My heart is pounding and my hands began to shake. I immediately close my mouth and quickly crawled under the table and reached for the notebook. Then, I quickly crawled back out from under the table and I accidentally hit my head against the edge of the table.
"Ugh!" I groaned and I put my hand on the top of my head in the part where it hits. And I continue crawled back and I sat on the floor.
"Lanie, are you alright?" The panicked Kristine squat beside me.
"I need a couch to lay down for a bit... it's slightly painful... "
"You need to go to Clinic!"
"I'm okay...it's not very painful as you think. Stay calm"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes"
"Wait here, I call someone to carry you"
"LOL. I can walk. Trust me"
"Okay, I will assist you heading to our office"
"Thanks"
Kristine helped me out to stand and walk heading to the office. When we arrived at the office my members are surprised and got panicked when Kristine told them. They are asking the same questions and it's so noisy. I keep on telling them that I'm fine but they don't believe me.
"Lanie, are you alright?"
"Lanie, are you alright?"
"Lanie, are you sure?"
"Lanie, are you sure?"
" Lanie, you need a checkup?
"Lanie, you want to see a doctor?"
I can't take it anymore. They are making my headache worse.
"WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT YOUR MOUTHS" I growled at them. I exhaled loudly.
They shut their mouths and stared at me.
"Lanie..." Kristine asked me worriedly.
Then, my vision went black.
***
I was awakened by the alert of the fever temperature digital. I heard the doctor man talking with Richard outside. I was in the clinic and my bed is covered with a white curtain.
"She doesn't have a fever. Her temperature is normal" The doctor says.
"Ok, doc. Thanks. I'll call if something happens to her"
I heard the door close. Richard gets inside.
"Oh, you awake. How are you feeling right now?"
"Very well" I said honestly.
"Really?"
"I mean it. Can I work now?"
"You need rest"
"Ric, I have a client and you know what event organizer do" I sat up.
" I already give orders to your team "
"What?! Hey! I'm their head, not you! I just passed out and it's not really bad as you think"
"I'm just concerned. Kristine told me earlier that you have a meeting with your client. And you were shocked when she mentioned Jerry Millers. I am interested to know why you were shocked earlier?"
Think Lanie. No one should know Jerry is your ex.
"Actually, I can't believe it that my client is the girlfriend of the billionaire, Jerry Millers. This is my first time to have a client like her and that's why"
"Oh! Okay!"
"Are you expecting that my answer was the same as you think?"
"Yeah... I thought you know him"
"I know him from the album that Kristine let me read. I'm still memorizing all the names of the rich people" I am praying silently that he won't ask again about Jerry. To be honest, I haven't finished reading the album yet.
"And how about us? Can you this remember the memories we had?"
What is he talking about?
"I've had a dream today... there was a boy and a girl playing at the park..."
"You still remember their faces?"
"No...far as I remember they were playing chasing"
"How about the place? weather?"
"I think it's morning or afternoon... it was sunny day that's all I can remember"
"I think that was us"
" huh?"
"When we were kids, we used to go to the park and play with our playmates. I have a picture of us in the park and I hope that picture is the same park in your dream"
I have nothing to say. I just give him a slight smile.
"You know what, I'm happy because of that dream" He sounds merrier like a kid who saw his long lost favorite toy.
I don't know what to say honestly. I'm not sure if he is my cousin. My mom never talks about my cousins and I never heard her talking about me playing in the park with my cousin and playmates.But, Richard is still forcing me to believe him. Sometimes I think he wants to destroy my relationship with my mom. I don't want to be suspicious to my mom. I love my mom so much. I know she never betrayed me. I trusted her.
"Take a rest today. I'll drive you home " Richard said.
" I'm okay now. I can manage myself "
" Please, you know that I'm concern about you. You're my cousin "
" Ric, please" I feel awkward. He's like a clingy boyfriend. I'm not used of this. Jerry is not clingy.
" What if someone will see us? " I asked worriedly.
" no one will see us. Someone will guard us."
"You have a secret watcher? "
" Yeah, let's go now "
We carefully leave the clinic together. Ric will wait for the order from his watcher through using his Bluetooth earphone. I'm curious who's that watcher. I'm wondering if that watcher is watching me.
We luckily left the company. Everytime he does this I'm really nervous. I don't want to have trouble in my work. I don't want to lose my job.
" Ric, I don't like this honestly " I said firmly.
" You will get used to it"
"We are not close and why are you doing this to me? "
" Coz you are my cousin. I treat you as my sister "
"I still don't believe you. I called you Ric and it doesn't mean you are my cousin already. Sometimes I'm wondering if you are pretending to be someone else. What you said earlier it makes me confuse. I don't understand what you said everything"
" I know it's hard for you to believe it. Someday, you will believe it when you know the truth "
" What truth? " This really made me curious.
