She tapped her screen rapidly, lips pursed with barely restrained annoyance. As the screen lit up and loaded the gallery, she turned the phone toward Esther and Lady Bell, her finger hovering just above the image.
"Umm… Dija, that's a photo of you," Esther said with a small, amused smile.
Dija blinked, snatching the phone back. "Wait, what? Oh, it is!" she muttered, scrolling furiously. "I swear I had Sarah's picture right here."
A second later, realization dawned. "Ahh! Now I remember, I deleted it. Her face was a constant taunt in my gallery, so I got rid of it," she said with a sheepish grin and a playful laugh.
Lady Bell raised a brow, smirking. "Convenient."
Dija rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I'll show you her photo next time. And when I do… you'll understand everything."
She tucked her phone away, leaving a quiet tension in the air, one that hinted Sarah Williams was more than just an annoying colleague.
Esther exchanged a look with Lady Bell, both silently wondering..
What was it about this woman that made Dija's instincts flare?
And why did her name feel like a red flag neither of them had noticed until now?
Just like that, time flew, and five days passed in a blur.
The sterile scent of the hospital had grown familiar to Esther, but each day brought steady improvement. Her bruises had lightened, the stitches were healing well, and the dizzy spells had all but vanished. The doctors were pleased with her progress. Lady Bell remained a comforting presence at her side, and Betty, now speaking more confidently, had become the brightest part of each day.
Daniel, on the other hand, had practically turned her hospital room into his personal office. The man was like a stubborn hen, refusing to let her out of his sight for more than a few hours. He was always nearby, watching over her, fussing silently, and ensuring everything she needed was within reach.
Dija visited almost every evening, always full of dramatic rants about Thomas and "that snake in lip gloss," Sarah Williams. Despite the theatrics, her loyalty never wavered. She was Esther's comfort blanket, never letting a day go by without checking in. She'd even convinced Bakarr not to visit, yet. Though his daily texts arrived like clockwork, full of warmth and concern.
At LewisTech, peace was a distant memory. The investigation into the stolen prototype from the NeuroSpeech project was still ongoing. Fatmata remained tight-lipped despite mounting pressure. Her silence only fueled suspicions that there was someone bigger behind it all, someone still pulling strings in the shadows.
Daniel, meanwhile, was still haunted by what he wasn't saying, the fact that the man arrested for Esther's accident might be nothing more than a pawn. And if that was true, the real puppeteer was still out there… watching.
Now, on the sixth morning, Esther was finally being discharged.
A new chapter was about to begin, but peace was far from guaranteed.
The morning sun filtered through the blinds, soft and warm on Esther's face as she buttoned the last clasp of her dress with slow precision. A nurse had just left after giving her discharge instructions, and Lady Bell was busy folding the last of her hospital things into a tote bag.
"Feels strange," Esther muttered. "Leaving this place after nearly a week. I feel like I should say goodbye to the IV stand."
"Please don't," Lady Bell said dryly. "Unless you're planning to bring it home with you."
Esther laughed, and then froze when the door burst open.
"Surprise, babe!" Dija's voice echoed down the hallway before she even stepped fully in, her curls bouncing and her energy as infectious as ever. Behind her stood a tall figure dressed in dark denim and a crisp T-shirt, holding a paper bag and looking sheepish.
"Bakarr?" Esther blinked, genuinely caught off guard.
"Told you I'd come eventually," he said with a soft grin, walking over. "I brought you Kankanka . Hospital food sucks."
"Thanks," Esther said, taking the plastic foil from him. "But I'm actually getting discharged today."
"I heard," Bakarr replied with a smile. "I also may or may not have a welcome party planned. Well… Dija came up with the idea."
Esther blinked, then let out a soft chuckle. "I can't believe you two actually did this."
"You should've seen her coaching me on how to walk in with charm," Bakarr added with a wink. "I nearly tripped coming up the stairs."
