All eyes in the room seemed fixated on me, as if I had uttered the most forbidden name imaginable. Confusion engulfed me as I observed the perplexed expressions directed at Laila, who stood beside me.
“Did I say something wrong?” I asked hesitantly, desperately seeking an explanation for the strange glares she was receiving.
“No, it’s just that someone here lied to us, and you went along with it,” a man named Mike retorted, his voice dripping with accusation.
My brows furrowed in utter bewilderment. “What do you mean?” I queried, my voice tinged with genuine confusion.
Mike leaned forward, his eyes boring into mine. “Cut it out, Amelia. It was fun while it lasted. I mean, our stroll down memory lane was quite the intriguing experience,” he remarked, his tone laced with a hint of disappointment.
“I seriously have no idea where you guys are going with this,” I confessed, my voice tinged with frustration. I slammed my hand on the table, unintentionally attracting the attention of other diners in the restaurant who shot curious glances in our direction.
“Both you and Laila are trying to deceive us, making us believe that you’ve lost your memory, right?” Mike probed, his gaze locked onto mine, awaiting my confirmation of his assumption.
“What? No!” Laila and I exclaimed simultaneously, our voices overlapping and amplifying the suspicion that hung heavily in the air.
“Really?” Mike raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical of our response.
“Bad timing, but we aren’t trying to fool anyone,” Laila attempted to explain, her words filled with earnestness. However, their expressions betrayed their disbelief in her genuine words.
“I’m serious!” Laila forcefully flicked Mike’s forehead in an attempt to convince him, causing him to wince in pain and instinctively rub the affected area.
In that moment, amidst the chaos, a stray thought slipped into my mind, though it seemed trivial given the circumstances. Observing Laila and Mike, it became apparent to me that there was an underlying romantic tension between them. They had an undeniable chemistry that hinted at the possibility of them being a couple.
Lost in my musings, I barely noticed Nina nudging me, drawing my attention back to the intense conversation unfolding before me. I glanced at her, silently urging her to continue.
“Are you pretending to lose your memory?” she whispered, her voice barely audible amidst Laila and Mike’s banter about some supposed plan.
“What? No, why would I pretend?” I scoffed, taken aback by her choice of words.
“I seriously don’t know who the hell you guys are,” I retorted rather rudely, my voice carrying a hint of frustration. Unfortunately, my words were louder than intended, capturing the attention of everyone in the vicinity.
Oh no! I realized with a sinking feeling. These people might abandon me now, and I desperately needed their help since I was unfamiliar with the area.
Nina broke the awkward silence that had settled upon the table. “Oh, okay,” she finally responded, her tone hinting at a mixture of relief and understanding.
“Alright, guys, let’s take a moment for introductions,” Mike declared, attempting to lighten the mood. The rest of the group cheered in agreement, their genuine enthusiasm a stark contrast to my current state of unease. I found myself marvelling at how relaxed and affable everyone around the table seemed.
It was then that I realised I had found my tribe-the friends I didn’t know I needed.
“I’m Laila,” she chimed in, flashing me a warm grin that instantly put me at ease.
“I know, you introduced yourself to me before I even had the chance to speak,” I interjected, joining in the laughter that rippled through the group. It was a lighthearted moment, a brief respite from the confusion that had consumed me just moments ago.
“I’m Xavier, your one and only true love,” Xavier playfully teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes. A flush crept up my cheeks at his remark, but Laila wasn’t one to let him off the hook easily. With a swift movement, she delivered a playful slap to his neck, eliciting a yelp of surprise from him.
“Hey, behave. She is for the boss, okay?” Laila sternly warned him, firmly gripping his ear.
“Fine, fine. Just let go of my ear,” Xavier pleaded, relieved as Laila released her grip.
I found a strange sense of comfort in their presence. They were all incredibly kind, and they even covered the bill for lunch, which I was immensely grateful for since I was in a dire financial situation.
“I’m Mike, and this is Nina,” Mike introduced, pointing towards Nina, who greeted me with a warm smile.
