Chapter 8

Lisa

I, Camilla MacDonald was finally on my way home after being dead to my friends and family and everyone who knew me, for two years.

Now I was returning home... as a resurrected soul. 

   

The harsh reality snatched my identity, wiped off my memories, thanks to the surgery which sent me into a coma for three months, but I regained the memories...fortunately.

      

I could now remember everything.

      

I was not a handmaid. I was an actress, Lia Donald. I was definitely not Melisa; I was Camilla. I wasn't hated. I was loved by many. Maybe not as much, but hope kept me moving. I was from Panama and not Washington, DC.

      

I remembered a lot.

      

I woke up in the middle of the night, having slept for months, and then I realized I was still alone. I realized I was living with people who didn't care about me, where I decided to escape and return home, to those who cared. Well, if they still do.  

     

The train had dropped me in Panama. 

     

The wind swept my hair, which covered my face the moment I stepped down and recoiled when the cold nipped at my skin. I had on dark shades with colored lenses, which made the surroundings look different. There were some changes. I was away for long. Or maybe it was my sunshade.

       

I pushed a stubborn strand of my blonde locks behind my ear and took a deep and refreshing breath before attempting to take a step. A wise man once said a long journey starts with one step. That step I made, was to lead me to a destination I was too anxious to head and a reality I was too scared to face.

     

The first place I decided to visit was the hospital where my best friend's girlfriend worked.

     

Two years back, she was a nurse, and I needed her to run some tests. Since when I woke up and realized I was Camilla, a lady whom Ares kept talking about, I decided to run away without waiting for the doctors to do any tests.

    

     

"Good morning." the receptionist who was likely in her early twenties, greeted me warmly. "How may I help you?" 

     

 I assessed her as I couldn't help it to deem her face as familiar. She couldn't recognize me since I wore sunglasses and a cap I just got on my way here.

      

"Um...I am here to see Dora Stephen. She is a nurse here." I gave a genuine smile, and that reminded me who I was — the very loyal lady.

       

"I am sorry, but Dora doesn't work here anymore." she gave me a long gaze, probably trying to see whether she could recognize me.

     

Well, for someone who had lost her memory, I recognized her well. She had always been working here with Dora.

      

"Do you know where she works?" I prodded with a tone of urgency. "I really need to see her." 

      

"I...I am sorry, but I don't," she said sadly. "Miss, can we help you? You look sick." 

      

"I am just exhausted. Thank you." I turned on my heels to walk away, but she stopped me.

      

"You do realize you are bleeding?" Her voice was serious, which caused me to halt. I ran my fingers over the back of my head, where I had been feeling cold and just assumed it was the effect of the weather. 

      

"I...just came from another hospital. The bleeding will stop eventually." That was what I managed to utter before I showed myself out.

      

~^~

      

"You must have an appointment for you to see him." the young man notified dutifully.

           

Even though my heart felt like jumping out, since yes, I was scared of my best friend's reaction after seeing me, but I knew he was my only hope.

     

"Please," I appealed. "I really need to see him," I begged, but he kept shaking his head in refusal. "Please call him. Tell him someone wants to see him and it's urgent."

    

"Miss..." He exhaled slowly giving me an unsatisfied look. "...I am not supposed to do this but, only because you look sick." He picked the phone, and my heart rejoiced.

    

As he made the call, my mind was carried away again. I didn't know the more one thinks, the more the reality sunk in.

    

"Miss...miss?" The secretary snapped me from my thoughts. "...your name please?"

    

My heart stopped. "Um...tell him...hm...His best friend." I stuttered with my whole body suddenly feeling uneasy.

    

"Madam, this is not a joke." his words were harsh. "I am on a call, and Sir Peterson is inquiring your name."

     

"Tell him its Lia. Camilla please." I said, and I could feel my body weaken.

     

"Camilla sir." He said then gave me a long gaze. There was an absolute silence before he finally answered. "Yes, sir."

     

"He says you must book a proper appointment. Miss, only family, fri--" he never finished when I walked passed the entry, alerting the security. "Miss! Miss! Security!" The secretary yelled, but I was already opening Ace's office door. "Follow that lady!"

     

The door was locked, which reminded me that we had the restaurant doors fixed only to allow the person inside to welcome anyone who visited.

    

I cussed and unluckily, the security was already grabbing my hands.

     

"Take her outside! NOW!" the secretary yelled at them in command. He surely knew his work.

