Cars were dashing fast past her eyes as she saw her own body riding another car. Her destination was unknown as she questioned her presence as a omnipotent viewer. She stared at herself gripping her tummy as the car turns. She saw a fast driving truck being chased by two more cars, and at the split-second of her existence, it crashed dramatically against the car she rode.
"W-Wait…" Her eyes were wide as she screamed for help, but none came. And in the brief silence she experienced, the roads collapsed and everything went black as she woke up in her room panting and drenched in sweat.
"What was that?" she gasped to herself, catching her breath. She tried to calm herself down until a silent knock came.
"Miss, the President has arrived."
Sharmaine's eyes remained wide as she sighed and stood up. She stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror; her hair was messy; her face was bare and her clothes were crumpled. She stretched her body upwards, washing her face afterward. She then changed her clothes and headed outside to pace the empty hallways toward the entrance to greet Iris' arrival.
When the clock rang, the family car arrived; the old maid and Sharmaine standing and greeting Iris, clad in black and looked well-rested, stepping out together with Merry. Sharmaine let her eyes follow both of them.
"Welcome home, Ms. Iris," she said, as she bowed. Iris only giggled and reminded her to call Iris 'mother' next time.
"Y-Yes," they both caught their eyes, "… mother." Iris smiled as she slowly disappeared from Sharmaine's sight. She gazed toward Merry, who seemed more serious and formal, staring upon Iris. Everything about her suddenly felt a mystery, though Sharmaine wasn't in the right position to question Merry.
She smiled warmly. "Welcome home, Merry."
"Good afternoon, Ms. Sharmaine. Do you need anything?"
"Oh, no. I just wanted to greet you."
Merry locked eyes with Sharmaine as the air that surrounded them gradually felt heavier and more awkward, which gave an unsettling feeling to Sharmaine as she had never had this kind of ambience with her. She wanted to approach and ask, however, Merry herself somehow cannot reveal anything about her past, which struck Sharmaine in a different way.
"Miss, the food is ready inside. Would you like to eat?" said the old woman, who smiled at her with bright and slanted eyes.
"Oh, yes. I'll eat together with Merry, but I have some business to attend to."
The old woman nodded and left her sight in an instant, leaving Sharmaine and Merry behind. She batted an eye toward Merry before leaving with a giddy feeling. She paced the quiet halls once more before standing still in front of Iris' office.
She let out a breath before deciding to not continue her plans. Her body was still feeling heavy whilst her heart pounded faster. The office was still, most likely, the same when she briefly last scanned her eyes at the place before speaking at the woman, who stared at her like daggers.
"Mother, what is your secret?"