“Mrs. Hamilton! Mrs. Hamilton. Are you okay?” Were the voices that went off in the air as a group of maids began to run in one direction, their anxiety and fear amplifying by each second. Irina, who was pale and visibly in pain, was being carefully carried on the back out of her private quarters by one of the maids, while another one fanned her, trying to keep her calm.“Please hang on,” another muttered, as they ran as fast as they could, knowing nothing could go wrong on their duty. “There are rashes on her face, and it is increasing! What do we do?” The one fanning her cried in fear, as she pointed to the red, visible bumps beginning to swell on her skin. "Get the antihistamines! Now! And get a call across to Dr. Felix!” Cordelia, who got to the scene in less than three minutes from being informed of where she was coming from, barked out orders authoritatively, her voice laced with urgency. The other maids scattered instantly, some rushing to the medical cabinet, others fumblin
“Did you find what you were looking for?” Audrey, who had been singing while preparing to cook lunch, moved to the other side of the kitchen the moment Zoe entered. “No,” Zoe didn't turn to look at her, as she walked to the refrigerator to grab a life lobster, and casually placed it on the kitchen countertop. “Goodness. She must have changed the layout of her room, and hidden it somewhere else. Do you want to try again?” She walked casually to where the gas cooker was to place a pot on it, and turned on the fire. “I will just have to get in another time, and end this once and for all,” Zoe mumbled without moving her lips. “What?” Audrey didn't hear her properly. “Nothing,” she responded, “I probably don't need it again.” “What were you looking for though?” Audrey began to sprinkle diced onions into the already sizzling oil she had added to the pot, as she did a little dance. “Audrey?” Zoe suddenly called, her attention still on the lobster that she had begun to cut carefully
A stunned silence followed as Zoe's words hung heavily in the air, and Audrey’s face went pale, her mouth falling open as if to speak, but no words came out, her eyes filled with confusion and fear, “Lost your memories?” she finally managed to whisper, her voice trembling.“Yes,” Zoe's answer was firm, willing to take the risk of telling her, if it meant finding out the truth. With confusion spiraling in her mind, Audrey freed her collar from Zoe's grip and walked away from her, as she intentionally threw one of the bowls of peppers that she was using to cook on the floor. She got down behind the counters immediately with the aim of packing them, and whispered, “Wait for me in the garden. Someone will be looking at the cameras in the kitchen.”Overwhelmed by what she had just heard after Zoe left, Audrey let out a soft gasp as she continued to pick up the peppers, while trying to process her words again and again. She quivered with shock, her eyes darting around the room as if searc
“What is wrong, Audrey?!” Zoe tapped her as she jolted her out of her deep thoughts, the moment Zoe shook her by the shoulder. “Yes,” she breathed out. “You seem lost.” Taking a deep breath, Audrey began to speak, her voice low but urgent, “I know you don't remember much about your past, Zoe, but I will tell you the little I can right now,” She hesitated, as if gathering the courage to continue, “This family... they weren't always kind to you. In fact, they were downright cruel.” “What do you mean?” Zoe's voice was barely above a whisper. Audrey looked away for a moment as the muscles along her jawline clenched, before she turned back with a fierce and resolute expression, “Everyone has hidden a lot from you, Zoe. Everyone! And that is all of us, including Malcolm, and your grandfather,” she pursed her lips, as if under pressure. “The way they treated you... it was horrible, Zoe. They belittled you so much, made you feel like you weren't worthy of being here, blamed you for th
Audrey blinked in shock as she struggled with the tears that had pooled behind her eyelids and were struggling to spill, her heart pounding in her chest, a rapid, painful rhythm that seemed to echo in her ears. For a moment, she could only stare at Ivy, whose eyes blazed with anger, her eyes wide with disbelief and pain. She could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on her, as she struggled to find her voice, “Why did you slap me, Ivy?” “Utter another word and I will finally ruin your face!” Ivy threatened, glaring at her. “I... I don't understand. What is going on?” her voice trembled as she spoke, feeling utterly exposed, and vulnerable in a way she hadn't felt in years. The humiliation of the slap in the presence of a maid was the one that hurt more. “You vile, deceitful woman!” Ivy spat, her accusatory voice cutting through the air like venom, “What did you do to Mother? What did you put in her drink?! Are you trying to kill her?!” She raged viciously. Audrey's breath cease
Zoe stumbled into her bedroom, her head almost blowing from the devastating truth that she had just been told by Audrey, her legs and body failing her in swift mobility. Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to process the information, which left her gasping for air and struggling to keep the tears that stung behind her eyelids from falling. She felt a lump form in her throat which made it hard to breathe, as her throat suffered a patch that made it hot and dry the more she thought of how everything she had thought in her head had been confirmed. ‘How could that happen? How could everyone deceive her like that? She understood that she and her grandfather never saw eye to eye about things, but still? How could he?’ Zoe's mind tumbled in so much pain and wretchedness, the more she tried to comprehend and grasp the affirmation of her truth. ‘So the room that was hers in his damn mansion was fake? The pictures and setup too? The schools they claimed she went to? The awards? The
“What?!” Ivy stared in horror, her large eyes growing into wide circles, as her palms clamped over her mouth in bewilderment, upon hearing what her sister had just said.“Lost all of her memories?” The words sounded foreign to her lips. Are you kidding me?” She stared at Isla, who remained so unperturbed despite the fact that she had just dropped a shocking revelation. “I am leaving,” Isla rose to her feet instantly, her face stoic and hard as ever, as she sauntered past Ivy, who was quick to grab her by the arm in an instant. “Isla, wait,” Ivy stopped her from leaving, as she sidled to her front, “Is this true? I thought she lost just the bad ones,” Her desperate eyes filled with questions searched Isla's own, somehow wishing it was a joke. Something Isla said just to make her stop panicking. But, she knew Isla was not the type to make jokes. Isla shot a cold look at Ivy instantly, and she instantly let go of her arm, “Sorry,” she said casually, more interested in what she had j
Like any other work day, Zoe left home as early as possible the next day and arrived at her office two hours before the time for normal working hours would start. She sat at her desk, staring blankly at the computer screen in front of her, entirely disconnected from everything that was around her, her life colored with so much sadness. The truth of her life, which had come to light the previous day, had shattered her world, and left her more heartbroken and more disoriented than she could handle. Her life had been a web of deceit and betrayal, and the truth was too much to figure out even when she already knew that fact. The fragments of her memories now made sense the more she thought of it, and it was so overwhelming to understand that the pain her heart could feel wherever those floating images and words came, were once hers. Zoe had cried bitterly the entire night so miserably and was barely able to stand on her feet the next morning. She didn't know how to comprehend the fac