CHAPTER 2

I slowly opened my eyes when I heard someone humming. I was not sure where I was. I felt like I'd been trampled multiple times because of the weak feeling.

"A-Ah," I said softly. My voice was hoarse, which I found strange given that it was fine prior to my loss of consciousness. I even remembered being capable of yelling just before I passed out. My hands moved slowly, but it was a struggle for me.

Was my body truly this frail? How much sleep did I get? How many days had passed since I lost consciousness? My last memory was feeling something painful struck me just before I passed out.

"Hmm...Hmm..." Someone was making a humming sound. I was taken aback because that voice was unfamiliar to me. I desired to return my gaze to the room's door, but was unable to do so. My head was far too heavy. Was it Daddy? Was his tone of voice different now? How many hours did I sleep, and why did it feel as though so much had happened already? The last thing I heard before passing out was my mother's voice.

I heard the door open, but my head remained immobile. I was intrigued by the source of that lovely voice.

"Hmm-Jesus!" I didn't realize who he was until he quickly approached me. I kept a close eye on him the entire time he was standing in front of me. A tall man dressed in a lab coat. His eyes were gray and appeared to be quite familiar. I was not sure where I saw him, but I remembered inspecting those eyes several times. In his eyes, I saw nervousness, excitement, sadness, and a range of other emotions. He looked as if he was at a loss for words.

"Mama Aliana, Aurora has finally awoken!" He shouted. I blinked, my mind still befuddled. I desired to ask as to what was going on, as I was perplexed by his actions, but there was no voice coming out from my mouth. I forced myself to speak several times, but nothing changed.

He examined various parts of my body one by one. He even shone a light in front of my eyes, as if he was searching for something inside.

A flood of questions boomed my mind when mommy entered the room. She was sobbing as she looked at me. I wanted to cry alongside her because it pained me to see her in this state, but not even a single tear dripped from my eyes. I had numerous unanswered questions, and only curiosity came before how I felt.

"Sev, how is she doing? Is she really awake? What are we going to do? Are we going to call the hospital?" mommy asked one after another. My head hurt from contemplating what was happening. I only passed out; why was she overreacting? Where was dad? He, too, should be here. Whenever I was passing out, he was the first thing I saw upon regaining consciousness.

"Her vitals are normal, mama, and she's conscious," the man named Sev responded. Oh, his name was very familiar. I was curious as to who he was. He addressed my mother as "mama," but my mother no longer had any other children or relatives. Was he Auntie Nena's son? However, Auntie Nena was unable to conceive due to a uterus problem. Was he an adopted child?

"Aurie, are you listening?" the young man asked. I desired to respond to him but was unable to do so. When I attempted to speak, all that came out of my mouth was a puff of air.

"Blink twice if you can hear me." I blinked my eyes twice in response to what he said. I nearly passed out from shock upon hearing mommy's sudden loud cries. When mom fell to the floor, Sev immediately supported her weight.

"Calm down, Mama," Sev said as he assisted her in standing and approached me. I noticed that my mother's appearance had changed slightly. Although her face was still undeniably gorgeous, she already had wrinkles. It appeared as though a few years had passed, as her face had aged slightly. Additionally, I noticed that she had lost some weight.

They both looked at the door when it opened. A maid entered carrying a glass of water. As with mommy, she was taken aback when she saw me; she, too, couldn't believe it. She almost dropped the glass as she approached me.

"Is she awake, ma'am?" the maid asked, still confused. Mommy nodded several times as she continued to cry. When she heard that, the young lady's palm quickly landed on her mouth. Her face was unfamiliar, I assumed she was new here.

Sev took the glass and handed it to mommy, who was gradually regaining her composure. I had no idea what was going on and attempted to speak again. However, just like a moment ago, only pure air escaped my mouth. I wanted to tweak myself out of annoyance. What the hell was happening to me? Normally, I was not this weak after fainting.

"What is going on...?" I inquired feebly. I wanted to clap my hands when I finally heard my voice. Sev and mom immediately looked at me when they heard me speak.

"Come again, Aurie?" Sev asked, hoping I would speak once more. For a brief moment, I was silent when I heard mommy's sobs again. The maid was backing her up because Sev was looking after me.

"What is Hap..penning?"

"Oh my goodness!" mom wept. My mind became increasingly perplexed. Why were they acting like this?

"Aurora, you have recently awoken from a ten-year coma. You've been dormant for nearly 11 years," Sev responded solemnly, his eyes were tearful as he looked at me.

