"Magic happens to those who firmly believes." This was the beautiful thought that I woke up with. This quote was so close to my heart because I only used to think as a meaningless thought but now I wanted to believe in it.
I had hospital food which was completely tasteless but according to doctor, that food would give me strength that was needed for me to be completely fit and fine and would allow me to resume my life.
Emily, the sweet nurse who was nearly of my age came to check my pulses and smiled brightly at me. It was 9 in the morning and who would smile so brightly in the early morning?!
I was definitely not a morning person rather I was a night owl.
She checked my pulses and also removed IV that was attached to my arm and now I was free of it as it was itching so much.
"Umm- Alice?" She called my name while I was rubbing my arm. I looked at her nervous face.
"Yeah, Emily?" I questioned.
She hesitated and looked here and there at my empty room. There was no one around in room yet she was nervous. What was with her?
"Alice, do you want to watch tv?" She asked me after a minute of silence.
Really! This was what she wanted to ask me?
"No, I don't want to watch." I smiled at her.
She nods and continued writing at her pad. She was looking at me and when I was looking back, she was averting her eyes. I first ignored it but then it started to make me feel uncomfortable and weird.
I was definitely not looking like a clown, was I?
"What's with you, Emily?" I asked her with a sharp voice. I sounded rude but this was getting into my nerves.
I didn't like when someone stares at me like this. Because from the childhood I was going through this. Those piercing and calculating eyes of people scared me and moreover haunted me. After my defamation, I have faced this a lot. I've been victim of these stares a lot lately.
"I'm sorry." She got shocked and started going out of the room.
"Wait!" I asked her to wait and called her near me. Nobody should be scared because of me. This was the least thing I would ever want.
She slowly approached me. I held her hands in mine and her eyes widened. She wasn't expecting this.
"What's the matter?" I asked her politely.
"Uh- Alice- I was asking you to watch tv because James has done a press conference." She said while looking at me.
Now this got my attention! Press conference for what?
"Conference? Why is there any need to do a press conference?" I asked her. Confusion and surprise were swirling in my eyes.
"He has talked about you in it." She said with worried expression.
"About— me?" I stuttered.
Now what was his plan? Did he want to defame me more? Was this the reason that he saved me so he could torture me more?! He only cared about torturing me. That's it! Don't take that forgiveness as a gesture of kindness! He fooled me.
But no matter what my mind said, my heart did not agree to what my mind said. Somehow, my mind contradicted to my mind when it came to James; which was something that my stupid heart never did before. My heart kept telling me that James was different, that he was not a cruel person, but my mind was only focused on press conference.
"Has he conspired against me again?" I whispered, tears started to fall from my eyes and Emily got shocked. She rushed to me and wiped my tears.
"Is he plotting something?" I asked as tears were brimming in my eyes.
"Stop crying, Alice. There's something special for you in it." She smiled. I was confused at what she was saying.
She went out of my room and came back with a tab. She opened a video and gave it to. I saw that James was sitting in middle and he was surrounded with many cameras and mics. He was looking very firm. He bravely sat there in the middle of many people and faced the Camera.
"I, James Ashton wants to confess something to you all. Alice Miller, who was accused of taking drugs and because of it she was thrown out of the industry is basically innocent." He said firmly. There was passion and madness in his eyes.
I gasped at what he said. What was he doing?! All people around him seemed shocked as well. They all depicted my condition.
"I was behind all these incidents. I wanted to take revenge from Alice about my fiancé's death and that's why I plotted this against her. I wanted to destroy and devastate her. And for this purpose, I got carried away. I didn't think about anything but revenge. She is completely innocent. I'm the person who's guilty. No one is as honest as she is."
I got tears in my eyes and they came down rolling down my cheeks one by one. I was getting back the honour and respect that I lost months ago. My heart was thumping loudly and I was shivering.
But on the other hand, I got worried. What was James doing?! Why was he taking all the blame on himself!? His career and his life would end because of it.
"I have all the proofs which will prove that Alice Miller is innocent and she had nothing to do with the drugs. She should get back all the respect, honour and dignity back that she lost because of me." He said with bold voice.
"Why did you do this? Why you wanted to take revenge from Ms. Alice Miller?" One of the journalist asked from James.
I was waiting for this answer. I wanted to know what would he tell the whole world about his revenge?
He took few seconds to think and replied with a smile.
"I became a mad man after the death of my fiancé and all I wanted was to avenge her. I used to call her animal but in actual, I became animal and animal doesn't have sense and for this I did. Alice is a honest and a loyal girl. She never hurt anyone in her life yet she was the one who was hurt by everybody. I ask pardon from her and I hope Eliza also forgives me." He said with a sad smile. I know how the name of Eliza must be hurting him.
"Then how all of sudden you thought of revealing this truth and accepting your guilt?" Another journalist asked him.
"This is not all of sudden. I was also restless from the day I destroyed her. I destroyed her to get peace in my life but to be honest after that, my life became a burden. I never took a sigh of relief. My conscience and my guilt were eating me up. And today I decided to speak the truth. Truth is always powerful and it never hides from the world. We must loose a little to gain a little more." He said mad smiled. He was calling the wrath of the world upon himself yet he was smiling like a triumphant.
Saying this, he ended the press conference and video was ended leaving me speechless.
I started crying. There were so many emotions going inside my heart and mind. Emily came forward and held my hand in hers and squeezed it to give me comfort. She really was an amazing and nice human being. Within few days, she had grown closeness with me. She encouraged and comforted me.
"I knew you were innocent." She smiled at me.
I smiled back and side hugged her because my ribs were bruised.
"But! Why did James do this?" I said after wiping my tears. This is not good sign for his career and it would have great impact on his life.
"Maybe he was dying of his guilt." She tried explaining me. She asked me to rest but I was so restless. This was what l wanted. I engaged everyone to know that I was innocent but I was too much worried for James.
"Lie down, Alice. You need to rest else it'll hurt your ribs because of the pressure you're applying on them by sitting for so long." She said with worried expression.
I nodded and she helped me in lying. As soon as I lied down, door was opened and I was welcomed by two renowned faces of our modelling industry along with a lawyer. They came and inside and smiled at me.
I looked at Emily and she looked at me. Our eyes were mirroring the same confusion.
What are they doing here?
"Hello, Alice." The president of Shine production said with a smile on his face following the smiles of other people.