Chapter 23: Chapter 23

“I’m really glad that you finally found a good job, Akeyla. I’m really proud of you.” My mom continued to say with a smile on her face.

I had once again lied to her that I had gotten a job elsewhere and that it required that I did not work from home.

“I will always visit you.” I smiled at her. “And please mom, make sure you always take your drugs, most especially the new ones I got you.”

She paused for a moment before she said. “I will darling but I can’t help and wonder why you bought those new drugs. They did not look like the ones I had been taking before.”

I scratched my head, “Um… that’s because it’s different. That’s what was prescribed, so…” I shrugged my shoulders.

She nodded, “Alright. You don’t have to worry about me, just focus on your job okay?”

God, I felt so guilty lying to her like this but I knew she would never allow me do it if I told her. It was better I kept it a secret and get it over with , quick.

**********

~Third Person’s POV~

On the agreed date, Martins picked Akeyla up and took her to the hospital. He had already made an alignment a nurse and he was able to switch Ella with Akeyla. He transferred Ella to another hospital in secret and then Akeyla was made to stay in her place on the sick bed. The nurse wrapped the same bandage that was wrapped around Ella’s head, around her head. She organized everything and made it look like it was Ella that was lying there. No one could tell the difference anyway.

THE NEXT DAY

Akeyla was made to remain on Ella’s hospital bed after Ella was taken away. Sarah and Stella came over to see Ella and they were led to her room totally unware of what had happened.

Stella sat at the other side of the bed and reached for her supposed daughter’s face. She caressed her face with a sad smile on her face.

“Please get better soon, okay?” She trailed her finger over her chin while Sarah held on to her hand tightly.

“Grandma is missing you a lot Aniyah, please get well already, hmm?” She said as her eyes were clouded with tears.

Just then, doctor walked into the room to check up on her.

“Good day madams.” He greeted Sarah and Stella.

Sarah looked up at him and nodded her head. “Good day to you too doctor.”

The doctor nodded his head at them before he walked over to stand beside Ella’s bed along two nurses who stood behind him. The doctor glanced at the monitor before turning to her on the bed.

He moved closer and just as he was about to reach for her hand to check her, she moved her hand a little startling the doctor.

Stella and Sarah stared with widened eyes.

“She… She just moved her hand doctor, did you not see it?” Stella asked rapidly as she stared at her on the bed.

The doctor who had seen it kept staring at her on the bed with a confused expression on his face.

“That um… That would be surprising.” He said before he moved over to her.

“Hello Miss Gabriella, can you hear me?” The doctor asked.

Ella, impersonated by Akeyla, slowly opened her eyes and moved her eyes around the room. At this point, she would be pass for a movie audition because of how perfect she was acting.

She moved her eyes to the doctor before slowly raising up her hand.

“Oh my God!” Stella shouted from happiness as she stared at her.

“Ella, can you see me?” She asked quickly.

Akeyla stared at them through her squinted eyes. Even though she was you to get paid, she still felt so bad deceiving these people like this. How would they feel when they found out that she wasn’t their daughter?

“Please raise you hand if you can hear me, Miss Gabriella.” The doctor said.

Akeyla slowly raised her hand up again.

The doctor stared at her in surprise. “Can you say something, Miss Gabriella?”

Akeyla tilted her head to look at the doctor. What if she spoke and her voice did not sound like Ella’s voice? What if they sensed something and…

“Aniyah darling, are you able to say something?” Sarah asked her.

Akeyla tilted her head to look at her. Martins had told her that she should not utter a word yet apart from ‘yes’ until her discharge, so he would put her through the things she needed to know.

“Yes.” She said in a low voice.

Sarah’s eyes beamed with happiness. She kissed her knuckles with her eyes filled with tears.

“Oh my darling.” She hugged her on the bed.

“How are you feeling, my darling?” Stella asked her as she brushed her hair. Akeyla only nodded her head but didn’t say anything.

“This is a great improvement…” The doctor said. “She recovered earlier than expected. It’s almost like a miracle. She would be discharged soonest considering her fast recovery.” He said to Sarah and Stella.

They both nodded their heads with smiles on their faces.

The nurses checked her vital signs and then the doctor turned to them.

“Her vital signs are very okay, she has really improved drastically.”

“That is such good news, when would she be discharged?” Stella asked.

“We would observe her for some time and after that, she can be discharged.” The doctor replied.

Stella nodded, “Alright, thank you very much doctor.”

The doctor smiled before he exited the room with the nurses.

“I should call Martins and tell him.” Stella said before she brought out her phone to dial Martins’s number. Akeyla stared at the strange people and smiled slightly. The more she saw the excitement on their faces, the more guilty she felt but well, she was just doing her job.

*******

After a few days, Akeyla, who was supposed to be Ella, was discharged home. It had been two days since she was taken home and she was left to rest in her room. She hadn’t spoken much to anyone yet.

~Akeyla’s POV ~

There were maids everywhere and everything looked strange to me. I really didn’t know how I was going to be pull the whole thing off but I would have to try.

I laid on the bed in the huge room that wasn’t even mine and stared at the beautiful ceiling. I bet she must had been treated like a princess by her family and provided with everything she wanted.

“Ella?” I heard a voice called out and it took me a while to recall that I was now Ella.

I turned to the direction of the door and watched her walk into the room.

“Are you awake, sweetie?” She asked me with a smile as she walked over to the bed.

I smiled slightly and sat up on the bed.

“Good morning ma…mom.” I quickly corrected with a smile.

She smiled at me and reached for my cheek. “Good morning sweetie. How are you feeling?”

I swallowed hard and nodded my head, “I’m um… I’m fine.”

“Would you he able to join us for breakfast or should I ask Flora to bring it here?”

Mr. Martins had told me it wasn’t necessary that I knew the names of the maids since his daughter, Ella, never bothered to learn about the names of the servants.

Just as I was about to say something, the door opened and we turned to it. I saw Mr. Martins walking inside with a smile on his face.

“Don’t worry honey, Ella would join us for lunch, she should have her breakfast in her room.”

Ella’s mom looked away from him and turned to me. “Alright. I will ask Flora to bring your breakfast to your room, okay?”

I nodded my head, “Thank you, mom.”

She smiled at me before she stood up and left the room. Mr. Martins sat beside me.

“We haven’t really been able to talk since we got back from the hospital…” He started to say. “They would start asking questions soon and you cannot keep lying here in the room. My daughter’s assistant at the company will come to meet you later…”

“Does she know I’m not your daughter?”

He shook his head, “No, she doesn’t know. You can try to ask her about some information from her. For now…” He handed an Ipad to me and I collected it from him.

I stared what displayed on the screen.

Mom’s name: Stella Bolaji.

Grandma’s name: Sarah Bolaji

Father’s name: Martins Bolaji

Friends’ name: Rihanna Adams, the daughter of a big business conglomerate and Elizabeth Badmus, the second daughter of a very rich politician.

Schools attended:…..

……And so many other information that I don’t even know if I would recall them all.

“These are information of your daughter…” I said waving the iPad. “Do I need to study them?”

“Of course, you should or else you might mess up.”

I sighed, “Alright.”

XOXO