Chapter 53 RESCUED BY REGRET
Clara's POV:
I blinked, slowly at first, trying to make sense of the dim light above me. The sterile smell of disinfectant filled my nose, prickly and sharp.
Where… where was I?
A sudden, sharp pain shot through my skull, and I let out a loud hiss, shutting my eyes tightly.
The brightness in the room made it worse, stabbing at my senses. And then, slowly, the haze lifted, and I realized—it wasn’t just the lights. Dawn had crept in through the blinds.
I adjusted my body carefully, trying to sit up, only to hear a gentle voice stop me.
“Miss Bennett… Please, don’t move just yet. You need to rest.”
I froze and turned my head slightly. A woman, in a crisp white coat, was approaching.
Her smile was small, warm, and reassuring, though there was a quiet authority in her movements as she checked the equipment beside my bed.
I released a soft, relieved smile and lay back down, letting her work around me.
“How are you feeling, Miss Clara?” she asked gently, her hands hovering lightly as if ready to support me if needed.
“Any pains anywhere?”
I frowned, confusion knitting my brows together.
Why was she asking that?
I didn’t even know how I’d ended up in the hospital.
“Umm… Doctor,” I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper, “How did I… how did I get here?”
The doctor’s smile softened, kind and patient. “I’ll explain everything, Miss Bennett. But first… I need you to tell me how you feel. Any pains anywhere?”
I pursed my lips, tugging them into a small frown, trying to think carefully. I relaxed a little as I answered truthfully.
“Honestly… apart from this sharp pain in my head, I don’t feel anything else. No aches, no bruises… nothing,” I admitted, my voice timid.
“Which is why… I’m a bit confused. I don’t understand why I’m in the hospital.”
The doctor nodded, her gaze attentive but gentle, her hands moving to adjust the blanket over me. “I understand, Miss Clara. You’re safe here, and it’s normal to feel disoriented after what happened.”
“Just focus on resting. I’ll explain everything soon, okay?”
I nodded softly, feeling the comfort in her voice and the calm in her manner. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to sink into the mattress, trusting the warmth of her presence.
A few quiet seconds passed before the doctor spoke again.
“Alright, Miss Bennett,” she said gently.
“Your vitals are stable, and everything checks out fine. From what we can tell, you’re okay. All you need right now is rest.”
Relief washed through me, but it barely had time to settle before she continued.
“I would have explained what led to this,” she continued, adjusting the clipboard in her hands, “But… I don’t think I’ve been given permission to.”
My brows knitted together.
Permission?
The words felt strange. Vague. Like she knew something but wasn’t allowed to say it.
Before I could ask what she meant, the doctor glanced toward the door.
“Excuse me for a minute, please.”
And just like that, she walked out of the ward.
The door clicked softly behind her, leaving me alone.
I turned my gaze toward the window beside my bed. The sky outside was pale gold now, morning fully awake.
Birds perched on the railings, unaware that my entire world felt like it had tipped sideways overnight.
What had happened to me?
How did I get here?
I was still trying to piece things together when the sound of footsteps reached my ears.
I turned toward the door.
And froze.
The woman walking towards me was unmistakable.
Mrs. Brooklyn.
The principal of Cleveland College.
My eyes widened instantly, and I hurried to sit up, panic fluttering in my chest. But she increased her pace, raising a hand gently.
“It’s fine, dear,” she said calmly. “No need for all that.”
I blinked slowly, trying to understand why she was here—why I was here—with her.
I nodded faintly and eased back into the bed as she clasped her hands together.
She pulled a chair from the corner of the room and sat down opposite me, positioning herself so we faced each other directly.
Now it was just the two of us.
Mrs. Brooklyn was known for being kind, fair - even gentle - but sitting across from her like this made my palms sweat. I couldn’t quite bring myself to hold her gaze.
What was she doing here… with me… in the hospital?
My eyes dropped to my thigh instead.
She cleared her throat gently.
“Now, Miss Bennett,” she said, her tone warm but measured, “How are you feeling?”
I snapped my eyes back up, startled, and found a reassuring smile on her lips.
For a moment, I couldn’t find my voice.
“Umm… I’m fine, ma’am,” I said finally, softly. “Thank you very much.”
She nodded once. “Good.”
Then she leaned back slightly.
“Miss Clara, you’re known to be one of the top students of Cleveland College. Is that correct?”
I nodded slowly, unsure where this was going.
“You do not strike me as someone who disobeys rules or ignores protocols,” she continued.
“And in all my years here, you’ve never been reported for misconduct, and your record here has always been clean. Outstanding, even.”
My fingers curled into the sheets.
“Which is why,” she added calmly, “I’m not asking my next question as though you’re guilty—or as though you acted with bad intentions.”
