Tania||
I should have been shocked looking at an alien reflection in the mirror, but I didn't. I should have been surprised seeing the face of the man I thought was a whore with a doctor's coat in front of me but Instead, all I could think of was the opportunities this new face in the mirror posed. I was a totally different person, I thought to myself as I turned my head from side to side, inspecting my face. My face was still sore, and there were stitches in some places, but apart from those, my new face looked okay. I still had some tell tale looks of who I used to be; my striking green eyes and my distinct cupids bow which gave my lips the sensual curve it had, but apart from those, I was practically unrecognizable to anyone who used to know me. "How long have I been here for?" I asked, my voice sounding foreign in my own ears. "You have been in a coma for six weeks now." He replied so gently as if he was scared his voice would hurt me. His voice sounded like warm honey. Like a cure for a bad flu or cancer. "Your wounds were pretty bad. It is honestly a miracle you recuperated this fast, and your brain was undamaged." The doctor continued. This time, when he spoke, I could sense some guilt in his voice, and I couldn't blame him. It must have been shocking to see the drunk woman he had a one night stand with as his patient. But all that didn't matter. There was no point even talking about it. I was as good as dead, but before I died, I would try my best to save my sister from my ex-husband. I had always been a strong person. I had no choice but to be. When both my parents had died tragically on the same day, I had not shed a tear —Well, not in public. I had been strong not for myself but for my little sister. I had not taken any time to grieve as I had to resume work as the head of the company my father had left in my care. I had fought strong businessmen as a young, naive business owner and won, and I did all of these on my own. This time wouldn't be different. I would fight Nicholas, and I would win. "Can I be discharged today?" I asked, and the doctor stared at me in shock. "No. You can't. We still have to check on your vitals and see how it improves—" "How long will this take?" I asked, interrupting his explanation. He blinked twice before moving to the tab in his hands. "Everything should take at least another six weeks—" "Six weeks?" I cried out. "I don't have that much time!" Panic seeped into my head as I began to calculate how long I had been in the hospital already. I already spent more than one month, staying for another six weeks meant I wouldn't get the chance to take my revenge before I died. I sat up straighter and began pulling at the IVs connected to my arms. But before I could take the first one out, he rushed towards me and held back my hands. "Tania, what are you doing?" "I can't stay here. It is very important that I leave. There are things I need to do, and if I waste time, I wouldn't—" "But you are sick. We can't let you just leave like this. Whatever it is you have to do, it can wait. But your life can not." "You don't understand. I am dying!" I yelled as tears filled my eyes, the pain that had become my companion filling my bones. "I am dying, doctor... And if I don't get out of here now, my sister will be in big trouble." His brows scrunched in confusion, and his deep blue eyes seemed to be boring a hole into me. "Tania, you are not dying..." He whispered with worry filling his eyes. It was touching to see a man I barely knew feel this much pain for me, but this was my life. I blinked away the tears threatening to stream down my face and looked into his eyes. "I was diagnosed with stage four cancer some weeks before my accident and was given three months to live." His worried expression slowly changed, but before he could speak, I continued. "I have less than that six weeks to save my sister. Please, you have to discharge me." I concluded. He shook his head as if trying to disprove something to himself. "No, you do not have cancer!" He countered with such seriousness, my heart froze, and for the first time, a glimmer of hope filled me up. "When I brought you in, we did all kinds of tests on you. There is no way you would have had cancer, and it would have gone unnoticed. Especially at the stage you say it's in." He explained. It was now my turn to blink multiple times as I took in the information he was giving to me. "But I do have cancer..." I whispered with less confidence. Could my diagnosis have been a mistake? "Tania, if you had cancer, it would have posed a major problem for us as we operated you, and you wouldn't have been here right now." He moved to the far end of the room where a shelf sat and pulled out a file before returning to me. "Here are your results. You can look at them again. It contains everything in your body and its state," he said, handing me the file. As my eyes moved over the papers, a cloud of confusion filled me. "Can you please redo the test, please..." I whispered, my voice too shaken up to go louder. "Of course..." He moved to the table at the corner again and returned with a test box. He took a sample of my blood before calling a nurse to run for a cancer test. My mind was lost at that moment, and I couldn't tell how much time had passed before the nurse returned with the results. "Dr. Ivan, the test is negative. There are no cancerous tissues in her system..." As her response filled the air, my brain exploded with a thick blend of pain and anger. It suddenly became clear what had truly happened. It was all a game controlled by Nicholas. Doctor Philip had lied. They wanted me to think I was dying so that I would hand over the company to Nicholas. When I gave it to my sister instead, he activated his second game plan. "That bastard!" I hissed, covering my face with my hands as rage bubbled through me. Nicholas thought he was so smart, yet he had failed. The heavens had given me a second chance, and now, I was going to make sure that he paid dearly for all his crimes. "Would you like to call anyone?" I turned my eyes to him, my mind processing how I could hit Nicholas hard. I was going to mention calling Marcus, but before I could say the word, the door to my ward opened, and an older woman stepped in with a large smile on her face. "Grandmother, you shouldn't be here!" Ivan hissed, moving towards her. "Oh, why not?" She moved away from him and came to sit on the corner of my bed. "My daughter-in-law is awake. I should be taking care of her..." She beamed with such excitement, I was struck by confusion. Was she referring to me?Tania||"How are you doing today honey?" The old woman who was Ivan's grandmother cooed to me like I was a baby as she stroked my forehead gently.My confused eyes moved from her face, to Ivan's and back to hers and then Ivan again. His eyes were full of panic and what looked like shame."When did she wake up?" I watched as Ivan's grandmother asked him. "Erm..." I watched Ivan stutter as he rubbed his beautiful forehead with his thumb and forefinger.He looked so tense and he was intentionally refusing to meet my eyes. I really wanted him to look at me. I needed answers to what was going on."About an hour ago I think." Ivan finally answered. "Oh, honey! How do you feel?" The old woman's attention was back on me.I looked at her and my eyes were met with beautiful blue eyes that were so identical to the ones Ivan had. Hers were just wiser and full of motherly love and I wanted to drown in their gentleness.This time when she spoke, she looked like she warranted an answer from me but
