Chapter 36

A month later

The day is the day Karma returned from Germany. She did not want to leave with her parents but her parents needed to stay a little bit longer. During that month, she went sightseeing around Germany along with Liam who had been here a dozen times before. They spent quite a lot of times together and Liam visited her parents along with her for as long as he could. Of course, the proposal resurfaced more than enough times in their conversation but Liam had been more than patient with her.

He did not rush her and she appreciated him for it. Because, even though she wanted to think of him; all she did throughout the entire times that she was Liam, was thinking of Amy. Liam sensed it and did not mention it to her and instead tried his best to make Karma feel comfortable around him. Liam's parents also flew in to visit Karma's parents which indeed surprised Karma. They discussed wedding themes with each other and Karma had unenthusiastically taken a small part in the conversation. She wasn't really interested.

Liam left a week before her so he was the one picking her up from the airport. As soon as he sees her, he runs to her and spins her around. "I missed you."

"No you didn't. We saw each other just a week ago." Karma says, as Liam puts her down.

"That was more than enough time for me to miss you." Liam says.

Karma says nothing.

Liam then shifts his hands up to stroke the side of her face, "How were your parents?"

"They were sad a bit but they are fine. They'll be coming back home soon. I'll make sure to get the house welcoming and ready for them when they come back." Karma gives Liam her bags and heads towards the car.

"Where do you want me to take you?" Liam asks.

"My house, of course. I don't stay at the condo anymore. You know what happened."

"I'm sorry but I was hoping you'd want to come to my place." Liam turns on the engine of his car.

"No Liam, I'm fine. I miss home and I want to go back. There's no place like home." Karma sighs nostalgically. She misses her bed, her room, her living room, her kitchen. She misses her whole place and she wants to feel at home again.

Liam shrugs, "Alright." And he speeds away from the airport.

"I can't believe it is night already. Granted it was the end of evening when I left Germany." Karma looks out the window.

Liam doesn't say anything. He was somehow lost in thought.

"Liam, I want you to take me somewhere." Karma asks.

Liam frowns, "Where?"

Karma turns and faces him, "Take me to Amy's house. There's something I need to do."

Liam shrugs and complies.

Mrs. Cooper's mansion

"Karma…" she mumbles. Amy turns on her side, a smile creeping on her lips as she reaches for the side of the bed in hopes of finding her near. She feels the empty side and opens her eyes to find no one whatsoever. She bolts upright, looking around the room to find environment that she thought she was in be different. She expected something else. She expected someone else and it is not Reagan. She woke up from her nap feeling a bit disturbed by what she just dreamed and joins Lauren in the living room as she was watching a movie on Netflix. Lauren sees her coming and turns the volume down. She was scrunched up on one end of the couch in her simple sweats holding a bowl of popcorn.

Amy comes and drops down next to her, "What are you watching?"

"Who knows? I'm barely paying attention." Lauren shrugs and turns up the volume a bit. "You had a good nap?"

Amy nods and reaches for some popcorn in Lauren's bowl, "I did. Except for that one dream…"

"What dream?" Lauren suddenly finds more interest in Amy than the movie and instantly places the volume on mute. "Did you remember something?"

"No…?"

Lauren's face fell. She was hoping that Amy would remember but Amy had shown little progress for the past month. Reagan has been helping also and looking for Karma everywhere but there were no signs of. And Mrs. Cooper refuses to give up any information as well as Nick. They went to Shane but he's been just as much worried and didn't know where Mrs. Cooper could have sent Karma but they know that she is with her parents so that gave them peace.

Amy was also worried but she didn't show it. Shane has been more than mean to her for what she's done and she doesn't even know or even certain of what she's even done. What did they want her to do? It's not like she can command nature to give her, her memory back. "I woke up this morning and I expected to be somewhere else. I had this sense of familiarity with a completely different room. And when I woke up, I find myself in the mansion; not at the place that I felt that I was."

Lauren's hope lightens her eyes a bit. This could lead somewhere. That is as close as they've ever been in weeks, "You probably felt like you were at the condo."

