Chapter 4

“Don’t talk to her too much just yet—let me examine her first,” interrupted the doctor, who had just arrived and was approaching with the nurse from earlier.

I remained motionless, staring at these strangers. Why were they calling me Bella?

Who is Bella?

“Look at me,” the doctor instructed me, then asked me to open my mouth, and pulled out a glowing object that looked like a small flashlight to examine my eyes.

He nodded his head; it seemed the results of the examination were what he expected. Next to him, the nurse was writing down everything the doctor said—things I didn’t understand at all.

“How are you feeling?” the doctor asked again.

“I’m… I’m fine,” I said softly.

“Thank goodness. You’ve been here for a week, Bella. Your heart is weak. From now on, you need to be even more careful.”

My heart is weak? Since when have I had a heart condition? I’ve always been healthy—I’m just a fool for loving David. And why is this doctor calling me Bella? Who is this Bella? Why is everyone here calling me Bella?

“From now on, you need to think about your health, Bella. You also need to start dieting to get your body healthy. I don’t mean to insult you, but at your age, you’re already obese. You’re still too young. Do you want to die from obesity and another heart attack?”

Huh?

What does the doctor mean by that?

Obesity? Hey, I’m Amora! I have an ideal body and I always exercise regularly. Even at 40, I’m still beautiful. Why did that doctor say I’m obese?

“Bella, please forgive Mom… for letting you end up like this.”

I turned my head when I heard those words, then looked at the middle-aged woman beside me. Tears were streaming down her face, but for some reason, they didn’t feel real—like they were fake. Next to her stood a beautiful, slender young woman. Her face was unremarkable, but she was staring at me as if she disliked me.

Then my gaze shifted to the middle-aged man also standing there. He looked utterly exhausted.

Who were they, really? And why were they calling me Bella?

I raised my hand because my scalp was itchy. And at that very moment, I screamed.

“Aaaakkk!”

“What’s wrong?” everyone asked. Even the doctor looked panicked.

I remained silent, staring at the hand I’d just raised. Whose hand is this? Why is this hand so big? Then I started feeling my cheek. Something was strange—my cheek felt very thick.

I felt my body… and everything felt big and solid.

Whose body is this? Why am I here? I wondered.

“Bella, what’s wrong?” the doctor asked worriedly.

I tried to sit up, trying to look at my own body. Even though the doctor told me not to, I forced myself to sit up anyway.

I could only stare in silence at this huge body. Whose body is this? Why did I wake up in this body? Where’s my sexy body?

“A mirror,” I said softly to whoever was in the room.

“Bella, what’s wrong? Why do you need a mirror?” asked the middle-aged man.

“Where’s the mirror? I want a mirror!” I said again without answering his question.

Then the young woman handed it to me with a scowl. “What do you want to see? Your body? Even though you’ve been asleep for a week, you’re still big, Bella.”

I ignored her. I took the mirror she handed me, and with my heart pounding wildly, I held it up to my face.

How shocked I was when I saw the face reflected back at me. This isn’t me! Who is this? How did I end up in someone else’s body? What’s really going on?

“What’s the date?” I asked softly.

“November 7th, Bella. You had a heart attack on your 20th birthday yesterday.”

So on the first, Bella almost died? And on that same day, I almost died after being pushed by David and Lidia.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”

I shook my head. It felt completely absurd, but the reality was that I was now in someone else’s body. So where was the real Bella?

I’ll find out later. For now, I have to plan my revenge. That’s right—I have to take back everything that’s in David and Lidia’s hands.

****

After regaining consciousness, I didn’t say much. I was afraid of saying the wrong thing and afraid they’d figure out that I wasn’t actually Bella.

I’d been in this room for two days, and no one else had come by except for the middle-aged woman I knew was Bella’s mother. But something was off—I felt like her attitude wasn’t sincere at all. And the young woman who’d given me the mirror yesterday—whose name I knew was Elena—was also openly showing her dislike for me.

What’s really going on?

“Bella, since your father has gone back to work and left you in Mom’s care, you have to obey Mom’s orders, okay?” she said. Her voice sounded very gentle, but I knew it was just a facade.

I didn’t answer; I just nodded.

Then my gaze shifted to Elena, who was busy with her phone.

“Why are you looking at me? Pretty, huh?” Elena said sharply.

I didn’t answer. I chose to sigh and look away. There were just too many things on my mind right now—about how I had to pretend to be Bella, all while getting my revenge on David and Lidia.

“Oh, right, Bella. I want to tell you that I was named the prettiest student of the year. Unlike you, who’s ugly, fat, and stupid!”

Ugly, fat, and stupid?

My jaw clenched at those words. I’d seen Bella’s face—she was still beautiful even though she was big. And stupid? How could she say something like that to her own sister?

“Why are you mad? Because that’s the truth! You didn’t want to go to college because you’re stupid; instead, you asked to marry Alvaro. Ugh, there’s no way he’d want you! You’re already fat, and stupid to boot!”

Alvaro? Who’s this now, God?

Is Bella just like I used to be—crazy in love with a guy?

I won’t let that happen. I won’t let Bella go through the same suffering I did just because she loves a guy.