Yet, despite the friendly introductions, a nagging feeling persisted that there was someone I hadn’t met. However, I dismissed the thought, focusing on the present moment.
“Okay, guys, lunch break is over. We need to get back to work,” Laila announced, glancing at her wristwatch.
Leaving the restaurant with contented stomachs, we engaged in lively conversation until a woman suddenly stood in front of us, causing everyone to fall silent.
“Where were you guys?” she stated with a serious tone, her gaze fixated on me.
“We went to get lunch, Miss Cynthia,” Laila informed her.
“You…” she said, her attention now directed at me. I felt a surge of fear, not wanting to get into trouble on my very first day.
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied politely.
“Ma’am?” she repeated, glancing at everyone with confusion.
Laila approached her and whispered something into her ear, causing her eyes to widen momentarily. She turned to look at me with an expression of pity.
What did Laila tell her?
“Oh, my poor baby, don’t you remember me, Miss Cynthia?” she uttered, pulling me into a warm embrace.
Ah, I see. Laila must have informed her that I had lost my memory. Well, it was true-I had no recollection of who this lady was.
“It’s nice to see you again, Miss Cynthia,” I awkwardly stated, gently patting her back.
She pulled away from the hug but still held onto my shoulder. “Don’t worry, dear. With time, I promise you’ll remember us,” she assured me, earning a grateful smile from me.
Though their words held little significance to me-I knew deep down that I wasn’t who they thought I was-I couldn’t turn down this opportunity. After all, once I made enough money, I could escape from these peculiar individuals.
Hehe!
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at my own thoughts, causing everyone to look at me curiously.
“What’s so funny?” Laila asked, her curiosity evident.
“Um… nothing,” I replied, mustering a fake smile.
I could sense that she was about to ask another question, which I wasn’t prepared to answer, when a voice from behind interrupted, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief.
“I see a little family reunion is going on here,” the voice mocked.
“Where were you, Claudia? You’re 20 minutes late, and the break hour is already over,” Miss Cynthia complained.
“Sorry, something came up,” Claudia explained.
Something about Claudia’s face seemed oddly familiar to me. I didn’t want to turn around and look at her, fearing that I might react aggressively. Could it be that she owed me money, which I had completely forgotten about?
“The ‘something’ doesn’t have a name, let me guess,” Laila sneered from behind.
“This has nothing to do with you, okay? So stop poking your nose into it,” Claudia fired back at Laila.
“Whatever,” Laila rolled her eyes.
Hmm, it seemed that the two of them were not friends. Their interactions make it clear that there was some underlying tension between them.
“Really, Amelia? You won’t even say hi to me,” Claudia scoffed from behind.
Wait, was she referring to me?
Slowly, I turned around to face her. As our eyes met, a rush of blurry images flooded my mind. I saw a girl lying on the ground, and Claudia standing over her with a smirk on her face.
Oh my goodness! Who was the girl on the ground?
“What’s wrong with her?” Claudia asked, noticing my dazed state.
“Well, if you didn’t know, Amelia recently lost her memory,” Laila informed her.
“What? She lost her memory?” Claudia’s voice held a mix of confusion and amazement.
I couldn’t discern whether she was pleased about my memory loss or simply bewildered by the situation.
“Yes, that’s what I just said,” Laila scoffed before turning away, joined by Miss Cynthia.
As I prepared to walk away, Claudia’s voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Amelia,” she called out to me. Slowly, I turned to face her.
“Yes?” I muttered, attempting to hide the fear bubbling within me.
“I know we started off on the wrong foot this morning, but I’m not a bad person, okay? And I genuinely hope you recover your memories soon,” she said before walking away.
However, there was something she muttered under her breath that left me deeply concerned.
“I guess you’re not dying actually came in handy,” she muttered. What on earth did she mean by that?
Confusion and apprehension swirled within me as I tried to make sense of the fragmented memories and the enigmatic comments from Claudia.
Could I really be Amelia?