"But also," Amy recalls how she woke up and the person that she expected to find next to her, "I also expected someone to be next to me. And that person was not Reagan." She looks at Lauren's hopeful eyes, "I expected to see…"

"Ms. Raudenfeld, Karma Ashcroft wishes to see you." Antoine appears from behind them and interrupts them both. Amy's heart suddenly leaps out of her chest and she can't understand why.

Lauren squeals and runs to the entrance where Karma was standing, in front of the grand staircase. She runs to her and hugs her tightly. Karma was happy to see the petite Lauren also. She missed her.

"Karma, where the hell have you been? I look everywhere in Texas for you. Where did mom sent you?"

Karma couldn't find time to answer all of Lauren's questions and waited for her to finish. "Lauren, I'm happy to see you too. I missed you. Mrs. Cooper sent me to Germany to see my parents. That's where they are."

"Germany? You were in Germany all this time. We have a house in Germany; we could have come see you." Lauren says. She should have known. Overseas, duh!

"I know. That's where Mrs. Cooper let me stayed at with my mother." Karma explains, "I was surprised that you guys had a place in Germany. It's beautiful."

"Meh!" Lauren shrugs, "We barely go. We only go like once a year. I don't even know why we have it."

Karma sees Amy standing behind Lauren, her hands in her pants pocket looking at her as if she was some alien from a foreign country. Karma finds her even more beautiful looking all ruffled up and scruffy like that. She likes carefree Amy a lot. "Hey Amy." She smiles.

Amy lifts her head up, "Hey."

"How are you?" Karma walks pass Lauren, taking small steps towards Amy.

"I'm OK. How are you? How are your parents?" Amy asks.

Karma smiles, "They're alright. I'm fine too." I've missed you. She had to bite her tongue to not say that.

Amy feels her heart racing and she still can't understand why. Her whole body wants to run to her, for some reason, and hug her. What's with the anxiousness? She fidgets her fingers in her pockets, "That's cool."

Karma chuckles then drops her hear down. She lifts her head up once more to look at Amy, "I actually came here to see you. I have something to ask you."

Amy's heart beats even faster, "What is it?"

"I know what I said to you the last time that I was here and I actually meant it but I had to see you one last time." She takes a deep breath as a pain slightly makes its way up to her chest, "Amy I…"

"Karma, we don't have to go there." Amy does not want to hurt her again.

"We're not. Don't worry." She smiles reassuringly at her. Her heart breaking even more than it already was, "Amy, it's always been a roller coaster with you. You push me away and then you pull me back in and I never know where I stand with you. One minute, you act like you want me; you act like you care and even like…" she chokes, "…even like you love me. But the next minute, you just push me away. I am tired of the push and pull Amy. I no longer want to play. I am serious now but then again, I've always been serious about you."

Amy doesn't say anything. She just stands and stares at the girl in front of her. The girl that they say is the real love of her life and yet she still can't seem to see that.

"I can take a hint Amy but you just confused me. So…" she takes out a familiar box out of her sweater, she looks down at it with nostalgia, "…be clear with me, and choose. It is either Reagan or me."

Lauren looks petrified while Amy looks perplex. Why would she need to make a choice? "I have a choice?"

Karma nods.

Amy takes her hand out of her pocket, "OK…" Amy slowly takes her first step then starts advancing with full strides towards Karma.

Karma's heart start beating out of her chest, she anticipates Amy to choose her and prays that she does. And she sees her walking towards while keeping her eyes locked within hers and her hope ignited. Then, her heart sinks when Amy continues her strides pass her to grab a Reagan's face in her hands and kisses her. Karma turns around and looks beaten.

This was the last.

This is it.

Lauren looks pissed off, "What the fuck Amy!"

Reagan pulls back looking confused, "What is going on here?"

"So you made your choice?" Karma keeps her eyes dried and she thanks God for that. She doesn't want to cry anymore.

Amy turns around and avoids looking into Karma's eyes, "Yes I did."

"Alright," Karma's shoulders slumped then she opens the box. She looks at the ring before walking to Amy and hand it back to her.