" You'll find it when we go to my house now " He turned the right path which is not my path heading to my apartment.
"Ric, you said you will drove home"
"I've changed my mind"
" Just tell me here! I don't want to go to your house!" What if this man is a rapist, murderer... what if he will hostage me!
"Lanie, why are you scared? I'm not murderer or rapist"
"I don't know you! We are strangers! I don't have a cousin! My mom never talked about you!"
" That's why I'm taking you at the house so that you can remember your past memories"
"I don't have an amnesia!"
He turned his face to smirked at me.
"I don't think so. I know you "
"Are you stalking me?"
"You have many stalkers, Lanie"
" How did you know?"
"You'll know when we arrive at my house"
We arrived at his enormous elegant house. He parked his car at the garage area. He escorted me to his secret room. I thought we will go to living room first.
I just remain silent.
He unlocked the secret room and then we get inside. The room is neat and big. I saw polaroid pictures hanging on the wall. Ric went to the other room while I am watching the square picture frames of him with 2 elders on the shelf above the TV. And the other picture frame is 2 thin women and pudgy woman. I immediately recognized the face of Blake. She was thin in the picture and now she's fat.
I heard the door closed.
"Ms. Blake is your mom?"
" No. She's my aunt. My mom died when I was little. Aunt Blake adopt me" He stood beside me.
"I'm sorry"
"That pudgy woman who has black hair is my mom. Her name is Jackie" He said
"And that one?" I pointed the golden brown hair woman.
"That is Claudia, my aunt too. Anyway, it's your turn now"
We turned around and I saw a Large Big Plastic Storage Box and Brown Poppin Box Bench on the floor. He opened the big plastic storage box inside of it is a dusty old newspaper.
He handed me a newspaper and he said " Read the headline "
I get the newspaper from his and read the headline.
Watty's Daily: Fifty people killed in the explosion on a cruise ship in London
Monday, May 4, 1995.
"That was the time you disappeared and that was the second tragic happened to Blake's family. First, was the burnt house in London when you are still a baby and I is 3 years old. Your brother died that time" Ric said sadly.
"I have a brother?" I asked cluelessly.
"Yes, you have never seen him before. He died at the age of 13. He has bronchial asthma and he didn't survive. We don't have pictures left of him because everything was burned. In the cruise ship incident, according to the investigators, your whole body was burnt and they can't do the DNA test. Then, my family believes him except me because I believe you are still alive. In the cruise ship, there are many children whose body burnt"
" What if I'm not your cousin"
"It's you! I was depressed of your absence in the past years! I started looking for you at the age of 13. Aunt Blake thought I was insane because runaway just to look for you! When Aunt Blake hired bodyguards to watch over me. I can't escape them anymore. But someone helps me looking for you. It's my girlfriend volunteered herself to protect you"
I can't believe what I just heard his girlfriend volunteered herself just to protect me!
"What's the name of your girl name?"
" Nicole Collins"
" I have a friend named Nicole Collins"
"That's her, Lanie"
Ric opened the Brown Poppin Box Bench get 5 pictures and showed it to me.
"That's us! Did she sent pictures to you?" My eyes widened.
"Yes"
" Where is she now? I've been looking for her"
"She passed away last year. Her body was found in the lake" He said melancholy.
" No, that's not true! She's alive!"My eyes were filled to the brim with tears.
He pulled me into his arms and I cried over his shoulder hard. I can't believe my friend is gone last year. Nicole is always with me whenever I worked. Our intestine is connected. If I resign, she resigns too. We treated like sisters. Nicole is such a great and sweet friend. She is always with me in hard times. And now, she's gone! That was quick. Without knowing, she is the girlfriend of Ric. She spent her time to me than him. She even sacrifices herself to me.
I pulled out " Who killed him?"
"Still unidentified"
" I want to find the murderer! He needs to pay what he has done to her! If Nic told me before I think she is still alive today"
"Her life is in peril since college when we became lovers. We have stalkers not only you. Jeopardy brought to the people who are part of your world and my world too. I need to protect you because I promise to your brother and Nicole. And... you haven't known your past yet. Your life is filled with much confusion and lies. I need you to believe in me. I need your cooperation because this is for your own good. It's only me can help you. You need to know everything"
I nodded.
I never thought I will come up like this. I didn't know my friend, Nic was dead because of me.
What kind of person am I?
***
I am sorry for having kept you waiting for so long. In the past weeks, I prioritize my school requirements first.