She slowly opened her eyes and it took her barely one minute to recognise her surroundings and less than that to remember how she got there in the first place.
A cry, so awful she couldn't believe was hers, tore out of her. A nurse she barely recognised and the doctor she knew only too well came rushing to her room. She screamed and struggled to get up. It was then she realised that she was tied to the bed. She looked at the doctor accusingly.
"I'm sorry, Kiara. I had to. I was afraid you would take your loss very badly", said Dr. Angelina.
Kiara laughed bitterly. "Take my loss badly? How does one take the loss of one's child, huh?"
"I know. I'm sorry Kiara. Just breathe, okay?"
Kiara nodded and took three very deep breaths. She closed her eyes and let the tears flow freely. The doctor nodded to the nurse, who smiled and excused them. Dr. Angelina sat by Kiara on the bed.
"I know this is not a good time to discuss this but we had to carry out investigations. We found out that the baby had died three days ago".
Kiara was speechless and could only nod in silent approval. That was the day he punched her, she thought.
"Kiara?" said the doctor, interrupting her thoughts. Kiara looked up at her. "Are you being abused?"
She shook her head too quickly. Dr. Angelina held her hand and lowered her voice.
"You know you can tell me anything right?", she asked. The same question echoed in Kiara's mind. It had been asked before but it was Vivian, who had asked then.
"No. Honestly, I'm fine", said Kiara.
"But we saw bruises, Kiara", the doctor's voice softened even more. "Does your husband beat you?"
Angelina felt and saw her shiver. She also noticed how she'd paled, she looked paler than she had when the death of her baby had been announced to her.
"No, no, no", she said and shook her head continuously. She went quiet for a full minute. Suddenly, she looked up. "I want to go".
"No", said the doctor, her tone firm. "I can't discharge you in this condition. You have to rest for at least a full week or you may pass out".
"I don't care, okay? I need to leave this place".
"Why? Are you afraid he'll come here?"
For a second, the doctor thought she saw her panic but it was gone before she could act on it.
"No, he can't hurt me. No one can. Please, you need to let me go".
"I'm sorry but it's against our protocol".
"Damn your protocol! I need to leave!", then her tone softened. "Please, I'll come back for treatment, I promise".
Dr. Angelina pitied her. "Where do you want to go?"
"I just want to speak to my dad. I promise, I'll come back".
"You can call him right?"
"No, I have to speak to him, face-to-face. He won't pick my call".
The doctor tried to look away but felt sorry for her. She sighed and untied her. "You know this can cost me my job right?".
Kiara smiled. "I won't let that happen. And I will make it up to you ".
"Don't stress yourself, okay?", warned the doctor as Kiara hugged her.
Kiara nodded and walked carefully out of the hospital with Angelina. She hailed a cab and was driven to her parents house.
She paid the driver- thank God she was with cash - and walked towards the gate. She entered the pass code and walked straight in. She glanced at her watch with its broken glass and noticed that it was 3am.That was the only reason why the gate was left unguarded. Not that that made it alright. She had always thought her parents were lax with security. However, that was no longer her business.
She walked through the second gate and straight to the front door. She pressed the door bell.
Perhaps they're asleep, she thought. She knocked on the door severally without any response. Finally, she heard someone turn the doorknob and she saw Maria, the housekeeper.
"Oh my heavens!". Maria's hand flew to her mouth at the sight of Kiara, who looked nothing like herself.
Kiara managed a wan smile "Do I look that bad?"
"What happened to you? Are you alright? Oh…" she continued fussing as she hugged Kiara's emaciated body.
"I'm…fine", Kiara managed when Maria finally let go of her.
The night wind reminded her that she was going to catch a cold if she didn't enter soon.
"Can I come in?" Kiara sensed Maria's hesitation and got worried.
"I'm afraid I can't let you in my darling"
Shock obvious on her face "Why not?"
"Because I said so."came a voice from behind Maria.
Maria froze and turned to look at the source of the voice who ordered her to return to her room.
"But she is…" started Maria but the woman held up a hand which signalled no room for argument and dismissed her. Maria nodded and gave Kiara a hurt and sorry look before going away.
Kiara looked up to the face of the intruder and smiled bitterly. "Mother".
"Daughter", said Jennifer in such a way that actually matched the sorry and surprised look on her deceitful face.
One would actually think she cared, thought Kiara.
"Let me in mum, please." She pleaded.
Instead, her mum stepped out into the chilly night and closed the door.
"What are you doing here by this time, Kiara? And why do you look so pale?" asked Jennifer.
Kiara smiled bitterly as tears welled up in her eyes.
"How can you ask me that, huh? You know why I look pale so why ask? I do remember telling you I got married to a wife beater, or didn't I?"
Her mother sighed and looked at her in differently.
"Are you here because of that? Honey, I told you that not all marriages are rosy and totally sweet. Sure, it's not good for a husband to beat his wife but sometimes that's just how it is. Now, I need you to go back to your husband's house?"
Kiara had been listening to her mother's pearls of advice but the last statement cut something in here loose.
"What?! I am not going back to that... animal!" she said angrily.
"You will because I won't let you into this house. No daughter of mine will come back home after marriage, not for anything except a dead spouse."