Amy takes it. Not understand why Karma has the ring and not Reagan. She remembers giving the ring to Reagan not Karma. She turns to look at Reagan who just looks confused then she looks back at Karma.

"I remembered a verse in one of Pablo Neruda's poems. This poem was called, 'If you forget me…' He said, 'If little by little you stop loving me; I shall stop loving you little by little. If suddenly you forget me; do not look for me; for I shall already have forgotten you.'" Karma recites as she gives Amy one last heartbreaking smile, "Just so you know, my love was real and it was no fairytale. Just as your love is my reality, I am your reality too."

"Who the fuck is Pablo Neruda?" Reagan asks.

Amy looks at Reagan with a raised eyebrow. How come Reagan doesn't know who Pablo Neruda is? It was with her that she was at the beach that night – right?

"Good bye Amy." Karma kisses her on the cheek then turns around and throws a kiss at Lauren, "Goodbye little one. I'll miss you."

"Karma, wait…" Lauren says.

Karma stops her, "It's OK Lauren. I know now that it is over." She sadly smiles then she leaves them all to themselves. She reaches Liam who had been waiting for her in the car.

"You are OK?" Liam asks.

She smiles at him; a smile that barely reached her eyes, "Liam, let's get married."

Liam pulls her in a hug, "You have no idea how happy you just made me."

"I'm glad you are happy." Karma says, as a tear makes it way down her face. Liam has been doing everything right, while Amy's done everything wrong.

The next morning

Amy did not sleep at all – not…at…all. She stayed up all night, tossing and turning in her bed thinking of Karma. The feeling of uneasiness that she was feeling tugs her heart hard, actually yanking it down from its place. It won't stop beating and hurting and beating and hurting every time Karma's disappointed face flashes in her mind as soon as she either closes her eyes or opens them. She ended up just sitting up on her bed looking down at the moon ring in the box; trying to figure out why Karma would have the box and not Reagan. How did Karma know about Pablo Neruda and Reagan did not? She needed answers to those questions and she did not know who to ask. She remembers the scene perfectly in her mind but it's Reagan with her on that beach not Karma.

But then, maybe what Lauren and Reagan explained to her few weeks back might be true. Maybe something did happen and she ended up suffering brain damage and it affected her memory. But Dr. Yu explained to her that she didn't and that everything is alright. But then, her mother might have done something and bribed him. Whatever it was, something just didn't add up to her. And as she recollects the fall that she took that day, it should have left some type of impact. Falls like that; no one could have come out of them without some type of effect. There's no way she was lucky and miracle happened.

Karma's disappointing face flashes once more. That's all she sees and that's all she's been seeing all night that she stayed up. She woke up with bags under her eyes and with a massive headache. She joins Lauren down for breakfast and takes a sit holding her head in her hands.

"And the award for major dick of the year goes to…" she starts clapping once Amy sits down, "…Amy Raudenfeld Fucking Cooper. Please give a round of applause."

"Shut up you prick! I'm not in the mood." Amy snarls, holding her head.

Lauren notices that Amy looks a bit ill, "Are you alright dick?"

"I have a massive headache." Amy groans, "It's been happening since last night." Amy winces when the pain hits even harder.

Lauren quickly runs by her side, "We can go to a hospital to have it checked."

"It's fine. It'll pass eventually it always does."

"Amy, how long has it been this way really?" Lauren feels like Amy is hiding something.

Amy looks away, "a few weeks now."

"We have to go and get it check Amy. This might be serious." Lauren brushes Amy's hand away from her head and looks at it intently. She squeezes one side of the brain and Amy howls.

"Ouch! What the heck Lauren!" she taps Lauren's hand away.

"I barely touched it." Lauren says.

"Whatever…" Amy dismisses her and Lauren glares down at her.

"Dick!"

A maid appears on the patio where they were having breakfast and hands Lauren two envelopes. Lauren gives the maid a query look.

"A man brought them by just a few minutes ago." and the maid slightly bows then retires inside.

