CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The chef presented the mirror to Cherry with a gentle bow, saying, "Here it is, ma'am."
Then, quietly, she turned to leave.
"Don't forget to take your soup, ma'am," she reminded Cherry.
Cherry nodded absently, her gaze fixed on the back turned mirror 'Nhm,' she murmured, a soft sound of acknowledgement.
Cherry's hands trembled slightly as she placed the mirror on her lap, the coated surface facing her like an unopened book.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly turned the mirror towards her face.
Her eyelids fluttered open, and she gazed into the glass with hope.
But instead of her own familiar features, she was met with the same stranger's face - Amy's face - staring back at her.
Cherry's frustration boiled over, and she exclaimed, "¡Rayos...!"(Darn).
Had the therapist deceived her? Was she still trapped in that dream?
But the memory of the therapist's words echoed in her mind:
'Who knows, you'll be back to normal after the injection.'
She felt her grip on reality begin to slip, and a terrifying notion took hold:
Maybe the therapist thought I'd lost my mind.
The injection, the sleep, it all made sense now. It was a treatment reserved for those who had succumbed to madness.
Cherry's eyes widened in horror as she realized the truth. "I was the fool,"she whispered scornfully.
"I let them deceive me." Her mind reeled as she thought back to the therapist's words, the nurse's gentle touch, the chef's concerned glances.
"Had they all been treating her like a fragile, poor, broken thing?"
In a flash of determination, Cherry steeled herself against the chaos swirling within.
"I won't let anyone fool me like this anymore! I'd find a solution myself!"
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Cherry's peaceful morning was shattered when a squad of maids came marching into her room door, doorbell clanging wildly as they brought a whirlwind of activity with them.
With a fluid motion, Cherry slid off her bed and onto the waiting sliders, gliding effortlessly across the floor to throw open the door.
The troupe of maids burst in, a whirlwind of activity as they stripped away her sleepytime robe and got to work on their morning ministrations.
Facial creams were applied, nails were buffed and polished, and Cherry was transformed from sleepy maiden to radiant princess.
Just then, a stylish woman swept into the room, her fashion sense radiating confidence.
The maids curtsied and stepped aside as she began taking Cherry's measurements with precision.
"No te confundas (Don't be confused) Miss Amy," the designer explained with a warm smile.
"Lady Yo requested a wardrobe overhaul for your first day back at work, since your dismissal happened, she was worried that your experience might have left you a bit...altered, and your old clothes might not fit quite right."
"Cherry's eyes widened in surprise, her mind racing with a witty retort. She thought to herself,
If this is skinny, then Amy must have been a voluptuous goddess.
As Cherry looked at the wardrobe, she couldn't help but think of the countless dresses that would be left behind.
Would all these beautiful gowns be cast aside like yesterday's trash? she wondered.
She voiced her concern aloud, "Will all the dresses in the closet go to waste?"
The fashion designer, still busily taking Cherry's measurements, nodded matter-of-factly,
"Por supuesto (Of course), Ma'am. A wardrobe change means out with the old, in with the new. Remember, we can't have you looking like a relic of the past, can we?"
"But can't we find a better use for them?" she asked.
"Like what, miss?" the fashion designer asked, her pencil poised over her notebook.
"Like donating them to charity homes,"
Cherry suggested, her eyes sparkling.
The fashion designer's laughter was immediate and uncontrollable, her body shaking with mirth.
"Charity homes?" She choked out, wiping tears from her eyes.
"You? Suggesting charity? It's so...unexpected. Coming from you."
Cherry's face flushed with embarrassment as the designer's words.
"I mean...ummm it would be a good idea," the designer stammered, retrieving back her words in a whisper.
Cherry's smile faltered, and for a moment, the designer wondered if she'd overstepped.
She was already expecting a big scolding from Amy at her pricey joke.
But then, Cherry's mind wandered, lost in thought, as she pondered the fashion designer's reaction.
Amy must have been quite the character, if suggesting charity sounded so outlandish.
The designer's voice broke into her reverie, "Ummm, ma'am..."
Cherry's gaze refocused, and she saw the woman's contrite expression, one eye closed in a tentative appeal for forgiveness.
"I hope I'm forgiven for that statement," the designer said.
Cherry was just confused, "What statement?" She asked with a furrowed brow.
The designer's eyes darted away, and she hastily backpedaled, "Oh, nothing, nothing...I've finished the measurements.
I'll have some of the dresses ready for you before your work hours today."
"Ok," Cherry said with a dismissive voice, as she waved her hand in a gesture of release.
But just as the designer turned to flee, Cherry's voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Wait..."
The designer's heart skipped thinking she'd been caught out by her statement.
Cherry's eyes narrowed slightly, her lids drooping as she asked,
"Do you believe in curses?"