"Do you still remember me?" Venn asked with a furrowed brow as soon as he arrived.
Wow! He's acting like a husband, HAHA! I would love to watch this scene unfold, especially since I've already told him what the doctor said. It's amusing that he just left but come back again so quickly.
"Who are you?" Rhaj replied disinterestedly.
"It's me, Venn."
"The one who loves me dearly? Tsk! Don't quote Natoy's line," Rhaj sarcastically remarked.
"Wait a minute! Why are you being so grumpy today, Bessy?" I interjected, trying to lighten the mood.
"Bessy?" Rhaj raised an eyebrow in question.
I can’t quite explain why I felt a pang of hurt at that moment.
"Yes, I’m your best friend, duh!" I laughed, but I couldn't shake off the anxiety that maybe he didn’t remember me.
"Of course! It's you, Joy," he replied with a smile, but then his expression changed when he turned back to Venn.
"As the doctor said, I have selective amnesia. Well, maybe you’re just not important enough, so that's why I forgot your name and your existence in my life," he said seriously to Venn.
"Bessy!" I chided him, even though I felt a sting of pain at his words.
"Yeah, maybe," Venn responded sarcastically, flashing me a quick smile before he left the room.
"Why did you say that? Do you really not remember?" I asked, feeling frustrated.
"So you’re siding with him then?" he shot back, fixing his position on the bed in annoyance.
"It's not like that. I mean, he’s hurting too."
"So, I’m not hurting? Every time they're together with his other woman? Tsk! I’m the one who’s married, yet somehow I appear to be the third wheel," he snapped.
"W-What? So, you haven't forgotten about her? Why so bitter?" I pouted.
"Don’t ever say that to him, or else I won’t talk to you for a year!"
---
**RHJIE'S POV**
Since I was discharged from the hospital, there has been a constant stream of deliveries arriving at our mansion. In this house that my dad bought, Venn hasn’t talked to me about us at all. I don’t know if it’s because he’s genuinely happy being away from me or if it simply means he’s free to flirt with his mistress.
"You look deep in thought, sis. Why are you even here? Didn’t you have a husband to go home to?" Hobe, my little brother, mumbled while eating ice cream.
"Married? I’m too young to get married! What are you talking about?" I replied, furrowing my brow, pretending I had no idea what he meant.
"Just stop it, Chandler! Go back to your room and finish your work!" my dad piped up while coming down the staircase.
"Where are you going, Dad?" Hobe asked.
"I’m just… looking for your mom," he said absentmindedly.
"WHAT?!" Hobe and I yelled in unison, shocked at his words.
"D-Dad, are you hallucinating? Are you imagining things? Mom's dead; she passed away eight years ago, remember?" Hobe continued.
"Yeah, but I dream about her. She says there's a new enemy. She’s in an abandoned building, on the 30th floor. Bye," he said hurriedly before walking out.
"I can’t remember how many times he’s said this before. It’s always the same story, and what happens next? He brings home royal guards who are dead drunk!" Hobe sighed, resuming his ice cream.
"Hmmm, guess what; your husband sent flowers and chocolates again. Can I have some?" I nodded silently in response.
I decided to go upstairs and finish my special project. After all, I had a month of beauty sleep, and my paperwork was piling up.
When I saw the letter mom left behind, my heart sank—a reminder of why I chose to marry that guy. 
W-Wait! Could there be a hidden code here too? The previous one I decoded said, "BE" and "BACK".
I stood up, turned off the light, and suddenly had an idea: GOTCHA!
01001001 01010111 01001001 01001100 01001100.
"I WILL?"
If my gut feeling was correct, then the hidden message was "I WILL BE BACK." But from whom? D-Don’t tell me it’s my m-mom! If I wasn't hallucinating then, it must have been her!
My hands trembled as I set the letter down and rushed out of my room.
"Yes, hello? This is Rhajie. I want the Norovloux search team to locate an abandoned building with a 30th floor right now." I exclaimed while pacing anxiously in the living room.
"Specific place, young master?" the operator asked.
"Near my area. If you don’t find anything, then…" I paused. Where did Mom love to go? "Buenavista!" I suddenly exclaimed. 
"One moment, young master." 
"Just send me the details. Bye," I said before hanging up and rushing to my mom's Ducati motorcycle.
I hopped on and sped off towards a place nearby that I always passed on my way home, which felt familiar. I wasn't sure if it had 30 floors, but it was an abandoned building.
I maneuvered through a dense area overgrown with grass and weeds. To be honest, this place could easily serve as a hideout for those involved in the black market. I became more alert as I managed to step onto solid ground.
The only sounds surrounding me were the rustling leaves and the chirping of birds, yet there was an unsettling feeling that something was off. I walked cautiously toward a dilapidated door, pushing it open despite the thick dust.
It resembled a former hotel; I could still see the signage, albeit it was chipped and worn out.
*BLAAAAGGG!*
I jumped back, startled by a loud crash from the second floor of the building. I quickly raced up the stairs, on high alert for any potential intruders.
"Hmmmmmm! Hmmmmm!" I murmured, as something suddenly covered my mouth and pulled me into a room.
I bit the hand that was covering my mouth, twisting to elbow them, only to freeze when I saw it was Venn.
"What are you doing here?!" I whispered angrily, glancing around the room to assess my surroundings.
"I should be the one asking you that! Are you out of your mind? What made you think it was a good idea to come here?!" he shot back, equally frustrated.
"Just be quiet, or else they’ll find us!" he hissed urgently.
"E-Eat? What? Are you crazy?" I asked, confused.
*GROWLLL*
Oh my God! Backing away slowly, I realized I was blocked off. What was going on?
"Don't touch that! It's a way to shield these buildings from sunlight which keeps the zombies from being disturbed. Are they actually zombies? I have no idea either," he stated seriously.
"Z-Zombies? Oh no, please don't tell me that!" I shouted in annoyance, storming out of the room.
*GROWWWLL*
What was that sound? Ugh! This is all his fault. This place is eerily creepy.
I cautiously made my way down a hallway lined with rooms toward the third floor. I caught a whiff of an awful odor. As I moved closer to the end of the hallway, the stench intensified, particularly the smell of formalin. 
I could feel my heart racing, my thoughts swirling with intrigue and fear. What was I going to find? What lay ahead? Was this truly where my mother had been all along? What sort of secrets had the past hidden, waiting for me to uncover? I had to know, and there was no turning back now.