What?

Coma? That was something I had heard previously. In a film, a young woman awoken from a coma. Coma? 11 years? I pressed my eyes shut as Sev's words began to take shape in my mind.

My eyes were dripping with tears. When I tried to wipe it, my hand wouldn't move. Was this the reason my mom appeared to be aging in my eyes? The reason why I was unable to identify the maid earlier? The reason why I didn't have any idea who was this attractive man infront of me? Ten years. I'd been asleep for ten freaking years.

"W-Where's dad?" My throat began to ache as I uttered those words. Mommy's cries grew more and more ferocious as I looked at her. She was looking at me as if I was a delicate crystal, one that would shatter if not properly cared for.

"Seven, could you please leave us for a minute?" Mommy's voice was still trembling. Even though I could tell Sev was skeptical, he nodded his head slowly. He and the maid, who had brought the glass of water earlier, went out together.

Mommy came closer to me before she gently squeezed my hand. I could feel her warm touch, but I still couldn't move my hands.

She drew a chair closer to my bed and sat down. Then, as she leaned in close to me, she began to caress my hair with her fingers. I was so happy that I closed my eyes tightly. Even though I was unaware of how many years had passed, I could still feel the excitement whenever my mother caressed my face. My body had been in a deep sleep for years and had no idea what was happening, but I felt like I missed her a lot.

"Aurie, you should relax your mind first. Having a lot of thoughts will not be good for you," she whispered. I had the impression that she was concealing something from me that she was not yet ready to reveal because of what she said. This made me even more perplexed. What had been going on in the last few years?

I tried to get up, but it was pointless because I couldn't even move a finger. Looking around, I was relieved to see a large mirror on one side of the room. Seeing myself brought a few tears to my eyes. Although I was a long way from the mirror, my eyes were still able to discern the changes that had taken place within me. I was obviously tall. My chest also grew in size. My appearance had drastically changed. I began to look more and more like my father, more and more look like Auntie Nena. To put it simply, my hair was a long one. Previously, it was just above my shoulders; now, it was almost to my buttocks!

What a difference a day made.

"Where's dad, mom? I-I wanna see him..." If I was amazed at how I looked, I was sure daddy would aswell. My adolescence had made me eager to see his reaction.

"The doctor is coming tomorrow to check on you, so you should relax, Aurie. You need to be ready—"

"But I want to know where he is. Why can't you tell me?" My sore throat nearly caused me to choke. It seemed like I was running out of words, even though I had nothing to say.

"Aurora, I don't think you're ready to find out yet—"

"Ready for what?" I asked, almost dying because of curiosity.

"Remember the last time we went on a family outing?" she began.

"T-That was the day you were shot." She was clearly suppressing the sobs that were threatening to burst out in order to be able to speak properly. I'd like to prevent her from telling the story because it was not the information I needed. I was curious about my father's whereabouts, but there was a part of me that wanted to listen to what she had to say.

"You were covered in blood back then. Your father approached you immediately and carried you to the car. We didn't bother looking at the shooter because your condition was our primary concern at the time. When we arrived at the hospital, you were rushed to the operating room. Your father and I were so terrified that you were struck by a bullet. You had been shot on the back of the head, as well as your back and right leg." Mommy came to a halt for a brief moment to sob. I was speechless from shock. How on earth was I still alive?

"The operation lasted nearly a day and a half, but your father never left the operating room's waiting area. After the surgery, you remained in the intensive care unit until you were transferred to a regular room. The doctor stated that you could be unconscious for days. We waited patiently. Until the days became weeks and the weeks became a month. That was when we began to speculate. The doctor performed some tests, and it was then that we discovered you were in a c-coma."

I couldn't imagine Dad's reaction would have been if he had known. Of all the people I knew, he was the most overreacting. He was constantly more concerned than mommy.

"Y-Your father was constantly blaming himself. He stated that he shouldn't have left us at your aunt's restaurant. He'd been spacing out for days. He didn't report to work again until the third month. He became extremely busy, and we only talked on a very infrequent basis. I had no idea if he was still eating properly because he was constantly absent from the hospital. I simply allowed him to do so because it might be his coping mechanism. Until his co-policeman paid us a visit in the hospital, inquiring as to why your father had been unable to work for five months..."

Mommy's voice grew fainter as she continued to tell the story. I even saw her cover her lips in an attempt to stave off sobbing. Curiousity had piqued my interest even further than it had previously.

