The world was a stage, and at that moment, she was standing face to face with her biggest fear. Valery shuffled to the back, clutching hard at her phone. Her eyes were frozen on the man in the bed, swaying his head at the older woman. She backs up slowly, hoping to retreat in peace. "Valery?" Hecate Wood squinted at the figure behind the professionals. "Are you not Valery Benson?" The woman affirmed loudly. The rest of the people inside turned to that effect. Valery had to come forth and face them. "Do you know each other?" The Director seemed impressed. He could not stop smiling. "..." Valery lost her tongue as she glanced at Mother and Son. Son, most especially, stared at her like a blank wall. "What a small world we live in." Hecate brightened at the lovely surprise. "My son here attended the same high school as Miss Benson. They were very close back in the day." "Oh, then you'll be happy to know she is one of the specialists taking your case." "Ahh, then I won't have to b
Margret walked out of the kitchen with a hot mug in hand. She cautiously sits on the floor and hands the cup to Valery. The latter was snivelling, trying to dry her eyes.Valery: "I wish I could put this baggage down."Margret: "I know."Valery: "I'm tired of being afraid and helpless."Margret: "Do you want to try therapy? Valery, you never really got over the trauma of losing Riley. That is the explanation I can think of. You should be happy to see Ryan, not hide like a hedgehog."Valery: "Haa, you don't understand, Marge."Margret: "Then make me understand. Is it because they are identical? Is there something else you're not telling me?"Violet: "Derrick..."Margret: "Ugh! What about him?"Valery: "I swore to never get back together with Derrick, remember?"Margret: "So what? Ryan is not Riley Valery; you owe nobody an explanation for your choices. Or are you going to dump Duncan because of this?"Valery: "No. Derrick has been nothing but good to me. He cares about me, and I care a
High School. "Hello. My name is Riley Kwesi Wood, and I am excited to be here. I'm a little behind, so please do not be offended if I ask for help." That was the day Marget met Riley, a seemingly shy student joining the class in the middle of the school year. As he combed through the crowd, looking for a seat, Margret raised her hand. "Sir, there's an empty chair behind me," she said. "Okay. Riley, sit behind Miss Margret." The teacher gave way, beaming at the fresh fruit uniting with the 'good and rotten' bunch. "What are you doing, Marge?" Valery whispered to her friend as the new kid walked over. "Helping out the new student." "But we do not know him. He could be annoying." "You say that about everyone, Val. This one seems different. My spirit tells me he's a good person." "Yeah, right." Valery rolled her eyes. She shushed up when Riley took his place and hung his bag on the backrest of his seat. Margret, as bubbly as ever, turned to him with a smile. "Do you have a l
High School... Derrick ventured out of his cherished hideaway, ascending to the rooftop. Valery had altered his man cave to the point where it was difficult to enjoy some of his favourite activities, like having a relaxing smoke. Seated on the floor, away from the wall, he took out a cigarette, lit it, and inhaled deeply. He released it in circular rings, a trick that took a lot of practice to master. Watching the swirling smoke blend with the surrounding air was oddly calming to him. After the third drag, he paused, scratching his brow and gazing at the cloud-strewn sky. A faint sound interrupted his reverie. "My apologies, I thought it was unoccupied," the intruder said. "You're the kid who took on Ralph the other day, right? Riley?" Derrick's lips curled into a gentle smirk. "Would you mind a smoke?" He offered the pack of cigarettes.Riley, with his hands in his pockets, approached Derrick. He adjusted his school shorts and sat down beside him. "My mom would kill me if she fou
Ryan sat in the sterile hospital room, staring blankly at the wall. His mind was swirling in doubt and despair. He had all the time in the world to think, but none of it brought him any solace or clarity."Valery is one of the best doctors in this country. This could be your last chance at a cure, Ryan. Are you going to throw it away because of the past?" Margret's words echoed in his mind. Ryan was sure of his decision, yet he owed Margret his attention; she was the only one who stood by him through the bitterness and painful procedures.As he brooded, the door creaked open. In stepped a figure clad in a crisp lab coat and sensible shoes. It was Valery, the woman he despised. She dared to approach him with a smile as if they had something to discuss."I wasn't gurgling water in my mouth the last time," Ryan said, the drugs making his speech sluggish. He would have howled at her intensely if he could."Your mother and I agreed that having me on the team would be beneficial, Master W
"Lily, do not cling to the door. Aunty dislikes that." Valery steadied herself behind the steering wheel, occasionally stealing glances at her niece to ensure she was not playing with the locks. She smiled, seeing the six-year-old pick up the stuffed frog, which had been ignored a while back. They loved the Muppets. Although Miss Piggy was her favourite, Lily adored Kermit the Frog. It was only a short time until they reached the mall. Valery slowly followed the other cars through the entrance, quietly peering around for a good place to park. Once she found her spot, she reeled over, initiated the brakes and turned off the engine. "Come, little Kermit." She opened the door for Lily. A few steps forward, Valery recalls leaving the grocery list behind. "Lily, stay right here!" She said sharply and ran back to the car. "Where the hell did I put it." Valery combed hastily through the front seats. She hated handling pieces of paper, yet her elder sister refused to get a small notebo
Valery kept herself busy at work, moving from one patient to another and closely monitoring the hospital chart. Minimal time for lunch breaks, rest and certainly zero tolerance for distractions. And that's what some of the doctors at Klimov Hospital wanted to be, an unwanted distraction. Her shift ended at four in the afternoon. From there, she headed home to shower and fall on the couch. On most days, Valery did not have the strength to cook, so she ordered takeout from her favourite restaurant. There were days Jennifer came to her rescue, but she chose to burden her sister once in a blue moon. After the serenity came another beeping text from Derrick. Benson threw her neck at the armrest of the long couch, biting on her bottom lip as she read it. Nearly a week had passed, and she was still adamant about replying to Derrick's text. Years ago, she promised not to get too close to him or be trapped by his nature. It was an emotional affair, and sincerely, she was not ready to drown
Ten Years Ago... High School. Valery, just like most students with a social life, hated Mondays. Mondays meant math class, and math class meant pop quizzes. Most days, she hid in the school library when overwhelmed. It was on the third floor, and Valery's class sat on the fourth. It was only a matter of not getting caught, but then again, she was as innocent as they came based on looks, and using the washroom was always the go-to excuse. On one Monday, while trying to skip the class, she almost comes face to face with the teacher at the staircase. Valery turned around naturally and quickly ran right. She would have nowhere to go except her classroom if she took the other way. At the far end was an abandoned room nobody used. Although that was the first place she thought of, she had never been to the old classroom- not with the stories surrounding why it was never used. For the sake of her life, Valery convinced herself that they were fake tales to scare students. At the turn of