Ivan||My heart skipped a couple of beats as I waited for her answer.The room felt so hot all of a sudden and I was finding it so difficult to breathe. She was silent. I tried to read her thoughts in her eyes but they were like two cold green slots with no emotion. I knew I had made a mistake and it was worse that I did not know how to sort myself out of it.After a couple of minutes, I gave up. I was going to cut the whole thing off. I would find another way to please Grandma."Fine. I'll do it." Tania's voice interrupted my thoughts."What?!" I asked, disbelieving what I just heard."I would go through with your silly plan but on one condition." She said.I waited for her to state her condition. My body was jittery with excitement. No matter what she requested, I was going to give it to her. Hell, I would give her a kidney if she wanted it."You have to declare me dead and sign a death certificate," She finally said. I paused alongside all the excitement I was feeling as I trie
Ivan||"You really don't have to do much honestly. Just enough to keep my grandma's suspicion at bay," I said to Tania who was reclining in the passenger seat next to me in my black Brabus.It was the same car I had hit her with a couple of weeks ago. I wondered what it felt like sitting in the same car that had almost killed you and next to the man who had almost killed you.It had been two days since we had made our plan to help each other's deceitful plans and even though I had intended to let her stay in the hospital for a couple more days for further observation, my grandma had insisted that she be discharged.I could not help but admire the beauty that was sitting next to me. I would consider my work on her face to be my best reconstruction.I had indeed taken my time to ensure she did not have any scars or imperfections mostly out of guilt for having destroyed the masterpiece that had originally been her face. However, I had ensured I kept some features of her old face. Tania
Tania||"What do you think?" Ivan asked me.I moved my head from side to side as I examined my face in the mirror."Perfect." I respond.He had just taken out the last remaining stitches on my face. There was still a little reddening and swelling around where the stitches had been taken out, but apart from that, everything was flawless."It's safe to say Nana's idea of bringing you back home for a quicker recovery really worked," Ivan said with a smile.It had been six days since I stepped into Ivan's home. Six days of spending the night in the same room with him, and I would have to say it had been worth it.Nana had spent all her time dotting over me and turning me into an adult spoiled brat. I would not lie. It felt so good to have someone care for you, and I made sure I enjoyed every bit of it. I was so comfortable in the house, but Ivan didn't seem to be enjoying it as much as I was. He seem
Tania||As her question sank through my head, the pasta passed into my windpipe, choking me out of my thoughts.I coughed out the food and Ivan got up immediately to help me.He patted my back while I continued coughing with one hand and with the other hand, he held a napkin to my mouth."Nan see what you have caused!" Ivan chastised her."What did I do?" She whined, oblivious to the murder she almost committed."I told you to stop saying things like that, Nana!" Ivan hissed and she pursed her lips sadly.When I recovered, Ivan went back to his seat and grandmother cleared her throat."I'm sorry honey. I didn't mean to rile you up...""It's okay Nana." I replied forcing a smile. "I was not expecting such a question, that's all.""But you should." She insisted and from the corner of my eyes, I saw Liam roll his eyes in exasperation."You both are obviously in love so there is no re
Tania||"Tania?!" Marcus' replied.The sleep seemed to have cleared from his eyes."Yes, Marcus! It's me!" My voice cracked as I spoke to him but I didn't care. It felt so good to speak to my friend again, after so long.If there was one person I trusted, then it was Marcus."How?" He whispered. "You're dead!"I could hear the shock and disbelief in his voice. But all I could do was chuckle."Seems I must have resurrected then." I joked."If this is a prank I advise that you stop it immediately or I call the police." Marcus hissed sternly."Marcus is me, Tania. It's not a prank." I tell him. "Oh Tania! My sweet girl." Marcus cooed joyfully. "I have missed you so much.""I have missed you too." I replied as my excitement opened my tear glands."Where are you? What happened to you? I looked for you everywhere. I went to the police and went to every hospital. You were nowhe
Ivan||Tania always looked so gloomy, like an approaching storm but today, I could almost see the cackles of lightning around her.The newspaper article from yesterday had really messed with her feelings and I was the one on the receiving end of it.She had not replied to my greetings this morning even though I could tell she had been awake by the rise and fall of her blanket as she breathed.And when it was time for me to leave for work, she had only left me a grunt as a reply to my goodbye without even casting me a glance. It was as if I was an annoying bug she wished she could swat away.I hated seeing her this way not because it made her grumpy and ignore me but because her hurt was my hurt...As crazy as that seemed.It was strange and difficult to admit but for the first time in my life, I was concerned about the feelings of a woman. All my life, women have been more like playthings to me. Fancy little toys I got bored of and discarded, moving onto another.Yet with Tania it wa
Ivan||But there was no way I was going to let that happen. No way I was going to let her slip out of my grasp.We both kept silent as we waited for the tension between us to subside."Tania," I called her softly after a while as I reached for her hands.She tried to pull them away but I held them firmly in my hands."What exactly do you want? What would make you happy? Tell me and I will do it." I whispered, my voice determined.Slowly, she lifted her eyes to look into mine.She took a lot of time not saying a word and looking into my eyes and that drove me crazy with fear. "I want a job," she finally said.I exhaled a long sigh of relief as she continued. "I cannot keep on staying locked up here. I will run mad. I am already running mad."As much as I was relieved that her request had not been to leave the house, her request about a job didn't leave me ecstatic either."Is