LOVE RESTART

THE UNWANTEDVISITOR

Allison and Matthew have never shared a room in the past. She is still dumbfounded at how last night’s events had turned out. Sleep found Allison at the c***k of dawn, and the warmth of the sun’s rays woke her up a few hours later.

She sat up abruptly and felt her body. She breathed a sigh of relief when she confirmed that she was still alive and was not inside the burning house. Allison reached for her phone and turned it back on. She snickered when she found the streams of unread messages from Yvonne and Marco.

Allison put the phone down. She hated asking for help, but she was struggling to get herself to the wheelchair, so she had no choice but to ring the bell on the bedside table.

Linda, the helper Matthew assigned to her, knocked on the door three times before coming in. Katherine also came to her room after she had freshened up. Allison told her what she wanted for breakfast and that she did not have to bring the meal.

Allison assumed Matthew had already left the house when she and Linda left the room. She regretted what she had told Katherine a while ago when she saw the stairs and was surprised when Linda wheeled her to the left, where the newly built elevator was.

Did Matthew build this for me?

Two servants tidying things in the mansion greeted Allison as soon as the elevator door opened. Allison thanked Linda and told her she could find her way alone to the dining hall, but she refused.

Scott, the mansion’s butler, came out of the dining hall when he heard their voices.

“Good morning, Mrs. Laxama. Your breakfast is waiting for you.”

Although there was a hint of respect in Scott’s voice, his face remained expressionless. Allison nodded to accept his greetings, and to Scott’s surprise, she led the way to the dining room. Allison found bacon, toast, egg, and fruit slices on the table.

Because Allison has lived in the manor for more than two years, everything is familiar to her. She forgot about the amnesia that she had made up.

She wheeled her chair straight to the cabinet drawers to get a cup and placed it on the counter. She was supposed to pull herself up to reach for the coffee pods when Scott stood behind her and cleared his throat.

“Do you need some help, Ma’am?” Scott forced a smile.

Allison realized her mistakes and sunk back into her chair.

“I– um…” she scratched her head and said, “Coffee... I want a cup of espresso, please?”

Scott nodded his head, then she gestured for Allison to take her seat. She wheeled her chair awkwardly to the table. He retrieved the mug from the counter and started the coffee machine. Allison did not wait long, and Scott put the cup in front of her.

“Is there anything else that you need, Ma’am?” He asked.

Allison shook her head and thanked Scott for his service. He excused himself before he disappeared from Allison’s sight.

She had just a bite of bacon when she heard two voices talking in the living room.

“Mattie, is my sister still asleep? Allie has been in a coma for too long. Please, be patient with her.”

Allison was astounded to learn that Matthew had not left for work yet. But she was more surprised at Yvonne’s presence. Her hands that were holding the utensils trembled.

Yvonne’s words appeared to be concerned about her, but Allison caught the disdain and mockery in them. The hatred in her heart instantly awakened like a raging fire, burning every inch of her skin. She clenched her teeth and tightened her grip on the knife when Yvonne and Matthew emerged from the living room.

She noticed how Yvonne forcefully linked her arms with Matthew as he tried to remove them. Judging by the clothes that Matthew is wearing, he might have worked out.

As if in a trance, Allison watched Matthew use his towel to wipe the sweat on his arms. She noticed that the side of his mouth twitched, and Matthew's gaze was also fixed on her.

Yvonne disturbed her train of thought when she screamed Allison’s name.

“Allie!”

Matthew frowned and covered one of his ears, obviously irritated by Yvonne. He walked past her and approached Allison first, surprising her with a quick peck on the cheek. Then he went straight to the fridge to get bottled water.

“Awww, that was so sweet,” Yvonne said with exaggeration before she tried to change the topic. “No one told me that you had already woken up from a coma. When did you wake up?”

Allison forced a smile and greeted her sister. She tried as hard as she could to sound cheerful.

“Hello, Yvonne! What brought you here this early?”

"Of course, I am here to see how you’re doing."

She rolled her eyes when Yvonne approached to hug her, but she was careful enough to hide it even from Matthew.

