ELLA.
I opened my eyes to a blinding white light.
The harsh glow of a bulb directly above me pierced through my vision, forcing me to squint and turn my head slightly away. The light felt too bright, too sharp, as though it was cutting straight into my skull. A groan threatened to escape my lips as pain exploded behind my eyes.
My head throbbed violently, each pulse feeling like a hammer striking against my skull over and over again. The ache was deep and relentless, spreading from my temples down to the base of my neck. I swallowed hard, my throat dry and sore, as I tried to gather my thoughts.
Then I heard it.
A faint, rhythmic beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The sound was steady, mechanical, and unmistakable. Within seconds, realization hit me all at once.
I was in a hospital.
The scent of antiseptic filled my nose, sharp and sterile. Cool sheets brushed against my skin, and when I tried to move, the unfamiliar weight of something attached to me made my body tense. Panic fluttered briefly in my chest, and before I could think better of it, I tried to sit up.
Pain surged instantly.
Before I could cry out, three hands sprang forward at the same time, catching me gently but firmly. They guided me back, helping me adjust until I was sitting comfortably against the raised head of the bed. Their movements were careful, practiced, as though they had been watching me closely, waiting for this moment.
I froze.
My gaze dropped to the hands still hovering near me, strong and unfamiliar. Slowly, my eyes traveled upward, confusion knitting my brows together as I took in three identical faces staring back at me with open relief.
Who were they?
My heart began to race as unease crept in. I searched their faces desperately, trying to find something familiar, anything, but my mind came up blank. The harder I tried to remember, the more my head throbbed, pain spiking sharply as though warning me to stop.
Then, without warning, flashes of memory burst through my mind.
Me, running without looking back, trying to hail a cab, none stopping and finally a black SUV car packing in front of me, then strong arms catching me as my legs gave out.
Voices calling a name that wasn't mine.
They were the ones who had helped me.
Before I could fully process the memory, one of the men leaned forward, his face breaking into a smile filled with undeniable relief.
"Theresa! You're finally awake."
The name hit me like a slap.
Theresa.
I stared at him, my expression blank, my confusion deepening as I took in the hope shining in his eyes. The way he looked at me made it painfully clear, he expected me to recognize him. Expected familiarity. Expected relief.
But all I felt was disorientation.
My fingers curled slightly against the sheets as I shook my head, the movement slow and careful. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, dread creeping in as I realized how wrong this felt.
"I'm sorry," I said at last, my voice hoarse and unsteady, as though it hadn't been used in days. Speaking made my head ache even more, but I pushed through it. "I think you've mistaken me for someone else."
Their faces fell almost instantly, surprise flashing across all three identical expressions.
"I don't know any of you," I continued softly, confusion and unease threading through every word. "I don't know anyone named Theresa."
As I spoke, I gently but firmly pulled my hands away from theirs, retreating into myself. The loss of their touch made me feel strangely exposed, but I needed the distance, to breathe, to think, to understand whatever was happening to me.
The room felt suddenly too quiet, the steady beep of the heart monitor now sounding unnaturally loud as my words settled heavily between us.
"Come on, Theresa, it's me—Lurgard."
He leaned closer, his voice filled with an easy confidence that made my skin prickle. His eyes searched my face intensely, as though he expected something, recognition, warmth, anything, to flicker there.
"You definitely can't forget me," he continued, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You loved me the most."
The words stunned me.
Loved him… the most?
Before I could even process what he meant, another body moved sharply into my line of sight.
"Shut your mouth, Lurgard."
The second man shoved him aside, not violently, but firmly enough to make his point, until his own face filled my vision. His expression was fierce, possessive, almost challenging.
"She doesn't love you as much as she loves me," he snapped. Then his tone softened abruptly as he turned to me, his eyes shining with expectation. "Right, Theresa? It's me. Leonard. I'm the one you loved the most."
I blinked.
Slowly. Repeatedly.
My gaze shifted from Leonard to Lurgard, then back again, my mind struggling to keep up with what was unfolding in front of me. Were they… arguing? Fighting? Competing?
Over me?
Over who I supposedly loved the most?
My heart began to pound, not with fear exactly, but with sheer disbelief. My head still throbbed painfully, and this absurd exchange only made the pressure worse. I felt like I had woken up in the middle of a play where everyone knew their lines except me.
I said nothing, only stared, trying, and failing, to make sense of it all.
While the two of them continued to glare at each other, the third man remained silent.
He stood between them, calm and composed, his posture steady in stark contrast to the tension crackling between the other two. When he finally spoke, his voice was lower, measured, carrying a weight that immediately drew my attention.
"Theresa."
The way he said my name was different. Not demanding. Not possessive. Almost… careful.
I looked at him.
He met my gaze directly, his eyes dark and searching, as though he were looking past my face and into something deeper.
"I know we hurt you in the past," he said slowly. "And I know you're trying to act like you've forgotten us."
My chest tightened.
Act?
"But please," he continued, his voice softening, sincerity bleeding through every word, "we're different now. Trust me."
For a moment, the room felt strangely still. The steady beep of the heart monitor faded into the background as his words settled heavily in the air. There was no accusation in his tone, no force, only a quiet plea.
And that unsettled me more than the others' arguing.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. I didn't know why, but something about the way he spoke made it impossible to brush him off as easily as the others. Still, confusion outweighed everything else.
I tilted my head slightly and asked the only question that made sense to me.
"And what's your name?"
He answered without hesitation, almost as though he had been waiting for the question.
"Lawrence."
The name meant nothing to me.
No spark. No memory. No emotional pull. Just a name spoken into a silence that followed immediately after.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. My fingers curled into the sheets briefly before I released them, summoning what little strength and composure I had left.
"Alright," I said, my voice firm despite the lingering weakness in my body. "Lawrence. Lurgard. Leonard."
All three of them looked at me intently now.
"Thank you so much for helping me," I continued, nodding once in genuine gratitude. "But I would like to take my leave now."
The words had barely left my mouth when the atmosphere shifted.
"No!"
The response came all at once, three voices echoing in unison, sharp and absolute.
"You aren't leaving!"
The force of it made me stiffen.
I stared at them, my heart skipping a beat as the finality in their words sank in. The room suddenly felt smaller, the air heavier. My body refused to move, my legs locked in place as shock rooted me where I stood, or rather, where I sat.
I was frozen.
Dumbfounded.
And a cold sense of unease crept quietly into my chest.