Chapter 2

I'M catching my breath while clutching my chest. A pang of pain inside my chest won't leave me. My heart seems pricked by thousands of needles because of this sudden pain that I've never experienced before.

What's happening to me?

I shut my eyes close while crumpling the fabric of my blanket, seeking something to hold that can give me strength to endure this undeniable pain. But my breath hitched when I heard the screeching sound of wheels followed by a loud explosion inside my head.

Bullets of sweat roll down to my forehead when I open my eyes. I am breathing heavily while trying to analyze what just happen to me.

"W-What was that?" I mumble to myself, trying to calm my breathing when suddenly I heard the door of my room open that made me flinch in surprise.

"Good morning sweetie" Mom energetically greeted me.

I saw her big smile when my gaze landed on her face. She spread her both arms and advance her step towards me. She envelops me with a warm tight hug and she even sways our body together.

"M-Mom" I whisper trying to make her stop but she just giggles like a kid before she pulled away.

"Good morning!" She said in a singing voice "Today is a big day for you sweetheart" she meaningfully added.

My forehead creased because of that.

Big day? Is it my birthday?

My gaze searches the small wall calendar inside my room and checks the date. I licked my lower lip when I saw that it was still almost haft of the year, two more months before my birthday.

"I don't understand" I smile awkwardly and pulled the blanket to cover my body.

She fixed my messy hair before she stood up and walk towards the window. She sways the curtain swiftly causing the early sunbeam to enter my room making me narrowed my eyes.

It's too bright and I still wanted to sleep.

"Today is the dinner with Rivveros" she stops what she's doing and glances in my direction "Have you forgotten?" She query.

I blink my eyes and bit my lower lip when I process what she said. Yeah right! Today is the dinner with Rivveros Family. The day that I have been waiting for according to them...

I mentally sigh "No, I didn't" I lied and smile at her.

She nods her head with satisfaction in her eyes and continues opening the window of my room, in an instant the whole room is filled with the bright light of morning sunray. It suddenly feels warm far from the cold vibes a while ago because of that weird dream.

"You should prepare sweetie, just tell me what you want and I will assist you" Mom excitingly said that drags me back to my senses "This is the most awaiting day of your life. You will finally meet Silv in person after years of not seeing him" she squealed in minimal tone.

I laugh because she's more excited than me. She was supportive of my feelings towards Aliano Silvanus Rivvero the man of my dreams. The only man that I like. It's just odd that I don't feel the same way right now. I mean, his name is familiar but the feeling that they keep on reminding me is not.

But anyway, I should really prepare just like what she told me. I don't want to leave a bad impression on Rivveros Family, that would be embarrassing for us.

"I'll just take a shower Mom," I told her.

"Oh sure, I'll just wait for you downstairs for breakfast" she nodded her head "Just be fast, you still have an appointment with Dr. Hase after breakfast" she reminds me.

I nod my head in response and go straight to the bathroom. I did my morning routine and just wear a simple white shirt and cotton shorts before I decided to go downstairs for breakfast.

Just like the same morning, the table is full of foods that mostly are my favorite. The dining hall was filled with laughter and non-stop conversation as if we didn't saw each other for a month. Although it is only the three of us who usually attend for breakfast because my brother is so busy with his work that he can't even find a time to eat with us, still there are no dull moments during mealtime. Especially Dad who has a lot of things to say.

"Is my princess ready to meet her prince charming?" Dad suddenly asks out of nowhere after sipping his coffee.

I instantly lift my head to look at him and I pouted my lips when I saw the teasing smile plastered on his lips.

Oh, come on! Don't tell me he's gonna make fun of me about Silvanus Rivvero like my brother?

"Drop it Dad" I whisper and look away.

I just finished drinking my milk and my medicine that is prescribed by my doctor.

Honestly, I do not want to talk about that Silvanus Rivvero. I haven't met him, but he's not a stranger to me either. My Mom never failed to mention him every day when I was in the process of recovering. She said that I like Silvanus so much since she can't remember when. I know some small details about him but I'm not quite sure if I can still remember it correctly because, to be honest, I am not really that interested in that man and that's odd...

"Is she shy?" I heard my father whisper to my mother that made me look at them.

"Of course" Mom reply and rolled her eyes "Stop intriguing your daughter,"

"I am not shy" I sigh and smile when they both look at me "I just don't want to talk to him" I honestly said and wipe the side of my lips before I stoop up on my seat.

