Slowly, Amelia's eyes parted open, and a gray ceiling greeted her sight first. With a faint groan, she tried to sit up.
However, she was forced to lay down again by a sudden pain in her head. She felt like the intense pain was about to pull her whole hair off. The pain caused her to shut her eyes again.
She lay flat, strong at the ceiling, trying so hard to collect her thoughts bit by bit. Everything came rushing in like a mighty ocean.
After a few seconds of battle with her mind, a single tear rolled down her face. She felt as if her whole life was cursed.
Her hand instinctively reached to cradle her abdomen, protectively holding on, as if a life still existed in there. A raw surge of anguish flickered across her face.
Her mind flashed back to the first few weeks she knew Daniel before their wedding, evoking bittersweet moments. After her father's death, those were the one moments in her life that had a tiny taste of happiness in it. She let out a sorrow-filled laugh and laid sideways, hugging her knees to her chest.
Also, Diana!
Remembering Diana, her face turned sour, and she gritted her teeth in hate and regret. She regretted everything and her existence. How could she be so dumb to grow up with a snake and call her a friend all through the years?
How could she have been so blind?
Her quiet moment was interesting abruptly when the door suddenly opened, and a strange woman walked in.
Amelia immediately sat up in fear. Wait, where was she? Was she still at Cullen's place?
The woman took slow steps towards her, with a gentle smile spread across her lips. Amelia bowed her head to the floor, and the hairs at the back of her hair stood.
"You're awake," the woman said softly, watching her steps. She tried her best not to take Amelia unaware. Cullen explained everything that happened to her already, and she didn't want to add to the poor woman's mental stress.
Amelia slowly raised her face. She met the older woman's eyes and asked, "Is this Mr. Hernandez home?"
The older woman nodded, and only then did Amelia's mind relax gradually. For some seconds there, she feared Cullen's might have abandoned her.
She felt sore all over her body and decided to ask again, "How long have I been unconscious?"
"Five days," the woman replied.
Amelia gasped lightly. Irrespective of her surprised gasp, the woman continued, "I'm so happy you're awake. It's 9 pm already, do you have a special meal you would want me to prepare for you?"
"No, thank you," Amelia lightly refused the woman. She learned the hard way not to trust every smile someone flashes your way. This woman's sweetness disturbed her.
The woman nodded softly. She walked directly to Anelai and stood before her. Amelia's body jolted when the woman stood before her.
"I mean no harm," the woman assured, seeing Amelia's wary reactions.
Amelia nodded with a watchful smile, "I know that. People tend to mean no harm until you're getting in their way," she said as advice and shifted away from the woman.
'I wish I knew this earlier,' Amelia thought, a silent tear leaving her eyes. Recalling the woman's presence, she immediately wiped her tears with the back of her palm and maintained her composure.
Mrs. Hernandez smiled softly at Amelia. She stretched her hand out for a handshake and reluctantly, Amelia accepted it.
"I'm Mrs. Hernandez, Cullen's mother," she introduced herself and drew her hand to herself.
Amelia stared at her for a few seconds before nodding in acknowledgment. When Amelia scanned herself, she smiled shamefully seeing herself in the same outfit as the day she lost her child.
Even if she had been in the same clothes as five days ago, she was thankful they made no effort to undress her. If they had, they would have caught sight of her ugly bruises.
Amelia's eyes searched the room she was in. It looks luxurious, too luxurious for her taste. Well, she swallowed it.
She can't complain about an act of kindness offered to her. This was just a temporary stay. Soon, Cullen might kick her out.
"I should excuse you," Mrs. Hernandez suggested. She waited for Amelia to say something. When Amelia said nothing and just gave her the silent treatment, she walked towards the door and exited the room, giving Amelia the privacy her mind required.
Amelia looked around the room after the woman left. Luckily, she found her phone on the lampstand. She turned away from it with a sad glee in her eyes, knowing no one cared.
However, a part of her pushed her to pick up her phone. Unable to resist the urge, tears rolled down her cheek. And with trembling fingers, she licked up the phone.
Without expectations, Amelia unlocked her phone. In the next second, her eyes widened in denial. For the first time in forever, she saw missed calls from Daniel.
Caught off guard by the sudden notification on her phone, she tightened her grip around her phone, her knuckles whitening as her heart darkened.
Amelia tossed the phone beside her, "He was the only person who called," she muttered to herself and came down from the bed.
Opening a transparent door that looked like a bathroom, she pushed the curtain aside, and her guess was right.
She hurriedly walked into the bathroom to freshen up. She can't stand her scent anymore. The first thing right before the shower door was a huge mirror.
Curious to know what she looked like, she stood before the mirror and stared at herself. She wasn't surprised to find her eyes dilated as if she had been on drugs. She had been asleep for days, and still, there was no change in her. She looked worse than a skeleton.
She felt a powerful kind of ache inside her. Half joy and terrible sadness washed over her at the same time.
"I'll make you pay for all of these Daniel. I married a monster with blindfolded eyes but now is your turn. You are going to greatly regret being a monster before me,"
She raised her bangs off her forehead and looked at the straight scar resting there.
"And you mother, I would make you wish you never gave birth to me," she chuckled without emotion, "In the past, I would cry whenever you said those words. But not anymore, right now, I want you to say them more often. They sound like music to my ears,"
She let go of her bangs, allowing them to rest on her scar again. Placing a hand in her lower abdomen, and staring at the mirror, unblinking.
"And to you, Diana, I would have forgiven you for everything in a heartbeat. Well, I think it's time for you to pay. You left a nasty scar in my heart and I can't wait to partake in the fun. Let's see who would cry the loudest," she chuckled ominously and smiled at herself.
Time passed by, and how long she stood there, she had no idea.