"Hello?" I hear her voice from the other side, filling my heart with relief that I remembered the number accurately and that I can get to talk to her. It hasn't been that long since the accident happened, just a few days, but I bet she's been worried about me.

"Nora, it's me, Blanca," I say, clutching the gadget, my knuckles going white.

I can hear the gasp and then a drop, what makes me think she left the phone hit the floor in her surprise, because then I hear her rumbling, probably hurrying to pick it up again.

"Blanca, is it really you? Where are you? Are you okay? What happened? Why didn't you call sooner?" she rants, question after question without a pause to take a breath. "I thought you were dead..." she breaks down then, I can hear her voice wavering as she fights the sobs.

"Mianhae,"I apologise in Korean because all the languages I can speak are clear in my head, more than my own memories. "I was in... a coma? I'm not sure. I was just unconscious for a few days so I couldn't call and when I woke up I didn't remember a thing."

"Are you kidding me? It's not funny, Blanca!"

"I swear I'm not joking! I'm in a hospital bed. I was in the car when the accident happened... I thought... I thought I was going to die, Nora."

"Blanca..." her voice is weak again and I feel like crying myself. I wrap my good arm around my waist, careful with my ribs, trying to keep myself together without breaking down. I need her right now, my best friend to hold me because everything is so unstable.

"I'm okay," I reassure her. "I remember now, and aside from being quite bruised up, everything is fine. I'm not in danger or anything."

"Where are you?"

"I'm not even sure to be honest, but I'll ask and let you know. Can you come, please? Pick me up? I want to go home." I know I sound like a little kid, but I don't care. I have been treated well in here, with Clarisse looking after me and everything, but I just want to go home, to be with my family. And yes, by family I mean Nora and her family.

"Of course. Mum is here, she wants to talk to you, she's here next to me."

"Okay," I agree, waiting for Louise to take the phone, hearing the movement on the other end of the line.

Soon, I can hear Louise's voice calling my name. "Blanca, I can't emphasis enough how relieved I am to know you're okay. We've been so worried about you."

"I'm sorry for making you worry," I apologise immediately, taking deep breaths to calm down.

"It's okay, it wasn't your fault. And I'm sorry to ask you this, Blanca, but your accident... it's thought it was an attack from the activists. The official reports says so, that's the statement they've done but... how to say this?" she struggles to find the words. "It seems odd, the circumstances I mean."

"What do you mean?"

"Blanca..." she sounds exhausted, as if just trying to say this was tiring her. "We can't be sure it was an attack from the activist to get revenge, but we know you're in danger and I fear... I fear Laura had something to do with it."

"What?" I spat, choking on my own spit when I hear the words. "That can't be true. I know she's power-hungry and she hates me, but she wouldn't be capable of that... would she?"

"We can't be sure, but how she's handled things and... Blanca, I know it's hard and I can't be sure, but what happened is weird and we need to be careful. Please, lay low until I tell you otherwise and let me handle this. We'll keep it quiet from Laura for now and see how things go. Whether it was her or the activists, you have to be extra careful."

I'm shaking my head from side to side, refusing to believe something like this is real, but Louise would never joke with something like this.

"I'll handle it all, just wait a bit, okay? Don't contact anyone and let me know the hospital you're in so I can contact them. We need them to cooperate, too."

"Louise..."

"I know, my dear, I know. Don't be scared, we're just being cautious. What we know for sure is that it wasn't an accident, so for your sake, please, listen to me."

"O-okay," I agree, my hands shaking. "I'll put you on the line with Clarisse. She's been taking care of me and can tell you were we are. Please, come soon."

"Will do, Blanca, don't worry."

"Clarisse, um, so Louise, she wants to talk to you. She's... she's like my mum," I tell Clarisse, putting the phone away from my ear to hand it to her. "Can you please... tell her where we are and whatever she asks?"

"Of course, love. Leave it to me, don't worry," she affirms, her tone calming and reassuring.

My hands are shaking when I pass on the mobile, so before putting it against her ear, Clarisse holds my hand, trying to calm me down. She has no idea what's going on, what I've been told, but she's trying to make me feel better and I think that's so considerate of her.

I totally zone out when they start talking, my head spinning, the migraine getting worse. I want everything to be gone again, all my memories, for just a few seconds, enough to let me breathe, but I can't get that wish, I have to deal with the possibilities Louise has put in my head. I trust her, probably more than anyone else I know, aside from Nora, and I know she wouldn't say something like that unless she really suspected my stepmother, but how can someone be like that? How can someone be so greedy and power-driven as to try to kill someone? That doesn't happen in this life, that's just stuff tales are made of. People can't be that mean and despicable... can they?

