With shock on Kaitlyn’s face, she stood frozen at the door, staring at Mohandia standing right in front of her. Liza, noticing the situation, quickly got up from the bed and walked towards the door as well.
“What do you want, Mohandia? We don’t want any of your troubles. Kimberly just came back from the physician, and she needs rest!” Liza spoke with a raised eyebrow, her voice firm and face scornful.
Mohandia, however, seemed different. She didn’t lash out. Instead, she calmly replied, “I’m not here to cause trouble. I just want to see Kimberly. Please, may I come in?”
Her voice was so gentle and calm that both Liza and Kaitlyn exchanged confused glances, unsure of how to react. They hesitated, looking at me, waiting for a signal.
“Let her come in,” I said softly. I was curious about why she had come to see me.
Reluctantly, Liza and Kaitlyn stepped aside, allowing Mohandia to enter. She walked into the room slowly, her eyes scanning the space, as if she was seeing it for the first time.
“Mohandia, you said you wanted to see me. Please, sit here,” I said, patting the bed beside me with a light smile.
She sat down, while Liza and Kaitlyn watched from the corner, both clearly suspicious of her sudden change in behavior. I kept my eyes on her, wondering what had brought her here.
After a brief pause, she began to speak. “First, I want to thank you. Your words the other day… they really made me think. You helped me realize I’ve been wrong about so many things,” she said, her voice sincere and apologetic. “Second, I heard you weren’t feeling well. I wanted to check on you.”
I was taken aback, and I wasn’t the only one. Liza and Kaitlyn’s jaws dropped. They looked at me in disbelief, silently communicating their shock. Was this really the same Mohandia? I could tell they wanted to say something but were holding back, letting me take the lead.
I took a deep breath, processing her words. Was she sincere? Or was this just another tactic to get close enough to strike back at me later? Still, I decided to give her a chance.
“Thank you, Mohandia. I’m glad to hear you’ve been reflecting. And I really appreciate you checking on me. I’m feeling better now,” I replied, smiling. “We’re all in this together, after all. We’re like one big family here, and we should look out for each other.”
Her face softened, and a small smile appeared on her lips, but before I could say more, Kaitlyn walked toward her, with Liza right behind.
“Mohandia, listen,” Kaitlyn said, her tone sharp. “We don’t want any more problems. We just want peace. If you have any hidden motives, if you’re planning on hurting Kimberly or anyone else, then you need to leave us alone.” Her eyes were blazing, and her voice was firm.
Mohandia didn’t flinch. Instead, she stood up slowly and took a step toward Kaitlyn, a smile still on her face. “I understand your anger,” she said softly. “And I know I’ve wronged you all in the past. I regret how I behaved. I let my anger control me. But I’m truly sorry. I want to make things right.”
She looked at Kaitlyn with such sincerity that it was hard to believe this was the same woman who had been so hostile.
Liza was still skeptical. “Are you serious? You’re not just playing some kind of trick on us?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Mohandia nodded. “I’m serious. I want peace just as much as you do.”
I stepped forward, smiling at both Liza and Kaitlyn. “We need to trust her,” I said. “We’ve all been through so much. We only have each other here. If we can’t trust one another, we’ll never be happy. Let’s give her a chance.”
Without hesitation, I moved closer and gave Mohandia a hug. She looked surprised but hugged me back, and soon, Kaitlyn and Liza joined in, surrounding her with warmth. It was an emotional moment, and for the first time, I saw tears welling up in Mohandia’s eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for accepting me.”
We sat down together and talked for a while, the tension in the air slowly dissolving. After some time, Mohandia stood up, smiling.
“I should get back to my room now,” she said. “But we’ll talk again soon. Take care of yourself, Kimberly.”
As she walked toward the door, she paused and looked back at us. “Thank you again,” she said softly before stepping outside and closing the door behind her.
Once she was gone, I knew what was coming. Both Liza and Kaitlyn turned toward me, their faces full of questions.
“Okay, spill it!” Liza said, crossing her arms. “How did you get her to change like that? What on earth did you say to her?”
I laughed softly, shaking my head. “It’s not about what I said. It’s about telling the truth.”
Kaitlyn looked confused. “The truth? Do you know her from somewhere?”
“No,” I replied. “But it’s not hard to see that she’s been hurting. She’s angry at the world, not us. She lashed out because she didn’t know how to deal with her pain. I just made her realize that we’re not her enemies. We’re all suffering here, but we’re stronger together.”
Liza and Kaitlyn exchanged glances, clearly impressed.
“How long did it take you to figure all that out?” Liza asked, still amazed.
“Not long. I noticed it by the third day after I arrived. Since then, I’ve been waiting for the right moment to talk to her.”
Kaitlyn still seemed worried. “But what if she’s just pretending? What if she’s planning something?”
I nodded, understanding her concern. “We’ll stay cautious, of course. But we need to hope for the best. Maybe she really has changed.”
Liza smiled, pulling me into a hug. “You’re amazing, Kimberly. I’m so glad we’re friends.”
“I’m lucky to have both of you,” I said, hugging them both. We were still laughing and talking when a loud shout from outside interrupted us.
We froze, listening closely.
“What was that?” Kaitlyn asked, her eyes wide.
We rushed out of the room, following the sound of the commotion. When we arrived at the open field, a chilling sight awaited us-blood covered the ground, and a crowd had gathered.