“But, sister—” Lily tried to respond.
“Psst, Lily, you need to rest first,” Violet interrupted gently.
Violet had seen the hardships Lily endured from the time she was pregnant with the twins. Lily did everything she could to stop her wedding with Nick. She even almost suffered a miscarriage because of her attempts to escape. Luckily, Nick had a kind heart.
A few moments later, Lily stood up. She told her sister Violet to accompany her to Arlo’s apartment to collect her belongings. Lily had decided that her sister was right—it was time for her to rest and focus on herself. For five years, her mind had been consumed with thoughts of Arlo to the point that she sometimes forgot to take care of herself.
“My own well-being. I need to rest my mind. I feel like I’m on the verge of memory loss too. I don’t want to forget myself,” Lily thought to herself.
Lily packed all her belongings into her suitcase. She double-checked the cabinet to ensure she hadn’t left anything behind. However, as she put her laptop and other items into the bag, she didn’t notice a picture of her and the twins falling and sliding under the bed. Only half of the photo remained visible.
When Lily left her room, Violet helped her with the suitcase.
“Sis, I need to check something in Arlo’s room,” Lily said.
“Okay, Lily, but hurry up,” Violet replied.
“Yes, sis,” Lily said.
Lily went to Arlo’s room and opened his closets and drawers one by one, searching for her underwear but unable to find it. Since no one else had been in the apartment besides her and Arlo, she gave up and left his room.
“Ready,” Lily said with a nod.
She left the key to Arlo’s apartment on the counter and walked out with Violet.
A short while later, they arrived at the mansion. When they entered, the housekeeper was already asleep. Violet said her goodbyes and went home. Lily, exhausted, left her suitcase untouched and went straight to her room. She undressed, stepped into the bathroom, and turned on the warm water for a shower. After several minutes, she felt lighter and more relaxed.
As she stepped out of the shower, an uneasy feeling came over her. Her emotions became a whirlwind, and her entire body began to tremble. She feared that her anxiety might attack her again, something she always struggled to overcome when it happened.
To calm herself, she turned on her large flat-screen TV and tuned in to a music channel. She began singing along to Celine Dion, one of her favorite singers. Her phone had been off and had a low battery, so she missed several calls from Gilbert and Philip.
—
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Arlo’s parents sat in silence, waiting for their son to wake up. They turned their attention to him when they suddenly heard him speaking.
“Lily, Lily, Lily,” Arlo repeatedly called out.
“Philip,” Ella said to her husband, her brow furrowed.
Valerie froze upon hearing Arlo mention Lily’s name. Both Ella and Valerie were puzzled as Arlo called out Lily’s name again, but Philip felt a glimmer of hope.
“Son,” Philip called out.
Arlo woke up, drenched in sweat. “Lily,” he murmured.
**ARLO**
“Lily, come back! Don’t leave me!” I shouted.
When I opened my eyes, I was in a room surrounded by white.
“You were dreaming, son,” Mom said, holding my hand.
Valerie reached out to touch my hand, but I pulled it away.
“Where is she?” I asked.
“Who, son?” Mom responded.
“Lily,” I answered firmly.
“Why are you looking for her, son? Valerie is right here beside you. Why are you looking for that deceitful woman? She’s the reason you had an attack!” my mother, Ella, said sharply.
“Ella,” my father, Philip, interjected.
“All of you, get out! If you’re just going to fight, do it outside. Aren’t you tired of this? You’re only adding to my confusion about my life. Let me figure things out on my own and sort out who truly belongs in my life. You too, Valerie—get out, all of you!” I shouted at them, my voice echoing in the room.
I was at Leo’s bar with my friends, sitting in the VIP room on the second floor.
“Arlo, are you okay?” Charles asked me.
“I’m fine,” I replied, though my voice was hoarse. I coughed as I took another gulp of the beer in my hand.
“No, you’re not okay, Arlo. You’ve had too much to drink,” Leo said with concern.
“I’m not drunk. I can handle this,” I insisted.
“You’re definitely drunk. Aunt Ella has been calling me nonstop, and your father’s men are downstairs,” Leo informed me.
“I don’t care about them. What are my father’s men even doing in this bar?” I asked irritably, but no one answered me.
