Chapter 5 A Glimpse from the past

★★★★★

HOSPITAL**

Yang ran in with Ming with a hurry, meeting Vince by the hallway, he's sitting on the available chair.

"Where's she?" Yang asked quickly.

"She's in, they said she needs rest to be ok" Vince replied, standing up.

" Wait...you're that anaconda guy," Yang said surprisingly.

Anaconda,Vince said inwardly trying to get what Yang meant by the name anaconda.

" Vince," he replied simply.

"Thanks Vince, thanks for bringing her here, what exactly happened?" Yang asked.

" She.. passed out when the reporters started asking questions" he replied.

" Did they use cameras?Like flash camera lights?" Yang asked quickly.

" Yeah," Vince replied.

" Oh no, why would they do that!They know she doesn't like flashing lights but they still keep on doing something to annoy her. We need to sue the darn reporters, she'll surely sue them after waking up, I'm sure of that," Yang said.

" I have to go now," Vince said.

"Sure, thanks for saving her once again, thanks" Yang smiled.

Vince left the hospital and drove a taxi home.

Throughout the drive, he kept rubbing the locket on his neck.

He opened it at some point and looked at the young girl's picture.

"No, it can't be, stop overthinking" he said to himself but when the words she said came to his head again...

*S..sa... save me*She muttered

That was exactly what the helpless girl said fifteen years ago.

The girl bumped into him just like Amara did, then she told him to save her.

He remembered her face clearly, the face in the locket...but it can't be Amara.

"Crazy coincidence" he muttered, getting out of the taxi when it got to the front of his house. Not knowing the girl in his locket was Amara but she went for cosmetic surgery.

He went in and met Alena packing a bag, Blaze's face was bruised up.

"What's happening?" He asked in confusion.

"I'm going to start the job tomorrow," Alena said.

" Didn't I say you're not allowed to work?Mum....

" I just can't sit and watch you and your brother suffer again because of me, I need to fend for myself too, let me work, even if you don't give the approval, I'm going to work" she said with determination.

" But you know your condition...

" That shouldn't stop me from working, I'm short of my drugs already and I need to get another pack before nine days, I can't just continue like...

"I promised to get another pack before the nine days, don't you trust me?" He said,

Alena smiled and came to him.

She held his face and smiled.

"I understand your fears, I heard the family is a nice one, they won't maltreat me" she said.

" Which family is it?"

" I dunno yet, but my friend said they're nice, I'll find out tomorrow, it's just a simple job, no stress" she said.

" What if it's one spoilt brat"

" Hyung, stop worrying, she'll be fine," Blaze replied.

" And what happened to your face?" Vince asked.

" I got bullied," Blaze smiled.

" Are you a softie?, You should have bashed them in and out" Vince said, going inside

" Bash them and lose my scholarship?Thanks," Blaze said and put on their small TV.

The first news he saw made him scream.

How Vince carried Amara in his arms out of the restaurant, how he placed her on the stretcher that took her into the ambulance.

"Hyung!!!!!!!!" He screamed.

Alena covered her ears.

" What?" Vince asked, rushing out of the room.

" You're in the news!You helped Miss Amara!How does it feel to have her in your arms?I'm sure your arms will smell like money right now, she'll surely compensate you and maybe we'll be swimming in money soon!" Blaze said.

Alena smiled.

" You screamed and scared me cos of this?" Vince said, looking at Blaze as if to fry him.

" Isn't it worth it?You became a celebrity," Blaze replied.

Vince took the TV remote control and threw it at him. So you meant you scared me of this,he said fuming.

He ducked and ran into the room, Vince went after him.

Alena smiled widely but sadly, hoping secretly that she'll get to stay with them for longer.

*****

ARIELLE'S MANSION**

"You're fired" she said that more than twenty times today since she came back from the store where she had a fight with Amara,she didn't allow her to explain herself before she got fired.

She has yanked almost all her maids and guards.

If you breathe too much, you're gone.

She sat angrily on her favorite couch, thinking of a way to get back at Amara for what she did.

The news that came on the TV caught her interest.

Amara passed out at the restaurant where she had a date after she saw reporters.

She stood, concentrating more on the news.

A server at the restaurant who's a student of Haesung University helped her.

"Dumb reporters, not after they saw you guys, it's your camera lights" she smiled, sitting down again.

" So...I left an impact on her, cool, I got her weakness" she said, smiling more widely.She observed Amara's reactions and her grin widened.

" And another thing" she said, bringing out a picture of a young girl who has a red face with rashes all over it, her face looking wrinkled and ugly.

" How did the change occur?" She asked herself and the answer rang in her head. She really can't get it out of her mind because she knows the new Amara is very pretty compared to the one she knew when they were young.

She smiled widely again.

"Now I'm happy, I'm getting closer and closer to destroying her everyday" she muttered.

******

HOSPITAL, 12AM**

" What have I ever done to you guys!Leave me alone!!!!" A young girl cried, shifting back as her tormentors came closer and closer.

"Being brilliant with that face is a sin, I told you to perform woefully in the test so I could emerge the best in class but you dare perform well?Should I destroy your face more?" A girl's voice replied.

" Let me be pleased .... I'm sorry" the crying girl pleaded.

" You won't go free for what you did, gimme the acid" the other girl said.

The crying girl cried more loudly and started running.

"No....help!!!!!!"

Amara screamed back to life, sweating heavily, her heart pounding on her chest.

It's actually a dream.

"No.... don't do it!!!, Help!!!" She kept screaming, her eyes still closed.

Rita stood from her chair, rushing to her with Yang.

"Amara!" She called, climbing her bed to hold her face.

"Help!!!, Help me!!" She screamed again, struggling with Rita.

"Amara!!" Rita shouted again, shaking her.

She stopped struggling and opened her eyes slowly.

"eomma" she whispered, releasing tears from her eyes.

"I'm here, stop scaring me please" Rita replied, tilting her up before hugging her.

Yang inhaled hard in relief.

"eomma!!" She started crying like a baby on Rita's shoulder.

"It's ok, it's fine, mum is here you'll be ok" Rita pacified.

She knew Amara was being bullied when she was young because of the ugly scar and that was the main reason they allowed her to go for cosmetic surgery.

******

NEXT DAY, THE BANKS MANSION**

Alena rang the doorbell and waited for an answer.

Her friend described this place for her and luckily she got it.

She couldn't hide her shock when she found out it's the billionaire Banks mansion.

The door opened and Cassidy gasped.

"My new personal maid?" She asked eagerly.

" Yes, my name is...

Cassidy hugged her before she could finish.

"You're so beautiful!I love beautiful women!"Wow,you are stunning!You have a rare kind of beauty that stays with you. I feel it immediately when you enter the room." She gushed happily.

Alena smiled, hugging her back.

She was not expecting that kind of welcome from her,She liked her immediately.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Cassie-Cassie" she replied

"Cassidy?" Alena replied.

" Yeah, what about you?" Cassidy asked .

" Alena" Alena smiled.

Cassidy later broke the long hug and took her in.

"Right now mum isn't back from the hospital yet so...

"What's wrong with her?" Alena quickly asked.

"It's actually my big sis"

"Oh, the incident yesterday," Alena said.

" Yes, but she's ok, she'll be discharged this morning, I'm late for school now so we'll talk better when I come back" Cassidy said, checking her wrist watch.

"Ok, go fast," Alena smiled.

"Your room!It's just beside mine, June will show her to the room" she ordered one of the maids.

She gave Alena another hug before leaving for school .

******

FLOWERS HIGH**

👥 What happened to his face

👥 That cute face got wounded!

👥 I'm hurt!

👥 I wish I could treat it for him

👥 It must hurt a lot

Blaze's face became the topic for discussion for girls as he walked into the school.

He got into his class and met Byung and his minions on the seat already.

He stopped to look at them for a while before moving forward.

"Blaze!" Havana waved with a wide smile but the smile diminished when she noticed his face.

Blaze never bothered to return the smile before walking to the only empty seat beside a guy.

Havana's smile dropped from her face completely and Avery smiled.

Byung came to Blaze and touched his hair like a kid's.

"Good boy" he said and left class.

Havana understood immediately and went after him.

"Hey, I'm Trevor," the guy Blaze sat beside said.

"Hi," Blaze replied.

"You must have been threatened by that bully, I'm sure he did this to your face" Trevor said.

" Yeah" Blaze smiled

" That's why no one will ever sit beside Havana, he always scares them away cos he's crushing on her but Havana hates him, funny right?" Trevor said.

" I guess so," Blaze replied.

Havana caught up with Byung in front of the class .

"You did that to Blaze's face right?" She questioned.

"He was tryna take you away, I can't stand that" he replied with a smile Havana concluded was stupid.

" I'm not yours!" She said,

" You'll still be mine if not yet" Byung winked and she kicked the space between his legs.

" Ouch!" He groaned, holding that spot.

"Stay away from me, stay away from Blaze!, Bastard!" She glared and went back to class.

The first two classes went by fast and soon it's time for lunch.

Everyone left class as usual.

"Aren't you eating lunch?" Trevor asked

"I'm on scholarship, you expect me to have cash for lunch?, I'm not going" he replied.

" Come on, I hate skinny friends, I'll buy you lunch" Trevor said.

Blaze was about to protest when Havana appeared.

"Meet me at the cafeteria" Trevor said and left class.

" Blaze you don't have to listen to Byung, he's just crazy about me and.....

"I'm here on scholarship like you know, I don't want troubles for myself" he intruded and left her.

Avery came in immediately, laughing in mockery.

"Now the shiny boy has left you, let's see how you're still gonna continue featuring him in your videos" she said.

" When he wasn't here, I'm still more popular," Havana replied, arranging her hair.

" But you can't deny that since you started featuring him in your videos, you got more likes and comments, you got more popular but now it dropped, your boyfriend scared him off" Avery giggled.

" Byung is not my boyfriend!" Havana glared.

" Potential boyfriend" Avery laughed and Havana left the class angrily.

Avery left too and trailed Blaze.

She saw him in front of the cafeteria and just as he was about to enter, she pulled him back swiftly, taking him to the next empty class

"What's wrong with you?" Blaze glared, shoving free from her.

Avery smiled, coming closer.

"Stick with me," she said.

"Like I'm gum?" He replied and she smiled.

" Yeah, stick like gum," she replied.

Blaze made to leave but she pulled him back, slammed his back on the wall and tried kissing him but he pushed her away.

She crashed on the chair.

He left the class immediately.

******

AMARA'S FASHION INSTITUTE**

Amara got discharged two hours ago and she came straight to the institute.

She's sitting in her office, her elbows on her table.

She held her head with her hands, thinking about what happened yesterday again.

How she bumped into Vince and told him to save her.

Exactly how it was fifteen years ago.

Same words she said, the air around him when it happened felt the same too.

"The handsome lifesaver?Anaconda can't be the one, what am I even thinking?Ok snap out of it, no he's not" she said to herself and stood.

She slid into her workroom and smiled when she saw her masterpiece, the gown she made for the showcase.

"Zanillia is mine, evil Arielle can't take her when this delicious looking dress is here" she smiled, touching it proudly.

" I'm proud of my handwork" she said, still admiring it.

Yang came in.

" Whoa!amara, you nailed it!This dress is fire, I wish I could have it," he said.

" So, you now want a Virgina instead of a penis?" She replied.

" You're so raw," Yang said.

" How's it?What do you think?" She asked.

" It's the best design of the year" he gave a thumbs up.

" When is the seminar?" She asked.

"I came to remind you, it's thirty minutes from now" he replied.

" Then let's go, I'll kill two birds with a stone" she smiled, walking out of the room.

*******

HAESUNG UNIVERSITY**

"The seminar is twenty minutes from now," Chrissy said.

Vince didn't reply, making Chrissy face him, he's staring into space.

"Hey Vince!" She called.

He faced her.

"Were you talking to me?" He asked.

" You didn't hear what I said?"

" What did you say?" He asked.

" What were you thinking?Are you indisposed?" She asked, feeling his temperature but he took her hand away before standing.

"Lecturer Sung told me to come see him, I'll be right back" he said and left.

Chrissy looked at the book he left on the table and started flipping the pages, checking it out.

"He reads every night, secret of his brilliancy" she smiled and saw the drawing of a young girl at the back of the note.

"Who's this ugly thing?" She said, looking at it very well.

"Maybe a character from a horror movie, but he doesn't watch movies" she wondered.

The slamming of two hands on her table made her jump.

"Summer?".

Summer dropped her phone on the table.

"Give me Vince's number," she said.

"Why should I do that?" Chrissy smirked.

" Cos I asked for it, give me his line!" Summer commanded.

" If you're trying to sound authoritative, just give up already cos it's not working" Chrissy said, shifting the phone away.

Summer placed the phone back on the initial spot.

"Vince's number or I'll make you regret seeing today" she glared, bending over to Chrissy.

Chrissy stood.

"You're the daughter of Mrs Hwang, get his number from the students info board, it's with your mum" she said.

"And I'm saying I want it from you," Summer insisted.

"Get lost," Chrissy said.

" Say that again," Summer replied.

"Get....

Chrissy hasn't said lost when Summer landed a deafening slap on her right cheek.

The students gasped, the video makers only got more excited.

Things are getting spicy.

Chrissy held her face, facing Summer.

"Are you crazy!"

"You should know I am so give me what I want else I'll be slapping you on the second cheek" Summer replied seriously, pointing the phone at Chrissy .

Chrissy took it angrily and smashed it on the wall.

Summer smiled dangerously.

"You just tossed my phone at the wall," she said.

"I can toss b*tches too" Chrissy replied and Summer grabbed Chrissy's neck, choking her.

"Stop!!" A commanding voice said by the door and Summer looked back.

Amara is just coming in with Yang.

"Miss nonsense?I don't care who you are but don't interfere!" Summer shouted.

" Let her go," Amara said.

" Make me do that" Summer replied, choking Chrissy more harshly.

Amara kept walking to them.

"Amara don't do anything crazy ok?, Breath in and out seven times" Yang whispered beside her as she walked.

Her eyes are on Summer and the look is not friendly.

"Let her go," she said again when she's just a few steps away.

"I don't want to, I won't let her go till she vomits blood!" Summer shouted.

Amara took the last three steps to them, standing in front of Summer, vis-a-vis.

"Let....her...go" let her go, she said carefully.

"Get outta here, b*tch!" Summer spat.

Amara has been taking deep breaths like Yang advised, maybe that's why Summer is not wounded yet.

She took the seventh deep breath and grabbed Summer's hand, taking it away from Chrissy's neck.

Her neck is swollen red already, Chrissy fell on her chair, coughing loudly while holding her swollen neck.

Amara squeezed Summer's hand because she was furious and Summer winced hurtfully.

"Let go of my hand!" She commanded.

"I won't let it go till you vomit tears from your mouth," Amara replied, looking straight into Summer's fearless eyes.

*You're fearless, so am I, but fearless is different from fearless* Amara thought, still squeezing her arm.

"Let me go!" "Let me go!"

Amara squeezed harder and Summer lost it completely.

She raised her second hand to slap Amara but her hand held it tightly.

Summer's eyes widened when she saw Vince.

Summer's heart skipped as Vince appeared beside her. Why is he here? Her thoughts raced, tangled in surprise and cautious hope. She hadn't expected him, not now.

He's holding her hand tightly, looking at her hatefully.

Amara smiled, she couldn't hide the small smile tugging her lips .

"I don't care if I get rusticated, if you slap her, I'll slap you" he said.