I intentionally glance at the anchor wall clock that was hung in the middle wall of the dining hall to remind my mother about my appointment with Dr. Hase. And as expected I heard her low squeal followed by the harsh sound of her chair when she suddenly stood up.

"Good gracious! I almost forgot Akihiro" she hysterically remark.

I licked my lower lip because I already expected that exaggerating reaction from her. Well, I find my mother cute with that.

"Relax Madeline," Dad calm her "Akihiro is probably waiting for Avileigh at the gazebo"

I smile when Mom looks at me "I'll go to the gazebo now" I told her and immediately walk away.

I tilt my head when I finally step out of the dining room followed by my sigh. I roamed my eyes around to the capacious living room tracing my gaze to every corner of the place before I start walking.

Our house is big enough for us, that's what I thought when I was discharged from my confinement to the hospital and start taking my therapy at home. But then, as the day goes by I realize that there are too many people here far from my liking- I thought I was right about that but then I wasn't.

I always end up wrong with the things that I know if I only found it out on my own, because the reality is not in my hands but the hands of my parents. The truth about me depends on what they will tell me to know.

"Where are you going?"

I flinch and turn my head to my side when someone held my arm stopping me from walking. My eyes widened a little when I saw Dr. Akihiro beside me giving me a suspicious stare just like what he used to do whenever we are talking to each other.

"You're spacing out," he points out emphasizing every word that he said to cover up his foreign accent tone "Are you alright?"

I blink my eyes at his question and instinctively pulled away when I realize that he's still holding my arm. He watches what I did forming a small side smile on his lips and then he fixes his eyeglasses.

I scanned my eyes around and I creased my forehead when I saw the familiar fish pond near the gazebo that leads towards the backyard.

Right! Where am I going?

"Avileigh" he snaps which made me look at him again.

But he suddenly steps back and his face went pale as if he has just seen a ghost when I look at him. I confusingly tilt my head and face him.

"You're too early today," I notice not minding what I just saw from him.

He cleared his throat and fixes his necktie pulling himself to his composure and check the time on his wristwatch.

"I am not early, you're just late" he replies and rudely turns his back at me.

I shrugged my shoulder because this is really our usual conversation. I follow him from behind while putting my both hands inside the pocket of my cotton shorts letting my long natural brown hair stirred by the smooth wind blows.

The weather today is a bit sunny but at the same time windy that soothes the warm feeling from the heat of the sun. I press my lips together when I saw Dr. Akihiro settle himself in the single rattan chair in front of the wooden carved table.

"So what's the deal for today?" I ask and sit on the chair across from him.

He looks at me and straightens his sit "You don't sound Avileigh at all" he reply instead of answering my question.

I sigh and turn my gaze to the flowering garden of my mother.

"I still can't remember anything..." I started "Are you even sure that my memories are still there?" I ask with a hint of doubt in my tone.

I didn't hear anything from him, silence enveloped us as the wind blows even more making the plants sway on their rhythm. It's kinda fascinating to watch how everything seems so fine when I on the other hand is not...

I am happy despite having no memories, but at the same time, I know deep inside that I feel incomplete because of it.

"Are you forcing yourself to remember Avileigh?" He voices out after a couple of seconds.

A light creased form in my forehead and shifted my gaze in his direction.

"No, why would I do that?" I tilt my head, confused with his question, and rested my back on the backrest of the rattan chair "You know very well how I handle my life. I don't need to remember anything because I already know everything now. And I really can't understand why do I still need you when in fact, I already recovered from that accident" I blurt out with no hint of politeness in my voice.

As I said, I already know everything about my 23 years of existence even if my memories have not returned yet because my parents make me remember those things.

I am contented with my life now despite the confusion and a little doubt which is natural to someone like me- like me who has this amnesia. I don't need Dr. Akihiro Hase anymore, I am not sick for him to keep on monitoring me. He's just freaking me out every time he asks a random question that stirred the things that I know and the things that I want to know.

"Are you angry? Confused? Or frustrated?" He asks instead "I can't read you Avileigh, this is not the way I know you"

My breathing hitch with what he said. I don't know what he's trying to point out- perhaps this is his way to make me realize my inappropriate actions.

I squeeze my eyes close and grip the fabric of my shorts calming my emotions that starting to rise because of Akihiro. I am done addressing him formally.

"You're cursing me I guess," Akihiro said in a low voice slowly, voicing out my thoughts that I couldn't put into words.

