Borrowed Life
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was hair.
A considerable amount of it.
Several strands had somehow found their way across my face during the night, while some had even managed to get into my mouth. I sleepily raised one hand, brushed them away, and spent perhaps two peaceful seconds wondering why my hair had suddenly become long enough to cover my entire face.
Then I tried to roll onto my stomach.
A sharp, uncomfortable pressure spread through my chest as its unfamiliar weight was compressed beneath me, reaching my half-awake brain before I had fully understood what I was doing.
My eyes opened.
“Right.”
So much for waking up in my own body.
I remained beneath the covers for another minute, staring toward the ceiling while the disappointment settled in. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had genuinely hoped that sleeping might reset whatever had gone wrong with my Awakening, as though the universe only needed me to turn myself off and on again.
Apparently not.
I lifted one hand above my face and found slim fingers so pale they made me wonder whether she was a vampire, along with neatly manicured nails painted a deep sapphire blue that almost matched her eyes.
I was still Evelyn.
At least nothing else seemed to have changed during the night.
I pushed myself upright, only to discover that sleeping with long hair came with consequences of its own. Half of it had become tangled behind my shoulders, while several strands clung stubbornly to the tank top I had slept in.
“How does anyone manage this every night?”
My complaint disappeared into the empty bedroom without receiving an answer.
The clock on the bedside table showed a little past seven.
I had slept considerably longer than I expected, although considering this body had already endured the annual Vale Foundation Gala, an attempted assassination, a mugging, and everything else that had happened after I took possession of it, perhaps it had earned the extra rest.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and planted my bare feet against the thick rug, remaining there for a moment as I considered what awaited me.
Today, I was supposed to go to Vale Group in Evelyn’s place, not as an intern or some fresh engineering graduate lucky enough to land a position there, but as its Executive Vice President and designated heir, stepping into an office at a company I would normally have considered myself fortunate just to work for after graduation.
The thought was somehow even more ridiculous in the morning.
Yesterday, everything had happened so quickly that I had barely found enough time to react before the next problem arrived. Now, after several hours of sleep, the absurdity of what Evelyn expected from me had become much clearer.
I was an engineering student whose greatest professional responsibility so far had been making sure I submitted assignments before midnight, yet in a few hours I was apparently going to walk into Vale Group headquarters pretending to be its eighteen-year-old heiress.
A knock sounded from the bedroom door.
“My lady? Are you awake?”
It was Sera.
“Yes, I’m awake.”
The door opened as soon as I answered, and Sera stepped inside.
She had changed since last night. The black suit was gone, replaced by a dark-gray one with a lighter blouse beneath it, its top few buttons left undone just as they had been the night before, although she nevertheless looked every bit as formal as before. Her silver hair had been arranged somewhat more neatly around her shoulders, though its layered cut still retained a hint of wildness, and judging by how completely awake she appeared, I suspected she had been up for quite some time.
Her eyes briefly scanned my body.
“Good morning.”
“Morning.”
Sera closed the door behind herself.
“I trust you slept well?”
“The softness of the bed played a huge role. Maybe I should ask Evelyn to get me the same one once we swap back.”
Sera showed a small smile at my joke.
“I’m glad to hear that. You have a lot of things to do.”
Her gaze drifted toward my hair, and something about the slight pause made me suspicious.
“What?”
“You appear to have had an active night.”
I reached behind my head and discovered just how badly the hair had tangled.
Right. It seemed my habit of moving around in my sleep was independent of whatever body I was inside.
“I’m beginning to understand why girls cut their hair short.”
“I would strongly advise against doing that.”
“I was just saying.”
There was no way I would make a decision like that without Evelyn’s approval. Besides, if I was being honest, I rather liked her hair.
Sera walked toward the enormous wardrobe occupying part of the wall and opened it.
I stared, stunned by the sheer amount of clothing inside.
Calling it a wardrobe felt somewhat dishonest, since it was closer to a small boutique that happened to be attached to a bedroom, with rows of clothes stretching across several sections according to type and color, shoes occupying illuminated shelves below them, and drawers and glass-fronted compartments filled with accessories.
Apparently, I had slept beside all of this without realizing what kind of treasure trove was right next to me.
Sera began selecting clothes for me to wear.
“Nathan has already left for the hospital.”
I turned toward her.
“She left already?”
“Approximately fifteen minutes ago. The assessment begins at eight-thirty.”
That explained why Evelyn hadn’t come to wake me herself.
“Alone?”
“No, two members of the security detail went with him. The hospital has already been informed that Nathan Gold is expected.”
I nodded.
Even after everything that had happened, hearing my own name used for Evelyn still felt strange.
“So she gets to play around with my ability while I’m stuck going to work.”
Sera glanced back at me.
“I suspect each of you would describe your respective circumstances somewhat differently.”
“I’m sure we would.”
Sera selected a white business dress and removed it from the rack. I stared at her as she came closer.
“I’m not wearing that.”
“You are appearing publicly as Evelyn Vale at Vale Group headquarters.”
“I understand that. I’m still not wearing a dress.”
Sera looked down at the garment in her hands before returning her attention to me.
“You wore an even more revealing one yesterday.”
“That was different. I was wearing it before I was aware of it.”
Technically, I had only remained stuck wearing that because of yesterday’s circumstances.
For several seconds, Sera simply studied me, apparently deciding how much resistance I was worth.
“I understand.”
Then, without another word, she returned the dress to the wardrobe.
Author's Note
I think I did pretty good on my final.
I’m also really happy to announce that my book has got its first rating on Amazon, which makes me feel proud.