Memory

Chapter 28 

Martina’s POV

My head was pounding.

That was the first thing I felt when I slowly opened my eyes.

I groaned softly and shifted on the bed, immediately regretting it as the pain intensified.

“Ugh…”

What happened?

I blinked a few times, trying to steady my vision. The ceiling above me slowly came into focus.

My room.

I’m in my room?

But… how?

The last thing I remembered was the club.

The loud music.

The drinks.

Herrick…

And then nothing after that.

My brows furrowed slightly as I pushed myself up, holding my head.

Did I… pass out?

That wouldn’t be surprising. I drank way more than I should have.

But how did I get home?

I couldn’t remember coming back on my own.

That alone didn’t sit right with me.

I sighed and rubbed my forehead slowly.

I really needed to stop drinking like this. This was the second time in one week, and it was already becoming a problem.

If Herrick hadn’t insisted I stayed with him at the club, and if his friend hadn’t given me that ridiculously strong drink, I wouldn’t be in this situation again.

Now my head felt like it was about to split open, and my memory was completely blank.

I hissed softly and tried to stand up from the bed.

Just then, I heard a knock on my door.

“Come in,” I said.

The door opened, and Mrs. Clara—my mother’s caregiver—walked in.

“You’re awake,” she said immediately, her voice carrying a bit of relief.

“Yes, Mrs. Clara,” I replied. “You came early today.”

She shook her head slightly.

“Actually, I spent the night here,” she said. “I was waiting for you to come back before leaving, but you arrived late. I couldn’t leave at that time.”

I frowned slightly.

“You were waiting for me? Is my mother okay?”

“Yes, she’s okay,” she replied quickly. “I just couldn’t leave her alone. That’s why I stayed.”

“Are you sure she’s fine?” I asked again, just to be certain.

“Yes, she’s fine,” she repeated.

I let out a small breath of relief.

“Okay… thank you,” I said. “And I’m sorry for keeping you waiting last night.”

“It’s no problem,” she replied.

There was a brief silence before I spoke again.

“Mrs. Clara…” I called softly.

“Yes?”

“What happened last night?”

She hesitated for a moment, then shrugged slightly.

“Nothing really happened,” she said. “You came home drunk and passed out almost immediately.”

“I did?”

“Yes, Martina.”

I stared at her for a moment.

“I came home by myself?” I asked slowly. “No one brought me back?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “You came back on your own.”

Something about that answer didn’t feel right.

Not at all.

I couldn’t even remember leaving the club, let alone getting home safely by myself.

“Okay…” I said quietly.

Maybe I was just overthinking things.

“Go freshen up,” she added gently. “You need it.”

“I will.”

She gave me a small nod before turning and leaving the room.

The moment the door closed, I let out a long breath.

Why did that feel strange?

I shook my head, trying to push the thought away, and forced myself out of bed. My body still felt heavy as I walked to the bathroom.

After washing up, I felt slightly better. The cold water helped, but the headache was still there, lingering.

At least today was Saturday.

I didn’t have to go to work.

“Finally… my first weekend as a secretary,” I muttered, managing a small smile as I walked back into my room.

I let myself fall onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

For a moment, everything felt calm.

Quiet.

Then suddenly…

That feeling came back.

My smile slowly faded.

I wasn’t alone last night.

The thought came suddenly and strongly.

I could feel it.

It wasn’t just a guess.

It wasn’t just my imagination.

It felt real.

My chest tightened slightly as I placed a hand over it.

My heartbeat had picked up.

Fast.

“For no reason…” I muttered.

But even as I said it, I knew that wasn’t true.

There was a reason.

I just didn’t know what it was.

I slowly sat up, my mind trying to piece things together.

If someone had brought me home…

Who could it be?

Herrick?

I immediately shook my head.

No.

It couldn’t be him.

He wouldn’t do something like that.

And besides… I had never felt like this around him before.

Not even when I was sober.

This feeling…

It was different.

Unfamiliar, yet somehow…

Not entirely strange.

I frowned slightly.

That didn’t make sense.

I wrapped my arms loosely around myself, trying to calm down.

“Maybe I’m just overthinking,” I said under my breath.

After all, Mrs. Clara said I came home by myself.

And there was no reason for her to lie about something like that.

Still…

Something wasn’t adding up.

I looked around my room slowly, my eyes scanning every corner as if I would find an answer there.

Everything looked normal.

Nothing was out of place.

And yet…

I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened.

Something important.

Something I should remember.

But I couldn't.

I let out a quiet sigh and ran a hand through my hair.

This was frustrating.

Very frustrating.

The more I tried to remember, the more my head hurt.

“Forget it…” I muttered.

For now, there was nothing I could do about it.

I needed to rest.

Clear my head.

Maybe everything would make sense later.

But even as I lay back down on the bed and closed my eyes, that feeling didn’t go away.

It stayed there.

Quiet.

Persistent.

Like a memory just out of reach.