It all made perfect sense now.
Hope stands, numb, her hands still fisted with the photos still in her hands.
Jane had never revealed what she learned no matter how much Hope pressed her for the truth. She had always claimed it was for her best interest. The less she knew, the less she had to worry and dwell on.
Jane was working as a waitress to provide for them, giving up her life as a dedicated nurse. Living in a ratty one-bedroom apartment with one bed and a table with two chairs as their only furniture. Jane had planned to move locations to stay under the radar.
But they never had the opportunity. She lost Jane. It was no random accident. They had found her and killed her while trying to reach her.
She did not know if Jane felt like she was being watched or sensed the end of her life was nearing but Hope clearly recalled Jane warning her if anything ever happened to her she needed to run and hide out of sight no matter what.
The last words she said: Do not let them find you.
Jane's words gave her chills that day and even more so now as she remembered, every little hair on her body stood on end as though an impending doom was descending up on her.
The blood in her face drains as the photos in her hands slip past her fingers, floating to the floor at her feet.
What had been missing for so long was the truth.
But the truth always had a way of surfacing.
She was warning her about Jack and Colin.
How could she have overlooked such an important discovery?
She was scared and vulnerable and they fed off of that. She was a desperate fool and they played their parts like award winning actors.
Jack was the assigned doctor who reconstructed her face. He recreated Colin's wife. They used her as a replacement without her consent. They stole her life. Dictated her choices. They reversed her looks. Took advantage of her condition.
With papers scattered everywhere, she went through each report searching for the time she was found. There had to be more information about her old self she could learn. But first, she had to do something.
Fumbling with her phone with shaking hands, Hope barely managed to do what she needed to do. At one point she thought she heard a sound outside the door but as soon as she paused it was no longer there. With no other choice, hurriedly she began gathering and stacking the documents back in the safe.
All she could concentrate on was the sound of her heartbeat pounding like a sledgehammer in her chest. She needed to get out of there fast before she was found. Next on her agenda was gathering whatever she could carry and run far far away from the manor, from Colin and Jack.
She shoved as much as she could with trembling hands and grabbed another stack until the sounds of rustling in the hallway outside the room stopped Hope.
This time she was not imagining it.
Her fingers shuffling through the papers froze.
"I see you've uncovered the truth."
Hope jumped in fright and a little scream slipped past her lips. She was gasping for breath, clutching her blouse as if it would keep her anchored. Her chest heaved with every ragged breath she took.
"I found you on the verge of death."
Colin stood beneath the threshold of his study appearing calm and in control. His eyes went from her face to the safe to the documents in her hand.
He'd caught her in his office. Her panic was total. She bolted away from him and across the room.
All the color drained rapidly from her face and a cold sweat broke out on her entire body.
He shut the door behind him hard. Not slamming it. His manner was too cool for Hope's liking. His display of control was terrifying.
"My wife died some time ago." He confessed as he began to reveal the story, the truth, the purpose of deceiving her. "A fatal drowning in the family lake. We were so hopeful, ready to begin the next chapter of our lives and extend our family that the euphoria of that goal was the death of her in the end."
Colin, appearing unable to stand, takes a seat in one of the two high-winged back chairs facing the fireplace. He crosses his legs and intertwines his hand in his lap. Hope did not know if it was an act to reassure her that he was not going to hurt her or if this was the calm before the storm.
Not wanting to seem anxious, Hope remained standing in place when all she wanted to do was bolt out the door and never look back. Colin was capable of anything. He'd gone to drastic measures to recreate his wife using her. Any wrong move might trigger him to snap and Hope was not prepared for what was to come.
"You see we were having difficulty conceiving and had been for a few years. So we both decided to see a doctor to determine the cause. After many tests for her and I both, we learned it was impossible to become pregnant due to deep scarring tissue she acquired as a child from a car accident which took both her parents lives but spared hers. However, the end result left her with substantial injuries she was not aware of."
Hope took a shuddering breath not able to utter a word. Her entire body felt like it was made of ice.