I open my eyes and look at him with sarcasm "I will definitely phone my brother and told him how annoying you are"

But Akihiro just cracked his eyelids and remove his eyeglasses, obviously not giving a bug about my warning. I mentally rolled my eyes because of that and just watched him checking my documents about my treatment.

It's just odd that he's not using his eyeglasses while reading. I observe that every time he read something in front of me. Oh well, I wasn't interested.

"How are you these past few days?" He formally asks me, back to his forced tone of voice to tuned out his accent.

"Fine..." I reply with a mild interest in my voice and focus my attention on the golden sunflower that glowing to the heat from the sun.

"Dreams?" He queries again and now looking at me as if he's making sure that I am not lying.

I mentally sigh "Just the usual" I mumble.

"No flashes of images? Just the sound?" He makes sure.

I shifted my gaze at him, distracted momentarily by the way he looks at me. I really don't like the way he looks at me. He seems like scrutinizing me and reading what's behind with my hazel eyes when in fact I am not hiding anything.

What could a woman who can't remember anything could hide? His suspicion is so unreasonable.

"I felt a pang of pain before I heard that deafening sound of a screeching wheel. That's all" I honestly said.

He stares at me intently, analyzing the visible emotions in my face. He sighs afterward and shifted back his eyes to the documents he's reading a while ago.

Our session continues, it is only filled with questions and answers conversation and I intend to end up in an ending point for him to stop asking, but Akihiro is good in his work that he is still able to find loopholes to my answer that leads him to ask a follow-up question. He's clever but in an ugly little way. He's playing mind games as if he wanted to dig deeper inside my head, which is not necessary. As I said, I don't know anything aside from what my parents told me.

I really can't understand him most of the time.

"We're done for today" he finally announces and stood up.

"You should eat lunch with us," I told him that made him look at me. He seriously eyed me when I cross my arm and wiggle my eyebrows.

I caught how he sighs silently and then he shook his head as if did something inappropriate. I tilt my head with his reaction and pouted my lips a little.

What did I do?

"You're acting as if you're not Avileigh" he voices out.

I gasp and my chest moves when I dramatically sucked in a breath because of what he said.

How dare he?

"I hate you!" I annoyingly exclaimed and stomp away from him.

I rolled my eyes heavenward and walk fast not wanting to see him. He's so irritating! He always says that I don't act as Avileigh whenever he wants to annoy me.

I honestly hate that doctor of mine. I just don't know the exact reason why, maybe I hate him because he's not listening to me. He's more like demanding me to listen to him. I have my thoughts too! It doesn't mean he's the doctor then he is always right about everything.

I breathe out and walk to the left side wing towards the backyard. Surprisingly, I saw no one here which is really odd. I mean, I always saw those maids here because this way leads to their quarter- a small single bungalow house with five rooms.

I shrugged off that thought and just continue walking. I don't want to see that Japanese guy. He always annoyed me every time he end our consultation, I will let my brother know about it.

Walking with no direction, I saw two maids step out from the empty abandoned room while holding a pile of papers. I got curious when they didn't lock the door properly because they seem like in a hurry. I scanned my eyes around and I saw no one again, without a second thought I enter the abandoned room with one harsh push of the door.

I cough when a cloud of thick dust welcomes me that stirred into the air as the wind enters the room. I immediately cover my mouth and nose to prevent myself from inhaling the smell of old and dusty air. I was expecting an empty capacious room when I roamed my eyes around but it was opposite to what I saw. The room is indeed big but it has a lot of unused pieces of furniture, piled of folders and even scraps and some cramped papers that scattered on the floor.

"I thought it is really empty?" I mumble to myself and start to walk around.

I press the switch of the light and slowly the darkness that envelope the whole room replace by the bright light. I lift my head and look from side to side. Mom doesn't want me to come here but now that I am here already, I am wondering what is her reason.

Spider webs are scattered on the ceiling, even the floor- it looks so old, you can't even recognize the porcelain tiles used in this room because of the dust and dirt. I crinkle my nose because of the stinky smell while I'm checking the whole room.

"Nothing is interesting here..." I whisper to myself a bit disappointed because I saw nothing.

I was about to leave but then I notice the pile of books on the old office table in the right corner. I walk towards it and I smile when I saw a different volume of the encyclopedia. I touch it and I trace it with my fingers not minding the dust before I flip the cover to open making me saw a small old piece of paper with a note written a very small font size.

I pick it and narrowed my eyes until I finally get familiar with the letters. A victorious smile plastered on my lips because of that,but not until when I read what's written on it.

'Aliano Silvanus Rivvero, you need to kill him. Remember that...'