"Really? Maybe I should kill him then."
"Kiara! Act like a wife and go and plead to your husband." said Jennifer.
Kiara swallowed her tears and scoffed. "Plead to myhusband?' Are you even listening to me?
"You are with child, for heaven's sake!"
"There is no child!" Kiara shouted. "There is no baby."
Kiara was actually comforted to see the shock that flickered on her mother's face.
"What are you saying?" her mother asked, shocked to the core.
"I'm saying that the baby is dead!"
That was when Jennifer actually looked at her and noticed there was no swell in her stomach.
"W-w-where i-is your pre-preg-pregnancy?" she stammered.
"It's gone, okay? Gone! So will you let me in now?" asked Kiara.
Jennifer quickly concealed her shock and tightened her resolve. She opened the door and entered but left it open wide enough for Kiara to see her.
"Let me in!" she shouted.
"No. You made a vow, remember?"
Kiara was surprised and thought really hard. Oh shit!
Not that stupid vow!
"I'm sorry mum. The vow was a mistake, just let me in." said Kiara, her strength fading.
"No, it wasn't. And you will keep that vow."
"Okay. Since you won't let me in, can I talk to dad?" asked Kiara.
Jennifer laughed. "Your father? Do you think he wants to see you, even talk to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Haven't you ever wondered why he's never called to talk to you? Or visit you? He hates you. I manage to talk to you but him, he doesn't even want to hear your name."
Kiara shook her head repeatedly as she repeated 'No' and staggered away from the door in shock and denial.
"I'm sorry Kiara, but you have no home here." said Jennifer.
And with that, she closed the door and locked it behind her. Kiara banged on the door severally, tears rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably. When her strength had waned/panned out, she sat in front of the door and shivered against the cold. She had checked herwatch and had noted it was few minutes past five.
The fear of freezing to death got her up and she made her way out of the gate. She was so tired and her steps were like a drunkard's. She walked away from the house and hoped to see a cab.
All of a sudden, she felt her The Wyatt family was a well-known and popular family in America. The popular Wyatt couple, comprising of Jennifer Wyatt and Thomas Wyatt, were the joint owners of Wyatt Lands and Estates. The company had leased several houses to millions of people in America.
Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt had given birth to twine, Kyle Wyatt and Kiara Wyatt. Although they were identical twins, they were very different. Perhaps not facially but psychologically and academically.
Kyle was smart and bright right from his childhood. He was a straight A student all through elementary school and middle school. He had always been the quick one, the one that had the brightest ideas and was very social. Jennifer was very proud of Kyle and loved to take him to all functions as he was a born star.
Kiara, on the other hand, was the quiet one. She usually had either C's or D's in her result. All teachers commended her brother but adviced parents on her.
Unlike Kyle, Kiara was very creative. She had a sketch pad which she always drew different designs of dothes on, mainly female clothes. Kiara liked being alone so she didn't mind her brother being in the spotlight.
Infact, she was glad of the fact that people had even forgotten that Kyle had a twin sister. That way, she was hidden from the world. Her father loved her and loved to look at her drawings. Jennifer, on the other hand, always prefered Kyle to Kiara as he could entertain her guests better but Kiara loved her alone time. Kyle did everything his parents asked but Kiara wasn't as submissive. She did whatever her father asked of her but sometimes, she found it difficult to do as her mother asked. It was probably because Jennifer always asked difficult things of her.
Maria, the maid that had been with them for over fifteen years, loved Kiara and Kyle. As she was forty and without children, she showered all her love and affection on the twins. The bond between Kiara and Kyle was unbreakable in spite of their mother's behaviour. The motherly love Maria showed her was more than enough for Kiara and she loved her life.
Unfortunately, a tragedy strick, which changed their lives. Kyle was kidnapped.
It had been a beautiful day, so Kyle and Kiara had gone to the park with Maria and Jennifer. Although Jennifer hadn't wanted to take Kyle along, Kyle had insisted and she had had no choice. Jennifer had gone to take photos with some kids and had told Maria to get the kids ice-cream. Kiara had insisted that Maria stay with them because she didn't want any ice-cream. But Kyle had requested so Maria had gone. Before Jennifer left, she gave Kiara a hard look.
"Watch your brother, okay? I'll be back in a minute," she'd said.
But a minute had turned to minutes and Maria had slept off while Kyle had finished his ice-cream.
Unlike Kiara who was used to staying in one place, Kyle didn't like being in the same place for a long time and had started to get adventurous.
Kyle had always liked piecing puzzles together or solving riddles. He had also been very good with finding lost things and was naturally curious. A watch on the ground just before the ferrous wheel grabbed his attention.
"Hey Kiara," he'd said, "I just saw a watch. Perhaps we could ask around for the owner."
"No. That would be stupid. Besides, whoever lost it, energy drain out of her and she collapsed on the ground. She felt dizzy and her head felt heavy. She closed her eyes for a full minute and when she opened it, she saw a black SUV pull up in front of her. She closed her eyes to shield it from the brightness of the headlamps. The last thing on her mind was that she was going to come back to revenge. The last thing she saw before she died were people in black clothes, or was it the angel of death...