"Lily went into a deep depression." He continued. "She spent more days than not, cooped up in our bedroom staring out the window. She suffered from insomnia, ate less and less as the weeks passed. After some time her health began deteriorating. Even after I suggested we adopt a newborn baby and raise it as our own, the idea did not lessen her sorrow. She was devastated that she could not carry a child. I told her it was alright. That it did not change anything about her. Unfortunately, words did nothing to console her. She spiraled deep into a darkness no force could pull her from."
A sigh deep within his chest left Colin's lips.
"She refused any medication. Hated when I touched her. She altogether refused to speak to me. Every time I told her I loved her, she'd flinch as if I struck her. Her sadness consumed her. She wanted nothing more than a child to call her own. Accepting her condition, that her body could not do what naturally occurred for most women, made her feel like a failure and she could not cope with the knowledge."
Hope could not respond. Didn't dare.
"It was early morning, our Gardner found her floating face down in the lake. It was the most devastating day of my entire life." Colin rubbed his temples, eyes tightly shut. "A few men and I quickly unlatched the boat along the dock and rowed towards her. I remember holding her soaking cold body, rocking her back and forth, tears of anguish streaming down my face. I was desperate to warm her. To revive her, that perhaps she may open her lovely beautiful blue eyes and what I was going through was just an ugly nightmare. . ."
He broke off, turning his head away from her as though he couldn't bear the sight of her.
"Alas, it was not. She was buried on our estate, slightly past the lake you frequently visit when you're upset."
Goosebumps rose on her arms and an involuntary shiver ran through her. She'd never ventured past the lake to notice. Never had the urge to wander. The lake had been her solace. Her sanctuary. Something about it helped calm the instability raging inside her.
Briefly, she wondered if she came across the grave would the situation be different? Would it have triggered her to seek more answers?
"I refused to accept that she died and so the grave's headstone remained unnamed. Because she was always in my heart. She never died. I would not acknowledge or accept she was gone. I sat beneath the tree she was buried under. Her favorite on the estate." Colin briefly smiled. "For hours upon hours at a time. Reading to her. Talking to her. Laying fresh flowers, her favorite color, yellow. But grief pulled me under its wings. I was devastated. I missed her laughter. . . it reminded me of music. Her spirit kept me alive. I had nothing left to live for."
Hope was scared. She didn't want to listen to the rest of his story. But it was too late. And she just knew this time she wasn't going to make it alive once he finished.
"Jack is a surgeon. An excellent one at that. He was the doctor on duty when your body was found."
Resentment curled through her gut.
"You were revived." He continued. "Barely. Multiple stab wounds, broken bones, head trauma, your face was unrecognizable. . . You were an utter mess. Whoever left you to die made damn sure you suffered before your life ended."
Hope shudders, bitterness radiating through her.
"At one point Jack wasn't sure you would survive. But he managed to keep you alive on the ventilators. After another surgeon operated on your brain it was concluded you would never have your memory back. There was too much damage. But you were a fighter. You stayed alive although every doctor went against his theory you would survive. When you were able to breathe on your own, he knew you would make it."
Colin smiles briefly.
"What was so shocking was there was no record on file in multiple databases about your identity. No dental records, your prints were taken–nothing was found. You were a Jane Doe in every sense of the word."
He laughed bitterly, the sound echoing the pain stamped on his hard features.
"Then the idea struck him when he studied your case. Your height, weight, bone structure. . . you had many physical qualities my Lily held. You were in intensive care for months before he could begin the transition. He was determined to return Lily back to me and so he began reconstructive surgery to your face to resemble her. Once the swelling went down I saw my wife reincarnated. You were an exact copy but we did not know what was to become of your recovery."
Colin shook his head sadly in what appeared as regret.
"I never argued with Jack. I was desperate to have my wife back. With no memory of who you are I took advantage of the idea and your situation praying it would work. I admit it was not going to be easy. We did not know if you would cooperate."
Hope's breathing was heavy. Everything he had shared about their life was a lie. Of course she already found out the truth from the documents but hearing it from his lips made it more real.
