towards the taxi I had called.
I get in, close the door, and finally allow myself to look up at the hotel entrance.
I saw the woman from earlier approaching 'her' and followed 'her' gaze, which was on me.
When she sees me, her eyes widen. I smile at her and turn my head away.
The taxi started to drive away. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the woman walking towards me, probably to stop it, but it was too late.
I never imagined I would see 'her' again so soon.
I look out the car window as the landscape rolls by.
'My suspicions turned out to be right. She really is her sister.'
I don't know if what I'm feeling is relief or sadness.
"It's strange."
Of course, I miss her, but I don't want to see her. It's contradictory.
I don't want her to realize how pathetic I am and how I can't let go of the past. She's made her choice.
I would have liked to see her again when my feelings for her are no longer so intense, and I've managed to rebuild my nonexistent love life.
'I need an escape…'
'Her gaze...'
Apparently, she recognized me because she stopped and turned around. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, for me.
'I hate this situation…'
Then I remember that I didn't get to say goodbye to the child. I hope he doesn't hold it against me.
'But wait... the woman is her sister... Mason is her husband... And Eren is... her son.'
My eyes widen, 'Damn it... And I'm here as the boss's designated translator… Fuck my life…'
I start rubbing my forehead. I have to make a decision, and fast.
When I arrive at the hotel, I start to unpack my things. The hotel has been paid for and booked by the company.
When I'm done, I leave without hesitation. I take another taxi and leave, telling the driver to take me to a hotel a little further away if he knows of one.
///
I settle into my new room, which is smaller than the one at the other hotel, but that doesn't bother me.
I open my tablet computer and start writing my letter of resignation to my chief. I send him the email and then call him.
///
My chief was very angry with me, but there is nothing he could do about it because before signing any contract, I had decided to add a clause stipulating that I could leave at any time without consequence if I had a valid reason.
It seems unlikely, but it was one of the conditions I had just in case, and I did the right thing. The blow my boss gave me became my valid reason.
I know they tend to do things quickly, and a few hours later, he informs me that it's settled.
I knew it would turn out that way because the woman and Mason weren't the only ones present when Mason hit me.
The chief must have asked one of those present.
I answered the phone and turned it off after talking to my family.
'I need to find something to distract me and not get any ideas…'
I know the way I'm acting makes it seem like she's probably going to come looking for me. However, I don't think she'd want to see me. The only reason might be that she wants to thank me for helping her son, but it's nothing, so I'd rather not get paranoid and stay as far away as possible from the possibility of her finding me or looking for me.
///
I find my distraction in a club. I know my condition doesn't allow it, but after taking my painkillers and fever medication.
I decide to ignore the state of my body.
And I start to have fun. I was offered drinks several times, but I don't need them. The music can transport me to another world without needing a sip of alcohol.
I can feel my heart beating to the rhythm of the song. Ah... finally, a little joy.
It's all I needed, even if it's fleeting.
I feel someone press their body against my back.
I turn my head and see that it's a woman smiling at me. She's tall.
I turn around and continue dancing without paying any attention to her.
I feel her arms on my hips, then around my waist. And her front pressed against my back.
'She's keeping up with the rhythm of my dance and the music…'
I'm not looking for anything; I just want to have fun, so I let her dance with me.
///
I realize that she must think there's a chance between us when she starts kissing me. I quickly stop her and tell her that I just want to dance and nothing more, and if she wants something more, she should try someone else.
She seems to understand and smiles at me. She leaves me, probably to go see someone else.
///
I decide it's time to leave. I'm starting to feel the pain, and it's getting late.
After turning down all the other people who approached me, of course.
I go to the bar and ask for a lemonade because I'm thirsty.
After finishing my drink and paying, I head for the door.
I stop and turn my head to the right. I see the woman who was dancing with me earlier, completely drunk.
Now I'm faced with a complicated situation. I go back to the bar and ask for a 1.5-liter bottle of water.
I then head towards the woman. She was slumped over the table.
'She looks like she's been crying…'
After waking her up as best I can, I help her drink, then she lets me help her up.
///
We're finally in the taxi. It was an obstacle course; she wouldn't stay still.
///
"Argh... finally in bed!"
I had to make a detour to take the person home, carrying her. Luckily, she had her house key.
I took off their shoes and jacket and lay her down on the sofa. Luckily, there was a light blanket on the couch. I covered her up and left her a note.
In short, I wrote to tell her to pay more attention to her surroundings and to people. And I wished her well.
Then I left.
///
Once outside, I took a deep breath and headed for the taxi.
I thanked the driver for waiting for me and got into the seat.
///
Without realizing it, I quickly fall asleep.
The next day, I wake up and feel how exhausted yesterday had left me.
I feel sore all over, so I decide, 'Right, it's time to do some yoga to relax my body.'
I spend a rather quiet morning. I have whole wheat cereal and dark chocolate chips for breakfast with orange juice and a kiwi.
"I have a little time before I leave..."
I put on loose pants and a T-shirt, plus a shirt that I don't button up, and sneakers. I put on a cap and sunglasses.
I take my medication.
Then I grab my things and go out to buy some snacks.
'For someone who's suffering, I'm too active... hahh... never mind.'
I quickly find a grocery store, buy what I need, and leave the place in search of a bakery.
Before I can even understand what was happening, I feel something being put over my mouth and nose. As soon as I feel it, I knew, 'Oh... no.'
And everything goes dark.
///
I suddenly feel my consciousness returning, and it's the cold water thrown on me that wakes me up completely.
I blink several times and look around to see where I was. 'It looks like a warehouse…'
A man who looked very angry was standing in front of me with several other men.
I realize that my hands are tied behind my back.
"Are you going to start talking, or do I have to help you do it?"
I look at him questioningly, and he responds with a blow.
He hits me in the same place where the other man hit me.
This is just my luck.
'I can't even have a normal day since I decided to take this job.'
Apparently, their boss is about to arrive, and they start beating me up so they can answer their boss's questions when the time comes.
'When did I ever hang out with the mafia?'
'Are they part of the mafia?'
They won't give me a moment's peace, but finally we hear cars arriving.
I hear distant, inaudible voices, then quick footsteps.
"It is quite loud..."
"It sounds like the sound of heels."
I look up towards the sound of footsteps and see the boss they've been waiting for.
A laugh escapes me, they're shocked, of course, 'It's like a telenovela…'
I continue to laugh. The one closest to me, not liking my "lack of respect," approaches me to stop me.
Unfortunately for him, my hands are no longer tied, so I hit him, point his gun at the boss, and pull the trigger.
A shot rings out, and everyone freezes. 'A real telenovela, it's so dramatic…'
I lower the arm holding the gun, the gun falls to the ground, and I look at my upper left side.
'It doesn't seem to have hit my heart…'
I feel as if my body is falling in slow motion.
"No!" I hear, before someone catches me as I fall.
'Honestly, I'm waiting for the moment when they tell me that I'm adopted and that I come from a rich family or that I have a secret child…'
The second part isn't possible, and I come from a wealthy enough family... and I look like a mix of my father and mother, so the first part isn't possible either.
'I need to come up with other ideas...'
The darkness peacefully engulfs me. I will finally get the rest I deserve.