"She's getting discharged today," Dija cut in, redirecting the spotlight. "And no offense, but she needs some color back in those cheeks. So I figured, Kankankan soup and a little man attention wouldn't hurt."
Lady Bell stood off to the side, watching the interaction with narrowed but amused eyes. She leaned toward Esther and whispered, "Is this the almost-boyfriend?"
Esther elbowed her lightly. "Please don't start."
"Too late," Lady Bell smirked.
Bakarr walked closer, lowering his voice just enough for only Esther to hear. "I'm glad you're okay. When I heard… I didn't sleep."
Esther's smile softened.
Dija, pretending not to eavesdrop but clearly listening, cleared her throat loudly. "Bakarr, come on. Let's go. We've got a lot to set up before Miss Patient here gets officially discharged."
With a dramatic wave, she turned and strolled out of the room. Bakarr chuckled, gave Esther a quick goodbye, and followed behind.
"I think Betty and I should also go check on the…" Lady Bell paused, catching herself just before spilling Daniel's surprise. "…on the discharge arrangements," she said quickly, taking Betty's hand and heading for the door.
Esther raised a suspicious brow, now left alone. That was a lot of people leaving in a hurry.
What could they be up to? she wondered, eyeing the closed door.
And just then, the handle turned and the door creaked open.
In walked Sarah.
Esther froze. The last person she expected to see today.
"Sarah?" Esther blinked in surprise.
It had been five days since the accident. She had called her, messaged her, even left voicemails. But true to form, Sarah had used work as her excuse.
Still… part of her was relieved.
"You actually came," Esther said softly, her tone a mix of surprise and cautious comfort.
Sarah gave a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Hey. Thought I'd drop by before you left."
"Thanks for visiting," Esther said, her voice soft but edged with sarcasm. "Only took five days and twenty missed calls." And tons of voice messages which were not returned.
"I've been busy," Sarah said, stepping fully into the room and helping herself to the chair beside the bed. "The world doesn't stop because you took a little tumble, you know."
Esther blinked. "A little tumble? I was in a hit-and-run. I needed surgery."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Yet here you are. Glowing. All this attention's really working for you, huh? VIP room, private care, LewisTech royalty waiting on you hand and foot."
Esther's jaw tensed. "Sarah, I didn't ask for any of this."
"But you didn't say no to it either, did you?" Sarah said, her tone sharp. "You let him take you in. Live in his house. Be around his daughter. It's all so… convenient."
Esther frowned. "Are you really mad because I got injured? Or because someone else noticed it?"
"Oh please," Sarah snapped. "Don't act like you don't know what you're doing. Mr. Daniel Lewis, the untouchable widower, suddenly opening up to a girl who 'just so happens' to save his daughter's life? You really think people won't talk?"
"I didn't save Betty to make anyone talk," Esther said, her voice steady. "I reacted. Because that's what humans do when a child's in danger."
"Wow" Sarah said in a mockery voice "ain't you some hero, you should have a hero name along with a cape.."
Just as Esther was about to replied, the door opened s as Mr in walked Dija.
"Esther, I forgot my.." she stopped mid-sentence, spotting Sarah.
Their eyes locked.
"Wait… what are you doing here?" Dija asked, narrowing her eyes at Sarah, who instantly stiffened.
"I came to visit her," Sarah said quickly, trying to play it cool.
"You two know each other?" Esther asked, surprised.
"Yeah, she's the Sarah I've been telling you about. How is she here and how are you related " Dija asked
"No, She's my older sister," Esther replied.
"Your elder sister?" Dija repeated, disbelief already heavy in her voice. "That's not possible. How are you two related? She's Sarah Williams."
"What are you talking about?" Esther frowned, confused. "You must be mistaken. She's my sister, Sarah Cole."
"I know exactly what I'm saying," Dija said firmly, eyes never leaving Sarah. "She's Sarah Williams, Uncle Daniel's secretary."
Esther slowly turned to look at her sister, heart sinking. "You… you don't work for Mr. Lewis, do you?"