She could not believe how she used to adore Yvonne. Now, Allison felt nothing but disgust and hate towards her step-sister. She grabbed a paper napkin and wiped the side of her mouth before she answered.

“I am fine, as you can see. Well, aside from things that I could not remember,” Allison hinted, but she was careful not to expose her lies. “Why are you here?” She repeated her question nonchalantly.

“I told you. I wanted to see if you were all right.”

Yvonne had already heard about the amnesia but wanted to confirm if it was true. She looked at Allison, and a smirk appeared on her face.

Allison treated her coldly. She appeared to be a bit unusual. But Yvonne could not find any indication of fear or distrust in her.

Allison chuckled, knowing exactly the reaction that Yvonne was hoping for. She couldn’t hide the sarcasm in her breath when she spoke again. “I am all right. What else do you think would happen to me?”

“Are you all right? You sound a little… odd.” Yvonne cupped Allison’s face and said, “Your eyes look tired, and your skin is too dry.”

There was a hint of disdain in Yvonne’s voice. That tone used to fool Allison in the past, but it’s not working for her now. She clenched her fist before she smiled.

“Mattie seems to have been up since morning, and here you are, just about to have breakfast. You need a speedy recovery. How can you care for your husband if you can’t even look after yourself?” She turned to Matthew, who was standing and leaning on the counter. “Mattie, are you sure you can deal with my sister?”

Matthew scoffed. “Please stop calling me that.” He took a sip from his bottle and walked to where Allison was. “This is her home. She can do whatever she wants. I am looking after her of my own volition, and I do not require her to reciprocate it."

His brow was furrowed. He did not even manage to hide his dislike of Yvonne.

Yvonne ignored Matthew and acted as if she did not hear what he said. She rudely ordered Scott to get her something to eat and sat next to Allison. “Allie, why didn’t you come to the hotel that day? Did you know Marco waited for you all night?”

Matthew slammed the bottle on the table, startling both of them. Then he stormed out of the dining hall.

Yvonne suddenly acted as if she had just realized her mistake when Allison knew that was her plan. She also knew Yvonne was trying to test how much she remembered from the incident. Allison bit her lower lips, and her hands trembled in anger.

She stared at her sister, and in a low, calm manner, she said, “Yes, I wonder why I couldn’t come that day.”

Yvonne looked away and pretended she was looking at the pool, which could be seen through the glass walls.

“But then, think about it. I am already married. Marco and I have already broken up. There is no need for us to meet. There is nothing left for us to talk about.” She took another bite and continued, “Maybe Marco and I were not supposed to meet at all.”

Yvonne kept on feigning ignorance and asked, “What do you mean? Are you only saying that because Matthew might hear us? Are you worried about how to get there?” Yvonne looked at the wheelchair and scoffed.

“No, of course not!” Allison took a deep breath before she spoke again. “Yvonne, listen. I want to be happy with the choices that I have made. I chose Matthew. I married him. Just please stop setting me up with Marco.”

Allison is losing her patience. She is close to confessing what she knew about the relationship between Yvonne and Marco and how she knew Yvonne had always wanted to harm her.

“Are you worried about what our parents would say? Don’t worry, Allie. I got that covered too.” Yvonne reached for Allison’s hand. “Haven’t you even planned to go to Paris with Marco?”

Allison grabbed her sister’s wrist to stop her from talking when Scott emerged from the kitchen carrying Yvonne’s food. But instead, her sister intentionally spoke in a louder voice.

“Was it Matthew? Did he forbid you to go out on your own? Are you stuck in this home like a prisoner?”

Allison drew a sharp breath.

“Yvonne, this conversation is over. I am choosing Matthew. I wasn’t forced. I chose to marry him. Who wouldn’t?” Allison took a last sip of her coffee and continued, “Matthew is a sought-after bachelor. A young, accomplished CEO of a hotel conglomerate. He is a business magnate. He isn’t just that. He treats me well, and that’s what matters more to me. And from the moment I married Matthew, I no longer had anything to do with Marco. I hope I made myself clear. I don’t want any misunderstanding between me and my husband.”

Allison wiped her mouth and left without waiting for Yvonne’s response.