John placed his right hand on his face, feeling it carefully.
"Whose face is this, and why do I feel like this?" he muttered in shock, touching his nose, forehead, ears, and lips, trying to grasp the situation. He still couldn't believe he was looking at someone else.
"Maybe it's a mask," he thought, pinching his cheek. But the pain made him wince, "Argh!" It was real.
Panicking, John left the bathroom and sat down on the chair beside the bed, quietly trying to make sense of everything.
"First, last night I went to see a Nolan movie in 3D,
Second, I booked food and drinks and relaxed while watching the movie,
Third, I watched until the ending, which had a huge twist that made me shout 'HOLY SHIT!'... and then...
I ended up here, leaving my middle-aged body and waking up in a young boy's. His name is Max, but I don't know his age or background."
"Okay, I get it now. This isn't some movie or drama, and it's not a mental hospital. That lady is probably Max's mother. If I were married, my son would be about his age too. And these people are rich—judging by the room and bathroom—but how rich, I don't know. My general knowledge ends here."
"The main question is, how did I die? Who killed me? And is this Earth or another world? Or... her ex killed me? Damn, so many questions, and I don't have a single answer. What do I do now? Should I just live as Max? But calling someone my age 'Mom' every day is going to be so awkward. I'll just take it slow and figure it out," John thought, carefully analyzing his situation.
"Shit... this is real. And this handsome face belongs to Max and now I'm Max ."
As Max (formerly John) was deep in thought, suddenly there was a knock at the door.
Knock, knock...
"Young master, may I come in?" came the voice of a confident man. The sound snapped Max out of his thoughts, and he glanced toward the door, responding, "Come in."
Hearing the permission, the man gently opened the door and stepped inside. He was a handsome, six-foot-tall man, with a dusky complexion, appearing to be around 30-32 years old. Max just stared at him, saying nothing, as his memories from the original body hadn't returned yet. He didn't recognize the man and simply observed him in silence.
"Good morning, young master. My name is Tom, and I am the butler of the Kingston family," Tom introduced himself, noticing Max's confused expression.
"A wise butler... He understood my confused face right away, and this family's name is Kingston. Hmm... Max Kingston. I like the name. And where am I now? This seems like the modern age, but they call me 'Master' instead of 'Sir'...," Max thought to himself, while preparing to reply to Tom.
"Good morning, Tom," Max said, feeling a bit relieved by Tom's understanding nature.
"If you have any questions, young master, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll provide all the information you need," Tom said confidently.
"Sure, Tom," Max replied.
"Breakfast is ready," Tom said, bringing a wheelchair from the corner and placing it in front of Max.
"I can walk, Tom," Max said, getting ready to stand up as he eyed the wheelchair.
"You don't have the strength yet. It will be difficult for you to walk. Dr. Nelson advised that you should use the wheelchair for a few days," Tom reminded Max of the doctor's recommendation.
"Alright, understood," Max said, accepting his limitations. He realized his body was still too weak to walk long distances. He had only managed to go from the room to the bathroom by holding onto the walls for support. He sat in the wheelchair.
And it started moving automatically as it followed Tom. They left the room and made their way toward the elevator, as Max's room was on the third floor. As they moved, Max's eyes took in the grandeur of the mansion. The entire place gave off a futuristic vibe, and everything felt luxurious. After a short ride in the elevator, they arrived at the dining room.
"Wow... This is the most beautiful house I've ever seen. Maybe my luck is finally changing," Max thought, feeling a sense of happiness as he admired the home.
Max's mother entered the room just as Max sat down for breakfast. Seeing him seated, she joined him at the table.
"How are you feeling, my baby?" she asked with a gentle smile.
"Ah... 'baby' again, I'll just have to bear with it," Max thought, feeling slightly frustrated. He awkwardly responded, "I'm feeling better, M...Mom." It felt strange and awkward for him to call her "Mom," but he managed to say it.
"I'm so happy today! It feels like such a wonderful, joyful day," she said, her eyes welling up with tears of happiness. She quickly wiped them away before calling out, "Tom."
Tom approached her and, leaning in, whispered, "Dr. Nelson informed me that after being in a coma for five years, the young master may show signs of memory loss. However, there's no need to worry—his memory will gradually return with time." He relayed the doctor's words to her.
"Okay," Max's mom sighed with relief and looked back at Max with concern but also hope in her eyes.
"Let's start breakfast, Max," she said with warmth in her voice. She began to eat, and Max, feeling a bit more at ease, started enjoying his meal as well. Seeing her son eating happily filled Max's mother with an overwhelming sense of joy, making her feel like she was in heaven.
After finishing breakfast, Max and his mother moved to the sofa and sat down, talking casually.
"There's no need to worry, Max. Whether you remember the past or not, it's okay," his mother said, though Max could sense she was hiding deeper concern. It felt like she didn't want him to recall some painful memories, perhaps fearing that he might attempt suicide again. That thought alone seemed to weigh on her mind. "There's no need to force anything," she continued softly.
"Alright, Mom. " Max replied
" You should rest now. I have some meetings to attend, and I'll come see you after I finish, okay?" she said, gently brushing Max's hair before standing up and leaving.
As she walked away, Linda, their housekeeper, noticed her joyful expression. "Madam looks so happy today; I haven't seen her like this in years," Linda commented to Tom.
"Yes, Linda, I feel the same. It's a good feeling," Tom agreed with a nod, pleased to see her in such good spirits.
Linda then approached Max, holding a small tray. "Here you go, Young Master. Please take your medicine," she said, handing over the pills Dr. Nelson had prescribed.
After Linda gave Max the medicine and left to do her work.
Max took the medicine without complaint, then stretched out on the sofa, his legs extended, and lay back comfortably.
Seeing him lying down like that made Tom a bit uneasy. Concerned, he asked, "Young Master, are you feeling alright?"
Max glanced at Tom's worried face and replied, "I'm fine, Tom. I just like to lie down like this." His tone was calm, reassuring Tom that everything was okay.
Tom remained seated on a chair nearby.
"Tom, can I ask you something?" Max hesitated as he spoke, feeling a bit nervous since everything in this new life still felt unfamiliar.
"Of course, young master. You can ask anything," Tom replied, his tone reassuring.
Max glanced around the luxurious house before asking, "What's our net worth?"
Tom found the question a bit surprising but decided to answer it plainly. "350 million. We're ranked 49th on the Low Class list."
Max shot up from the sofa, stunned. "Holy Moly... I'm a freaking rich boy! A millionaire!" he screamed internally, his heart racing with excitement.