"Wow," Dija muttered, the pieces clicking together. "So this is the big secret Harriet had on you. That's why you helped her get the job. Sarah Williams, the high-class heiress, the post-grad genius, is nothing more than a well-dressed lie."
She folded her arms across her chest, disgust flaring. "You're a scam artist. Now are you going to tell your sister the truth, or should I?"
"Stay out of this," Sarah snapped, trying to regain control. "It's between me and my sister."
"No, she won't stay out of this," Esther said, her voice cutting through the room like glass. Sarah looked at her, stunned, she wasn't used to Esther pushing back.
"I want to hear everything," Esther continued, pain flashing in her eyes. "You've lied for so long, avoided every real question about your life. I've always let it go, but not anymore. What else are you hiding?"
Dija didn't wait. "Your 'beloved' sister has been living a fake life for years. She created a whole identity, Sarah Williams. Claimed to be the daughter of a wealthy family, a woman with elite degrees, international credentials… the whole package. And it worked. She used that lie to get into LewisTech and get close to Daniel Lewis."
Esther stared at Sarah, the weight of betrayal settling in her chest like a stone. The signs had always been there, the vague answers about her job, the evasiveness whenever work came up. It all made sense now.
"Sarah," she said quietly, her voice thick with disbelief, "how could you? How would Mama feel knowing you've been lying, scamming people?"
Sarah's expression didn't flinch. "I don't expect you to understand. But don't you dare sit there and judge me. Everything I've done, everything, has been for a better future. For me. For us."
"Oh, please," Esther snapped, her voice sharp with hurt. "Don't lie to me. Deep down, you know that's not true. Everything you did, you did for yourself. You're so selfish you didn't even think about what this would do to Mama. She brags about you to everyone. Do you have any idea what it'll do to her when she finds out her daughter, the one she's so proud of, built her life on a lie?"
"I really don't care what you think," Sarah said coolly, arms folded. "It's easy for you to judge when you've had everything handed to you your whole life. I've had to fight tooth and nail just to survive."
"That's not fair," Esther said, rising to her feet. "You think I've had it easy? I studied day and night to win that scholarship. I juggled tutoring and night classes to pay my rent. I've worked hard for everything I have, and I never had to lie or fake who I was to get it."
Sarah scoffed. "Spare me the noble speech. You've never known what it feels like to be constantly looked down on. You've never had to claw your way up just to be seen."
"And that justifies what? Lying about your identity? Faking your background to get ahead?" Esther shot back. "What are you going to do when Mr. Lewis finds out?"
Sarah's face hardened. "That's none of your business. As long as you keep your mouth shut, I'll be fine."
Esther's heart broke a little more at her sister's words. "You're asking me to lie for you?"
"I'm not asking," Sarah said flatly. "I'm telling you. If you care at all about this family, you'll stay out of it."
Esther stared at her, stunned. There were no words left, only silence, and the painful truth that the sister she once admired was now a stranger standing in front of her.
"And you know what" Sarah leaned back, eyes narrowing. "I almost had something real with him. I was this close. Until you came along, bright-eyed, oh-so-innocent Esther with her middle-class charm."
Esther's stomach clenched. "So that's what this is about. Mr Lewis. You think I stole your future."
Sarah hissed. "You didn't just steal it. You hijacked it."
"I didn't ask for any of this," Esther said, now trembling with anger. "You're projecting your bitterness on me. Whatever you're angry about, it's not my fault."
Sarah's lips twisted into a bitter smirk. "Then stay away from him. You owe me that much."
"That's it, get out. Now," Dija snapped, her voice sharp with authority, no longer willing to tolerate Sarah's audacity.
Sarah let out a scoff and reached for her purse. "I was just leaving anyway," she muttered, turning on her heel without another glance.
As Sarah walked out, she didn't spare either of them another glance. But Esther felt the weight of her resentment linger like a cloud in the room.
Esther sighed, sinking onto the bed's edge.