“Sir, you have mistaken me for someone else.” I look at him in surprise.
I pretend to be surprised, even a little disgusted.
I just want to turn around and leave, but James immediately grabs my hand.
He frowns and looks at me, a little nervous and excited, “I know it’s you.”
I say helplessly, “Sir, you really made a mistake, I am not Carolina. I am Carl.”
After five years, I finally come back. I suppress my emotions at this time, pretending to be a stranger, but James stubbornly refuses to let go of me.
“Mr. James, we have an appointment with Mr. Hansen.” The man around him reminds James.
At this door, James and the man behind him block the entire gate. The man urges, and James says impatiently, “Shut up.”
I shake my hand and say, “Sir, it does not accord with your upbringing and status to rub shoulders with a strange woman in public.”
I look into his eyes and then look at him up and down. After a few years, he has become more mature and capable, and he has become colder, with an aura to keep distance with others.
It’s so strange, and there is an indescribable feeling in my heart.
A hint of disappointment flashes in James’ eyes. “Are you really not Carolina?”
“No, maybe the Carolina you mentioned is very similar to me, but I am Carl, not Carolina.” I stare at him and shake my hand away.
“Really?” James withdraws his gaze from me, waves to the subordinates behind him and says, “I’ll go back later.”
“Mr. James, the appointed time is drawing near.” The secretary beside him says embarrassingly.
James looks at me intently, “Cancel it.”
I look down in a panic, “If there’s nothing else to say, I have to go first.”
After speaking, I turn and leave.
I was able to cope with the confrontation at first, but the more time I spend with him, the less calm I become. I am afraid James would find out I am Carolina.
There are rapid footsteps behind me, and he gradually approaches me. When he comes to me, he doesn’t slow down. Instead, he grabs my hand and pulls me forward.
“Hey! What are you doing?” I scream in panic, “Hey! I’m gonna yell! It’s sexual harassment!”
His big hands are still warm. I look at his hand, and gradually feel lost.
I can’t fall into it anymore, no! I have to revenge! I warn myself repeatedly that I would never make the same mistake again.
James doesn’t say anything. He pulls me to a sports car and opens the door, trying to stuff me in.
“What the hell do you want to do?” I refuse to get in the car, blocking in front of the car door, looking at him a little angrily, “Sir, you are really unreasonable.”
“Get in the car,” James says firmly, “Don’t make me say it again.”
After a few years, he becomes fiercer. His look is like a sharp knife, and his face is grim and frightening.
I want to say something, but under the threat of James, I don’t say anything.
I get into the car and get nervous. I don’t know where James wants to take me to, and I don’t know what will happen. I can only try my best to tell myself that I must hold on, and I must not make any mistakes, or my efforts will be in vain.
I didn’t expect James to take me directly to his suburban villa. I am taken aback. My mind seems to have drifted away, and the memory that I have sedulously sealed seems to be about to break the cocoon and come out.
There are so many memories here.
But I have to try hard to pretend to be a stranger. I have to pretend that I know nothing.
I smile and say, “I just heard that man called you Mr. James, so Mr. James, what exactly did you want to do to bring me here? I am puzzled.”
James doesn’t speak, his eyes keep looking forward.
The front is the villa, from here I can see our previous bedroom.
Suddenly many beautiful pictures rush into my mind, one after another. In those days, I was in his arms and he hugged me hard. He showed me the fireworks every day and kissed me tenderly.
Time passes by, but I still remember it, I thought I have forgotten it.
“If there is nothing else, I really have to leave. You’re weird.” I hurriedly try to push the car door open, but it is locked.
I can’t stand it anymore. I overestimate myself. I thought I could disguise myself well after so many years of training, but I couldn’t.
I must leave immediately.
“Open the door! It’s kidnapping! Open the door! I want to leave!” I am panic and sad, but more scared.
I knock on the car door fiercely.
James grabs my hand hard and looks forward with empty eyes, “Don’t move!”
I pant and calm down, “Don’t you think you are funny? I have nothing to do with you, but you bring me to such an strange place. It’s annoying!”
James has been quiet. It seems like I am going crazy alone.
