CHAPTER ONE

Well… I died.

If I had been told a month ago that I would be killed by my fiance and his mistress I would laugh in the person's face.

But here I was … drowning. My eyes slowly closed as the water filled my lungs.

PRESENT DAY

My eyes sprang open with a loud gasp. Gasp? I was breathing. How? I was supposed to be dead. I was sure I drowned.

Suddenly, the door flung open and two women in scrubs rushed in. They appeared to be nurses. The loud beeping sound of the monitor on my left must have attracted them. That was when I realized… I was in a hospital. Why would Raymond take me to a hospital after attempting to kill me?

One of the nurses rushed to my side. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a penlight and began to examine my pupils. “How are you feeling now, Ms Blackwood?”

My brow furrowed. Ms Blackwood? That wasn’t my name.

“I will inform her husband that she has awakened,” the other nurse said and rushed out.

My eyes widened in fear.No… She was going to tell Raymond that I was awake? There was no telling what he would do if he found out that I was alive and I didn’t want to wait to find out.

Quickly, I Pushed her hand away from my face“Let me out of here,” I said, slipping out of the bed in haste.

“What?” The Nurse said, confused. “Mrs. Blackwood, you need to rest”.

Her voice was inaudible. I could hear a low wincing sound that increased by the second, my head was a mess. “I need to get out of here” I managed to let out.

The nurse wore a worried expression. “Mrs Blackwood?”

“Stop calling me that!” I snapped at her. Suddenly my sight grew blurry, she called out to me but my eyes dimmed as I crumbled to the ground.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

My eyes slowly opened scanning the surroundings around me, I was still in the hospital.

With a sharp jolt, I sprang out of the bed. I needed to get out of here as fast as I could. As I walked towards the door it suddenly opened and the nurses from earlier walked in. I took a quick step back as a strange man clad in a grey suit walked in behind them. His dark brown eyes glared into my soul, his brow furrowed slightly. Thankfully it wasn't Raymond.

I turned to the nurses and began to plead. “Please, don't keep me here, I need to leave, now”

“She doesn't remember anything?”The man asks, his gaze skeptical.

The nurse nodded. “It appears so”

“Leave us,” he said, his tone commanding and the nurses obeyed, shutting the door behind them.

My gaze was fixed on him as I wondered if Raymond had paid him to keep me here. “Let me out of here” I snapped before he could say a word.

His gaze turned cold, he walked towards me grabbing my arms tightly. “If you ever pull that stunt again I will kill you myself”

My brow creased. “What?” I was confused. “Who are you?”

He bit his lower lip in an attempt to control his rage. “I am Damien, your husband Elizabeth”

I yanked my hands away from his in disgust. Husband? Was he a pervert? Just then my gaze shifted to a mirror to my left. I froze as my reflection stared back at me. No.. not my reflection. I didn’t know who this person was. My heart raced rapidly as I realized. I wasn’t in my body!

I moved towards the mirror still in shock. How could this be? How was this even possible? I reached for the mirror and the girl in the mirror did the same. I panted, my chest heaving.

Suddenly I felt the man’s hand wrapped tightly around my hand. She pulled me to sit on the tree bed. “Do you recognize me?” he asked, positioning himself in front of me.

I shook my head. I couldn’t tell him that I wasn’t his wife. He would think I was crazy. He would probably try to lock me up in a mental hospital. Perhaps it was better if they thought I lost my memory.

He sighed. “You almost drowned a month ago, you have been in a coma since then”

“A month, I have been here for a whole month?”

He opened his mouth to speak but paused to gaze at me for a few seconds. “My assistant will fill you in on all you need to know, I have a meeting to attend,” he said and turned to leave.

As the door shut behind him I sat still on the bed staring blankly at the wall. This couldn’t be happening. I have been in a coma for a month. And I wasn’t in my body. Everyone would think I was crazy if I said anything.

Just then the door opened and a different man in a black suit walked in. “Good afternoon ma’am,” he said, bowing his head in respect. “I have been ordered to take you home”

I sighed. I had to play along with these people to not arouse any suspicions. But where was my body? “Of course,” I said standing up as he led the way to the car.

There was a bag in the back of the car with clothes and a phone inside. I knew it was mine. Well….Elizabeth’s. I quickly pulled the phone out of the bag and began to surf the web. I needed to find something about me. Anything at all. Alas, I did. There was news about Vanessa Davenport in a coma from almost drowning in a bathtub. These were all from a month ago. This was it! My body was still in a coma. But that still doesn’t explain how I was in another woman’s body. Second chance perhaps? Maybe the universe was giving me a chance for revenge and I sure as hell was going to take it.

I looked up at the driver. “Excuse me?”

“Yes ma’am?” He responded.

“What do you know about the CEO of Davenport Industries?”

“Ah, Mr Raymond. He is a great guy. He and your husband are business partners” he said with a bright smile.

My head was spinning. Raymond was now the CEO of my company. How could I have been so blind? He didn’t love me at all. He was just using me to get my company. And now he has it.

I bit my lower lip. “I thought the CEO was a woman? I believe her name was Vannesa.” I said with hopes that he would have some news about me.

“Ah, unfortunately, the former CEO got into an accident last month, she has been in a coma ever since. Thankfully she already signed the company over to him and he can run it in her stead.”

What? I never signed the company over to Raymond. He had no share whatsoever in my company. He must have forged my signature.

“You might meet him today” he continued, "Your husband has a meeting with him at the house today. That is why he left in a hurry.

A meeting at the house? That means Raymond and I were going to meet sooner than I expected. My heart raced. Not with fear. This time with rage