We had just completed the end of the performance. The response was quite mixed.
People were saying I hurt the model Draken was originally supposed to model with, and that voting for Draken under that circumstance would feel wrong. While others were saying Draken worked hard for this show and that they shouldn't let me ruin it and vote for Draken anyway. There was also the minority that believed it was just one big misunderstanding and that people should just vote, honestly.
"I... I'm sorry!" I couldn't help but apologize to Draken.
"W-what?" Draken and all his team were shocked.
"If you had got someone else to do it, you would have had a better chance at winning. For that, I am sorry. I shouldn't have agreed, knowing how the majority of the public feels about me. I know how much this meant to you. For that, I am sorry," I explained with my head bowed to show sincerity.
The staff seemed speechless, but I didn't pay them much attention.
"But did you have fun?" Draken asked.
I looked up, shocked. I froze. Then I thought about it and shyly uttered the words, "... I did."
No one had genuinely asked if I had fun doing something since my parents passed.
"Then that's all that matters. I had fun too." Draken smile brightly.
That made my heart hurt. I frowned and stated what may very well be the cold truth, "But I might make you lose."
"There's always next year. Did you really think I'd care about losing when I modelled with THE Rose Fleur? The princess of photoshoots? The Flower that shines brightest in pictures?" Draken brought up my old nicknames as he held my shoulders.
"Those are old titles." I pouted.
"Says who? Haters?" Draken frowned.
"Hmph, whatever." I noticed Draken's phone lighting up and vibrating. "Your phone is ringing," I informed.
"Okay," He said, then ran over to it. He received a glass of water as he talked on the phone.
Some of Draken's staff were whispering about me. I guess to them, I must have acted way out of character. Simon hushed them, though.
"Miss Rose, I apologize for their rudeness." Simon had a guilty smile.
"It is fine. I don't mind." I replied.
"Alright. Would you like a glass of water?" He asked.
"Sure." I agreed as I was a bit thirsty.
Crash.
The sound surprised me. Draken had dropped his glass of water, shattering it.
"Simon! Do you have time? Can you drive me to the hospital?" He seemed panicked.
"I can make time since it seems to be an emergency, but you will have to wait for a little." Simon immediately ran off.
"What's wrong?" I asked Draken, as it seemed something serious happened.
"My mother. She's in the hospital. My father was incoherent. I only managed to hear the hospital name and how much he was freaking out about blood being everywhere."
I spread my arms, offering a hug. He hugged me. I patted his back and comforted him. "Don't worry, we'll get there as fast as possible and see what happened. Maybe your father was overreacting? Perhaps it's not that serious. We'll only know when we get there."
"Okay... I'll try to stay calm." Draken forced a smile.
'You don't have to force yourself to smile around me when you're clearly in distress.' I frowned.
Simon soon rushed back and told us he was ready.
I went with Draken. I held his hand the entire way because I could tell he was really panicked because of this. He was cold to the touch and trembling the entire time. The expression on his face wasn't good either.
When we got to the hospital, Draken found out which room she was in, and we rushed over there.
It was room 502... of... Flowerhill Hospital Centre... The name itself already made me emotional. This was the hospital I and my parents were brought to years ago after the accident... And that room... it was my mother's.
When Draken opened the door and I saw his mother laying there in the same bed my mother did years ago... my tears just started flowing.
Draken let go of my hand and ran over to his mother, not noticing the change in my emotions due to his worry.
I faced a corner trying to compose myself because now was not the time to be crying.
"Kenny," I assume that was Draken's mother's voice. It was soft, delicate and kind... and reminded me of my mother's. The tears wouldn't stop. Too many things were reminding me of that day.
"Mom, are you alright? Dad called me all freaked out." Draken said this in an extremely worried tone.
"Oh, that man is such a baby! I'm fine. I slipped, and my leg got cut. It isn't that bad. I did have to get stitches, but honestly, it's fine. See." I assume she showed him the injury.
He sighed a breath of relief, and it sounded like he collapsed to his knees or something like that.
"Who's this lady?" His mother asked.
"Oh she's—"
"Oh? Is it Rose?" She cut him off.
"It is."
"Oh, you're like your father." She sounded smug.
"Mom!" He whined.
"Darling, are you, okay?" She asked in a worried tone. Her voice seemed to be directed at me. They were waiting silently. It was obvious that they were talking to me, but I wasn't composed. But I couldn't keep hiding, either.
I turned around, tears streaming down my face, and uttered, "No."
My mind was a mess and my feelings were all over the place. I'd be lying if I said I was fine.
They were surprised by my tear-filled face and unexpected reply.
His mother was the first to speak, "Oh Honey, come here. What's wrong?"
"I... It would be wrong of me to say such depressing things in this situation." I said that, but I still walked over to her.
"Don't worry about that." She motioned for me to sit next to her, so I did. "Now tell me what's wrong."
"This hospital, this room... it's where my mother died."
"Oh no, sweetheart." She covered her mouth as she softly exclaimed.
"Contrary to what people know, my mother didn't die immediately. She was alive and was in this room. When I visited her, they told me she would make a full recovery. I was so happy. I ran over to her. I sat and talked to her like this. She told me how much she loved me. She told me about the high hopes she had for me. She even apologized for forcing her wishes on me at such a young age and told me why she did it. She ended by saying how much she just wanted me to be happy. She told me to do what I wanted to and live a happy and healthy life. She… she died the next day." I explained as I let the tears fall.
"Oh honey, that must have been so hard on you. You kept all this to yourself?" She asked.
"I did. If I tried to talk about it, I would cry. Mom said I should be happy, so I didn't want to cry. But because of everything happening recently, I broke that promise now more than ever. I let down my parents. I let down my mother."
"Sweetie, do you want to talk about everything? It might make you feel better." She said with a sweet smile. It looked just like Draken's.
"O-okay."
"By the way, my name is Delilah. I'm Draken's mother."
"Nice to meet you." I sniffed.
"Now, feel free to tell me what you want at your own pace." She pet my hair. It was nice.
"Alright," I was trying to contain myself enough, so my voice would not shake when I spoke.
"But first, why are you filming? I know it's your job and all, but now is definitely not the time." She scolded the cameraman that was trying to hide.
"Let them," I stated.
"Huh?" She was surprised.
"I was never able to tell my sister what happened. I think she resented me for that. If they film it, she'll get to hear the truth." I explained.
"Alright, baby. Speak your heart, and it will feel like an invisible weight has lifted." She wiped my tears.
"Okay."