2. I can't remember

A doctor and two nurses hurried to the room, along with the woman who had just left. But Riley had no time to pay attention to them. She wanted to go to the washroom to look in the mirror and confirm—maybe this stupid phone was tricking her!

Riley was so impatiently trying to remove all the wires and tubes that were attached to her body. Tears were spilling from her eyes nonstop; her head was so close to exploding...

"Riley!!! Stop this!! You're hurting yourself!!!" the Doctor and the nurses rushed to hold her and stop her from acting madly.

"She was just fine when I left. What has happened all the sudden?" the woman who had come earlier began to sob.

"I... I want to go to the washroom!!" Riley spoke for the first time since she woke up.

"You don't have to go to the washroom. We can help you do it here... It is risky for you to get down from the bed before the Doctor properly checks you." a nurse said kindly, rubbing Riley's head to calm her down.

Riley had only a few opportunities in her life to see other people's kindness toward her, but this was not the time to appreciate it.

"I want to go to the WASHROOM!!!" Riley screamed as she struggled to get down from the bed.

Finally, the Doctor and the nurses couldn't restrain her anymore; they had to help her get into the washroom.

"Keep the door slightly open in case of..." The nurse couldn't finish her sentence as Riley slammed the door in her face and locked it.

Riley heard the Doctor and the nurses shouting outside, asking her to be careful. Still, she didn't have the patience to listen. She quickly stood before the mirror with her wobbly legs and slowly raised her head to look in.

Riley was too shocked to scream as she stared at the reflection in the mirror. The girl looking back at her resembled her in many ways, yet was undeniably different. Instead of her light brown eyes, this girl has remarkable blue ones. Her hair, blonde and unfamiliar, contrasted with what Riley once had. But the facial features were eerily similar. This girl looks like a younger, more innocently beautiful version of herself.

This wasn't her. She is trapped in a stranger's body; there is no doubt about that. Then, where is her own body and what about the soul that once inhabited this one? Riley had heard about soul swapping before, but never in her wildest dreams did she think she'd experience it firsthand!

Her mind was filled with millions of questions, trapping her in the biggest turmoil of her life. She had been through so much in her life: bullied, insulted, and betrayed by the people who meant the world to her. She thought she had already faced the worst her destiny had to offer. But now, this? Losing her own body? It seemed like the universe was playing some cruel, twisted joke on her.

She just wanted to escape from home, from everything and everyone familiar to her. Here she is now, even losing the most familiar thing to her: her body. She laughed inwardly, thinking how ironic her fate was.

However, amidst the chaos in her mind, Riley was smart enough to know one thing: She needed to stay calm, at least for now.

Answers wouldn't come if she gave in to the panic.

She quickly washed her face to remove the traces of tears. Promising herself to be strong and find a way out of this mess, she finally walked out of the washroom.

The woman who claimed to be the mother of the owner of this body was not in the room. There were only the doctors and nurses. They started checking Riley all over to understand if she had any pain or abnormality. Finally, they concluded that Riley was physically fine except for being a bit weak, which is normal. But what about her mental status?

"Doctor, what is the date today?" Riley asked first.

The Doctor gave her a date; it was closer to one year and one month since she escaped from home.

"What had happened to me?" Riley then asked.

"You can't remember what has happened?" the Doctor frowned his eyebrows and asked worriedly.

Riley shook her head.

"Up to what incident can you remember? It is normal to forget incidents related to a tragedy," the Doctor kindly asked.

"Honestly, I can't remember anything, Doctor... I don't even know the woman who came earlier." Riley figured out this was the best way she could play until she found a way to return to her own body.

"Oh!!!" the Doctor looked both worried and scared. Riley could understand his worry, but why did he get scared?

"The woman who was here is your mom. Your dad spent the night beside your bed and went home in the morning. Normally, your parents and your mate would take turns spending time near you. They never left you alone for all this year," the Doctor explained.

"I have a mate too..." That's what first came to Riley's mind, and those words were spoken out loud.

"Of course, you have a mate who can make all the other women envy about you. You won't remember him for now, but you will feel the special bond you share once you see him. His name is Leo Vandenberg, and he is the youngest CEO to lead one of the top 5 companies in the country. So you can imagine how busy he must be. But he always visited you at least once daily and stayed with you whenever possible. Today, he is in another city, but when we informed him that you were awake, he abandoned all of his work and left there. He would come soon to see you. You can see yourself how much he loves you and dotes on you." the Doctor who explained about her parents with just two sentences, gave her a long explanation about her mate...

The hospital room she woke up to was undoubtedly a luxurious one. Even the Doctor and nurses talk to her very kindly and respectfully. So, Riley could guess this hospital must be a high-class one. But that woman... She looked pretty ordinary; Riley couldn't first understand how they could afford to keep this body in a hospital like this for over a year. But now everything is clear. It must be this body's owner's mate who bore all the expenses. Though Riley hasn't seen this person personally, she has heard about him from the news. He is popular not just as an entrepreneur, but his Greek God-like appearance made him an idol among the youth.

Riley's memories subconsciously travelled to the past. No father was present in her life; her mom never fulfilled any mom duties except for giving birth. Then her mates... Yes, not just one... She had two... But the only thing they both gave her was betrayal and pain... They were the very reason she was in this tragic mess right now.

Though she was lacking in many things in her entire life, Riley never envied others for what they had. But at this particular moment, she felt envy for this beautiful girl who is blessed with devoted parents and a mate who truly loves and cares about her.

At that moment, Riley had no idea that this seemingly beautiful, trouble-free life of this girl was just a hallucination. But she will soon find it out…