She stood alone in her office, the city lights a blur outside. Years of hard work, and she was left with nothing but echoes. The mirror reflected a stranger - old, worn, disfigured arms. She touched the scars, memories flooding back...
She remembered the day he'd come at her with acid, the searing pain, the screams. She remembered the long road to recovery, the surgeries, the pain. She remembered building this empire, brick by brick, to prove herself whole again.
But it was all a hollow victory. Her parents were gone, her siblings distant. No one was there to share it with.
She lay on the bed, the weight of it all crushing her. Regrets swirled in her mind like a vortex. Why had she let anger consume her? Why had she pushed everyone away? She wished only if God granted her a second chance she would make every thing right.
As she drifted off, a faint scent filled her nostrils - Aroma of coffee. She opened her eyes to find herself face-to-face with him. Young. Unscathed. The man who'd attacked her.
Her heart pounded. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.
Her hand instinctively went to her wrist, smooth skin beneath her fingers. No scars. No disfigurement. A gasp escaped her lips.
What was happening?Was she given a second chance?
"She stared at him, her mind racing. This can't be real.
Her gaze drifted to her hands, smooth and unscarred. She touched her face, her arms, her body - everything was whole.
A wave of confusion washed over her, followed by a tidal wave of anger. Why was she here? Why was he alive and unscarred?
She tried to speak, but her voice was a whisper. 'What's happening?' she managed to croak.
He looked at her with a mix of confusion and fear. 'You're... you're okay?' he stammered.
She shook her head, trying to clear the fog. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.
But it felt real. The pain in her chest, the fear in his eyes... it all felt so real.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Okay, let's play along. Let's figure out what's going on.
"'Who are you?' she asked, her eyes narrowing.
He looked at her, confused. 'Is this another one of your pregnancy mood swings?' he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
She raised an eyebrow. 'Who's pregnant?' she asked, her tone flat.
He smiled and pulled out a picture from his pocket. 'You are, darling. You're three months along.'
She stared at the X-ray picture, her mind reeling. Pregnancy? What was going on?
She stood up abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. 'Let's go,' she said, heading out of the cafe.
He followed her, but she didn't wait. She hailed a taxi and got in, giving the driver directions to her office.
But when they arrived, the building looked unfamiliar. She checked her phone, but her manager's number wasn't responding. Panic started to set in.
Her husband appeared at the door, concern etched on his face. 'Honey, what's going on?' he asked, trying to calm her down.
She didn't listen. She told the driver to drive, but he was getting frustrated. The husband opened the door, and before she could react, he picked her up and put her back in the car.
'Let's go home, okay?' he said, his voice gentle but firm.
She struggled against him, but he held her tight. 'What's happening?' she whispered, tears pricking her eyes.
The world around her was spinning, and she was losing control."
The car ride was a blur. She was vaguely aware of her husband's voice, trying to calm her down, but her mind was a mess. She stared out the window, trying to make sense of everything.
When they arrived at the house, she was almost relieved to see the familiar surroundings. Maybe this was her home, maybe she was just confused.
But as she stepped inside, everything felt off. The decor, the furniture, it was all different. She wandered around, trying to shake off the feeling of unease.
Her husband watched her, concern etched on his face. 'Honey, maybe you should sit down,' he said, trying to guide her to the couch.
She pulled away, her eyes scanning the room. Where was she? What was happening?
Suddenly, she spotted a photo on the shelf. It was a picture of her and her husband, smiling and happy. She picked it up, her heart racing.
This wasn't her life. This wasn't her.
She turned to her husband, her voice shaking. 'Who am I?' she asked, her eyes locked on his.
He looked taken aback, but tried to reassure her. 'You're my wife, darling. We've been together for five years.'
She laughed, a hysterical sound. 'No, that's not true,' she said, backing away from him.
The room was spinning, and she felt herself falling. The last thing she saw was her husband's worried face, and then everything went black.
She woke up to the sound of gentle humming, the scent of flowers filling her nostrils. She opened her eyes to find herself in a hospital room, her husband sitting beside her, holding her hand.
' How do you feel?,' he said, a relieved smile on his face.
She tried to speak, but her throat was dry. He handed her a glass of water, and she took a sip, trying to gather her thoughts.
'What's happening?' she asked, her voice hoarse.
'The docter said there is nothing to worry.You will be fine,' he explained,'The docter said that It can be due to the shock that you are pregnant so suddenly.'
Pregnent? The word sent a shiver down her spine.
She remembered the pain, the fear, the anger looking at the person and knowing the fact that she is pregnant with his child.But she could not understand a thing so she tried to gather information.
'what's the date?'she asked, her mind racing.
Her husband looked at her, surprise on his face. 'You don't remember? Well we came out to celebrate our anniversary,so it's 12th of June 2020'
He trailed off, his eyes dropping to her ring finger.
She followed his gaze, and that's when she saw it. A diamond ring on her finger and a tattoo on the wrist which read( Steve)her husband's name.
A wave of shock washed over her. This wasn't her body. This wasn't her life.
She pulled her hands away, trying to process everything. 'I think I need some time alone,' she said, her voice shaking.
Her husband nodded, getting up. 'I'll get the doctor,' he said, and left the room.
She waited until he was gone, then threw off the covers. She had to get out of there. She had to figure out what was going on.
As she swung her legs over the side of the bed, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her face wasn't scarred, she looked beautiful,not like a victim of acid.Nothing in her body remained to remind her of the pain .
She gasped, her heart racing. How is it possible?
Suddenly, memories started flooding back. Memories of a life she'd lived, a life in which she died of old age.
She looked up, her eyes locking onto her own reflection, realising the chance provided by the God in a very twisted manner, she smiled rather sarcastically. 'Is God that merciful?' she whispered.