Unexpected Call

Vera visited me at the hospital daily until they discharged me, saying I’d made an excellent recovery, though my memory still wasn’t intact. They gave me a list of care instructions and a diet plan before we left. As Vera drove to her apartment, I stared out the window. Everything looked familiar, so I wondered why, of all the things I couldn’t remember, it was my ex-husband who’d left my mind.  

When we arrived at Vera’s three-bedroom apartment, it looked exactly as I remembered it. We were greeted by a caregiver named Violet. Vera explained that she’d hired Violet to help care for me for a short while, since she’d have to go to work and wanted to ensure I was all right while she was away.   

Vera led me to my room and helped me get settled in as Violet arranged my medications on my bedside table.

“It’s late, and you should rest,” Vera said.

I nodded, feeling like a little girl. I needed her, though, so I was glad she was there for me. She made me feel even more child-like when she tucked me in, too. But I didn’t mind.

“Do you have any idea where my phone is?” I asked.

“I do. I’ll get it for you,” Vera said. “I’ll be right back.” She returned a few minutes later, holding my phone and its charger. She handed me the phone and placed the charger on nightstand.

I quickly keyed in my password.

“You remember your password,” Vera commented with a smile. “That’s great. It’s good you had me in there as your emergency contact, too. That’s how they got a hold of me after the accident,” Vera said solemnly. “I’m so glad you’re okay now. If anything had happened to you, I swear to God, I would have killed Alexander,” she growled.

As I listened, I navigated my way through my apps.

Vera glanced at my screen. “At least you can follow social media trends, and I can call you,” she said with a smile before planting a kiss on my temple. “And I should leave you to it.”

After she left, I continued going through my phone, checking several social media accounts. Then I found myself scrolling through my contacts. I came across one labeled “Hubby,” and thought about what Vera had said. My finger hovered over the trashcan icon, but instead of deleting it, I turned off the screen and put the phone down. I rolled over and snuggled into the blankets. Just as I got settled in and comfortable, my phone rang. With a heavy sigh, I turned over again and grabbed the phone off the nightstand. The word “Hubby” displayed across the screen, and I wondered if I should answer.

My finger hovered over the answer button as it had over the trashcan icon. Before I could decide what to do, the ringing stopped and “Hubby” disappeared from the screen, replaced by a “Missed call” notification. Oh, well. Maybe that was for the best. I went to put the phone down again, and it started ringing once more. Hubby flashed across the screen again. Twice in a row?

My curiosity got the better of me, and I answered.

“Honey, I am at a bar and dead drunk,” said a man’s voice. “Why don’t you come pick me up?”

“Where are you?” I asked, trying to recall his face to no avail. I had no plan in mind if he gave me a location. But I thought hearing his voice more might help trigger a memory.

“Oh sweetie, you’re such an idiot,” the man sneered. “What makes you think I want you back?”

Dumbfounded, I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it in disbelief for a moment. No wonder Vera said he was bad news. Still, I put the phone back up to my ear.

“Wake up and stop dreaming,” he said. “We’re divorced. I only called you on a dare,” he said, laughing.

A dare? Was that some kind of sick joke? What kind of a man behaves in such a manner?

Feeling incredibly uneasy engaging with this strange man, I trembled. “Leo,” I replied, “if you want to go home, go home and stop yelling at me.” My heart raced against my chest, especially when the laughter surrounding “Hubby” ceased abruptly.

Finally, after several seconds of silence, he said, “Who the hell is Leo?”

All of a sudden, my head ached terribly, the pain so unbearable that my eyes filled with tears. The phone slipped from my hand and fell to the floor with a loud crack. I sat up on the bed and put a palm to my head.  

The door opened after a knock, and Vera strode in with Violet behind her. They raced to my side.

“Miss, have you been crying?” Violet asked.

“No,” I said. “I was on my phone. Probably over-exhausted myself.”

“Miss, you shouldn’t cry or get excited. It’s bad for you while you’re recovering,” she said worriedly holding my medication out to me.

I thought back to the accident as I accepted the medication. I remembered calling Vera to tell her I was coming over, though I didn’t remember why or from where. But I recalled the Uber driver screaming “No!” along with the blaring of a car horn. The only thing I remembered after that was a loud crash.

“Olivia,” Vera said, but I slipped into darkness before answering her.