Five years quickly went by, and my brand was named 'Miracle Swan (MS)'. It had spread far and wide and exceeded my expectations. However, this forced me to work hard; the latest collection would have to be better than the last.
I was honored to dress the First Lady of Dun Country, and this further opened my brand to a wider and more influential audience. The price of the clothes skyrocketed, but I wanted to reach everyone, and this wasn't doing it for me.
Michelle, therefore, put forth an idea: there would be ranks within the 'MS' brand—the influential rank and the ordinary rank. This would satisfy both sides. I quickly agreed.
As I was in my office going through the spring break collection, Michelle stopped by.
"I will soon stop by again to see Archie and Tracy. As an aunt, I have to show responsibility!" Michelle said.
"No problem," I smiled as I said. Archie and Tracy were twins, the children that came from Richard and my union. They had just turned 3 years old. Michelle always stopped by to buy them this and that; the children also liked their aunt. Richard would always have to struggle to get her to leave the house after coming to see the kids.
In the evening, I hurriedly left the office and headed home. We had planned with Richard to return early and choose an elementary school for the children.
When I reached home, I heard giggles and laughter inside. I smiled as I headed in.
"Archie, drop that toy! I told you not to buy such useless toys for the children!" I heard Richard sternly tell the detached Michelle.
"Richard," I softly called.
"Honey, please explain to Michelle that the toys she buys for the kids don't make sense!" Richard whined as he headed towards me, gently hugging me and resting his head on my shoulder.
I softly soothed him as I helplessly looked at Michelle. Archie and Tracy excitedly ran towards me. "Mom!" they shouted as they called, hurriedly running.
"Don't run around; slow down!" I said.
Archie and Tracy reached us and tried separating Richard from me. "These little demons, I am your father! Swan is also mine!" Richard reprimanded, but Archie and Tracy didn't seem to take his words seriously.
"Serves you right. Archie and Tracy love my toys. Why are you always trying to snatch them away from them?" Michelle said as Aunt brought in refreshments.
I quickly picked up Archie as Richard carried Tracy, who just wanted to be carried by me as she raised her hands in my direction.
"Behave. Do you want ice cream?" Richard told Tracy. When Tracy heard "ice cream," her mood brightened up, and she forgot her former struggle.
"These children are always quiet and lovely during the day, but when their aunt stops by, they quickly chatter," Aunt said with a gentle smile. There was a nanny to take care of the children, but Aunt still insisted on taking care of their every need; she treated them like her own children.
"What is she teaching them? Just making them mischievous," Richard said.
Michelle snorted before picking up her fruit juice and slowly sipping it.
"Let's go and choose a school for these two," I said.
"Okay, my secretary has already drafted a few good schools in Dun. Let's go check them out," Richard replied as he placed Tracy in the high chair and set the refreshments before her. I also did the same with Archie.
We then headed upstairs. When we reached Richard's room, he immediately kissed me as he gently pulled me to him.
"What can I do, swan? The more I stay with you, the more I want to tell the world that you are mine," Richard said helplessly.
I kissed him back and softly encouraged him to do so. "Even if my memories return, nothing will change. If you want to tell the world, go ahead. This coming season, I will also finally reveal my face to the masses; I am tired of hiding," I said.
"Really?" Richard asked.
"Really," I replied.
Richard proceeded to kiss my eyelids, nose, and lips gently as he tightly hugged me. I knew that if we didn't stop, things would go awry.
"The schools, Richard," I reminded him as I gently tapped his back.
"They can wait," Richard replied amidst kissing.
"Nope, we have to quickly find one today and register the kids," I said, holding his head in place. I could see a whining expression on his stone face as he looked at me, and I gently chuckled.
"We are tied at the hip; we also have all the time in the world," I reminded him. He slightly relaxed, and we headed towards the computer.
We chose a good school with good security for the kids and sent an application.
"Everything is done. I hope Archie and Tracy love the school," I worriedly said.
"You worry so much. Children around the world go to school; nothing ever happens. Plus, Timmy will be driving them to and from school. The kids also love Timmy," Richard said.
My heart finally went to rest. I wasn't worried about the security; it's just that I have never separated from them since birth. When I thought about separation, I felt deep pain in my chest as though I would forever not see them. I just don't know where that feeling came from.
We finalized the twins' school application and registration. We received the children's uniforms and bought everything that they needed for school. Richard or I would pick them up from school if we had time, but if not, then Timmy would do so.
I was preparing for my upcoming collection. I had decided to reveal myself to the public. I didn't care what my memories were; I had already considered them as my past.
My back, stomach, left side of my eye, and some areas on my arms had scars that refused to go away. This inspired my next collection, "Scars." I quickly worked on my collection for about two months.
I posted on my social media page that I would be releasing a new collection called "Scars." There were various excited voices screaming for me to show my work and face.
I commented and told them that with this collection, I would finally reveal my face to the masses. Over 5 million commenters liked my comment, and others shared it to various platforms. Different bloggers were guessing if I was a man or a woman, etc. It became a huge conversation in different circles.
Today, I was free, so I went to pick up the twins. I had now assimilated with the Dun way of life. I was wearing black jeans, a white vest, a brown leather jacket, the "Ms" bag that I had in my previous collection, and some simple stilettos.
When I arrived at the twins' school, a woman walked towards me. All her clothes screamed luxury; I guessed she was one of the parents.
Most people who took their children to this school had money—not in a bad way, but the school was beyond expensive for any ordinary family.
"Hello, I am a parent here. Are you also a parent?" the woman asked.
"Yes," I replied as I turned towards her.
"Well, I had placed an order for the 'Ms' bag, but I was told that they had made only five of them. I was greatly disappointed. I wonder how you were able to get one?" the woman asked.
I was suddenly startled. I had made only five bags just for the trial stage; I didn't think I had experience when it came to bags. I guess people still loved them?
"Well, I know someone there; that's how," I politely replied.
"No wonder," the woman said before she walked ahead towards a chubby crying boy.
I also saw the twins laughing happily with some other kids. It seems this school was a great choice.
I led them to the car, not before thanking their teacher for the help rendered. I knew what a headache these children were at this age.
"Did you love school?" I asked Archie and Tracy as I buckled their seat belts.
"Yes! Mom! I met Stancy! She loves ice cream!" Tracy said.
"Slow down on the ice cream; it will cause tooth decay," I warned.
I patted their heads as I sat beside them. Timmy then drove us home in between Tracy and Archie's bickering.
Suddenly, I received a text message. Quickly, I picked up my phone and read it; my heart slowly jumped. "I know who you are, Shiba," the text read.