“Just relax. You’re going to be fine.” Sandy tried to listen to Charleen as she shook her arms to let off the nerves while they were sitting on the lobby of TechNext. Today is her interview with the company and it is making her extremely nervous since she really really wanted to get this job. After years of trying her luck abroad and getting nowhere, she had to make do with the allowances from her volunteering projects but it wasn’t really that enough. Charleen, the kindest and the bestest best friend anyone could ever have, was actually helping with her grandparents’ expenses, since between the two of them, she’s the only one who was able to land a stable job but of course she doesn’t want to burden her since she have her own future she is saving for. Even if they were practically family and Charleen even gets mad at her for refusing her help, Sandy knew Charleen is saving up so she could start her own business. “I already worked my charms with my manager so this is just a formality.”

“I know,” Sandy said grinning at Charleen not wanting to show justhow nervous she really was. “I promise to buy you coffee when I get the job.”

Charleen frowned at her. “Coffee? No. Coffee and dinner everyday for the rest of the year.”

Sandy chuckled. “You got it.”

“Sandrina Parke,” a female voice called out.

Sandy immediately stood up and Charleen gave her an encouraging nod. She followed the woman into a hallway and inside a glass-walled room where a middle aged man was sitting in front a desk. The woman left her after telling him her name.

“Have a seat.” The man gestured on the chair which Sandy took.

“Good morning, sir.” She smiled which she hoped isn’t too eager-looking.

The interview went by so quickly. The man, who apparently is Charleen’s manager, was pretty nice. He was more of asking about her volunteer jobs and the places she had been while volunteering. He had been giving her a nod for each answer, even complimenting her on her courage when she got the part about her being a volunteer in Red Cross where she and some other volunteers got sent to Iran to assist the medical team while there was an ongoing war. Little did he know that that was the scariest part of her life. She only agreed because there is an additional funds to be sent to the volunteers.

Sandy could only breathe a silent sigh of relief when the interview ended and the manager stood up and shook her hand. “Congratulations, Miss Parke. Welcome to TechNext.”

Sandy gasped and her eyes went wide. “Really?” Is it that easy?

The manager smiled. “I have everything I need to know that you are exactly like what Miss Charleen Licap had told me you were. Hardworking and dedicated. And that’s all I want my team to be.”

Oh my gosh. “Thank you. Thank you sir!” She shook his hands a little too excitedly and kept on thanking him as she stepped out of the room. A huge smile was on her face as she walked back towards the lobby where Charleen is standing there waiting. Sandy caught her eye and she gave two thumbs up telling Charleen she got it.

She was too engrossed in her joy of being hired that she didn’t see a man walking up at the corner and she slammed into him.

“Oomph!” Ow, my nose. She felt like she hit a wall.

The man steadied her on her feet by putting his hands on her shoulders.

Sandy lifted her chin to apologize while holding her nose—which she hoped isn’t broken—then in her breath when she met the eyes of the man whom she collided with.

“Are you okay?” The man asked in concern.

She can only gape at him and he had to repeat his question twice before she can nod her head. The man removed his hands from her shoulders and continued on his way and Sandy could only follow him with her eyes, her heart beating furiously inside her chest.

“Oh my god, Dee!” Sandy snapped out of her stupor when Charleen shook her. “You’re so lucky!”

Sandy gave a hesitant smile still reeling over seeing him. “I know,” she told Charleen. “I can’t believe I got hired already.”

Charleen frowned at her. “Who cares about that? I meant you’re lucky you fell into the arms of our Chairman!” She gestured towards the direction of where the man had disappeared to.

“What?” Sandy’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“That hella fine piece of specimen,” Charleen said wistfully still gazing at the empty hallway where the man had went to.

“W—wait. That… that man?” Her heart started beating fast again. “He’s the President?”

“Chairman,” Charleen corrected. “Yes. He owns TechNext.And let me tell you everyone in this company is probably crushing on him so if you want to join his fanclub, get in line.”

And again, Sandy could only gape at Charleen with that information. She had never thought she would see him again but here she is. She will be working in his company. What are the odds? She couldn’t tell if she should feel lucky or if she should just repeat her mantra of I’ll be okay everytime there’s an unfortunate incident going her way.

“Anyway,” Charleen said then gave her a big tight hug. “Congratulations, babe! I’ll buy you coffee for a job well done.”

“I wouldn’t say no to that,” Sandy said as Charleen took her arm to lead her back into the elevator so they could go to Starbucks at the groundfloor.

Charleen was still prattling excitedly over them working together in the same company and the same department but Sandy could hardly concentrate as she remembered that moment when she bumped into him and her gazing at his face. This time, he doesn’t have his eyes closed and his hair dishevelled as he slept soundly.

He was taller than she imagined him to be. His hair was perfectly coiffed now. And his eyes….

A small smile lifted the corners of as she remembered those eyes.

He have beautiful brown eyes.

Sandy slowly opened her eyes and blinked sluggishly as she tried to make sense of what she is seeing. Ceiling. Yes. Chandelier. Okay. She closed her eyes and now felt pain creeping through her whole body. What happened? She felt like she was drugged as her brain is all fuzzy. Her head also feel like its throbbing. What happened? She asked herself again.

