Who Is She?

Chapter 36

*FLASHBACK*

This was the day Lillian was officially diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder.

Lillian held the file in her hand and flipped through the pages while sitting in the backseat of the cab.

'Well atleast now she knew what was wrong with her.'

She soon reached her home. After paying for the ride she headed inside the house and kept the file on the shoe rack before entering her room.

The day was exhausting for her, the therapist was asking her a lot of questions which really drained her.

Lillian wasn't used to talking to anyone for an hour straight with the other person drilling her with questions. Well.... except for Riley.

It was a lot of personal questions. Lillian tried not to be rude and answer all her questions but it didn't take long for her to zoom out. The therapist let her go after her appointment hour was over.

She didn't understand what the therapist wanted from her. She was there to get a diagnosis and she got it. Hence, she had no more reason to go back.

~~~

Riley entered the two bedroom apartment after hanging out with her friends and was in desperate need for a shower.

She stretched her sore muscles and untied her shoes before keeping it on the shoe rack, where she noticed a black file was on top of it. After squinting her eyes at it for a few seconds she decided to open it.

She gasped out loud when she skimmed through the page and read the last sentence highlighted with a yellow highlighter.

Positive diagnosis for schizoid personality disorder (spd).

'Schizoid? Like schizophrenia?'

"Lillian." She yelled out for her sister in panic, fear gripping her heart.

She knew that people with schizophrenia didn't live that long and the usual reason for their death is suicide.

OMG was Lillian suicidal? How come she didn't know that?

She does wear long sleeve clothes.... Was she- is she?

She rushed into the room Lillian was peacefully sleeping in and pulled her sleeves back so she could take a look at her wrist.

The unexpected action awakened Lillian, Riley didn't notice it and grabbed Lillian's other hand to ensure she didn't have any marks on her before sighing in relief.

"Are you OK?" Lillian asked in a hoarse voice, as she just woke up.

She looked at her sister confused and reached out her hand to wipe the tears that were leaking out of Riley's eyes- only then did Riley realize she was crying.

Riley nodded her head and ran away from the room.

'That was weird.'

Lillian though to herself, pulling her sleeves down.

~~~~

"Do you see anyone behind me, by any chance?" Riley asked after the unusual silence at the dining table.

The question was weird, just like Riley was since the morning.

Question marks flooded Lillian's head. Was she supposed to be seeing someone behind her?

Lillian strained her neck so she could get a better look at Riley's surroundings and shook her head.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

To which Lillian nodded. Wondering where the conversation was going.

"I won't judge if you have schizoid." Riley said consciously so as to not trigger her.

'Ahh!' Suddenly everything made sense.

Riley most likely opened the file she left on the shoe rack.

The internet wasn't kidding when it said people confused schizoid with schizophrenia. Though she had to clarify, she had never seen stuffs that weren't there. She wasn't delusional.

When she created characters in her head she knew it was nothing but characters for her entertainment. To keep her company. She never once actually saw them in real life. She knew the difference between reality and dreamland.

But she didn't want to tell Riley that she had it. She could see how out of character she has been since the morning.

So she lied. Something she won't ever feel bad for.

"I don't have schizoid."

"But the file."

"A friend of mine asked me to pick it up for her."

"It had your name." Riley asked, now slightly confused. Looking at Lillian's expression intently to see if she could catch a lie.

"She was hesitant to give her name."

Riley nodded her head with her mouth slightly ajar as it started to make sense. She mentally slapped her forehead for being so stupid.

~~~~

PRESENT TIME

"I will ask again. Why did you ghost me? Was it because you were diagnosed with schizoid?" Issac asked once again after a few minutes of silence.

Lillian breathed out through her nostrils as she wondered what to say. Should she say 'yes' but wouldn't that look bad? And if she said 'no', what other explanation was she supposed to give?

"I-" She shut her mouth as she didn't know what to say.

"How about let's forget the past?" Issac said leaning forward, his arms resting on the table.

Forget the past? That they dated? Or that she ghosted him?

"Sure." Lillian replied nonchalantly without hesitation.

Now that's the Lillian everyone was familiar with. Cold. Unaffected. Unattached. Aloof.

Issac swallowed his saliva with difficulty. That hurt.

"Why don't we talk tomorrow. I will message you the address. It's too noisy here." Issac suggested regaining his composure.

He has talked to several psychiatrists to let this small thing stand in his way or even waver his determination to win Lillian over.

"Is he pestering you? Do you want me to call the security?" Max said coming out of nowhere and clutched Lillian's shoulder protectively, to assure her that he'd protect her.

Lillian straightened her spine, not liking his touch one bit.

"Get your hands off her. She doesn't like being touched." Issac hissed at him getting off of his seat.

Lillian shook Max's hand off her and looked at Issac- who looked like he would rip Max's head off if given the chance.

"Let's just sit." Lillian suggested, looking at Issac.

Max sat on the chair beside Lillian, making Issac glare at him through his mask.

"I can see that you don't like me being here so why don't you run along?" Max said, looking at Issac sharply- making him grind his teeth.

"Who do you think is the one beside you?" Issac said tactically with a smirk. One has to be a fool to not be able to differentiate the twins, everyone that knew them could tell them apart. But Max didn't know that. And it somehow lifted Issac's mood.

"Lillian. Why?" Max asked, now confused. What was he playing at?

Issac chuckled. "Sure thing." He muttered to himself.

Riley has been undercover for a week and he would would lying if he thought she could act like Lillian. And Max really thought an energetic, social butterfly was the girl sitting beside him, trying to not draw any attention?

"I will be nearby. If you want, you can call for me." Issac said and waiting for Lillian's response.

After he saw her nod at him, he left the table behind and went back to his friend, but kept his eye on the table.

"You don't have to talk to anyone you don't like." Max said as he waved a waiter over that was holding drinks.

He took two glasses and passed one to Lillian.

"I don't drink." She replied.

"Didn't seem that way when you were getting my friend drunk." Max said as he brought the glass to his lips.

"Thinking about it, weren't you wearing a red gown?" He asked, frowning. Scanning her from head to toe.

"Someone spilled a drink on my dress, and since I usually carry a spare dress I didn't have to stay in it for long. Your friend got a call and had to be somewhere, he asked me to wait for him as he will come pick me in half an hour." Lillian lied effortlessly through her lips. She had created many scenarios in her head, and some of them come in handy when she had to lie. And she could make up scenarios in a few second.

And since she added enough details, Max wouldn't be too suspicious and call out her lie. Now she will only be exposed if he were to ask his friend. Well, she will let Riley handle it.

Right then her phone pinged.

"It's your friend. Bye."

She said before leaving the hall. Enough people for one day.

But she did stop for a minute to search for Issac, since it was too crowded she dropped the idea and left.

After entering her car, she pulled out her phone to see who messaged her.

Riley. She said she left with someone and to not wait for her.