"Aurie, I lied to him. I told him that your father had left to take care of our business because I couldn't leave you. When his friend left, I began to cry from stress. I was at a loss for what to prioritize. I was thinking of you, and then your father joined in. I was thinking, where had he gone? What was he doing? Was he still alive? I cried a few nights as well, quietly blaming myself for what had happened to you. I shouldn't have left you, my love. There were so many thoughts racing through my mind at the time that I was at a loss for what to do."

Mommy was inconsolable. Despite my frailty, I attempted to caress her hand. I was so stupid. I'd been looking for my father for a while now, but I hadn't even asked mommy how she felt. I was aware that she was also not well. What kind of mother would be okay with her daughter being shot and comatose? Add to the puzzle the fact that my father left her. She believed my father had returned to work, but he had not. She would still be unaware if it weren't for daddy's friend paying us a visit. As was the case with my father, she also blamed herself for something that wasn't her fault. Nobody but the shooter was to blame. Without him, none of this would have happened to us. Mommy was under a lot of stress at the time, and she dealt with it alone. I was sure Auntie Nena would be there for her, but Auntie Nena also had a life of her own. Auntie Nena was also alone, so no one else was going to look after her business. Additionally, Auntie Nena, like my mother, was a lawyer. We were not the only ones who needed her attention.

"Your auntie was busy with the case. She was occupied with determining who shot you, Aurie. I gave her the case so that I could be the first person you see. I regretted the days when I was absent when you had an important occasion to celebrate. I couldn't even join you in celebrating your birthday. If I only knew this would happen, I would've stopped working..."

My tears began to flow one by one. I couldn't believe mommy was acting this way because of me. I'd never been so enraged at her over work. Yes, I was disappointed when she failed to show up when she promised she would, but there was a part of me that understood her. Her work necessitated a great deal of time and effort. And I was sure she was contented with her job. She wouldn't stay at her job for that long if she were dissatisfied with it, would she?

"I could only speak to Seven, your nanny Sena's adopted son. Aurie, he was always there for us. When he finished school, he would immediately accompany me to the hospital to watch over you. He knew that I was constantly alone in your room because I told Sena that your father hadn't returned for a week. Since then, he had never left my side. Whenever I needed to buy something, he'd keep an eye on you. I was grateful that he was always available for us, even when he was occupied with school. You know, he was in tenth grade and about to attend college that time."

So this was why Sev's face appeared to be so familiar, huh? He was nanny Sena's adopted son. The man who was struck by the rock I kicked in response to my mother and father kissing in front of me. He had grown up a lot and he was now a doctor? Mommy was the one who paid his tuition in an expensive university because nanny Sena couldn't afford to pay the tuition fee back then. He was, in fact, quite intelligent.

"Seven stayed with us while your father was away. Your father returned after a month. Seven was not there due to an emergency at Sena's house at the time. Your father's face was covered in bruises. I couldn't believe when I saw him that way because, as you know, health was always his first priority. He was quite unlike my husband. I asked as to where he went, what he had been doing, everything! All of the questions that had been bothering me for the last month exploded. Aurie, I had a breakdown in front of him. Naturally, he pacified me. I did calm down, but I continued to question him. T-Then he told me everything..."

"W-What everything?" I asked huskily. I was even more apprehensive about what she was going to say. She informed me of the previous events, but I still had no idea where my father was.

"Your father conducted his own investigation into your case. H-He went in search of the person who shot you alone. He didn't seek assistance from his coworkers because he intended to assassinate the man who shot you. He was aware that he would be imprisoned, but he was unconcerned. He kept quiet because he was afraid that someone would betray him at any moment. He took care of everything, Aurie. He did it on his own." Mommy covered her mouth once more to ensure I wouldn't hear her sobbing aloud. My tears began to flow even more freely.

"How is he doing now, mom? Did he caught the person who shot me?" She sobbed even more, doubling my nervousness. Why couldn't she tell me? Was there something wrong? I held her dress and yanked it several times, compelling her to tell me what happened to daddy after he discovered who shot me.

"Where is he, m-mom?"

"He left us again that night, Aurie. He discovered who shot you the night after he left. My love, he got into a fight with a group of guys. Regrettably, those guys were stronger than he was. He was unable to fight properly. When morning came, I received a call from his workplace informing me that your father had been discovered dead in the middle of the lake, covered in gunshot wounds. Aurora, your father is already in heaven. Your father died, fighting for your justice."