Emerald
I don't know how long I stared at the tray. This couldn't be real. I am not supposed to be her. I am not Francesca.
But the mirror didn't lie.
Soft gold-blonde waves spilled around my face, too polished, too regal. I was a brunette in my old life. The nose was different. Too delicate, upturned. The same nose that crinkled in distaste whenever Francesca stared at me.
The cheekbones were too defined, the lips too full, too perfect. Even the eyes, though the same haunting shade of green as mine had been, were duller.
Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Time blurred together as I tried to digest what I've just discovered. Not only did I come back, I came back in the body of another person.
So where was Francesca? Was she dead? How was I supposed to get my revenge if the person I wanted to kill the most was dead?
The sudden urge to claw at my face threatened to overpower me but even if I could move, I wouldn't have done it. I was the one in this body, I'd only hurt myself.
My vision blurred and my throat tighten as I turned away from the tray to stare at the ceiling.
This couldn't be happening.
This had to be some twisted dream. This was a punishment worse than death.
"Are you okay, Francesca?" Lilian asked gently, mistaking the horror in my eyes for confusion.
Francesca. Again.
The name felt like poison on my tongue.
"I…" I blinked, willing the tears back, my heart racing. "I'm just tired."
That was all I could manage. Any more and I might scream.
"You'll be fine, Francesca. You're in good hands here," Dr Yusuf said and I could only manage a nod.
Dr Yusuf then gave Lilian instructions and left the room. Lilian stayed behind, smoothing the blanket over me with the tenderness of a mother. Her warmth made me shiver.
"I'm so glad you're back," she whispered. "We were starting to lose hope. I'll be back, dear. I need to know where your parents are. They were coming to visit before you woke up,"
I didn't respond and she did not take it to heart. She gave a wide smile before leaving the room and me to my thoughts.
I snapped out of my thoughts when the door swung open again, and in swept Francesca's mother and father. I remembered them from social pages, fundraising galas and the times they came to support that daughter in hurting me. The Ainsleighs, prim, poised, and impossibly rich. They looked ten years older, gaunt and exhausted, but the joy that lit their faces when they saw me—Francesca—was unmistakable.
"My baby," her mother, Rebecca, sobbed, rushing to my side. "Francesca, my darling, you're finally awake."
Her father, Landon, looked like he might cry but forced his face into a smile. "Doctor Yusuf called us as soon as he confirmed you were conscious."
I didn't know what to say. I just stared at them, stunned. I could come out right now and say I was not their daughter but who would believe me? God, what am I supposed to do now?
Then Rebecca said the words that froze me to my bones.
"Marcus is on his way, sweetheart. He's uhm…" Rebecca exchanged a glance with Landon that I did not understand. She looked uncomfortable as she finally said, "He's bringing the woman carrying your daughter. You'll get to meet her soon."
Everything in the room slowed as if time had frozen.
The woman carrying Francesca's daughter was supposed to be me. The problem now was, if I was in Francesca's body and Francesca was dead, then who now occupy my body?
"We thought we'd lost you," Rebecca continued, voice trembling and bringing me back to the present. "We thought we lost you. After two years… Marcus… he… he grieved. But the wedding—it wasn't… it wasn't official. Legally. Before the crash. So, when hope seemed gone, he made a hard choice."
"He chose to honor you," Landon added with a nod, his eyes red with unshed tears. "You've always loved children and wanted a baby with him. He married her. The surrogate. But only through contract, for the sake of the child. Your child. They wanted the child to be legitimate."
"You know," Rebecca picked up from where Landon stopped, "When you were in coma, Dr Yusuf said you were listening to everything we say so we spoke to you about it. I don't know if you remember. We used your frozen embryo,"
My eyes danced between Francesca's parents, my mouth hanging open but no words coming out.
They noticed that I was having difficulty speaking and shared a worried glance thinking it was because of the fact that they used Francesca's embryo when she was in coma. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence that cause me to squirm because of their pleading looks. I open my mouth to speak instead what came out was a cough.
Rebecca jumped into action immediately. She reached for the water that was on the bed stand. Landon slipped his hand under my neck and I stiffened at his touch. He seemed to not have noticed or just chalked it up to my injuries because he helped raise my head up for Rebecca to feed me the water.
The water slipped down my dry throat, cool, welcoming and soothing. My cracked lips trembled around the rim of the glass—
The door burst open again, as if the person was too impatient to slowly push it open, and Marcus tumbled into the room and rushed over to my side.
"Baby…" he cried as he threw his arms around me and buried his face in my neck.
But I wasn't paying attention to him, my eyes were focused on the woman who came with him. The supposed surrogate. She had my face but she was not me. I knew this because I was in another woman's body. Who the hell was inside my body? Was she another person who died and somehow, like me, reincarnated but in someone else's body?
Hell, if this was going to be our life, I'd never treat her bad the way Francesca did me. I'd save her and make sure she leaves after the baby to escape from Marcus because I have an inkling he would not let her leave the way he did me.
But hell if I want to be Francesca. I hate her and her family. I hate Marcus too with my life. What evil did I do in my past life to be punished like this?
Her eyes narrowed. Recognition dawned slowly. She took a step forward, then another, her breathing turning shallow.
Her eyes became sharp and a vicious light flashed in them. Then, suddenly, she shrieked as she rushed to me, arms raised.
"You evil bitch! You took my body!"