love beyond the realms

chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day, the police arrived at the Johnson house. They wanted to ask Val more questions.

Two officers sat in the living room. One held a notepad. The other asked Val question after question.

"Where were you born?"

"I don't know."

"Do you have any family?"

"I had a sister."

"Where is she now?"

"Far away."

The police officers looked confused. Nothing Val said made sense to them. She talked about ghosts and realms and potions. The officers wrote everything down but their faces showed they did not believe her.

Finally, they called a psychiatrist. The doctor was a small woman with glasses. She talked to Val for an hour. At the end, she came out to speak with the family.

"Val has lost her memory," the psychiatrist said. "She may never remember her past. You should take good care of her."

The police left. They said they would continue searching for Val's real family. But Val knew they would never find anything. Her real family was in the ghost realm.

So Val stayed with the Johnsons.

---

A month passed.

Val grew to love the family. Helen was kind and warm. Mark was gentle and funny. The twins, Leo and Liam, were like two playful puppies. They made Val laugh every day.

Val was happy. But there was one problem.

Zee.

Zee acted cold and strict toward her. He never smiled. He never played. He was the CEO of his father's company, which was the best in the world. The Johnsons were the richest family in all of Cuba. And Zee acted like it.

He was always serious. Always working. Always shouting.

Val did not like being near him.

---

One sunny afternoon, Val played with the twins in the garden. They ran through the flowers. They chased butterflies. They threw a ball back and forth.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson sat on a wooden swing. They watched the children play. Helen smiled.

"She looks so happy," Helen said.

Mark nodded. "She has come a long way."

Then a car pulled into the driveway. Zee was home from work.

Val saw him step out of the car. Her smile disappeared. She ran and hid behind Helen.

The twins ran to her. "Why are you so afraid of our brother?" Leo asked.

"He is strict with all of us," Liam said. "But we are not afraid of him."

"Don't worry," both twins said together. "We are here with you. He can't do anything to you as long as we are here."

Helen patted Val's hand. "Don't worry, child. He won't bite."

Val peeked out from behind Helen. "Mom, he is going to shout at me again. To take my medicine."

"Did you take your medicine today?" Helen asked.

Val looked down. "It is so bitter, Mom."

"Then he is definitely going to shout at you," Helen said. "But the medicine is good for your memory, honey. You need to take it."

"I don't need them," Val said. "I am fine."

The twins ran and stood in front of Val. They spread their arms out like shields. "We will protect you, Val!" they shouted.

Then Zee walked into the garden. His face was dark. His eyes were cold.

"Val!" he shouted.

Val flinched.

"Val, come here!" Zee shouted again.

Val held onto Helen tighter.

"Leave her alone," Leo said.

Zee ignored his little brother. "Val. Come here. Right now."

Val walked slowly toward him. Her legs were shaking. "I'm sorry, Zee," she said in a small voice.

Zee called a maid. "Bring her medication and some water."

The maid returned quickly. Zee took the small cup and the glass of water. He handed them to Val.

"Take it," he said.

Val took the medicine. She made a face. It tasted awful.

Zee pointed a finger at her. "The next time you refuse to take your medicine, I will feed you to the dogs."

Val ran and hid behind Helen and Mark again.

Just then, a maid walked up. "Young Master Johnson, the doctor came today to check on Val. But she and the twins threw apples at him. They said, 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away.' So the doctor went back."

Helen and Mark burst out laughing. They laughed so hard their eyes watered.

Zee glared at them. The laughter stopped immediately.

"You are making Val act naughty," Zee said to his parents. "You should discipline the children. But you don't."

"They were just playing," Helen said.

Mark cleared his throat. "Alright, Zee. Why don't you take Val to the company tomorrow? Introduce her to your work. Teach her well. Then she can work with you there."

"No!" Val and the twins shouted together.

"Brother is going to torture Val at work!" Leo said.

"We want her to stay at home with us!" Liam added.

"She is a grown girl," Mark said. "She needs to learn to work in our company."

"Please, boys," Helen said. "Allow her."

Val looked at Helen with sad eyes. "I don't want to go, Mom."

Helen took out a phone and handed it to Val. "Don't worry. Take this phone. Call me anytime Zee bullies you, okay?"

Val took the phone and nodded.

---

The next morning, Zee knocked on Val's door. It was very early. The sun was barely up.

"It's too early, Zee," Val said from her bed. Her voice was sleepy.

"Get up before I pour cold freezing water on you, girl!" Zee shouted through the door.

Val jumped out of bed. "I'm up! I'm up!" She ran to the bathroom. "I will get dressed soon!"

Zee was already dressed. He waited downstairs. Helen sat at the table with a cup of coffee.

"What is taking her so long?" Zee asked.

"Relax," Helen said. "Don't be too hard on the poor girl."

Val ran down the stairs. She almost tripped twice.

Helen offered them breakfast. Val sat down to eat. But Zee pulled her up by the arm.

"We will eat at work," Zee said. "We are running late."

"But I want to eat," Val said.

"We will eat at work. Let's go."

Val said goodbye to Helen and the maids. She followed Zee to the car.

---

In the car, Val sat quietly. She was scared. She kept thinking about what Zee would do to her at the company.

Zee sat next to her. He was busy looking at documents. Every few minutes, he shouted at the driver. "Go faster!"

Val shook every time he shouted.

When they arrived at the company, Val became even more terrified. Zee walked through the halls like a storm. Employees bowed their heads. He fired anyone who made the smallest mistake.

Zee took Val to his office. It was very nice. Big windows. A huge desk. Leather chairs.

He handed her a stack of documents. "Read this," he said. "You have five minutes. Then you will interpret everything to me."

Val started reading. The words were hard. Marketing strategies. Profit margins. Quarterly reports. She only got to the second page when Zee spoke.

"Stop. Now interpret everything in the book."

Val opened her mouth. Nothing came out. She could not remember anything she had read.

"You couldn't even finish five pages?" Zee shouted. "Be smart! Be sharp!"

He slammed another book on the desk. "You have ten minutes. Finish this whole book."

Val tried. She really tried. But the words swam in front of her eyes. When Zee asked her to stop, she had only reached page five.

"I have only reached page five about marketing strategies," Val whispered.

Zee scolded her again. Then he gave her thirty minutes.

"Finish everything," he said. "I will be back."

The room went silent. Zee walked out.

Val tried to read. But she was so tired. The words blurred together. Her eyes felt heavy.

Ten minutes later, Zee returned. The room was still silent. Too silent.

He looked at Val.

She was fast asleep on the desk. Her head rested on the open book. A small drool of saliva touched the pages.

Zee stamped his fist on the table. BANG!

Val bolted upright. "Am sorry, Zee!" she said quickly.

Zee scolded her even more. Then he walked out again. "You have thirty more minutes. You should be done when I return."

Val sat alone in the big office. She put her head in her hands.

Being a human is not as fun as I thought, she said to herself.

When Zee walked back in, Val stared at him. Her eyes were full of fear.

Zee sat at his desk. He felt her eyes on him. He looked up.

"What is it, Val?" he asked.

Val swallowed. "I'm hungry, Zee. Can I get something to eat?"

Zee sighed. He picked up his phone. "Continue reading. I will order some food for us."

Val nodded. She opened the book again. Her stomach growled.

At least he was not shouting anymore.

---

End of Chapter 3