in love with a villain | choni

-54-

"Love, wake up. Good morning."

Cheryl smiled. Hearing that soft raspy voice was one of the things she'd always look forward to every morning. She moved her body facing left and opened her eyes, hoping to see a face she'd love to be greeted by, but everything seemed to be censored, blurred.

"Hello?" she called, sitting up. She looked around and realized that the room she was in had nothing but her. "Is anyone here?"

Confused, she got off the bed and walked around still looking for someone whose voice was familiar and she was fond of. She opened the bathroom door, scanned the walk-in closet, but she found nothing.

"Love, what are you doing there? I'm here?"

From the closet, she heard that voice once again. She turned around and her eyes met a strong flash of sunlight.

"Ah," Cheryl grunted, covering her face. She slowly adjusted to the light coming from the glass window and there she apprehended that she was in a different home space.

"Hi," Cylene greeted, walking out of the bathroom. "Are you okay?"

Scowling, Cheryl sat up with her eyes scanning the room. She felt like she was going crazy.

"What's wrong?" Cylene sat by the left side of the bed and held her hand. "You're safe here."

"Did you see her?" Cheryl asked in a bit of despair glittered in her eyes. "She was here. And she called me... love? Do you know her?"

With disheveled eyebrows, Cylene replied, "No. We're the only ones here. I must be that person."

Cheryl palmed the sides of her head as her knees bent towards and across her chest. "Am I going crazy? What's happening? I saw and heard her again. Something's happening that I can't comprehend. Help me, please."

Cylene went for a hug. "Hey, you're not going crazy. It's okay. You just have to drink your medicine and everything's going to be fine. Trust me."

"Okay. Thank you," Cheryl whispered, nestling her face on the lady's neck. "Thank you."

"Babe, drink your meds. I'll just answer the call from my dad, okay?" Cylene excused. When Cheryl nodded, she walked out of the bathroom.

Cheryl distressedly looked at herself in the mirror. Her body felt so differently fatigued, she couldn't identify the reasons why. She was back to working in their family's business, which until now, she was attacked strangely. Something that she could feel wasn't right, indefinitely.

A few months ago, she was set to be trained, sort of, and recall how to read the reports and with other things her Uncle told her to accomplish. She knew she did everything right and the neutral reflex was there. She could confirm that her body was used to doing the same routine; it included sets of exercises in the gym.

She took three containers of pills, her prescribed medicine, from the cabinet and each one of them corresponded to different colors (red, orange, and blue), which meant the order of taking it. She was about to drink one from the red bottle when she heard the telephone ring from the main bedroom. She placed the pill back in and answered the call instead.

"To CM, please."

"Oh, Greg. It's me. What's up," she replied.

"Okay, uh, Mr. Perez arrived without an appointment and he wants to meet with you. Urgent, he said."

"Like, right now? I'm still preparing for work."

"Well, will you be here in less than an hour?"