      

"I should speak to Ace," I begged, as the headache became increasingly worse. "Please!" They never listened; instead, they were pulling me towards the elevator.

   

"What is going on here?!" The two men who were holing me froze when we heard the voice coming from Ace's office door.

     

"She won't-" the secretary tried to explain, but I interrupted him.

      

"Ace, please, we should talk. In private." I couldn't let anyone recognize me.

      

"Miss, book a proper appointment. This is not a toilet. Even in the toilet, we do knock! Get her out!" He turned to go inside, but one officer stopped him.

     

"Sir, she is bleeding," he said when he realized he had bloodstains on his shirt.

      

"Please..." I whispered. "It's me, Lace." I reminded him of the nickname we used to call each other, which was a combination of both our names. Lia and Ace.

      

He temporarily went into utter paralysis; his face creased in confusion and shock. He gave a long uncomfortable gaze without saying a word. The two men had released me, but they were still behind me.

      

"L-let her be." He almost lost his voice, eyes fixed on mine. They hesitated to leave, which made Ace wave his handoff.

Maybe in my mind, I thought things would be simple, I will just show up, and they will accept that I was still alive, but Ace looked overwhelmed. His eyes held too much pain which he ignored and just walked inside without telling me anything.

      

The door was left open meaning he wanted me to follow. I strolled towards the door. His hands rested on his office table; my whole body was shaking and sweating. I knew we were close, but this wasn't very easy.

      

"You died," he muttered beneath his breath like he was trying to convince himself. I chocked on that reality, my eyes moistening.

       

"I-I know," I whispered. Shutting the door then I leaned on it, supporting myself from falling.

       

"No! You died Lia." He forcibly turned around and faced me.

       

"It's a l-long story. Please, Ace, you have to listen." my voice wavered and cracked.

         

"Why?" He wanted to walk towards me but stopped. "Why did you lie to me. To us!"

     

I shrugged, wiping away my tears. I had nothing to say. I was speechless. Maybe if I had to start explaining, he would have understood.

     

"We came over, w-we were there, and they confirmed you died! You died from the accident! We couldn't believe that you were really gone! B-but I kept telling myself you always keep promises, that you will come back. But you took long Lia. Why?" A soft sob escaped his lips then he quickly turned away, but my covert glance caught him wiping his teary face. 

       

"I wish-" I talked, but he shut me up immediately.

       

"No! I wish! I wish I never gave up Lia. I gave up on looking for you. I-I..." he stopped when he saw me starting to slide down. I wanted to sit, but he walked quickly and held my shoulders. "...you are sick."

      

"I can explain. I never meant to die. Things went so wrong and...And it destroyed me." I reached out my phone to show him my picture. "...see, this was me. I-" he grabbed me and gave me a tight hug that I nearly suffocated.

       

"You came back." He whispered. His body was shaking as he embraced me, an action that startled me because I thought he was really angry with me. "You are alive, Lia!" He cried, but I could feel the happiness in his voice. "I'm sorry, Lace."

     

With the mention of Lace, I felt my heart settling that I laid my head on his shoulder then shut my eyes. I felt home; I felt appreciated. "I-I missed you."

     

"You could have come back immediately. Why did you take so long? I have been waiting for you. They said you died but inside here..." He held my hand on his heart "...you never died."

      

"I lost my memory. I couldn't remember a thing." my hands wove around his neck again. "...until I got that surgery. It revived my memories, and I remember now." I smiled, but he just hugged me again, running his hand over the back of my head where he realized he had touched blood.

    

"I'll take you to the hospital."

     

"No." I shook my head immediately. "I think if you do that, people will know I am alive which I don't want, for now... We should go to Dora. Where is she?" I said with a raised brow. Dora was his girlfriend when I left, and I just hoped they were still together.

     

"Oh...a lot happened while you were away." He smiled.

     

"I am sorry." I sympathized. "What happened? Why did you two break up?" I was curious.

     

"We didn't break up!" He chuckled. "She resigned. She no longer works as a nurse. "

      

I widened my eyes. "What? But why?"

     

He returned my eyeglasses, reminding me of Ares how he used to take off my glasses and examine my face. He surely knew it was so romantic, but he did it just to show he cared, which he never did.

      

"Dora resigned two months after your burial." He chocked. "She decided to take care of your boutique."

     

"She did that?" I was shocked. "This is the life I missed," I uttered.

 

     

"We still have a lot to talk about, let us get you healed first," he said and hauled me up gently.

   

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Yet another chapter. Please tell me what you think.