Chapter 3

When we got home, I closed the distance between Randall. He’s not talking and just faced the mirror that was intact in the center of the cabinet. I went behind him and similarly looked in the mirror. We are in the room now; he is unbuttoning his polo.

“Randall, when we were just boyfriends and girlfriends, how were we?”

“What do you mean?” he asked back to me as his eyebrows met.

I still haven’t forgotten what Ava said. How could she not know that Randall was my boyfriend if she was the one I trusted?

“I-I mean, what did we often do back then? W-Wouldn’t it be better if I knew and to help my memory recover quickly?” I played with my fingers to relieve the tension.

He stared at me through the mirror and watched as if he had memorized every part of my body and face before answering, “We were happy then, for us if we care for each other that is enough because we felt miserable back then and we believe no one will listen. For us, the shoulders and ears of one another will relieve the suffering of life. That’s what we perceive. “

He looked at the floor and raised his face again, then turned to me. “Go to sleep. It’s already late. It’s bad for your health if you stay awake until dawn.”

He grabbed my arm and turned it towards the bed. He was about to lay me down on the bed, but I held his hand.

“In that case, just answer one of my questions. Did you meet one of my friends when we were still together, or did I introduce them to you?”

“No,” he answered without hesitation.

“Why?”

“You said you will only ask one question. The doctor said you can’t force the information into your mind early. You may collapse if something triggers your brain,” he preached and eventually laid me down on the bed.

He was about to leave, but I pulled out the white T-shirt he had just worn.

“Where are you going to sleep?” I was wondering because he did not crumple our bed the last time I wake up and I’m worried that he might come out and something bad would happen to him outside. After all, he’s my husband and responsibility.

“In the other room, don’t worry, it’s just next to this room.”

“W-why? I read on the internet that the couple has to sleep together in bed.” I averted my face so he wouldn’t see my reaction and he wouldn’t feel the awkwardness.

“I thought you didn’t want to be next to me because you don’t remember who I am. Are you sure? Is it okay to sleep here?”

I nodded my head to show there was no case. Who knows? Maybe that’s not all we did before. Something immediately enveloped me in physical embarrassment after such a thing reached my mind.

He lay down next to me, wrapped a blanket around me, and hugged my stomach. During those times, I didn’t feel isolated. With each slide of sand in the hourglass, I know him intimately and I am safe. As I closed my eyes, what was running through my brain was that maybe the woman I saw earlier at the event was just the guest.

Maybe she doesn’t know me very well. Aunt Helena can’t lie to me because she and Archer take care of the company now because of my condition. I heard gossip about aunt Helena as a former secretary in the company; it became a controversy because they said her to be daddy’s mistress and the result of their illicit relationship was Archer.

When I woke up in the hospital after my accident, I thought Aunt Helena was my mom or dad’s sister. When they explained to me about the company Archer was next introduced to me. They said I had known Archer before, and I knew he was my half-brother. Not only that, they explain that I also know aunt Helena because she was with me after my parents died. Hence, I’m surprised when they said that I was planning to get married but did not go ahead because of the accident.

They also mentioned that I had been dating Randall for a long time and that they had known him for a long while, even when my parents were still alive. They said they did not object to my wedding plan because my parents knew Randall. Therefore, I am confused about who I believe; I feel there is something wrong with this marriage.

My headache as one after another suspicious event rushing in my sanity. Like the reporter who asked earlier, he asked if the reason for my accident was because of who the next successor was while the woman named Ava did not know my boyfriend before who is my husband now. Include Randall’s call the other day on the phone.

With a terrible headache because of the thought, I dismissed everything first. I also remembered that my medication was running out of stock. I leaned over my body so I could see Randall sleeping peacefully. I ran my finger through his sharp nose. His face was so perfect, like a little naïve child. My gaze shifted to his pale pink lips. I stared at them for a long time before giving them a short but gentle kiss.

The next morning, I woke up with Randall no longer by my side. The sudden knock on the door startled me. I stood up, but before opening the door, I first looked to see if Randall was on the balcony, but there was no trace of him there. I opened the door, and I’m stunned that Aunt Helena was behind it.

She smiled at me and entered the room even though I hadn’t offered her yet and sat on the bed. She ran her eyes around while I still held the doorknob, and the door was still open. I just closed the door as she turned to me.

“Why did you suddenly come here?” I asked.

Aunt Helena pats her side and invites me to sit down. When she sat down, she rummaged in his bag and took out a transparent container of red capsules. She’s offering it, but I didn’t take it. When she noticed I had no intention of taking it, she took my hand and opened my palm. She laid the medicines there.

“I found out that your medications are running out of stock, so I ask Dr. Brown about what you’re taking,” she said with a smile, but I couldn’t see the sincerity in those smiles.

“You shouldn’t worry about it anymore. I can go and Randall can go with me.” She became agitated and seemed restless.

“I would like to ask you something, Winter.”

“What is that?” I asked uneasily, as if something was wrong.

“I wish I could take care of your medicine. I want to make up for what I did to your family before. Can you just not mention it to Randall?”

More and more things were running through my mind, but I didn’t reflect that on aunt Helena.

“Aunt, I wish I could have known how Randall and I met,” I happily told her. I saw her eyes widen and there were a few beads of sweat on her forehead even though the aircon was on.

“W-why?” she stuttered.

“I want to know our history in case my memories take too long to come back,” I stood up and put in the cabinet the medicine she had given me. I take my time putting them so she wouldn’t see any suspicion I was feeling.

I saw in the mirror the movement of her eyes, “S-sure! Next time, let’s go out and have coffee. Let’s talk some other time. Right now, Archer and I are still busy with the company because your company and Randall’s company are about to merge.”

She promptly stood up and kissed my cheek. I haven’t been able to say goodbye yet; she has already left. In her haste, she almost tripped when she closed the door.

“Helena Williams, what exactly is your connection to our family?” I uttered to myself.