Chapter 4 Monster
1066 Words
Irene didn’t sleep.
Not really.
She lay on the bed the whole night, staring at the ceiling, thinking about how drastically her life had changed in less than twenty-four hours. Every time she closed her eyes, her chest tightened… as though if she slept too deeply, she would wake up ten more years ahead... or never wake up at all.
Or… the part she hoped for most... that she would wake up back in 2019, and all of this would turn out to be nothing more than a really long dream.
She didn’t understand what was going on. She had to understand it.
Her fingers clenched the sheets beneath her.
How could she just close her eyes and wake up seven years in the future?
That made no sense. None at all.
Or did she hit her head so hard on the road that she had suffered a concussion and could only remember events from seven years ago? Did she need her brain checked?
Maybe she had lived this life… she just couldn’t remember it. Or maybe she had somehow time-traveled into the...
"Aish…" she groaned. That didn’t even sound believable to her.
She slowly sat up, rubbing her temples.
Where the hell was Enel?
…Or Nelson.
“I thought we were supposed to be married,” she mumbled to herself. “Why are we sleeping at...”
She paused, memories from the night before crashing back into her.
That she had a lover.
Her stomach twisted uncomfortably.
She never thought she could do something so disgusting. Of course he would be mad at her… he should be.
Even if he wasn’t, it wasn’t like she wanted to sleep in the same bed with him. She just… she just needed clarity.
That man needed to explain how the f**k they got married. Was it mutual? Did she love him? Or were they forced into an arranged marriage?
Her chest twisted painfully.
Argh… this is all so frustrating.
She finally dragged herself out of bed and stepped into the hallway. She had changed out of the red dress last night into something more comfortable... an oversized shirt that clearly wasn’t hers.
While checking the closet, she had found a mirror.
And she noticed something the moment she looked at it.
Her face.
It was her body, she was certain of that... but her face was different.
Older.
More refined.
The softness around her cheeks and neck was gone, replaced with sharp elegance. She looked… stunning.
It was then she understood the policeman’s shock when she had said she was eighteen.
She looked much more mature.
This… was real.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Her steps slowed as she reached the stairs.
The mansion was huge… and beautiful.
This was the first time she was truly seeing it. It sparkled, as though it had been built from the finest elements money could buy.
Well… of course it was.
Nelson’s parents had been one of the richest families back in high school. It only made sense that he now lived in a place like this.
She turned a corner...
The woman standing there nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Irene. She bowed instantly, her face pale.
“Oh my… good morning, ma’am,” the woman said before turning to flee.
“Hey, come back,” Irene said quickly. “Why did you run away so fast? I’m not going to hurt you.”
The maid froze.
Slowly, she turned back, trembling.
“I… I’m sorry, ma’am,” she stammered. “I won’t do it again.”
Irene blinked, confused. “O…kay.” She brushed off the strange reaction and asked the question she really wanted answered. “Where is Enel… I mean Nelson?” she corrected herself quickly.
She had to stop calling him that.
The maid gave Irene a suspicious look.
She never asked about their boss's whereabouts. And the only time she does... Trouble always follows soon after.
But she couldn't keep Irene waiting so she answred. “Mr. Clark has gone to the office.”
Irene frowned. “Really? He seemed really busy yesterday too.” She hesitated, then added carefully, “So… is he like a CEO or something?”
The maid’s eyes widened slightly. She didn't understand what was going on, but answered again. “Huh? He... yes. He owns L.C Group… the largest company in the country.”
“Oh…”
That… explained a lot.
“So he’s a big deal,” Irene muttered. “That explains why he’s busy.”
The maid looked as though she wanted to say more. Her fingers twisted together nervously.
How could the boss lady behave like this?
She didn't even know when her mouth began to speak. “It isn’t because of that…” she said quietly. “It’s because of what you did to...”
“What?” Irene interrupted. “Did to what?”
The color drained from the maid’s face.
She only just realized that she had been speaking too loud.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she rushed out. “My mouth spoke too fast. I’m sorry. Please don’t fire me.”
Irene stared at her, stunned. “What is wrong with you? I’m not going to fire you over something I don’t even know.” Her heart began to race. “What happened?”
The maid hesitated, her eyes dropping to the floor.
“You… don’t know?” she whispered. “You don’t remember?”
“Remember?” Irene’s stomach dropped. “Remember what? What did I do?”
Her voice shook as she answered.
“You stole some important documents from Mr. Clark a few days ago… and tore them into shreds.” She swallowed hard. “Because of that, I heard he’s currently behind by over a month, and they had to halt a lot of...”
She suddenly bowed deeply, as she noted the change in Irene's expression.
“Please… please don’t fire me. I tend to talk too much, too fast. Please…”
Irene couldn’t breathe. She could care less about the fearful maid at the moment.
“I…” Her voice came out hoarse. “I did what?”
The words echoed violently in her head.
Stole documents.
Destroyed them.
Sabotaged his company.
Her knees felt weak.
What kind of woman had she become in seven years…?
Was she a monster?
- Writer
