DESTINED FOR THE CEO

CHAPTER5

Marietta

I slowly but forcefully opened my eyes. The throbbing ache I feel around my head made my visions a little blurry.

I squinted my eyes, trying to identify the person standing before me, and staring intently at the figure, I reckoned it was a doctor, seeing the way he was dressed. Next to him were two figures— a young woman and another man.

“Marietta…Thank goodness you are awake” the woman's voice chimed in my head and I quickly recognized it.

I tilted my head slightly to her direction.

“O– Olivia… is… is that you?” I asked when my vision slowly becomes clearer, my voice barely above a whisper. She advanced to meet me, taking a seat beside the bed I was lying on.

“Yes. Yes, it's me” she answered, leaning forward and taking my hand to caress her cheek.

I sucked in some labored breath, my eyes bouncing between the four walls of the room as I try to take in the surroundings. My trembling body stiffened as the rhythmical beeping of monitors filled my ears.

“W– what happened? Why am I in a hospital?” I asked weakly, struggling to sit up-right. The man standing close to the doctor noticed my scrabble on the bed and rushed to help me.

His warm hands grazing my skin, made every sensitive part of my body vibrate in an unusual way as the smell of his expensive cologne filled my nose, messing with my olfactory.

“Easy, Marietta” his baritone voice echoes as he gives me a warm smile. I took my time to assess him briefly.

He has warm brown eyes and his black wavy hair was styled graciously, highlighting his perfectly shaped face. His fair skin shimmered beneath the room light, and his deep blue shirt hugged his muscularly built body without it being constricting. He was big but not in a body builder type of way. Gosh! The man was screaming WEALTHY.

I guess I must have taken too long admiring his ethereal features because a smile suddenly tugged at the corners of his mouth when he noticed I was staring hard.

“You were hit by a car, Marietta” my sister, Olivia announced, pulling me out of my daze.

“I–I was?” I asked confusingly.

“Yes, you were,” the man said, smiling down at me. “How are you feeling now?” he added.

He was acting all generous and caring so instead of answering his question, I threw one of my own, my voice coming out crankier than expected. “Sorry… D–Do I know you?”

The smile he had on his face transformed into a frown on hearing my question.

“I umm...” he stuttered before shifting his gaze to Olivia. I struggled to raise a brow as I waited for an answer. His Adam's apple bobs as a result of his swallow.

“What do you mean? Don't you remember me?” he asked anxiously.

I paused for a moment, trying to recall a memory of him, but nothing seems to come to mind. The effort only deepened the ache I felt around my head, making me wince in pain before I breathed, “N–No…”

He took a step closer to me and lowered himself on the visitors chair close to him wile Olivia remained on the bed beside me.

He took my hand, cupping it with his larger palms and calmly he responded. “It's me, Aaron. Your fiance, Marietta. Don't you remember me?”

“W–what?…” I whispered shakily.

“Yes, Sissy. This is Aaron, your fiance. And you two are supposed to be getting married in three weeks time before you got into an accident few days ago” Olivia chimed in.

I shift my gaze to look at her as heat creeps up my neck. The air around me stiffened for a moment and I could hear my heart hammering rapidly against my ribcage almost as if it was too small to contain it.

I blinked back the tears welled up at the corners of my eyes threatening to spill out. “Getting married?” I choked out and Olivia nodded softly in confirmation.

“B–But why can't I remember anything? Why is…” I trailed off. My eyes darting between the three of them before finally fixing on the doctor who stood right in front of me. A look of compassion etched on his face. It was just a matter of time before my tears would come trickling down now.

Aaron stroked my hand gently. “It's because… it's because you lost your memory, Marietta” he answered hesitantly.

I gasped softly and my lips quiver as I raised my trembling hand to my head and that was when I noticed the bandages I had on. “What?… No no no! T–This can't be” I panicked before struggling to take off the bed spread that was used to cover me.

“Hey hey hey, it's okay. You are fine now” Aaron rushed, trying to keep me in place as he gripped my arm tightly. My whole body ache but not compared to the discomfort I feel around my head.

His grip was firm and wouldn't let me move any more than I intend to. After all my efforts failed, I drop back down on the bed.

“How?… how is this possible?” I questioned and the tears I've labored to keep back in came rolling down my cheeks.

“Well we observed some significant effects in your brain as a result of the impact to the head. It was pretty bad and unfortunately, it resulted in your memory loss.” the doctor explains.

Fluttering my eyes shut, my tears continue to sprinkle down my face as I continue to sob bitterly.

Taking a deep breath, he continued. “I understand this news may be overwhelming but I want you to know that we are here to support you through this process. There are options available for rehabilitation, and I will work together with my team to help you regain as much as possible… that’s if you want us to” he added, darting his gaze to Aaron.

“Uhh… yeah, sure. Why not?” Aaron blurted.

“It's okay, Sissy. Everything is going to be fine. The most important thing is that you're alive.” Olivia stated calmly as I continued to sob, “I don't know if I'll be able to survive all by myself if anything were to happen to you” she added, smiling with teary eyes before snatching my hand gently and giving it a squeeze.

The news of losing my memory continued to press down on me and a cloud of uncertainty commandeered my mind, making me uneasy as my trembling body remained stiff to the bed.

“Leave… All of you” I ordered.

“I–Is everything okay?” Aaron asked. A look of confusion etched on his face as he tries to study my entire face.

“Please leave” I whisper–yell. “I just want to be left alone” I told them.

Olivia nodded and got up sharply, giving me a gentle pat on my thigh before making her way out of the room.

“Mr. Blakeley? Please see me before you leave” the doctor notified Aaron, before following Olivia to the exist and shutting the door behind him, leaving me all alone with Aaron in the room.

Aaron leaned forward, kissing my forehead before caressing my half bandaged hair. I remained stiff to the bed ignoring any of his actions. After kissing me, he walked to twist the knob of the door but halted, glancing over his shoulder to look back at me

“I'll do everything I can to make sure you get better. I promise” he assured me. His voice calm and confident. I remained silent as I watched him through the corners of my eyes.

As soon as he shut the door behind him, I took a deep breath, allowing my eyes to flutter shut as another set of tears trickle-down my cheek. I gripped hard on the bed as I felt like my heart was being pierced with a dagger.

My head began to throb again as I try to make sense of the whole thing. The fact that I can't remember God knows how many years of my life was one thing but getting married to a man I have no memory of, and worst of all in three weeks time?… yeah that's a whole different thing.