CHAPTER 2- AWAKENING
1059 Words
Warmth.
The first thing Lina felt was warmth.
Not the icy pressure of water crushing her lungs.Not the violent pull of darkness dragging her into silence.
Warmth… soft and steady beneath her fingertips.
Her brows knitted as she inhaled sharply.Air rushed in too quickly,too desperately,as if her body still expected to fight for breath.Her fingers clutched the sheets,as though letting go would erase the miracle of being alive.
She was breathing.
Her lungs did not burn.
Her body was not sinking.
A faint voice called her name again.
“Miss Lina…?”
Another followed,softer,gentler.
“Lina… wake up”.
The world felt unreal.The last thing she remembered was the crash of metal,water flooding the car,the sudden realization that everything she believed about her life had been a lie.
She remembered dying.
Her eyes opened.
She was in her room.
Fiona stood beside the bed,worry etched across her features.Sophie hovered nearby,her hand lightly resting on the mattress.
“You were not responding” ,Fiona said softly. “We tried waking you for several minutes”.
Sophie’s voice was gentle.“You scared us,Lina”.
Before she could speak,the door opened sharply.
Margaret entered,irritation clear on her face.
“I cannot believe this” ,she said,scanning Lina with disapproval.Guests have already started arriving and you are still here sleeping.How incompetent can you be?”
Lina’s lips parted,but no words came.
“Do you have any idea how important today is?Or are you truly incapable of understanding responsibility?”,Margaret’s words hit like cold steel.
“You never take anything seriously”,Margaret continued coldly. “Even on the day of your engagement,you choose to embarrass this family”.
Engagement. The word echoed.
A sharp sting landed across her cheek.
The pain was real and grounding.
“How useless can you be?” Margaret added, her voice full of restrained contempt. “Sleeping on the day that determines your future”.
Her heart began to pound slowly,heavily.She noticed Sophie.There was concern on her face,but a flicker of satisfaction passed,too quick for anyone else to see.
Something was wrong.
Her hand trembled as she searched for her phone.The screen lit up.The date stared back at her:exactly one year earlier before the rain. Before the accident.
Today was her engagement party.Memory and reality collided violently.
She remembered happiness.The belief she had that her life was falling into place. She remembered cold water filling her lungs. The crushing regret.
And yet… she was alive.
Her second chance.
Margaret’s voice cut through her thoughts again.
“You’ve already wasted enough time”.
Fiona helped her out of bed.Sophie smiled, still warm,but Lina watched more closely now—observing every movement,every glance,every suggestion about dresses.Subtle criticisms she had ignored before were now obvious.
This time,she chose her dress differently. She picked something simple,elegant and difficult to criticize openly.Margaret found fault,of course,but the sharpness was dulled.
That was a small victory.
_ _ _
The mansion was already alive with soft music as Lina descended the staircase.
Her gown flowed gently with each step,refined yet understated.
Warm golden lights illuminated every corner.Guests moved gracefully in tailored suits and silk gowns.
Everything was perfect… curated perfection.
The engagement party reflected everything the
Carter family wanted the world to see:influence,legacy and refinement.
Crystal chandeliers cast patterns across polished marble.A live string quartet played near the sweeping staircase,elegant and harmonious.Business elites,family allies and social acquaintances mingled with polite smiles that barely hid ambition.
Ryan met her at the foot of the stairs,offering his hand. “I was worried about you” , he said.Lina noticed the slight delay before he met her gaze. His attention flickered briefly toward Sophie.
Sophie joined them effortlessly,her smile warm but just slightly too calculated.Margaret watched from a distance with her sharp eyes.
The ceremonial toast approached.
Ryan lifted his glass: “To partnership”.
“To shared success” ,Lina replied calmly.
Applause followed.
She noticed the subtle remarks designed to test her composure—questions about charity involvement,her future role in the family business.Last time, she faltered.Tonight,she answered firmly,quietly commanding respect.
Her father observed thoughtfully,noticing a version of his daughter he had never truly seen.
Sophie stayed close,referencing a past memory to subtly draw admiration toward herself. Lina redirected the conversation effortlessly,maintaining quiet control.
Later,the formal dance.
Ryan guided her to the center of the ballroom. Perfect image,perfect alliance. Yet Lina noticed the tension in his posture, attention drifting once more toward Sophie. She remembered.
The evening passed without visible conflict,but Lina now saw what she had refused to see before;nothing about this union had ever been simply about love.
The man she loved only saw her as a stepping stone and a tool.
She remembered how happy she was when her step mom didn't object this union as she had never allowed Lina have things done in her own,yet she convinced he father to agree to it.Lina has now come to the realization that she just didn't see her union with Ryan as a threat.
Ryan’s family had once been very wealthy but things went mishap when his father died,leaving so many debts behind.Their company went bankrupt and he now works as a staff in one of the subsidiaries of her father's company.
This was the least her father he could do since he was a close ally to his father when he was alive.
Returning to her room,silence welcomed her. Her reflection stared back;alive and aware. She remembered every compromise of her past life,every moment she had surrendered to preserve peace.That version of her no longer existed.
Her first decision became clear:Ryan could not remain part of her future,not as partner,not as weakness. But ending things immediately would raise suspicion.Patience would serve her better than confrontation.
She reached for the lamp beside her bed.Her phone vibrated softly.
It was a text from an unknown number.
Her fingers paused. A single line appeared:
Unknown Number: If you truly remember what happened that night… then you already know your accident was not an accident.
Another message followed immediately:
: Stop trusting Sophie.
Her heart raced.The phone slipped slightly in her trembling hand.
Because if someone else knew the truth…her second chance might not be a miracle. It might be a warning.
And she was no longer the only one playing this game.
- Writer
