chapter 1

Shirley's POV

“Water,” I croaked as I opened my eyes from the annoying beeping sounds coming from the machines around me. I knew I was in a hospital. 

Why? I didn't know but I hoped someone would tell me soon. My whole body hurt like hell and my throat was dry. 

“Water,” I grunted and coughed in a bid to clear my throat but it didn't work. It felt like something was stuck there and wasn't coming out. 

The door opened and I leaned up to see my mother, Sharon walking in. 

“Finally you’re up.” She walked towards me with a straight face, no smile, she looked so cold that I almost didn’t identify her. 

“Mom?”

“I need water Mum,” I groaned and she looked away pretending not to hear what I said to her. “Mummy.” I called her again, but she still didn’t answer me. 

“Are you upset? Did I do anything wrong? Why are you not talking to me?” I asked her, still sounding very weak. 

Sharon didn’t say anything to me, she sat beside my bed looking at me like she was seeing a ghost. This is very unlike Sharon, though she can be cold sometimes but it has never been this bad. “Say something mum, you’re scaring me.” I pleaded. 

I inhaled sharply as tears welled down my eyes, her silence was hurting me. 

“I'm sore all over. What happened?” 

She stood up from where she was sitting and took a seat by the edge of the bed. “You don't remember?” At the shake of my head, she sighed and continued. “You had an accident and you were rushed to the hospital by a gentleman.” 

I frowned as I tried to recall what had happened. The events leading up to the accident were a bit of a blur. “I remember the wedding, Felix…” I trailed off as images started popping into my head one after the other like a film. “Where is Felix?” 

“Are you sure you remember everything?” Mum asked, as she looked at my face carefully like she was trying to figure out something. 

“I was waiting for Felix at the altar but he never came. Come to think of it, you and Dad weren't present either.” I turned to look at her with a serious expression, but at the moment I was not interested in that, my only concern now is Felix. “Why isn't Felix here?” He's my fiancée and he should be fawning over me. 

Mom looked like she was not moved by my words. “We had a very important place to be, I mean my daughter was getting married the same day.” I was confused. From what I could remember I am the only child she has . 

“Mom, what are you talking about?” Her phone pinged and I snatched it up before she could cover whatever it was up. 

Something felt terribly wrong but I couldn't put my finger on it. 

I saw a thousand notifications since my mother had never been one to clear them before and scrolled through to see one from I*******m.

“Give me back my phone, else you’re going to regret what you see.” Mum said to me as I was going through the phone. 

I clicked on it and it took me straight to Amelia's page. Amelia was my best friend of three years and one of the few people I trusted outside Felix and my parents.  

I scrolled through hoping for an answer to my dilemma and then I stumbled on a video. 

“Shirley, you're so stubborn, give me back my phone.” She tried to pluck the phone out of my hand but I turned to her other side putting the phone out of her reach. 

My eyes widened when I saw Felix standing at the altar with a wide grin on his face as a veiled woman walked up to him. 

Why would Amelia post something like this? The woman wasn't me because Felix hadn't been decent enough to show up for our wedding. 

I had been standing around in my wedding dress looking pathetic while he never showed up. 

“Who's the bride, Mum?” I asked my mother as I spotted her face amongst the people in the video. I suddenly recalled that she talked about attending her daughter’s wedding. My head was spinning. I just wanted to wake up from this horrible nightmare. 

She was sitting beside my father who had a huge smile on his face. 

“What is this mom? Why do I see you here? And why is Felix getting married to another woman? Is this a prank?” I started laughing at the thought that they were trying to prank me, but then I realized there was no change in emotion from my mom, then I realized it’s reality. “Talk to me mom! Say something!” I yelled angrily. 

“You’ve seen it all, what do you want me to tell you again?” 

I sneered and turned to glare at her. “Mum, did you know Felix was never going to marry me from the start?” 

She was completely emotionless while I was dying inside, my heart was burning “He wanted a true Anderson.”   

“Mum, what are you saying?” I whispered to her as tears began streaming down my face. “You and Dad were there grinning from ear to ear as Felix married someone else,” I roared and she shrunk back, standing on her feet. 

“We didn't mean for any of this to happen but Felix made his choice,” 

I scoffed but looked down at the photo as the rest of the ceremony played out before my eyes. 

The bride's face was still covered and Felix looked so happy, his smile was blinding. 

I held my breath as Felix leaned forward to raise the veil. 

Mum stood up just then and reached for the phone but the veil was off and I gasped as I saw the person. “That's enough, you should get some rest.” 

She tucked her phone away but the damage was already done. 

I gulped as tears filled my eyes. “Amelia and Felix?” 

She sighed and looked at me, she was not moved by my tears nor my words, it felt like I was talking to a log of wood. “I will be on my way now.” I was still too startled to say a word to her. 

The moment she walked out of the room, I snapped out of my reverie and slid off the bed. 

I had to see Amelia, she had a lot of explaining to do. Why would she be marrying my fiancée? None of this made sense. 

I stepped out of the room and slammed the door shut behind me. 

I spotted Mum slipping into a hospital room and followed her. 

When I got close enough, I could hear voices. I picked up on Felix's deep voice and Amelia's cool one. 

“She's awake and she's asking a lot of questions.” Mum said, her voice echoing in my mind. 

“Well the transplant was  successful so we don't have to pretend anymore.” 

I frowned. Transplant? What are they talking about? Summoning the courage, I pushed the door open and walked in. 

Everyone froze, even Mum. 

“Hey Shirley, you're awake. How are you feeling?” Amelia asked, her smile looking forced. 

I narrowed my eyes and looked down at the huge diamond ring on her finger. “Where did you get that?” 

She looked down at her hand and stretched the hand properly like she wanted me to see it very well . “Oh it's nothing. It's my husband’s family heirloom.” She slid off her bed and walked up to me. 

“You shouldn't be on your feet. Why don't you go back to bed?” I was hurting, why is she still pretending to care when obviously she doesn’t.

I shrugged her off and slapped her hard across the face. Mum gasped and Felix glared at me but I was fazed. 

“How dare you?” Sharon asked angrily, I slapped Amelia but it’s mom that’s yelling at me, when she’s supposed to be on my side. 

“How dare you, Amelia? You're supposed to be my best friend. Of all the men, couldn't you have married to anyone else? Why did it have to be my Felix?” 

She leaned up and started laughing. “Your Felix?” She breathed out when she calmed down. “Dear he was never yours.” 

“What do you mean?” I asked as a sinking feeling enveloped me. 

She looked back at Mum and Felix. “Who's going to tell her?” 

“Tell me what?”