Chapter 31: Sera, How Could You...

Chapter 31: Sera, How Could You... Seraphina’s POV "I’m sorry for worrying you, Emma," I said, taking her hand in mine. "And... thank you for contacting my brother." I meant every word that I said. If it weren’t for Emma, I wouldn’t have known that my brother cared about me, and he’d been looking for me. "Whatever," she mumbled, pulling me into a hug. "I’m just glad you’re okay." A moment later, she nudged me toward the door, already switching back into her usual self. "Now go, or you’ll be late for school." The semester was almost over, and exams were coming fast. That’s why I needed to be there. Truth be told, I was already behind the people of my age. While I was still two semesters away from graduating, Melissa would graduate the next semester. "What are you thinking? Let’s go!" Emma snapped me out of my thoughts and said. "Ah, let me grab my things, I’ll be out in a giffy," I pronounced and ran inside the dorm room to grab my things. I went inside, grabbed my bag and a few things I needed, then came back out. This was my first time actually entering this school. I had been transferred here suddenly in the middle of the semester when Brother Adrian found out that I wasn’t being treated right at my old school. It was a shock for me, changing schools in the middle of the semester, but I never got the chance to attend. I was sent to the mental hospital before that. Emma was the only person I knew before joining this school. She was a junior from my orphanage... She’d lived there for six months after getting separated from her parents. But even after she left, she kept in touch and always cared about me. That’s how we became close. "So, tell me, how are you walking and talking like this all of a sudden?" Emma asked out of nowhere, making me jolt. I didn’t have an answer either. I knew there was no cure for autism. And yet, somehow, I was fine. My speech was clearer and better than most people my age. My movements were natural, like any other normal person. What had happened to me? I wanted to find out about it too, but I didn’t even know where to begin. "Hey, what are you thinking?" Emma asked as she pulled her hand in hers and started walking alongside me. We went to the car where the driver was waiting for me. "Young Miss," the driver came and greeted me with a slight bow. "Shall I take you to school now?" "Sure," I nodded as I gently nudged Emma toward the car. "Sis, whose car is this?" She asked with her eyes wide. "I mean, I do know that your family is wealthy, but to have such a Lamborghini is..." Her jaw almost dropped seeing the sight of the big Lamborghini in front of her. "This... this isn’t my brother’s car," I said quietly. Just at the mention of the car, Lucien’s words crashed back into my mind. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake him off. He was living rent-free in my head again. If I charged rent for all the times he showed up in my thoughts, I’d be a billionaire by now. "I have never been in such a fancy car," Emma said, as she was still looking at the car. While I was busy with thoughts of Lucien. I felt frustrated thinking about him unknowingly. "By the way," I said suddenly, "don’t talk about my brother or what happened yesterday at school. And keep your distance from me." "What!?" Emma’s eyes went wide. She looked at me in shock. "How can you say that?" she almost yelled as I motioned to the driver to start. "Do you think I’m here to use your family’s money?" Emma said. She looked extremely upset with me. "What are you talking about?" I said quickly, looking at her. I didn’t want her to misunderstand. Emma was the only warm person I had in my past life. I didn’t want her to be in trouble with anyone from the Lancaster family. It was already risky enough that Emma had called my brother. If Melissa or her people found out Emma was the one who told Asher, she could get into serious trouble. "Then what is it?" Emma asked as her eyes were almost teary. I inhaled deeply as I took her hand in mine. "Emma," I began. "I’m not that loved at my new home and..." "What!!" Emma exclaimed in shock even before I could finish my words. "Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Weren’t you happy that you found your family?" "I know, I’m sorry that I lied to you," I lowered my head. I was naive back then. I was really happy to have found my family, and I was ready to tolerate anything just to be able to live with my family. But I was a changed person after I was reborn. "Then... Then can you tell me the truth now?" Emma asked as she looked at my wrist, which was wrapped in bandages by Lucien earlier. "Oh, it’s not what you think, it happened yesterday," I muttered. "It’s just that the person who was swapped with me didn’t want me to be the real Young Miss of the family, so she wanted to make me disappear." "What the hell!" Emma was too stunned to say anything. She was but a simple girl who lost her innocence when Melissa targeted her family in my previous life, just because she was my friend and had tried to help me. "I... I know you are shocked, but... Please understand and do what I am telling you to," I almost begged her. I didn’t want to lose her, not again. I didn’t want to commit suicide once again, and for that... It was better that she would stay away from me. "Sera, how could you..." Emma glared at me.