“I never believed you were dead. I have never seen your body. Even if others said you were dead, I still wouldn’t believe it.” James suddenly looks back at me and smiles. The gentleness in his eyes almost floods me.
I suddenly become addicted to his tenderness.
“But my name is Carl, not Carolina.” I look into his eyes and say in a daze.
“Really?” James smiles, “I don’t believe it.”
Recovering my wits, I take a deep breath and say, “Sir, this is really the first time we have met. We have never met before. Would you like to see my ID card?”
I break free of his hand, take out my ID card from my bag and hold it in front of him, saying, “I am Carl Nida!”
“But you really look alike.” James’s smile seems to freeze on his face, and he takes the ID card from my hand and looks at it carefully.
I am relieved. I don’t want to be seen through by him the first time we met.
In fact, I pretend to be more different from the previous me. I am livelier now.
“Okay, I get it.” James returns my ID.
“Well. I’m going back. Could you please send me to the place we met? My friend is waiting for me.” I say.
“Don’t you want to go in and have a look?” James suddenly says, “The room hasn’t changed for so many years. I have always kept the things you used. Go in and take a look.”
“I have been missing you for so many years.” James seems to sigh, and depressedly.
I hide my soon-to-be exposed mind and say, “It’s disgusting. We only met once, and you take me to your home! It’s ridiculous!”
I look at James angrily, but I’ve gotten excited in my heart.
James doesn’t speak, but gets out of the car and opens the door for me, “Let’s go.”
“Hey! I said I won’t go! Who are you! I will call the police if you do this again!” I pretend to be frightened, shielding myself with my hands and looking at James warily.
James squats in front of me and stretches out his hand, like a gentleman. His eyes are as warm as the spring breeze in March. “Darling, I won’t hurt you anymore.” He whispers.
No one can stop James’ charm at this time.
I am deceived, and then reach out my hand.
James holds me in his warm hands and leads me forward.
The door opens and the scene seems to be reviving.
There are still creepers and rose flowers in the small garden. We pass through the flowers, and then reach the gate of the villa.
When the door opens, suddenly I have an illusion of time travel.
It seems that I haven’t left for so many years, everything here is the same as I left.
On the table is the water left half; the shawl is thrown on the sofa; the fruit plate is on the coffee table, and the slippers are scattered on the floor.
They are what they were when I left, and they are still the same when I come back, as if deliberately waiting for me to come back.
Shocked? Moved? I can’t say anything.
“Carolina, I’ve been waiting for you here.” James squeezes my hand.
I dare not to move, looking at everything in front of me.
“But I am not Carolina.” I have exhausted all my efforts to speak out, I am not Carolina, I am not…
“You are lying!” James pinches my chin and forces me to look at him.
He is angry.
“I don’t believe that there will be two people who are exactly the same in this world! I don’t believe that you just died! Why did Carolina lie to me? You know I have been waiting for you, looking for you. Do you know how I have gone through these years? You are Carolina! You are Carolina!”
There is paranoia in James’s eyes, and he is angry.
“What do you want me to say? I am not! Really not!” I tried hard to defend, shaking my head in panic.
I can’t let all these years of work go in vain. Revenge is the only reason I live for.
I look at him, making myself look indifferent.
‘Why did you leave without a word? Do you know how much I hate you? I hate you for being selfish! I hate that you never loved me!” James roars in pain.
He is questioning me, but what qualifications does he have?
It suddenly seems to me that even if we recognize each other, there is no love between us anymore.
“What are you talking about? I really don’t understand. Sorry, you scared me.” I shiver and look at him in horror.
“Carolina, you’re good at pretending, because you’re such a liar! You lied to me over and over again. Do you think I’ll believe you again?” James looks at me gritting his teeth.
“You are sick! Let go of me! Help! Help!” I shout loudly to hide my guilt and panic.
James smiles evilly at me, “You know what? Even you pretend not to know me, but your body will remember me. It can’t fool me, so do those marks on you.”
“What do you want to do?” I hold myself and step back.
James takes a step forward and hugs me up. He squints his eyes, “To remind your body of me, of course.”