He was the perfect liar.
She was the substitute. Another opportunity. The fool.
"As expected you had no memory of who you were. Plus, you could not walk for months after the casts were removed. As you know, If it weren't for the intense physical therapy you endured and your own will to live you wouldn't have made it. I took this as a sign of a second chance. I watched from afar. Waiting. ."
Colin's eyes flashed dangerously. He stood up, then strode over to the fireplace to stare into it silently.
"It was cruel what we did, was it not?"
The rigid line of his back warned her that he was growing angrier by the moment.
Was it because his deception was discovered or because the plan he and his brother concocted did not work as they anticipated?
"We were two men foolishly playing God. I should have realized my wife died and would never come back to me. I should have realized it wasn't possible for you to come to care for me. You simply were not her. You resembled her perfectly but. . . training you to become her. . .just was not enough."
The icy look in his eyes when he finally looked at her made her throat clench. Whatever was going through his mind was very ugly and very dangerous. She had only to meet his gaze to realize that.
"What about Jane?" She asked, hoping to keep him distracted. The end was nearing. Whatever time she could buy herself might help her.
Colin's eyebrows rose, his face suddenly a little too composed.
"The old nurse? Well, she was collateral damage. She was not supposed to interfere in our business. Meddling her nose where it was not welcome. She managed to prolong the entire ordeal. Clever woman. She paid a lawyer under the table to draw out new documents for a change of identity–a new birth certificate and identification card. The only benefit it earned her was time. Once we found her I arranged her death to look like an accident."
Hope gasped in shock.
Poor Jane. She was murdered just as she originally suspected and Colin picked the perfect time to make his presence known and lied to her endlessly in order to make her cooperate.
The gullible fool that she was fell into his trap.
"The less you knew the better. We used your memory loss to our advantage. This would have never worked otherwise."
"How can you be so cruel?" She screamed.
"The world is a cruel place we live in. It is not flowers and rainbows as one assumes. The one advantage to your existence was playing your part to the hilt, my dear. You lured the golden boy to his knees."
Horror filled her.
"You were the perfect con artist. The unsuspecting one." Colin laughed. "Have you ever heard of such a thing?" His laughter sounded like that of a crazy man.
He moved closer and she moved farther away. In a few quick strides he stood before her.
Colin's hand seized her. A strangled cry escaped her lips as she tried to rip her hands free of his grasp. She jerked wildly, resentment and frustration boiling through her veins.
She was tired of being a pawn, living by his rules and having her entire life dictated over. They robbed her of her freedom.
"Ah, my dear, I'm afraid you've managed to get yourself in trouble with your insistent snooping."
Hope stared at him, in terror and shock. Warning signals silently screamed loud in her head.
"Why? Why did you do this?" She panted. "Who am I?"
She could practically see him thinking about what to tell her next.
"You're nobody."
"Who am I?" She repeats, her voice louder.
"Like I said, you're a nobody." He said in a bored tone. "Who you are was not my concern. Nor do I care. You've served your purpose, nothing but a puppet in our scheme."
"You liar!" She screamed. "You heartless–!
His hands lashed out to seize her arms, holding her painfully that she had no hope for escape. They tightened enough to leave bruises.
"Perhaps I will tell them you tripped down the stairs and broke your neck. . .or perhaps I will make your death look like a suicide."
Hope began to panic-breathe, feeling her heartbeat accelerating out of control.
He smiled grotesquely.
"You know what I'm going to do to you, don't you? You've left me no choice. I must simply destroy you. We cannot have you running around like a crazy witless woman sputtering nonsense. It's time to end this all."
"End?"
Hope was dizzy with fear. There was no escape.
"But I've done nothing to you! I did everything you wanted! WHY DON'T YOU LET ME GO!" She screamed in his face.
"It's too late. You threw the future away when you found out the truth. It's all over now. You ruined everything." He pushed her, sending her stumbling.
Hope screamed, "Help!"
It faded to the low, bubbling sound of Colin's laughter.