Blinding lights. The screeching engine.

Her eyes flew open.

Her head hitting something… the kitten….

She gave a gasp. She remembered it now. The car hitting her and the kitten dying on her arm. She felt tears forming on her eyes as she remembered that. The kitty died because of her. She never should’ve picked it up and just let it stay on the corner. The kitty could’ve survived from that accident.

She tried to lift herself up and saw that there was an IV on her left hand. She stared at it for a moment then sighed, her brain getting all cleared now. She slowly sat up with the help of her right hand, her body still feeling weak and looked around to see if there is some kind of a buzz to call for a nurse.

Then frowned.

Her eyes surveyed the room once again.

There was big LED TV perched on the wall in front of the bed she is lying at. On her left was a glass-walled balcony with wicker lounge chairs and a table and floor cushions—on her right was an open sliding glass door revealing a walk-in closet—and the ceiling isn’t the usual white painted plain ceilings that hospitals have. She’s pretty sure hospitals doesn’t have any chandeliers on its ceilings with  elaborately styled patterns and carvings.

This isn’t a hospital.

She looked around again, her frown increasing. Where is she? Where’s Charleen? God, if this really turned out to be a hospital I’m going to kill, Leen. This would cost a fortune. She slowly put her feet down on the bed—which she noticed has fluffy pillows and thick comforters—and looked around again feeling more confused now than ever. She looked down at herself and noticed her wearing what she thinks might be a hospital gown but she’s not sure since the fabric feels too thick to be a hospital gown.

What is happening?

Using the IV pole for support, she stood up but her eyes are fixed on the soft rug her feet is currently stepping on. Okay, this is definitely not a hospital. She’s pretty sure now. If it isn’t a hospital, then where is she? Dragging the IV pole, she slowly walked towards the door in the hopes of finding any living soul outside to ask where she is and did a double take when she caught sight of the mirror from the vanity table near the walk in closet.

From the mirror, she saw a woman with long hair with blond streaks, wearing a hospital or not a hospital gown with her hand on an IV pole, her eyes wide and mouth open as it stared right back at her.

She slowly turned her head to the left, her eyes not leaving the mirror. And the woman did the same in the opposite way. She turned it right, and the woman mimic the same movement.

She had never seen this woman in her life!

Ignoring the jabbing pain of her whole body, she dragged her IV pole towards the mirror and the horrified pale face of the woman stared right back at her. With shaking hand, she touched a visible cut on her face.

Panic settling in, she took an involuntary step backward, her eyes still on the mirror. Wha—. She shook her head and looked back at the mirror again. The image did not change. She is close to having a panic attack now. She breathed in and out as she turned her back on the mirror, closing her eyes to keep what calm she have left. That can’t be real. This… this is a dream. I… I had an accident…. Or I’m probably hallucinating. Yes. She slowly turned around to face the mirror again. And grimaced when she saw the same reflection of the strange woman looking like she wanted to cry.

She looked around her and her eyes settled on the IV on her hand. She bit her lip. No way around it. She needs pain to wake up. Without giving it a second thought, she ripped the needle out of her and she cried out.

“Motherf—” She stopped herself from cursing loudly as she nursed her hand with her other one, the blood trickling from where the needle was. Okay, that really hurt! She looked back at the mirror.

No no no no. This isn’t real. The same woman was still there looking more horrified than she was a couple of minutes ago. She needs to get out of here. She needs to find Charleen. To find out what the hell is going on. She swayed a little when she turned towards the door but she shook it off and opened it. Sandy paused as she looked in on her sorroundings. Now she is sure she is not in a hospital. This is definitely not a hospital but a house with aesthetic designs. This looks like a model house. The kind of houses that Realtors are showing their clients when they wanted to make a sale. She practically ran towards the staircase and used the banister for support as she trekked down the stairs with her bare foot, the panic increasing as she looked around.

Where are all the people in this house?!

She was close to the groundfloor when an old man came to a stop when he caught sight of her trudging weakly on the stairs. He immediately ran to her. “Miss Daniella, what are you doing?”

What?! Sandy shook her head when she heard the man calling her with another name. “No, I’m… I’m not….” The old man assisted her as he softly rebuked her.

“Miss Daniella, you are not fully recovered yet. Your father would kill me if anything happened to you.”

Sandy looked at the eyes of the man. “I’m not… I’m not… that’s not my name….” She shook her head because her brain’s getting all fuzzy again. The man might be the only one holding her weight at the moment as he assisted her down the stairs and led her to a chair.

When she opened her eyes, she caught sight of her reflection on a mirror above the chair and she finally gave in to the panic. She pushed the old man with all strength she have left as she tried to gasp for breath. “What did you do to me!” She put a hand on her head as she tried to keep her balance.

“Miss Daniella—” The old man put up a hand like a trainer calming an angry animal.

“That’s not my name!” She practically yelled and she took a step back when the old man tried to approach her. “Get away from me!” What did you do?! What did they do to me?? Oh god, she knew she’s close to passing out.

Suddenly, there were two burly men in black coats who appeared and the old man assured them, “She’s fine. She’s confused, which is understandable.”

Another old woman appeared looking stoic but Sandy’s eyes went past her and landed straight to the man behind the old woman.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter