Because Of You

Nothing prepared her for this day. Nothing at all.

Lauren took a deep shaky breath as she grabbed the card key from the hands of the young hotel receptionist standing beside her.

She quickly tucked it in her bag and rubbed her sweaty palm against her black denim trouser.

"Are you sure you're ready to do this? You might not like what you see."

Lauren glanced at the receptionist who had offered her the key to the VIP room where her fiance had been staying or rather, hiding for a week.

It was against the rules of the hotel for the young lady to do this for her.

Hmm, what was it called again? Invading the customers privacy?

Lauren sighed. Did it matter what it was called? She didn't care.

All she wanted right now was to satisfy the curiosity that had been on her mind for weeks now.

"I'll never be ready. I might as well get on with it" Lauren mumbled in response, feeling fatigued all of a sudden.

"Alright." The lady smiled warmly. "My job is at stake here so you have to hurry up. We can call this a repayment for the days you helped me in university. I'll be waiting for you."

"Thank you" Lauren waved before she jogged off to the adjacent corridor that led to VIP room 431.....

The room that held the answers she had been seeking for a long time.

A few minutes later, Lauren stood in front of the door with a sign that read '431'. She froze on the spot as thoughts raced through her mind.

Stefano had been cheating on her right? It wasn't just her imagination....right?

Or was she just insecure and paranoid for no reason?

And besides that, why had he been ignoring her calls for two months now? Did that mean he didn't love her anymore?

They had so much to talk about regarding their lives together and the business agreement he had made with her. To think he had proposed to her two months ago and immediately started ghosting her almost drove her crazy.

Who was he playing games with?

"You can do this, Lauren" She whispered as she placed a hand on the left side of her chest and rubbed it gently, trying to calm her racing heart.

She swiped the card on the door knob censor and it unlocked, giving no sound of entrance away.

Thank Goodness!

Lauren bit her lower lip and pulled the door open. She walked in and shut it.

An hour at most. She had to get out of here after one hour unless that lady's job might be at stake.

A dimly lit short corridor led to the sitting room and bed room. She tiptoed slowly, moving into the VIP apartment and gazing at the luxurious taste of its furnishing.

Lauren frowned.

A night here cost nothing less than a few thousand dollars. This wasn't your average vip room.

Based on what the young receptionist told her, Stefano booked a whole month down at once.

Where did he get such money from?

Of course, Stefano earned good money at his workplace, she was well aware of that.

But not this 'kind of money'.

It would have cost him nothing less than $80,000 for a full month here, minus the extra expenses.

An uncomfortable shiver rippled down her spine and she shuddered from the effect. Something wasn't right.

She peeked into the open living room and after finding it empty, she turned and walked towards the bedroom door, her heart in her throat.

Lauren heard a muffling sound as she neared the bedroom door. She pulled it open gently, holding her breath and froze immediately as the muffled sound became clearer.

"She's so stupid and naive, poor thing..." The familiar voice of a woman chuckling hit Lauren's ears through the classical music that played from an MP3 speaker.

She was so shocked that she couldn't move for a full minute.

Lauren heard Stefano laugh at the woman's words and her vision blurred as she tightened her fists around the doorknob.

'Get a hold of yourself!' The voice in her head yelled.

Lauren forced herself to walk into the room. She took slow, careful steps and stood behind the wall corner.

She popped her head and peeped.

There he was, the man she was to marry soon, cuddling a naked woman under a thick blanket in the air-conditioned room.

Lauren felt something break inside of her.

It's one thing to suspect something, it's a different thing for the suspicion to be true.

"So you'll break up with Lauren soon? And then, we'll get married?" The lady asked, her voice not very clear due to the music.

Lauren covered her mouth with both hands as she listened on. Against her will, the tears gathered in her eyes, threatening to fall. What did she just hear?

Stefano chuckled. "Sure, baby. I'm done with her now. She has served her purpose. Becoming a Managing Director at this young age is the icing on the cake for me. I no longer need her for anything...."

"She's probably still waiting for you to give her the share of money from your business agreement." The woman laughed. "It's been two whole months, she's very slow. A retard. She doesn't deserve you."

Lauren fell to her knees as those words hit her. She put the pieces together and almost screamed from the bile of anger that rose in her chest.

How dare he?! How dare Stefano do this to her?!

She gripped her chest where her heart hurt and whimpered as hot tears flowed down her cheeks.

The stench of his double betrayal was too much for her. She felt too tired to stand straight but no, she couldn't allow him get away with this.

She needed answers. She had to face him. She had to see the face of the woman who knew so much about her while she remained in the dark.

Lauren clenched her fists and dried her tears of anger with the sleeve of her blouse.

Keeping her face firm and jaw tightly clenched, she stood up straight and walked past the wall corner into the big bedroom.

Lauren yelled as loud as she could. "Stefano!!!"

Lauren watched the sight in front of her.

She could have sworn this was a dream but by the way her heart was beating so hard, about to pop out of her chest, she knew all of this was very real.

She glared daggers at him, her disgust for him clouding her mind. Her fists clenched hard as she moved a few steps closer to the bed.

"Monster! You ingrate!" Lauren cursed under her breath.

She watched as Stefano froze at the sound of his name and the woman by his side let out a shriek of fear before rolling away from him, choosing to keep her back facing Lauren instead.

Lauren sneered. The woman was protecting her identity.

"Shit! L–Lauren, what are you doing here?" Stefano swore as he jumped to his feet, no sign of remorse on his face.

Lauren felt her chest tighten as she watched the stark naked man scramble for his boxer shorts on the floor.

The room held signs of how they had spent the night. Empty wine bottles, stained glass cups on the table and the slimy used sacks of condom was all she needed to see.

"Pathetic!" She scoffed. "I see you've been having a good time with that 'thing' dangling between your legs."

"Watch your mouth, Lauren" He glared at her.

"So this is what you've been doing while you kept me waiting for two whole months. No calls, no response. Nothing at all."

She fixed her eyes on the blonde haired woman laying quietly on the bed. She walked past Stefano, aiming for the bed to see the woman's face.

As she moved forward, Stefano grabbed her arm and nudged her back, standing in her way.

"You owe me this at least!" Lauren yelled at him, her voice reeking of rage.

"No, I don't. I owe you nothing!" He glared at Lauren, daring her to try it again.

Lauren chuckled as fresh tears glistened in her eyes. "S-so you would rather protect her than make peace with me? Huh?"

Stefano inhaled impatiently, his left eye twitching from his annoyance. He ran his hand through his messy dark brown hair. "Make peace with you? See, Lauren, you really can't be this stupid, th-"

"What?!"

"Don't you get it?!" He barked at her and slammed his hand on the large wooden table beside him.

"Ugh! Are you dumb or what? I don't need you anymore, Lauren. I don't love you anymore. You heard a good amount of our conversation, didn't you? So why are you playing dumb?"

Lauren bit her lower lip as her heart broke even more. He wasn't even sober or remorseful about anything. He couldn't care less if she found out about his betrayal.

"Stefano, You used me."

"So?"

Lauren blinked at his nonchalant response. "Is that all you can say?! This isn't just about you cheating. You stole from me! You stole my means of livelihood from me. I trusted you with everything."

"Well, you're a fool for that. Not my problem"

Lauren gasped in dismay at his words, her tears flowing nonstop. She was finding it hard to process all this at once.

Was this the sweet guy she had been dating for a year now? Where did this monster come from?

"You are crazy!" She yelled at him, a vein on her neck sticking out from the force.

She placed a hand on her chest. It felt like the world around her was spinning.

"And you are stupid!" Stefano retorted, clenching his jaw.

"Use your fucking brain, Lauren. It's a free world. You had been trying for years to get your products licensed by a reputable company. Fucking three years, Lauren! Yet no company picked you because you weren't good enough!"

"So you took advantage of how vulnerable and frustrated I was, lied to me that you would help me." Lauren chuckled and glanced around aimlessly

".... instead, you went behind and licensed my products in your name at the company where you worked and what am I hearing now? You are the new managing director?"

"Amazing, isn't it?" Stefano raised his hands like he was expecting an applause, a smug look on his face. "They chose me, not you. You are the problem."

Lauren sighed. "You stole my intellectual property!. Those products were made from long hard nights of research."

"It's a free world, people steal all the time. You're probably not a saint too. Give me a break!"

Lauren laughed and clapped her hands in a dramatic manner. "So that was why you proposed to me all of a sudden? So you could mess with my mind and make it look like we were about to build something for our future together."

Stefano smirked. "You're getting smarter, Lauren. Too bad, you were too easy."

Filled with indignation, Lauren slammed her palm against his face, a fierce slap that knocked him off his feet, causing him to stagger backwards.

Her chest heaved from rage and she felt like tearing him apart. "I'll make you pay for this. I-I will march to the company where you work tomorrow morning and make it known that you are nothing but a bloody thief. I have evidence a-"

Stefano jumped to his feet when he heard 'evidence'.

"You wouldn't dare!" He warned

"Try me! You can't ruin me and walk scot-free, you imbecile!"

Lauren glared at the lady on the bed who had been silent all along.

Rage clouded her mind and Lauren jumped on the bed as fast as she could. She dragged the blanket covering the lady making her scream in shock as she scrambled to cover her face.

A strong hand enclosed Lauren's neck the moment she tried reaching for the lady's hair.

Stefano tightened his grip around Lauren's neck and pulled her away from the bed, throwing her on the floor. Hard and fast.

"Ugh!" Lauren groaned as her back hit the floor.

But it didn't stop her. She was hell-bent on discovering the woman's identity. Amidst the pain, Lauren jumped to her feet and aimed for the lady again.

"Just kill her, Stefano. Now! If she lives, you'll lose everything." The lady yelled as she wrapped herself under the thick blanket.

Lauren ignored the statement, staying focused on her mission. She pushed Stefano and jumped on the lady and pulled hard at the blanket covering her.

Before she could go any further, something hard banged her head and Lauren froze as she fell to the side of the bed and rolled until her back hit the floor.

"Die, you witch!" Stefano's icy voice filled the room as he grabbed another empty wine bottle from the table and walked towards her.

Lauren groaned in pain as she felt her black hair get wet from the amount of blood that trickled out.

Her vision blurred as her brain struggled to keep up with the loss of blood and she felt her heart beat slow down gradually.

She realised what was happening. Her life had reached its end.

The realization crushed her as more tears flowed down the sides of her face. She had worked so hard for nothing. She had given this man so much love and trust for nothing.

"Finish her off, Stefano. We'll get rid of her body later!"

With teary eyes and her last strength, Lauren muttered as loud as she could. "I-if I ever get t-the chance to survive or live again, I w-will make both of you pay for what you did to me."

Stefano smirked as he squatted beside her, his eyes dark and distant. "Well, sweetie, you will never get the chance. I'll make sure of that."

His grip around the bottle tightened and he slammed it into her head.

Just like that, her life came to an end.

"Lauren, Lauren....are you alright?"

Lauren stirred a bit, her eyes still shut. Could dead people hear the voices of their colleagues?

"Lauren...."

Wasn't that Anita's voice? Her colleague and friend, Anita Parker?

Lauren frowned, her eyes still tightly shut. Was Anita dead too? Is that why they could communicate?

This didn't make any sense.

"Lauren, wake up. Our shift is over."

WHAT?!

Lauren opened her eyes instantly and held her neck, gasping for air.

"Oh my g-Are you alright?" Anita held Lauren's shoulders and looked at her. "You slept for such a long time. Are you sick?"

Lauren's eyes scanned the environment around her.

Nurses and clients filled the room like any other day at work and not just that, she glanced at herself and realised she was wearing her nurse uniform and sitting at her desk.

Impossible!

Lauren furrowed her brows in confusion. Was there a hospital in the afterlife? Her hospital specifically? Did Regen Health Centre exist in the afterlife?

"Lauren! You look like you just saw a ghost. What's going on?" Anita's voice dragged her out of her scattered thoughts.

She stood up and glanced at her friend who stared back at her like she had lost her mind. "What's today's date?"

"Huh?"

"Date. W-what's today's date?" Lauren mumbled as she searched her table for a clock or phone.

Her brain wasn't working properly right now. She was sure of it.

"February 24th 2024. It-"

"WHAT?!!!" Lauren screamed so loud that Anita and some nearby people jumped in fear.

"W-what is the prob-"

"No way. Give it to me!" Lauren snatched Anita's phone and checked it with her own eyes.

Her face went pale white as 'February 24th' reflected on the phone screen.

The world seemed to slow down around her as she tried to figure out how she was soaked in a pool of blood a few minutes back and now working at her job like a regular day.

What happened? D-did she just come back to life? Was that even possible? This had to be a dream.

A very crazy dream.

Lauren dug her hands into her scalp, searching for the sticky wetness of blood. To her surprise, there was no blood and no pain.

A cold shiver rolled down her spine and she shuddered.

"What's going on?"

"Huh? Lauren, you're scaring me. What's wrong?" Anita mumbled. She kept looking at Lauren, a worried expression in her face.

Lauren closed her eyes and took a breath. She had to calm down. Her mind was in a haze.

"You have been given a second chance to set your life in order and correct your errors. A two month time frame.

The past will repeat itself. Find your enemies. Save yourself.

In return, you will get a helper and a longtime friend....if you survive.

Do not forget this"

Lauren shuddered fiercely as a voice whispered those words. It was as calm as a soft breeze blowing past her ears.

"Did you say something?" Lauren opened her eyes and glanced at Anita.

"I said what's wrong?"

Lauren heard the voice again with the same instruction and that was when she realised that it was specific to her.

Noone else could hear it except her. She was the one who got a rebirth.

A second chance.

Noone else could help her through this except herself.

The weight of this realisation suddenly felt heavy and Lauren gripped the hand of her chair firmly and sat down, taking deep breaths to steady her mind.

"N-nothing is wrong, Anita. I think I'm just really stressed out today." She managed to mumble loud enough for the other lady to hear.

"Oh....I see" A sigh of relief followed. "Thank Goodness. For a moment there, I thought you had gone crazy."

Lauren gave a short laugh.

She felt crazy. Everything about this was crazy.

Fragments of the past two months were spinning around her mind but she didn't even know what to do.

Anita leaned closer and raised an eyebrow. "Did you do something wrong?"

Lauren frowned. "What do you mean by 'wrong'?"

"The CEO requests for you. Like right now."

"The CEO? Mrs Susan?!" Lauren jumped to her feet. "W–why? W–what did I do?"

Anita rolled her eyes and laughed. "Are you asking me? I should be the one asking you. What did you do wrong, Lauren? Your shift is over and she is aware. I don't think you should keep her waiting."

Lauren bit her lower lip and hastily tidied her desk.

She had not found the time to process everything that had happened and what her next steps should be. She would have to wait till she was well rested at home. Her whole mind was in a mess.

She grabbed her hand bag and cleared her throat. "Okay, let's do this!"

Anita sighed as Lauren walked out, heading towards the elevator leading to the top floor. "My prayers and thoughts are with you"

Lauren took one final glance and poked her thumbs up in assurance. "I'll be fine. I hope so"

_____________~~~___________

"You can go in," The Secretary signalled at her.

Lauren clutched her handbag tightly on her shoulders and rubbed her very sweaty palms on her blouse.

"Good aft-"

"Sit" Susan Harrison's firm voice echoed in the large spacious office.

The fifty seven years old woman had a strict and firm expression on her face. Lauren almost wanted to crawl under her desk for a moment.

"Oh, oh, yes. Sit" Lauren almost fainted at the sound of the woman's voice as she scrambled for the chair opposite the elderly woman's desk.

She had never seen her physically before. It wasn't common that the CEO would request to see a random employee. Definitely not her.

The office went gravely quiet for a moment except for the slow puff sound that came out from a small wooden diffuser on a white porcelain table.

The elderly woman who was dressed in a dark blue suit continued watching Lauren for what seemed like hours.

Well, it was just three minutes but it felt like hours to Lauren.

"I don't beat around the bush so I'll get to the point."

Lauren glanced up and nodded slowly. Her neck bone suddenly felt stiff.

This had been a long day and she had only been alive for about one hour.

"My son has been having a digestion problem. It's a minor problem. His diet is terrible by the way....." The woman sighed and rambled on.

Lauren listened intently, wondering what this had to do with her.

"....He is too busy to go for regular check-ups and too stubborn to listen to all the nutritionists I have sent his way. So I am going to try one last time and assign you to him....."

Lauren released her heaviest sigh of relief. She had rushed in here, thinking that she was in big mess or something even worse.

"....Word has it that you are a practicing nutritionist. I want you to give it a try then. I'll pay you very well. Better than what you earn at your job. You'll show up for your nursing shifts on Wednesdays to Fridays. For the remaining days, you'll focus on my son. So, what do you say?"

All of a sudden, the air around Lauren smelled so good.

Doing the work she loved. Getting a tasty payment cheque in return. Treating one of the most sought after bachelors in the United States of America......

What better dream could a woman like her have?

Logan Harrison was known everywhere as a proper and principled young man.

Calm.

Handsome.

Refined.

Disciplined.

Endearing.

She was so delighted she wanted to scream out for the whole world to hear.

Lauren cleared her throat and smiled warmly. "It is my pleasure to help your son, Logan Harrison become the healthiest version of himself. I will do my best."

Mrs Susan chuckled, a subtle smirk on her lip. "Not Logan. I'm talking about my first son, Richard Harrison."

The smile on Lauren's face disappeared immediately.