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Jason shyly knocked at the door of the hospital, afraid that he was intruding on Regina’s solitude. She was wrapped in a shawl with a book in her hand, but she was gazing out the window.“Oh, Jason. What are you doing here?” She looked at her outfit, conscious that Jason found her in a vulnerable state, wearing her pajamas, her face red. Had he come a few minutes early, then he would have found her throwing up her lunch.“A friend of yours called the cafe and told me you were here. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.”Regina smiled. “You’re so sweet. Thanks.” She shook her head, avoiding his remark. She remembered kissing him back the last time they saw each other, and she did not know what that meant.“I wanted to cheer you up, so I brought you some of your favorites.”“Tell me you brought me a chocolate slice.”“I did better. I brought you the entire cake.” He said, revealing the bag he carried with his other hand. “I thought that if you had guests, maybe they’d want some
“I know who you are.” Owen had visited the prisoner known as Jacob Shipman. He wanted to uncover the truth about why he would harm Regina. They speculated Jacob took revenge on Regina when she rejected him, but Owen felt there was something else behind Jacob’s seduction. Bulletproof glass separated the two individuals, but Owen could feel Jacob’s hatred behind the glass. Nobody was allowed to visit Jacob, but Owen got special authorization from the chief of police.“You know nothing, Owen Bennet. You think you’re smart, but you’re just as stupid as everyone else,” Jacob taunted.“Your name is not Arthur Johnson, but Jacob Shipman. You stole the identity of a dead man.”Jacob ignored his statement. “I know everybody thinks she’s the most perfect individual. Ginny is genuinely nice and cares for others, but she rejected me and chose you. I knew it would eventually happen. I told him he was grasping at straws. He could never be with Regina, but he was insistent. He kept saying Regina wa
But we were best friends, so where he goes, I follow. I borrowed enough money to get a ticket and see him. He had been so lonely, so I stayed. He couldn’t stop telling me about Ginny and how they kissed. Everything was so perfect about her. I was so sick and tired of their story I could recite it in my sleep. His parents told him he could not return home until he got a diploma, so he studied like his butt was on fire. It took him three years to finish a four-year course. He took the maximum classes every term with no regard for his health, just to get back home immediately. Ginny was in her second year of medical school, and he could not wait to see her again. Our friends had been spying for us and told us Ginny never had a boyfriend during her time in school, motivating Arthur to get his diploma earlier. “Ginny is really meant for me. It was written in the stars,” he would say. But before he could graduate, he had to take his finals. Day and night he studied for this test, and he
A month later, after Regina was released from the hospital, she begged her father to allow her to go back to work. She had been living with them since her release from the hospital and was getting bored doing nothing. She tried to go out for a run, and they stopped her, giving her some excuse about her condition, even though she knew they were afraid Arthur had an accomplice. Her brothers unhooked the video consoles from her condo and installed them in her childhood bedroom, bringing all her favorite games. She was grateful, but after playing the games continuously for a couple of weeks, she got bored. Her parents did not force Regina to socialize with her siblings, spend time with her friends, or do anything else other than the things she wanted. They were just happy she was okay. But she was not happy, because Regina was used to giving out help, not needing help. She liked the fact that her patients looked to her for comfort when they were in pain, albeit temporarily at times. S
After breakfast, Regina met one of her favorite characters while she worked for Mrs. Bennet. Bella, the golden retriever, got dropped off at the Bennet mansion for her daily visit, and she learned that when she was away, they continued the arrangement with Mrs. Bennet because Bella whined and ate the family’s furniture when she did not see her second family. Regina laughed when she learned about this because it seemed that after several months of being with the Bennet family. Bella was more their dog than the actual family who adopted her. Bella wagged her tail excitedly at Regina and wouldn’t stop licking her face, happy that she had returned. Marius was a wealth of information, telling Regina what happened during her absence. Mrs. Bennet’s alter-ego, Hailey, gave the new nurse all sorts of trouble when she appeared. She acted up more than usual, making it known she was not happy about Regina’s replacement. Most of the time, Hailey acted like a bratty teenager grounded from seein
Weeks passed, and Regina was surprised at Owen’s change in attitude. He was still under home confinement due to his head injury, and though he was functioning normally, his doctors wanted him to stay home to prevent him from exerting himself. Regina surmised Owen was just bored because he had minimal control over the ongoing projects. They were nearing the last phase of the island project, and though he wanted to be there, Gerry stayed in his place. Owen joined his mother more frequently during breaks, discussing multiple topics with her, some from the news, but mostly from his business. Mrs. Bennet appreciated the company but did not fully cooperate. Her mind wandered elsewhere most of the time. But Owen stayed anyway. Sometimes they would include Regina in their conversations, and she would answer based on what she knew, but most of the time, like Mrs. Bennet, she just listened. It was Owen’s way of letting Regina know more about him and his life, to warm her up. He wanted her
Three months to the day of her abduction, Regina began feeling comfortable to go out and run errands like usual. To assuage her family’s fears, she never went without the driver wherever she went, and there were even days when Raffy would come to accompany her. Raffy volunteered since he lived near Regina and was closer to her than anyone else. Every Thursday, they would shop for items she needed for her place and to prepare him a meal. Having been stuck at home, she became obsessed with watching the home network channel and preparing her meals. With her brother’s help, they experimented on dishes from around the world that Regina had tasted from a restaurant or ordered for takeout. “Sis, you look pale these days. Are you sure you’re okay?” Raffy touched Regina’s hair. “I’m okay. I haven’t been sleeping well. I hear so many sounds around the house that I was never aware of.” She leaned back on the seat as the driver navigated through the city traffic. “I’ll bring you one of those
When Regina did not report for work the next day, Owen came to visit her place with his mother. He knew something was wrong when Raffy called him the night before to let him know his sister needed a day off. It was wrong to use his mother, but Owen knew Regina would not let him into her apartment if he came alone. Jeffrey, the doorman, had announced that Mrs. Bennet and her son came to visit, so Regina tried to tidy up her place and fix her appearance as much as she could, without exerting too much effort. The hospital gave her an IV bag to take home, and it kept her up the entire night because she was afraid her blood would flow back into the bag when the IV drip was completed. Without makeup and any color on her cheeks, she looked sickly, and Mrs. Bennet immediately took action when she saw Regina standing by the door, looking like she was about to pass out. “Owen, carry the poor girl and bring her back to bed. It was a good thing we came. It’s our turn to take care of you.” “N