MIKHAIL stared at the closed door of their adjoining room. He doesn’t understand why he’s feeling guilty of what he told to Elise earlier when she asked him about the things that she did here before the accident. He knew that she has temporary amnesia, but he’s having this feeling that maybe she’s just faking it?

Elise is known here in Hacienda Villaruiz to be an insensitive and immoral wife of the winery’s owner because the workers often saw her with other men in the vineyard and in any part of the farm. Mikhail wanted to divorce her for disgracing his family. But his stepmom is stopping him from doing so because Elise’s late father holds thirty per cent of company stocks. Elise was also the board’s favorite because her charm can lure every investor to sign on their contract. But Mikhail knew that Elise is playing dirty to succeed.

That’s why he’s suffering in this kind of setup. In the outside and in front of the public, they’re husband and wife. But inside this house, they’re just nothing but fuck buddies.

Until, the plane accident happened, and the new version of Elise is reborn. The wife that she’s showing him is far from the wife that he had before the accident. And, if her changes are caused by the temporary amnesia, then it means that sooner or later, the monster woman that they knew will be back and ruin their lives again.

After changing into outdoor clothes, Mikhail went outside his room. He was about to walk down the stairs when he thought on checking on Nancy to her room.

“What all of you is doing here?” Mikhail asked the three maids standing outside Nancy’s door. “And, Aura and Sandra, where’s Elise?”

The two women hesitantly pointed at the door. “Miss Elise insisted on checking on Nancy even if we told her that her daughter doesn’t want to see her.”

“What? Why did you let her in?” he asked in furrowed brows. “And, you, I told you to not leave Nancy’s side always, right?”

The young babysitter of his daughter lowered her head. “I’m sorry, Sir Mikhail. Miss Elise asked me if I could give them privacy…” she said. “And, she asked me politely…”

“She talked to us nicely too,” Sandra agreed. “Before the accident, her treatment to us is lowly as a dog.”

The lines in Mikhail’s forehead deepened. He looked at Nancy’s door and didn’t waste any time. Elise might be doing something terrible with their child. But all he thought was wrong when he opened the door and saw Mihara crouching beside the bed in front of Nancy.

She never talked to Nancy in that position. She always wanted her daughter to be looking up at her while they’re having a conversation. And, now is different…

Elise spoke softly at Nancy and looked at her as if she’s the most adorable person in her life, while the child kept her head low and avoiding her gaze. When Elise tried to hold Nancy’s hand and swept her hand away, the pain that he saw in Elise’ face felt genuine.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Elise asked Nancy in a soft voice that Mikhail has never heard before. “Why don’t you speak to mommy?”

Mikhail was dumbfounded. Elise never talked like this to Nancy, especially if the kid is having tantrums. Elise would instead scold and shout at her than speak to her softly and tame her.

Mikhail was about to close the door when he heard Nancy spoke. “I hate you,” she said and started to cry.

He expected Elise to walk out of the room, but what she did shock Mikhail.

_______________

“MISS ELISE, are you sure that you really wanted to see Nancy?” Aura, one of the maids, asked Mihara while following her towards Nancy’s room.

“That baby pink colored door on the corner is Nancy’s room?” Mihara asked, ignoring the maid’s question. “Who’s with her?”

Aura scratched the back of her head. “Melani’s with her.”

Mihara stopped walking and turned to Aura in a knotted forehead. “Who’s Melani?”

The two women glanced at each other again. “She’s Nancy’s babysitter, Miss Elise. You’re the one that hired her to take care of Nancy since she was born.”

Mihara paused. How could a mother just let her child being taken care of other people? Her heart wrenched at the thought that the poor little girl grew up with the care of maids instead of her own biological mother.

“Miss Elise?” Sandra called her attention. She doesn’t know that she’s been staring at Nancy’s room for too long.

“Ah, I’m sorry… I’m just carried away by my thoughts,” she said and wiped the tears on the corner of her eyes. “Stay here, I’ll just talk to Nancy.”

With the chagrinned expressions of the two maids, Mihara knew that they wanted to stop her. Still, she opened the door and peeked inside the room. The babysitter looked up at and gasped upon seeing her. She stood quickly and widened the door for her.

“Miss Elise…” She bowed at her. “Nancy’s watching her favorite children’s movies on her tablet,” she said in a shaky voice.

Mihara nodded and stepped inside the room. “Could please leave us for a second, Melani?”

The woman looked up at her in wide eyes. Mihara thought that maybe Elise wasn’t treating them right, that’s why they’re shocked that Elise from the accident is being fair to them. Mihara groaned silently. If Elise was still alive, she would kill her.

“Ah, Miss Elise… Nancy doesn’t want to talk to you—”

“Please, Melani?” she pleaded, squeezing the woman’s shoulders gently. “I just want to have a second with my daughter.”

When the woman stepped out the door, shocked and speechless with how she talked to her, Mihara went to Nancy’s bed excitedly. She crouched beside her bed and looked at her lovingly.

“Hi, baby…” she called her attention. “Don’t you want to see mommy?”

Nancy looked at her in furrowed brows. She opened her mouth to speak, but changed her mind and decided to shut it again.

“What’s wrong, baby?” she asked, not taking her eyes off her beautiful face. “Why don’t you speak with mommy?”

The kid pressed her lips together. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke. “I hate you…” Her eyes were like knives stabbing her soul. “I hate you.”

Mihara’s mouth fell open. She knew she doesn’t need to be hurt because she’s not Elise, but she can’t help it. She can’t bear to see the hatred and pain she’s seeing in the little girl’s eyes. And, when she started to cry, Mihara’s heart broke. She stood and without a second thought, wrapped her arms around the child.

“I’m sorry…” she murmured as tears fell on her cheeks. “I’m sorry, baby…”

***