"Scream, if you want." He said. "There's no one to hear. The staff has been dismissed for the day. There's no one here to help you."
No rescue was coming. She was trapped but not completely helpless.
Shaking with fear, Hope raised her chin and gazed at him. Her arms were imprisoned but her legs were not.
Hope kicks him between his legs instinctively. It wasn't a hard kick but enough where Colin releases her with a groan. He bends forward, catching her off guard that she ended up twisting her foot as she was moving away from him.
When he took a step toward her, she scrambled back on her hands.
"Don't do this Colin."
The facade slipped from Colin's face, and Hope confronted his cold rage. The pits of hell burned from his eyes.
He stalked her slowly, Hope gaining enough space between them stood. Frantically she searched her surroundings quickly, darting her eyes around her for anything she could use as a weapon to deter him so she'd be able to make an escape. There was a small antique horse reared on its hind legs in suspended motion upon a rectangular marble stone plaque.
It was within reach.
She was at least ten feet from the door.
Her heart pounding, she watched him try to reach her at the same time she lunged for the decorative piece. It required more strength than she originally thought as the muscles strained against the heavy weight. With all the strength she could muster, Hope drew her arm back and threw the heavy object as hard as she could.
Colin let out a roar of pain and surprise as the force of the object hit him on the shoulder. He fell backwards landing on his back. Clutching his injured shoulder, his legs were bent as he moaned in pain trying desperately to regain his composure.
"You bitch!" He screamed.
She witnessed the shock turn into fury.
Hope took his brief derailment as an opportunity and darted for the door making a wild escape. Wrenching the door open, she slammed it shut behind her with enough force to make the wall tremble. She never looked back, didn't hesitate in her heedless rush, didn't stop to think about where she went as she fled down the endless hallway.
Her legs trembled and shook as she stumbled and slammed into the wall. Tears burned her eyes; a knot lodged in her throat as she shoved away from the wall forcing her legs to move.
Rushing down the hall, determined to escape, she glanced over her shoulder and staggered.
Her successful escape was cut short listening to Colin's rapid footsteps behind her.
"I'm just going to catch you." Colin called after her. "There's nowhere for you to go, Lily."
"My name is not Lily!" She shouted.
She had never wanted to hurt someone more than she wanted to hurt him.
As she ran, Hope knocked down a large vase, praying the obstacle would earn her a few extra seconds. The staircase quickly came into her view. Although her kitty heels were low, her ankle nearly buckled beneath her weight as she practically flew down the stairs. Hope didn't know how she managed to reach the end without falling.
She had to stay free of Colin long enough to find a weapon of some sort or break free from the confines of the manor.
The double doors of the entrance were just a few paces ahead. With a cry of relief, Hope raced over the polished tile floor, hands outstretched in her urgency to reach it.
Any sense of Colin's presence was numbed by her fear and anxiety. The only thing she was concentrating on was escaping without looking back in case she might lose her courage.
A small yelp escaped when a hand skimmed her back but when she dove forward, she was slammed into the door so hard, she felt a rib crack. Her ribs screamed in protest. She almost screamed for help, but there would be on one to come to her aid. No one to save her.
Her body bounced off the door, and her teeth clamped down on the inside of her bottom lip, the side of her face exploding in pain. She flew sideways and crashed to the floor, her head ringing and her eyes stinging with tears. With an anguished cry she curled up in pain. She'd forgotten about Colin until he hauled her to her feet and his arms wrapping around her waist and lifted her up before flinging her to the floor once more.
Despite her pain she was numb with fear. Scrambling back, she tried to regain her feet as Colin came at her.
He was over her panting heavily. The fury on his face.
"You will pay for your foolishness, my dear."
He kicks her.
Hope clamped her jaw shut, resentment curling through her as she coughed through the pain.
His eyes were severe when his gaze locked on her.
She glared ferociously back at him despite her agony.
"I hope you die." She muttered bitterly.
The last thing her vision caught was his fist coming fast towards her face.
_________________________________________________
More revelations! More drama, suspense, action and excitement to come.
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Until next Friday!
-Shaz