I swallowed.
“So, tell me, Miss Bennett,” she said gently but firmly.
“What exactly were you doing at the construction site behind the school building last night… at precisely 7:30 p.m.?”
My lips parted - but no sound came out.
Because suddenly, the memories came rushing back.
Miss Elsie’s voice.
Professor Asher asked me to tell you something.
He wants you to meet him at the warehouse behind the school building.
Thirty minutes from now.
The uneasy feeling in my chest.
The way I had waited… and waited.
The silence.
The door shutting behind me - when no one was supposed to be there.
My screams.
My pounding fists.
The terror.
And then—
Nothing.
I sucked in a shaky breath, my heart racing as I realized the truth.
I didn’t remember being rescued.
Didn’t remember leaving.
Didn’t remember how I ended up here.
I swallowed hard, my fingers trembling against the blanket.
“I…” My voice faltered as I tried to speak.
I didn’t even know how to explain what I couldn’t fully remember.
And that terrified me more than anything else.
Mrs. Brooklyn’s gaze never left my face.
“Miss Clara,” she said softly, but there was a firm edge beneath it now. “I asked you something, didn’t I?”
My throat tightened.
I paused, my thoughts spiraling.
How was I supposed to explain this?
How could I tell her that I’d gone there because Miss Elsie had told me to—that Professor Asher wanted to see me?
That I had knowingly stepped into a restricted zone at night because I trusted the message?
Telling the truth wouldn’t just implicate me.
It would drag Elsie into it.
Me…
And Professor Asher.
And then the real question would come - Why would a professor ask me to meet him at a construction site at night?
That single question alone was enough to force memories to the surface. Memories I had buried deep. Memories I wasn’t ready to confront.
My fingers clenched around the blanket.
Slowly, I lifted my eyes.
Mrs. Brooklyn was still watching me, patiently, waiting for an answer.
I swallowed.
“Umm… ma’am,” I began, my voice hesitant, “I… I was trying to retrieve something I thought I’d misplaced earlier that day.”
She didn’t react. Just listened.
“I realized too late that I’d left my project documents behind,” I continued carefully.
“I assumed they might have been moved there temporarily because of the renovations. I didn’t think anyone would be around, and I didn’t mean to stay long.”
The lie tasted bitter in my mouth.
Mrs. Brooklyn studied me for several seconds - long enough for my heart to pound loudly in my ears.
Then she spoke again.
“And who shut the door behind you, Miss Bennett?”
My breath caught.
That question froze me completely.
Because the truth was - I didn’t know.
No one was supposed to be there.
There had been no footsteps. No voices.
No warning.
“I…” My voice dropped. “I don’t know, ma’am.”
She held my gaze for a moment longer, then finally nodded.
“Alright then, Miss Bennett,” she said calmly. “You need rest. That is what matters most right now.”
She stood up, smoothing her skirt as she did.
Relief washed over me - but it was short-lived.
As she turned toward the door, something clicked in my mind.
“Umm—Mrs. Brooklyn,” I said suddenly.
She paused and turned back to me.
“Yes, dear?”
I hesitated, then spoke quickly, afraid I’d lose the courage. “Thank you… for whatever you did. For alerting the school board, or the staff—or… for saving me.”
Her lips curved into a soft chuckle.
“I do have the best interests of this school - and my students - at heart, Miss Bennett,” she said warmly.
Then her expression shifted, just slightly.
“But I didn’t rescue you.”
I blinked.
“I didn’t alert anyone either.”
Confusion rushed through me.
“Then… who—?”
“I think that gratitude should be directed to the right person,” she said gently.
She met my eyes.
“It was Jake Williams, Miss Bennett.”
My body stiffened instantly.
Jake?
“He brought you to the school hospital last night,” she continued. “I was informed shortly after.”
The room felt suddenly smaller.
Tighter.
“I—” My lips parted, but no words came out.
“I know he asked me not to say anything,” Mrs. Brooklyn added, her voice quieter now.
“But my conscience wouldn’t allow me to keep that from you.”
I just lay there, blinking at her, my thoughts a mess.
Jake.
After everything.
After what had happened between us.
After what I’d said. What I’d done.
He still helped me?
“I’ll let you rest now, Miss Bennett,” Mrs. Brooklyn said softly. “Classes resume tomorrow.”
With that, she offered me one last gentle smile and walked out.
The door closed behind her.
And I was alone again.
Staring at the ceiling.
My mind spinning.
Jake?
I didn’t even remember being rescued.
Didn’t remember seeing him.
Didn’t remember anything at all.
And yet - he had been there.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart pounding.
How was I supposed to face him after this?