That morning, Abigail arrived carrying a paper bag filled with clothes and breakfast. Until now, since awakening from hera, via hadn’t seen a mirror. So when she saw Abigail bringing facial care products, it made via both surprised and curious about her own face.


    “What does she look like? What does her face look like? Is she beautiful?”


    Honestly, she felt embarrassed waking up in dwin’s embrace. Even though he was her husband, he was still a stranger to via.


    “I’m sure you must be eager to take a shower. But you can do thatter when you’re home. For now, just enjoy a clean wipe-down.” Abigail said with her sweet smile.


    dwin wasn’t in the room; her husband had mentioned that he had a morning work schedule and wouldn’t be done until the evening. ording to dwin, if Doctor Eijaz allowed it, via would also be allowed to go home today. And Doctor Eijaz, the sweet-faced man who had examined via.


    Seeing two familiar men in blue suits and doctor’s coats made them even more charismatic. Oh God, via herself didn’t know what goodness she had done to be surrounded by such kind-hearted and handsome people.


    “What time can I go home?” via asked softly after the examination was over. She just wanted reassurance that what dwin had said was true.


    “Later this afternoon. Maybe after dwin’s schedule is finished. He seems impatient to take you home right away. Honestly, I feel ufortable every time I see him ring at me whenever Ie to check on you.” Sheined in a mocking tone that made dwin snort. via nced at dwin, and he just responded to Eijaz’s remark by shrugging and looking indifferent.


    “My shift ends at four. After that, we’ll go home.” He said before kissing the top of via’s head and leaving the room.


    “Hmm… so sweet,” Abigail said with sparkling eyes. via felt her cheeks suddenly warming at such temptation.


    Abigail took out clothes from the paper bag she had brought. A in pale yellow dress appeared to move softly in her hands.


    “Is this mine?” via asked in surprise. Abigail nodded. “It’s so beautiful,” she said, inexplicably fond of the dress.


    “It’s indeed your favorite dress,” Abigail replied, as if answering via’s astonishment. “I also brought a hat.” Abigail said, pulling out a wide-brimmed hat from another paper bag. “I’m afraid this might hurt the part of your head that just had surgery,” Abigail replied honestly. via touched the side of her head, feeling a slight bump although faint. There was no bandage because the wound had dried during the surgery. “But it’s up to you whether you want to wear it or not,” she added, shrugging, which was met with a smile from via. “Today, we, you, me, and Uncle will go back to Uncle’s apartment. Your parents have sent some of your belongings there. They agreed for you to stay there because the apartment is the only ce grandma can’t ess.” Generally. Abigail then reached for a light blueb from the same paper bag and approached via. “Let meb your hair. I always enjoy doing it,” she said.


    via touched her head. It felt greasy, oily, and her hand didn’t like it. She wanted to shampoo, but Abigail hadn’t allowed her yet.


    via was sure her face would also look worse. She touched it, and Abigail smiled. She reached for something in her bag and handed it to via. A small folding mirror with a stic frame decorated with flower motifs.


    via held the mirror with her left hand. Her eyes widened as she saw her own reflection. A fair-skinned woman looked back at her. Her eyebrows were thick and arched, her eyshes long and curly, and she had golden-brown eyes. Her nose was small, straight, and slightly pointed. And her lips appeared full at the bottom.


    Her face felt… foreign. Then via remembered her father’s face and knew that she had Italian blood in her veins.


    Her entire face looked beautiful in her eyes. Was it okay for her to be proud? via then looked at the left side of her face, there was a pinkish-red line from the top of her left forehead, extending to the top of her ear and disappearing beneath her ck hair.


    “What is this?” She asked softly.


    Abigail, who was braiding via’s hair, shifted her attention momentarily.


    “Almost six years ago, you were in a car ident. You referred to that scar as an ‘eye injury’,” Abigail answered honestly. “Later, when you shower, you’ll see some other ‘eye injuries’,” she added.


    “It seems like the ident was really severe,” via murmured.


    “If breaking your left leg and fracturing several ribs along with the impact that put you in aa qualify as ‘severe’, then your treatment for a year could be considered ‘double severe’,” Abigail finished tying the braid as via shivered in horror. “Do you want to go for a walk?” She asked again.


    via looked at the IV still hanging from her hand. Thest quarter of the IV bag remained. She was actually tired of being in the room, and Abigail’s invitation sounded tempting, so via finally nodded in response.


    Abigail pinned her hair up and helped via down from the bed after bringing a wheelchair.


    “Do I have to use that?” She asked with a grimace of dislike. The thought of using a wheelchair somehow made via shudder. She felt embarrassed and, somehow, there was something within her that resisted it. But Abigail nodded firmly, an expression not to be argued with.


    “Eijaz did say you could go home. But he doesn’t rmend excessive physical activity. Once we’re at the apartment, you can move around as much as you want,” she offered.


    via nodded. Hearing the word ‘apartment’ somehow made via’s cheeks warm again.


    “I think I prefer the via who lost her memory,”mented Abigail when via was already seated in the wheelchair.


    “Why?” via asked, puzzled.


    “You were more like your old self,” said Abigail. “Radiant, and genuine.” They had entered a hallway where the nurses were on duty. They greeted Abigail and via warmly, receiving polite nods from Abigail in return.


    “What was I like before losing my memory?” via asked again when they were back in the quiet area.


    “Do you want an honest answer or a lie?” Abigail countered.


    via fell silent. She was afraid Abigail would say something painful. But if she wanted her memories to return, via felt she had to ept Abigail’s honesty even if it hurt.


    “I think honesty is better,” she replied softly. Abigail smiled upon hearing this.


    “Truthfully, for the past five years, you’ve been somewhat annoying. But thesest three months, you’ve been incredibly frustrating,” she replied bluntly. via turned her head and looked up.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    “That bad?”


    “Yes, that bad. You’ve be very, very stubborn. It’s been so difficult for me to influence you even though I’ve been doing everything for your own good. But you always give up and feel hopeless.”


    They arrived at the hospital garden, filled with several patients wearing hospital uniforms like via. Some of them sat in wheelchairs, while others walked holding onto IV poles.


    Abigail stopped the wheelchair next to a long bench under a small canopy made to provide shade. She sat at the far end of the bench, crossing her legs and leaning back.


    “We’ve known each other for almost half our lives. I feel like we know the smallest things about each other. You know me very well, and I know you. There are hardly any secrets between us.


    “I know you’ve liked Uncle dwin since the first time you met him. You used to say he was handsome and funny. We shared secrets about that. You liked Uncle, I liked Gilbert, and Haisley liked Nathaniel.


    “We both thought those feelings were just teenage crushes. Fleeting loves that would disappear when we found someone else we felt was more suitable for us.


    “But we also knew that the feelings we had were not just teenage infatuations that would cry and wail when rejected and then look for a new, more handsome and perfect guy the next day.


    “No, our love for those men was clearly that of grown women. Rooted and ingrained, making it difficult to let go and rece them just like that.


    “You and I, we’re clearly not the type to give up even after falling several times.


    “But then, the events of five years ago changed everything about you. That damn ident turned you into a different via. You refused to rise. You refused to pursue your love. You shut yourself off from everyone. Including me.”


    via watched as the girl quickly wiped away her tears.


    “The doctor’s diagnosis made you desperate and retreat. Not slowly, but running away. You distanced yourself and kept your distance from those closest to you.


    “Even though you knew that doctors are only human. God has more power. And you understand that better than I do.”


    “What did they say about me?” via asked.