Chapter 2
"Did you put up this act to get my attention from Clara?"
I blinked. "What?"
He scoffed, his hands tucked in his pants. "For how long are you going to keep up with this? Forcing yourself on a man who doesn't want you, and now what? Poisoning yourself just to get my attention?"
"What are you talking about? Who is Clara? And why would I poison myself to…"
Wait a minute!
My brows furrowed as I looked at the man. "Did you say this woman was poisoned?"
He scoffed. "Are you playing with me, Jessica?"
She poisoned herself, and I was also poisoned. No! Don't tell me this is what I'm thinking, please. No! My soul couldn't have transmigrated into this woman's body, right? Please, I can't handle that.
But why would she poison herself? And who is this Clara this man keeps yapping about? Ugh! I'm about to lose my mind.
"You knew Clara was sick and I needed to stay by her side, but you did this? Can you be more heartless than this?" He snapped.
"Stop talking already! You are driving me nuts! I need to think!" I yelled at him, and his eyes flickered with shock.
I looked at him. "This woman… When was she poisoned?"
He blinked.
"I mean me… When was I poisoned or when did I poison myself rather?"
"I don't have time for this. If you want to die, just fucking die quietly and stop bothering me. I won't take it lightly with you." He gritted out.
I didn't know what that word 'fucking' meant, but I could tell from his expression that he was swearing at me, and I won't let this slide.
"Fucking you too!"
He huffed.
"You're crazy, Jessica."
Then he turned to leave.
"You've not answered my question!"
He paused and looked back at me over his shoulder. "You should go back to sleep. Maybe you'll remember everything when you wake up again."
And with that, he stepped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
I dragged my fingers through my hair, squeezing my eyes shut. What on earth is happening? I still don't want to believe that I transmigrated into this woman's body. No! I can't accept that.
Susanne walked in, her face dull… as if she was about to cry.
"You… come here." I dragged her to sit on the bed with me, but she quickly shot to her feet.
"What? I need to ask you some questions." I blinked.
"This is the bed you share with your husband, Mrs Whitmore. No one else is allowed to touch it."
Husband? That annoying bastard just now? Why do I have to be in the body of a woman who has a husband issue?
Ugh!
"Whatever… So, tell me… How was this woman poisoned?"
She bit her lips as she looked away.
"I'm sorry, Mrs Whitmore, but I'm afraid it's better if you don't remember it."
"Can't you see that I'm dying to know here?" I yelled in my head.
"Tell me, Susanne. I'm just curious." I tried to stay calm and composed.
She dropped to her knees and burst into tears. "I don't want to lose my job, please. I might lose my job if I speak about it."
Sighs. I'm dead.
I can't figure anything out since this lady is not ready to speak.
Right… Maybe I can threaten her.
"I'm going to fire you myself if you don't tell me what I want to know."
Her eyes widened as she gasped loudly.
Relax, girl. I didn't mean that. I'm not a heartless woman.
"Please, Mrs…"
I shot her a glare, and she swallowed nothing.
"Uhm… Th…the thing is…" She paused and looked around as if to be sure no one else was around. Her forehead was already dripping with sweat, and I wondered what on earth she was about to tell me.
Then she leaned close and whispered. "I have no idea what happened and I wasn't with you when it happened, but the maids in the palace said you suddenly started to feel pain after drinking the tea Mr Whitmore brought for you."
My brows furrowed. Wait! He tried to kill his wife and tried to make me believe this woman poisoned herself?
"Rumours are going around the villa that he did that to get rid of you so he could marry his mistress, Ms. Clara."
I froze and blinked. Now I understand why he kept saying that I was putting up an act to steal his attention from that damn Clara.
I can't believe I woke up in the body of a helpless woman that was also betrayed by her husband and mistress, just like what happened to me. I guess there are many heartless people in this world.
As much as this hurts, this doesn't matter. I need to get out of this place… I need to go to the palace and find a way to return to my body and make those bastards pay. After that, I can help this woman get revenge on this monster she calls a husband.
"When was she poisoned?"
She raised a brow, confused.
"I meant me… When was I poisoned?
She sighed, as if she felt relieved.
"The day before yesterday."
My brows knitted together. That was about the same time that I was poisoned. My goodness! We must've switched bodies at that moment.
Where is she now? Is she also in my body in Qing Kingdom?
Whatever! I need to find my way to the palace first.
"Susanne, can you get the palanquin? I need to go see my father right away."
She blinked, that terror from earlier creeping up her face again.
"Pa…palanquin? What's that?"
I groaned inwardly, resisting the urge to pull out my hair in frustration.
"Carriage… I mean carriage."
She blinked. "What are you talking about, Mrs Whitmore? We don't use carriages here. It's not like we are in the 1800s or something." She muttered, but I heard her loud and clear.
I blinked. What's she talking about? Isn't this 1825?
Or is there something else I'm yet to figure out?
"What year is this?"
"This is 2025, Mrs Whitmore. And we use cars now."
I blinked. "What?"
I took a moment to calculate what she was saying, her words still echoing in my head.
I gasped, my eyes widened once I got the answer. What! Two hundred years later? Ah! If this is true, then does that mean that everything I owned has turned to dust? My parents, my kingdom, my dream to become the empress… Everything?
My throat tightened as I swallowed hard, then I asked, "Wh…where is this place?"
She blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean which kingdom is this?"
"Kingdom?" She chuckled, as if this was funny. "This is no kingdom, Mrs Whitmore. We're in New York.
Ah! This is not even China?
Ok, I'm doomed…