Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Alicia's POV

“I really need this vacation leave, George,” I said firmly.

George was the owner of the hospital where I worked, and fortunately, he was also reasonable.

“Okay. How many days?” he asked.

Days?

Days would not be enough.

“It will be a month,” I replied.

He immediately looked at me and gave me a questioning stare.

“A month? Isn’t that too long?” he asked.

“Yes, I know it is,” I admitted, “but I really need to rest.”

I saw him nod slowly, clearly thinking about it.

“Alright. I will let you go this time,” he said. “Besides, I have observed you lately. You handled several stressful operations, and you have been extremely busy these past few months. Because of that, I believe you truly deserve a break.”

Thank God. He understands.

I nodded and smiled faintly.

“Thank you, George,” I said sincerely.

“No worries,” he replied with a smile. “But where are you planning to go?”

Honestly, I did not even know the answer to that question.

“I do not know yet,” I replied.

He nodded briefly.

“Go ahead, Aly. You may leave now. Have a nice vacation.”

I nodded, stood up, and walked out of his office.

As soon as I stepped outside, I saw Minerva standing near George’s office door. Her eyes were red, and she looked like she was on the verge of crying.

“Alicia,” she said dramatically. “Are you leaving? Are you going to leave me? Did I do something wrong? Answer me, damn it!”

I raised one eyebrow in confusion.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked.

“What? Talk to me!” she cried. “Why are you dressed like that? Why did you go to Sir George’s office? Did he fire you?!”

Did she lose her mind already? Do I need to send her to a mental institution?

“You can’t leave! You can’t leave me alone in this cruel wo—”

She did not finish her sentence because I slapped her.

The hell was she saying?

She stopped talking immediately, her head turning to the side. Slowly, she looked back at me in shock.

“Why did you—”

“Stop being crazy, Minerva,” I cut her off irritably.

She pouted, and I glared at her until she straightened up.

“Sorry, Aly. I was just practicing my acting skills,” she said casually. “You know I plan to audition soon. By the way, are you really leaving?”

So she was sane again.

I nodded.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

Why does everyone keep asking me that?

“I do not know yet,” I answered honestly.

“You are taking a vacation leave?” she asked again.

She was asking too many questions. Instead of answering, I started walking away.

“Hey! Answer me. Do not be so rude, Aly!” she said while annoyingly following me.

I could hear everything she was saying, but I chose to ignore her.

“Nurse, I need your assistance. Can you please help me?”

The voice belonged to an elderly woman nearby.

I smiled when I noticed Minerva stop following me. I glanced back and saw her helping a child instead.

“Min,” I called out. “I just wanted to tell you that I will be gone for a month.”

“What?!” she yelled back, even though I knew she heard me clearly.

I continued walking toward the parking lot.

When I reached my house later that day, Milla was the one who opened the gate for me.

“Tomorrow, I will be leaving,” I told her as I entered. “Please take care of the house.”

“Ma’am, you will leave tomorrow already?” Milla asked in surprise.

“Yes,” I answered while walking upstairs. “Please tell Yam and Liz as well.”

“Okay, ma’am. Please take care,” she said.

I nodded and went straight to my room.

I prepared everything I needed, packed my things, and then took a long bath. While drying my hair, I searched online for places I could visit. Somewhere peaceful. Somewhere that matched my description.

But no matter how long I searched, I could not find a place that suited my taste.

Tsk.

I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes.

Where should I go?

Suddenly, I remembered something.

When I was still a child, my grandmother and I used to live in a province.

That is it.

That is the place I should go. The place where I once lived.

I smiled at the thought. From what I remembered, that place had tall trees, fresh air, and most of all, peace.

I stood up, turned off my laptop, and glanced outside the window. It was already getting dark.

My house was custom designed and located on a high area. From my terrace, I could see the entire city below. Bright, noisy, and dangerous.

The city was beautiful, but it was also exhausting.

I needed to leave. I needed a place far from here. Far from harm.

I sighed deeply and went back to bed. Slowly, I drifted to sleep while thinking about my grandmother.

Grandma, I really miss you so much.

Darkness consumed me.

The next morning, I stood in front of my maids.

“I am leaving now. Remember everything I instructed the three of you,” I said.

“Yes, ma’am,” they replied in unison.

“Take care and have a great vacation, ma’am,” Milla added.

I nodded, entered my car, and they opened the gate for me.

I started the engine and drove forward, but suddenly, I slammed on the brakes.

Shit.

Did she want to die?

“Wait!” Minerva shouted.

She ran toward my car and knocked on the window. I raised an eyebrow as I rolled it down.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“You did not say a proper farewell,” she said with a smile. “We will see each other soon, but you still have to say goodbye.”

Do I really have to do this?

“Tsk. Goodbye, Min. Now go,” I said.

She pouted, which was extremely annoying.

“Okay, fine. Goodbye, Aly,” she said. “Do not you dare come back anymore. Ha ha, just kidding. You should come back. You should definitely come back!”

She was completely crazy.

“Of course, I will,” I replied.

“You promise?”

“Yes. I promise,” I said flatly.

“That is right. You promised. Okay, I have to go now. Oh my freaking God, I am going to be late!” she said before running away.

I nodded even though she was already gone.

I watched her drive away, then shrugged and continued my journey.

I followed the directions my GPS was giving me. After nearly five hours on the road, I still had not reached my destination.

How far could it be?

I decided to stop beside the road. I was sure I was already close because all I could see were tall trees and long grasses.

What I did not understand was why there were no other cars passing by.

I grabbed a sandwich from the back seat and ate it. I was starving. It was already past noon.

After eating, I drove again.

Another few hours passed, and boredom slowly crept in.

Why did I choose to come back here?

Why was it so far away?

Or maybe my GPS was malfunctioning?

And holy shit, what if I was lost?

No. I pushed that thought away.

I drove faster, especially since the road was completely empty.

Then suddenly, I slammed on the brakes.

A man was standing in the middle of the road.

What the hell is his problem? If he wants to die, he should not involve others.

I angrily stepped out of my car.

First, I get lost. Now, some asshole is blocking my way.

What a wonderful vacation.

“What the hell is your problem, mister?!” I shouted.

But I got no response.

Before I could speak again, I noticed three more men walking toward the man in front of me.

Who are these people?

Forest men?

“Who are you?” one of them asked.

I stared at them in confusion.