Chapter 2

Lilian's Pov, Nestle Town.

I groaned and slowly opened my eyes, my head throbbing with pain. I tried to sit up, but my body felt heavy, and I could feel the weight of the duvet on me. I realized I was still wearing my pajamas, and my body ached all over.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, trying to recall what had happened last night. It was my birthday party, and I had thrown it at my place. I invited all my close friends, and we had a great time drinking, dancing, and laughing.

But then the memories started to get hazy. I remembered someone offering me a drink, and then another, and then everything went blurry. Did I drink too much? I tried to remember more, but my head was pounding, making it hard to think.

I looked around my room, and it was a mess. There were empty bottles and cups everywhere, and the furniture was scattered around. I groaned again, feeling embarrassed and guilty about the state of my room. What did I do last night?

As I got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom, I felt something strange. A sense of unease washed over me, and I couldn't explain it. My body felt different like something had changed, but I couldn't figure out what.

I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and went back to my room to check my phone. There were several messages from my friends, all wishing me a happy birthday and thanking me for the party. But then I saw a message from an unknown number, and it caught my attention.

"Hey, it's me from last night. I had a great time at the party and I trust you did too?" Sarah asked with a devil and flirty emoji.

"What do you mean?” I asked her, not having any recollection from the previous night. 

"Don't kid me, Lil." She replied. "Although no one noticed, I saw the two of you go up to your room after the party ended and I made my way out after locking the door." 

My heart sank as I read the message, and my mind raced to remember who the person was. Did I hook up with someone last night? I scrolled through my messages and saw birthday messages but nothing from an unknown line.

I felt sick to my stomach, realizing that I had a one-night stand with someone I didn't even know. How could I let this happen? I felt ashamed and guilty, and I didn't know how to face my friends or myself.

I sat down on my bed, feeling overwhelmed and lost. I didn't know what to do or how to feel. All I knew was that I had to deal with the consequences of my actions and try to move on from this.

As I sat there lost in thought, my phone buzzed again. It was another message from my best friend Sarah.

"Lil, if you are asleep, wake up! My parents just called and it looks like they will return from their event soon. Your parents are arriving today, and you need to tidy up your house ASAP. You know how they get when they are pissed."

I groaned, feeling a headache coming on from the stress of the situation. Not only did I have to deal with the aftermath of my forgotten one-night stand, but I also had to clean up my house before my parents arrived.

I stood up with a pounding headache and a feeling of dread. But now, as I looked around my house, I realized that I had a lot of cleaning up to do before my parents arrived later in the day.

I rubbed my eyes and got out to start cleaning, feeling the weight of my hangover and exhaustion weighing me down. I made my way to the kitchen and opened the fridge, only to find it overflowing with empty beer bottles and leftover food.

I groaned, knowing that I had to get started on cleaning up. I grabbed a trash bag and started throwing the bottles and food away, trying to ignore the smell that was coming from the garbage.

As I worked, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed and ashamed. How had I let my house get into such a state? What would my parents think when they saw the mess?

I tried to push those thoughts aside and focus on the task at hand. I moved to the living room, which was littered with empty cups and plates, and started picking them up. But as I bent down to pick up a plate, I saw something out of the corner of my eye that made me freeze.

There was a pair of men's shoes lying on the floor, and I couldn't remember who they belonged to. My heart started racing as I tried to remember if I had invited someone over or if one of my friends had brought a stranger to the party.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, and picked up the shoes, placing them in a pile by the front door. I knew that I had to find out who they belonged to, but for now, I had to focus on cleaning up the mess.

As the morning wore on, I slowly started to make progress. The kitchen was now spotless, and I had managed to clear most of the living room. But then I realized that there were still clothes scattered all over the house, and my stomach sank.

I had a sinking feeling that those clothes belonged to me, and I couldn't remember changing out of my party outfit last night. I felt embarrassed and exposed, knowing that my parents would see my clothes lying around and think the worst.

I quickly gathered all the clothes and ran to the laundry room, throwing them in the washing machine. As I pressed the start button, I realized that I was running out of time. My parents would be arriving in just a few hours, and I still had a lot of work to do.

I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I could do this. I had faced worse situations before, and I knew that I could clean up the house and make it presentable for my parents.

With renewed determination, I tackled the rest of the house, moving from room to room and cleaning up everything in my path. I wiped down counters, vacuumed the carpets, and even managed to find the missing owner of the men's shoes.

As the day wore on, I felt a sense of pride in what I had accomplished. I had faced my fears and managed to clean up the house before my parents arrived. But just as I was starting to relax, I saw a car pulling into my driveway, and my heart skipped a beat.

It was Sarah's parents, who had arrived earlier than expected for my birthday, I think. I knew that I still had some cleaning up to do, and I felt a wave of panic wash over me.

I rushed to the door, trying to put on a brave face as I opened it. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Peter!" I said, forcing a smile. "What brings you here so early?"

I saw Sarah beside them too and she has red eyes like she has been crying. I looked at her parent's faces and they looked swollen from tears. 

The atmosphere felt ominous and I didn't know what made them look sad and shattered. 

"What is going on? If this is a prank please stop it." I begged and chuckled hoping it would bring a smile to their faces and it would all get settled but the reverse was the case. 

Then Mr. and Mrs. Peters stepped aside from the door and motioned for me to walk out. I saw a white wood from afar, and a smile formed on my face since I figured out their prank. They wanted to surprise me for my birthday, or so I thought.

As I walked closer to the white wood, I noticed a strange odor in the air. It was a smell that I couldn't quite place, but it made my stomach churn. As I reached the wood, I realized that it was not a birthday gift at all.

But as I got closer, my smile turned into a look of horror. 

My heart dropped to my stomach as I saw what was inside the wooden crate. It was the lifeless bodies of my parents. I stood frozen, staring at their pale faces, unable to move or comprehend what I was seeing.