"What is it?" Amy asks.

Lauren raises an eyebrow at Amy then curls her lips downwards, "I haven't a clue."

"Open it then!" Amy urges Lauren.

Lauren opens the first envelope in which she finds a formal folded card, expensively decorated with Liam and Karma's name written in gold announcing their marriage. Lauren's eyes widen in shock. She keeps staring down at it, not quite believing her eyes or what she's reading.

"Lauren, what is it?"

Lauren starts reading the words mindlessly, "You are cordially invited to the matrimonial joining of Liam Booker and Karma Ashcroft on June 25th, this Saturday at three in the afternoon at the Booker's residential mansion." She reads then re-reads it over and over again in her mind.

Amy's heart sinks. "That's two days from now."

Lauren just nods.

"What does the other letter says?" Amy asks, looking at the second letter. Her heart playing tricks on her and hurting her. She holds her chest; feeling as if it would break out of its cage and falls on the ground.

Lauren opens the second letter, and then reads it, "They are having the wedding shower tonight and we are invited. This card is a family invite."

"But mom is not here right now." Amy says, still holding her chest.

"Who cares?" she places the letters back in their envelopes, "What are you going to do?" She says, walking back to her seat, "Are you going to go?"

Amy shrugs, "We were invited right? Why not show the fuck up!" Amy angrily spat. She has no idea where that anger came from.

Later that evening

Amy and Lauren pulled up right in front of the Booker's residence. They get out of the red Ferrari and Amy throws the key at the valet who immediately went to park it around in the back, along with the others. There were not a lot of people. The Bookers wanted to keep this as discreet as possible. Because of the past engagement with Amy Raudenfeld, the press would not go easy on them if they learn that Karma would now be marrying a guy. Amy and Lauren walk inside the immense mansion and a waiter offers them treats and they kindly refuse. But when another waited offer them wine, each of them grabs a glass and makes their way inside and joins the other guests.

Amy was wearing a suit similar, one similar to the one that she wore at the commercial shooting. But this time her trousers were rolled up around her ankles, she was wearing oxfords instead of heels. And Lauren, since she was a model could ask any Boutique to forward her a dress so that she can wear. They will send it with no problem and give it to her for free. Every upscale boutique in town is Lauren's personal closet. They chat for a few seconds with other guests that both of them knows through their mother. Each conversation was relatively dreadful to Amy but she stuck through, feigning interest. And then Mrs. Booker walks up the stairs and stood alongside her husband.

She calls for everyone's attention and they all gather in a little group in front of her, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am quite pleased that you all managed to make it to my son's wedding shower this evening. I am greatly grateful for all of the gifts that you all brought and I'll kindly accept each and every one." She smiles, "Tonight though, is not only a night where we celebrate a wedding shower but also the night where I present my future daughter-in-law to you, my friends. I want you all to welcome, Karma Ashcroft. Soon to be Karma Booker…" she says then walks down the stairs to join the small group that was now looking up at the girl at the top of the stairs. They all gaze in awe and small whispers started going around the room complimenting the girl as she descends the stairs gracefully.

She captivated though, the stare of one person in particular. Yes, those eyes watched in adoration as she gracefully lengthen forth a leg to descend the stairs of Heaven to honor them of her presence down on earth. That's how she sees it. She was this goddess-like sight that left in eternal awe and she couldn't help but gape, and gape, and gape at her. She had on this long strapless, red dress evening gown that was no doubt made for her and only her. Her hair was straightened down her back in small waves and she had around her neck, the diamond necklace that she wore for the commercial shooting. Amy recognizes that necklace clearly but not with Karma or Reagan either. All she sees is a blank face and she doesn't know who to place. She can't believe how beautiful she is. She has absolutely no words. She keeps her eyes on Karma until she reaches the last step of the stairs and Liam offers his arms and Karma interlaces hers in his. Liam proudly walks her to the small group as they make salutations and they congratulate her. And Amy watches as Liam shows off the woman that is supposed to be the love of her life around.

She can't help but feel bitter regrets. She holds her chest again.