Chapter six
My heart was still racing from the call when they dragged me into another strange room. They said I was acting strange.
"Amnesia?" the man called Noah gasped.
We were in what he called the doctor's office. The same human in the white coat who had attended to me earlier sat across from us, flipping through papers.
"Amnesia…" I muttered under my breath. I didn't know what that meant, but from the way they were looking at me, it didn't sound good.
"I'm sure she will be fine in a couple of weeks, especially when she's in close contact with her loved ones," the doctor added calmly.
"And what about her eyes?" Noah asked urgently. "She was blind, believe me, Doc."
I learned from him that the real me had been blind, which made me wonder if she had truly fallen into the water by mistake.
The doctor adjusted her glasses. "We ran several tests. Strangely, I can't explain it. Her eyes are perfectly healthy. It's as if nothing was ever wrong from the beginning."
She paused.
"It's unusual. But let's call it a miracle."
Noah sighed. "Are you sure I didn't make a mistake? What if she isn't Ms. Estelin? There's no way she would be by the sea alone."
"Then who am I?" I muttered, blinking innocently.
"I'm sure I'm her," I added quickly. At least I had found someone who knew me. I couldn't afford to be abandoned. Where would I go?
At the moment, I couldn't return to the sea, I had no idea how to swap our souls back.
"She can be discharged now, right?" Noah asked.
"Yes," the doctor replied. "Physically, she's perfectly fine. In fact, she recovered faster than expected. I thought she would need at least a week to recover, but apparently, she doesn't." The doctor gestured toward me, where I was busy touching a plant in her office, mesmerized by everything around me.
"I'll take you home, ma'am," Noah said politely, turning to me.
"A car?" I was stunned seeing what Noah said will take us home
"A car?" I was stunned, staring at the strange thing Noah said would take us home.
We got into the so-called car. Noah sat in front, touching and pressing things, while I sat beside him. Then the machine started moving.
I was completely mesmerized.
"Woah… the human world has this?"
Noah glanced at me as if I were insane, then focused back on driving.
I gazed out the window. Different cars filled the streets in various sizes and shapes. The world rushed past in colors and movement. Buildings, lights, moving vehicles — everything looked loud and alive in a completely different way from the sea. It looked extremely beautiful and fascinating.
"You should stop sticking your head out of the window. You could get hurt," Noah warned.
I immediately pulled back and sat properly.
"Is this yours?" I asked, touching the seat beneath me.
"Yes. After I got fired, I bought it with the bonus you always gave me. I started an Uber business. It's all thanks to you."
That must have cost a lot. Was I rich enough to give someone that much?
I nodded at his words, then proceeded to stare out of the window. I suddenly turned back at him. "But what's an Uber?"
He looked at me, surprised. "I drive people around with this car and get paid," he replied nevertheless.
"Ohh." My mouth formed an "oh," and I nodded. They do that here?
"But you… you seem different, Miss. You've been acting strange," Noah said carefully.
I froze. Was it that obvious?
"I understand the whole amnesia thing, but does it make you forget basic stuff too?" he clicked his tongue.
"H-how was I before?" I asked curiously.
"Cool. You were always calm, ma'am. Even after you lost your sight, you were still composed and calculative."
"Are you saying you don't like me this way?" I sneered.
He glanced at me, and then the car came to a stop.
"We're home, ma'am." He announced.
Home?
My face lit up immediately as I stared at the large building in front of me. Excitement bubbled inside me.
I couldn't believe I had a home here. I had always stayed with Aunt Lyra in the sea. I couldn't really call it mine.
I struggled to get out of the car until Noah opened the door for me.
I stared at the magnificent building, smiling — but a strange, sad, familiar feeling suddenly washed over me.
A thought whispered inside my head: You aren't wanted here.
I sneered. "And does it look like I care? I was never wanted from the start."
"You should go inside. Mr. Neo must be waiting," Noah said.
Neo? Is that my husband?
"You aren't coming with me?" I asked.
"I don't work here anymore, so I can't go in. And I have a client to pick up," he explained.
I nodded. "You should go."
"Make sure you explain everything the doctor said to Mr. Neo. I couldn't reach him."
I watched him drive away before turning back to the house and walking in.
Inside, the house felt strangely empty — yet familiar, as if I had lived there my whole life.
I wandered through the rooms, noticing how large and beautiful they were, until a woman appeared. She seemed to be cleaning.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Who are you?" I replied.
"I clean the house part-time. I was instructed not to speak to you. Please return to your room before Madam comes back."
Madam?
I thought I was married to Neo. Wasn't I supposed to be the woman of the house?
"I… don't know where my room is," I admitted.
She grabbed my hand and led me down the hallway. I wasn't sure if it was because of the blindness Noah mentioned earlier.
Soon, we stopped in front of a door.
"We're here," she muttered.
She opened it.
I looked around, and my smile disappeared. The room was small. Poorly arranged. The walls were faded. It looked abandoned.
This was my room?
It looked nothing like all the rooms I had stepped into. It felt colder than every other room in the house.
Had she really been sleeping here? What happened to the other rooms?
The cleaner left, and I stood there alone.
Everything just felt off — another woman in the house who seemed like the real woman of the house, and I, who was supposed to be the woman of the house, staying in a nearly abandoned room.
Then something hit me hard. It was harsh, cold, and terrifying. I saw her being dragged down the hallway. Bruised. Beaten. Struck with a rod.
I clenched my fists, realizing what it was — her memory. Everything came to me like a flash, making me realize I had her memories. They were still clear and intact in her body, as if they were mine.
I rushed to the mirror, lifting the dress on her body. The bruises were right there, confirming it was true.
I didn't realize when a tear rolled down my cheek. My chest hurt.
I don't know why, but my heart ached badly, as if those memories were mine.
I wiped my tears. A part of me swore to make them pay.
I was still standing there when the door burst open without a knock.
I dropped my gown and turned. That was when I saw her.She wore what I had seen as the most beautiful human dress.
She looked familiar and I immediately knew who she was.
The human who had been tormenting and hurting her — Cassie.
She was no different from Merissa, and my anger rose instantly.
She walked toward me furiously. Her eyes burned with anger.
"How dare you, Estelin! How dare you ruin everything Neo planned?!" She raised her hand to slap me, but I caught it.
I yanked her arm away and slapped her instead. Not once , but twice.
"Pham!" The sound echoed through the room.
"No. How dare you do that to me?!" I screamed at her.
She stood there holding her cheek in disbelief. Her eyes widened in shock. She could see that something in me had changed. This was no longer the Estelin they knew. The Estelin they knew was gone, and I… I would break them into pieces if they messed with me.
"Y… you…" She stared at me, completely dumbfounded. What she stared at me was nothing but my eyeballs.
"Y-you can see?"
"Oh right… I forgot. I'm supposed to be blind. Someone should get me my walking stick!"