I want to curl up in a ball and pretend I don't exist in this world, but my bruises and the casts I'm wearing stop me from doing so. I'm stuck on this position, trying to calm down and find meaning and sense to what is happening.

Could my stepmother really try to get rid of me so she wouldn't have to lose the company to me?

What happens if it was really her? If I ended up like this because of her doing, how do I go back home? How can I live under the same roof and feel safe? I'd never know when she tries to strike again, I'd live in panic. I would never be safe from her, even after I inherit the company, because if something happens to me, she's the rightful owner.

When did this melodrama begin?!

I whine, my head killing me because it's just too much: the memories, the shock of the accident and this possibility. I honestly prefer if it was an attack gone wrong from the activists. I could live with that, but I wouldn't be able to live suspecting Laura.

While Clarisse's still on the phone, the doctor and the nurse arrive, nodding her head to the lady on the phone and the focusing on me, coming with the little torch to check my pupils and reactions. I follow the light, focusing only on that, her voice telling me what to do because if I start thinking again I might just start screaming.

"You say you remember?" the doctor asks me and I nod my head. "What's your name then?"

"Blanca Elizabeth Escobar Bello." I reply easily but I don't stop there. "I was born in Chile and came with my family to England when I was still a kid. I'm twenty years old, I live in London with my stepmother. My father died more than a year ago, my mother lives in Chile and I visit her once a year," I recite the facts that will tell her I do remember, whatever was locking my memories—the stress, the trauma—has been removed. "I'm the only heiress to BEEB Group and I'm supposed to step in when I turn twenty-one." I look at her and the wide eyes she's staring at me with. "My accident was planned and I'm not safe, please, don't tell the media. Protect me."

"We need to tell the police then," she says, nodding to the nurse that came with her to start the procedure, but I grab her wrist with my good hand, stopping her.

"Wait!" She just looks at me. "Just wait a bit. Clarisse is on the phone with Louise... she's my guardian and she'll be taking care of this. She's coming for me... just wait."

"Then I need to speak to her, too," the doctor says. "We've been waiting three days to contact your family. If you didn't remember or wake up we would've had to call the police to help find your home. We did report your accident as a being hit by a car, but there were no reports of a missing person in the area. Guess now we know why."

"Please," I ask once again. "Don't report it," I insist.

If Louise is right in her suspicions, then alerting the police will be alerting Laura, and if she knows, then I'm in danger again. She might want to finish what she started. I trust Louise, and if she says to lay low then so I will.

She stares at me, knowing this is not how she should be acting, but probably sensing my distress and as a doctor, she can't make things worse for me.

"There are procedures we need to follow..."

"Like contacting my guardian. She's on the phone!" I beg once again. "Talk to her."

She nods and heads to where Clarisse is still talking, asking for the mobile next. I watch carefully as this happens, feeling my stomach tied in knots, scared of how things might unfold for me now. I really don't know what will happen now, how I'm supposed to go home and continue my life. Will I have to get a bodyguard? Do I go on witness protection program?

No, that can't be. I haven't seen the murderer's face so I don't have to hide, right?

What happens to me now?

"I understand," the doctor is saying. "I trust you will handle everything, including the police report. We'll be waiting. Miss Escobar is stable and out of danger in here. No one will know she's staying with us. I'll make sure of that"

I heave a tired sigh when I hear that. Louise has persuaded her to keep it secret until she comes and fixes it all. Until she tells me what to do and where to go. She'll fix everything, I just have to wait.

"Of course. We'll keep her safe. Hospitals are supposed to save people, not expose them to more danger. I understand the situation."

After a few more words the communications ends and the doctor turns to face me again, her smile reassuring and calm.

"Mrs. Park is coming soon and will take care of everything. She's informed me of the situation, so don't worry, you're safe here. For now, come with me. We need to run more exams now that you remember to make sure everything is fine. It'll be okay, miss Escobar." She smiles, not so warningly but confident.

"Thank you," I mumble, feeling so weak but relieved at the same time. Louise is coming, she'll pick me up and sort things out. I just have to wait a bit more. I can do that much.

❅ ❅ ❅

Hi there and merry late Christmas. I was out in the wilderness, internetless, so I couldn't post sooner. Just came back home today ('cos I have to work tomorrow). I hope you missed the story and liked the chapter (: Things might be going slowly but we can't rush this part, right? It wouldn't be realistic.

Let me hear your thoughts!

Dedication to Cjc8357 

Bel, xx

~updates every Friday... hopefully. Things keep happening!~