"Good afternoon, Elise." Dr Wagner walked into Claire's room. Claire didn't look towards Anna as her state was fixated on the window.
Anna didn't wait for her response as she sat in the corner of the room on a pouffe like chair. "I understand that what I have said to you a few weeks ago made it feel like a deadline to which you have to stick to and behave right to get what you think is the right outcome. I wish you spoke with me about it earlier as I didn't want you to get this upset." Anna spoke in a surprisingly empathetic way but Claire was too upset to really care. "My deal is still standing. Focus on getting better rather than a mask to meet the milestone. Engage fully. Then I will discharge you from my under my care and get you under the care of Dr Parker who is a very experienced professional. You will be able to move back to your country and do exactly as you want, find a job, your own space, and build your life with her help." Anna sighed. "Rest while you can. Let yourself heal."
Claire wanted to shout that she could only heal once she returned to her loved ones but frankly, she didn't want to be sedated again.
"It's a deal." Claire said as she shifted her gaze to Anna.
She complied, again. She was in a psychiatric hospital before and she knew that resisting it was going to be more difficult than pretending for a while longer.
She lasted that month and Anna kept her word. Claire felt immense relief when she was able to pick her belongings. She opened the box that was stored for her and all she found was her wallet with a fake ID of Elise Cooper. No clothes were there. No jewellery. Her pendant and ring were gone. But at least she was free.
Claire wore plain T-shirt and jeans, with a cardigan, when she boarded the plane. The ticket was provided to her by Anna. She didn't know where the funds came from. She didn't know much.
She only knew that she was going home. She was going back to being her true self.
She landed at the airport near the noon and straight away took a train into the city. Before even finding any accommodation she went to their latest apartment, the last place where she was with Gabriel. She hoped with all of her heart that she will find him there, but at the very least she hoped that someone can point her towards him.
She went up to the right floor and stood in front of what barely became their new home. Her heart was beating loudly as if it tried to break out of her rib cage.
She knocked.
"Who is there?" A woman's voice sounded on the other side of the door.
"Ehh…" Claire hesitated trying to decide who she was going to be. "Elise Cooper."
"What do you want?" A young woman opened the door and looked at Claire suspiciously.
"I-…" Claire stuttered nervously. "I know someone who used to live here. Perhaps you might know where Gabriel is?"
"Gabriel?" Woman asked. "I've moved in as the first person since the apartment was opened a few months ago. No one lived here before me."
Claire went silent. She was the one who moved into the apartment with Gabriel as the first tenants. It was a blatant lie.
"He lived here about four months ago. I highly doubt that." Claire said sternly.
"I can assure you that it cannot be true." The woman closed the door and vanished for a few moments. Claire wondered if she was going to come back but the door reopened. "This is my contract. It was signed mid-April."
"Mid-April?" Claire repeated as she looked down at the paper. Indeed, 13th of April was printed on the document. The date was about three weeks prior to them buying the apartment. It made no sense. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I might've made a mistake." Claire took a step back.
"Is Gabriel someone dear to you?"
"Very." Claire answered honestly.
"I hope that you find him."
"I hope so too." Claire gave the woman a nod and left the apartment building. Once outside, tears streamed down her face. She started to consider a possibility that everything in her head was wrong.
She spend the night in a hotel and in the morning she went out of the city towards Oak Avenue. There was a villa, a different one to hers and Gabriel's, stood on the hill. Claire looked at it with curiosity. If you're rich, four months might be enough to build an entire new place. She approached the doorbell on the gate and she pressed the buzzer.
"Good morning, welcome to Kay villa. How can I help you?"
"Good morning. I-… I was curious if you are aware of the previous owners of the land and their whereabouts?" Claire asked as she clutched onto her handbag. Her hands shook violently.
"I'm afraid not, ma'am. I believe that the house before burnt down some years ago."
"Thank you." Claire replied, trying not to cry.
She proceeded to make her way to the land which Gabriel purchased for their home. She stood in front of the housing development with skeletons of tens of new builds.
There was one more place she thought of but which she was most scared of approaching. She returned to the city, standing in the middle of the familiar square, looking up at the tall and unchanged building. With everything else changed in one form or another, it was a relief to see the Diamond Corporate Building standing tall. Claire took a deep breath and walked towards the main entrance but as she approached it, two security officers stood firmly in front of her.
"Ma'am, do you have an employee pass?"
"No, sir." Claire answered honestly. "I am here to see someone."
"Do you have a meeting arranged?"
"No." Claire furrowed her brows, her forehead creasing in concern.
"You cannot enter with neither of those."
"I know the CEO and owner of this company. Is there any way you can inform either of my presence?" Claire asked beggingly.
"I'm sure that you do." The security guard laughed sarcastically as he grabbed Claire's hand and led her away. "If you do though, ask him for a rise for me."
"Could a receptionist pass a message on my behalf?"
"You can arrange a meeting using the online enquiry form. But… I doubt the CEO will be willing to take his time out of his busy day for this."
"Mr Moore always found time for me before." Claire said in despair but she saw the security guard put a hand on a taser. She backed away in fear. "Since when do you stop anyone from entering?"
"Since I've worked here."
"How long have you worked here for?"
"Months, ma'am. Now, please, get going and stop wasting our time."
Claire bit her lip and walked away defeated.
She continued her day by going to the Julian Estate but to her dismay, someone else lived in her old parents apartment. She continued to her uncle's home and Alex's flat - the same results. No one even heard of them.
Sobbing violently, she went to Zoe's home… some family lived there now. Gina and Joe were gone too. She was desperate enough that she went back to Alexandria Estate but everyone was gone there too.
Everyone she loved so dearly was nowhere to be found and no one even seemed to have heard of them.
Claire returned to the hotel and cried for a long time. Maybe she was crazy after all.