Can We Meet?
737 Words
"Punishment for a liar, don't eat and drink for 2 days!" Deca said, roughly pushing me into a warehouse.
We just returned from the hospital. My cheeks were red from being slapped hard by Deca and Magda because the doctor stated I wasn't pregnant yet.
"She's even still a virgin, how could she be pregnant?" the obgyn doctor said while laughing at the time.
I folded my lips feeling embarrassed.
"This is Helena's body. I didn't even know if she'd had s*x with Oscar!" I reasoned to myself.
At that time Deca pulled me out and cursed me thoroughly. "This damn girl! Next time don't let your mouth speak carelessly!"
"Your son hasn't touched me yet, why are you angry at me!" I said defending myself. "At least I'm still keeping myself a virgin!" I continued.
"At least understand your blind and paralyzed husband's condition," suddenly Deca acted crying while Magda immediately slapped me. "This is payback for making my mom cry!" she said.
I was ready to hit Magda, but the system suddenly spoke to me, "Don't retaliate," the system said.
"Hey! Are you playing with me?!" I thought disapprovingly.
So I continued retaliating Magda's slap by punching her body.
In the end I ended up in the warehouse in despair.
"Mom, Dad... Kayla wants to go home..." I cried sobbingly.
I'm now in the storage room again. Deca and Magda locked me alone here.
"Ety... Can you hear me?" I looked everywhere for the source of the voice. But Ety did nothing but command things that made no sense to me.
I lay on the bed exhausted.
Turns out it really hurts being stupid Helena.
A faint shimmer appeared in the air, like a hologram made of golden dust. It coalesced into a floating screen.
I blinked. Rubbed my eyes.
Words scrolled across it in neat, glowing text:
MISSION: Ensure Helena Turi's Happy Ending
STATUS: In Progress
CURRENT OBSTACLES:
- Abusive in-laws (Deca & Magda Padip)
- Neglectful husband (Oscar Padip)
- Estranged family (Turi household)
- Zero allies
- Death during pregnancy
OBJECTIVE: Change fate. Survive. Go home.
"Means I don't have to get pregnant!" I said carelessly.
"You don't have to be pregnant to die. Many people want to kill you, considering Helena is a delayed heir. Unless you manage to protect her life," Ety said.
"Oh God! That girl was cursed from page one!"
"You have knowledge she didn't. You know how the story ends. Use that."
The screen blinked, new text appeared:
SURVIVAL TIPS:
1. Avoid death triggers
2. Build alliances
3. Secure financial independence
4. DO NOT follow the original storyline
"Oh God!" I raised my hands. Frustration filled me, "She doesn't even have any power at all!"
"You can ask for help from someone Helena left for Oscar."
Suddenly my head felt dizzy. A male figure with a colder, crueler aura. Only very polite to Helena. But Helena didn't want that.
"Julian Joja, her cousin!" I smiled. Looks like I have an idea.
So I took the phone and paused briefly observing the locked screen.
"It even has a password!!!" I felt frustrated for a moment before finally looking at the calendar.
"If someone in love with their partner would definitely put the password combination using their partner's birthday or special day," I thought.
I was dumbfounded because I couldn't remember any date now so I closed my eyes again, letting my hand move because I knew Helena's body had memories that couldn't disappear even though I was replacing her role.
I opened my eyes again and saw the password combination and I wrote it down then clicked and finally I was able to open Helena's phone.
Her profile picture was Helena and Oscar kissing on their wedding day. I was dumbfounded for a while because Oscar's legs were still standing and his eyes seemed able to see. I squinted, "Looks like I missed the part about the reason Oscar became blind and paralyzed."
So I opened w******p and looked at all contacts, I just wanted to find Julian Joja's contact.
But how surprising, Helena had already blocked him. The last message from Julian Joja was "come back if you regret it."
I immediately smiled. "Looks like the next step I'll take is to prostrate at Julian's feet to make this story's ending happy."
I prepared myself by unblocking him and typing a few words, "Julian, can we meet?"
- Writer
