Four years, that’s how long I’ve been trapped in my own body, but now I’m gradually gaining mobility, the doctor the maid brought in, definitely knows his onions and true to his words, I had started physiotherapy and can now walk to and in my room without the use of a cane. But all of these would not have been possible if I hadn’t been found by her.

Lorah, a very soft-spoken woman, I wondered the hold my brother had on her, otherwise I don’t think any woman would have married my evil brother, plus she’s not his type. He usually preferred Bold, spoilt, slutty rich ladies but Lorah is the total opposite of that. I miss her, I wish she’d come. I’d had asked Sarah who accompany the doctor here, about her, she’d merely told me Lorah was occupied, but I knew it wasn’t true, there was something about her eyes that tells me otherwise, I hope she’s okay though.

I heard the door creak open, I already knew it was her, she was wearing her jasmine fragrance, that’s how I knew it was her even before she entered the room.

“Hey stranger, I didn’t think you’d come back” I said to her.

She smiled back at me, and I could swear the room became brighter.

She replied, “Why not? you don’t want me here?”

I shrugged “Considering what happened the last you came here, I didn’t want to keep my hopes up, although, it wasn’t my intention to make you angry.”

“That’s water under the bridge now, can I sit?” she said gesturing the chair beside my bed.

“Oh, forgive my manners, please sit, I got carried away with the joy of seeing another face aside from my doctor and Sarah’s”.

“oh its fine” she dismissed with a wave of hand and a smile.

She pulled the chair and sat down. She’s wearing a crisp shoulder dress and wine colored pants, a single layer pearl necklace adorned her neck, with matching earrings. She wore her hair up, and let it fall, her face is void of makeup except lip gloss on her lip. She’s effortlessly beautiful.

“So, Sarah told me you’re making progress, you’ve gained the reuse of your legs, that’s good.”

“Yes, the doctor’s methods though painful are very effective” I said patting my legs

“I see” she said with smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Lorah, are you okay? Is something bothering you? you look disturbed”.

She fiddled with the hem of her dress, the expression on face tells me she’s contemplating if she should tell me or not.

I placed a hand on hers to reassure her. She took deep breaths.

“Its Austin” she said dropping her eyes to her lap.

“Did he hurt you”. I asked, but she looked away. I wanted to say I knew it but I bit back on my words.

That evil wicked son of a devil. I kept quiet, not wanting to make her feel pressured.

She continued “when I got married to Austin, I had a different thought on how my life will be, but it turned out different, apparently, I am just a wife on paper, my husband sleeps with his mistress, and he doesn’t love me”. Her voice broke.

“Sometimes I don’t even know who I am anymore, he makes me feel worthless, like a piece of object he owns”. I listened to her express her hurt, from my brother’s infidelity, the ceaseless humiliation, the reminders that she was just something he owned, I listened without interruption, taking it all in and taking notes, all the wrongs my brother had to her, each of those wrongs I intend to right.

By the time she was done she was already spent, she excused herself to go. When she got to the door she turned back to me and said, “Thank you for listening”.

“You’re welcome, Lorah can you stop by tomorrow? It gets lonely here a lot”.

“yes Stephan, I’ll be here tomorrow”.

“Bring a book for me, will you?”

For the next few, Lorah would come and read me a book, and we would talk about a lot of things, but we never talked about Austin, or her marriage.

Today, we had just finished the last chapter of a book we had started a day before, then out of the blues, she asked me how the accident happened.

I recalled the events of that day to her.

“I had noticed that the company was losing so much money, I looked to and discovered was funding a paper company, his mother was also siphoning company funds to offshore accounts, I took my findings to my father who immediately called a board meeting to remove my stepbrother and his mother from the company’s board. My father and I were on way when the accident happened. The brakes stopped working, which doesn’t add up, it was a new car and that was the first I was taking it to work, I tried to stop the car but it was too late. My dad died on the spot, the last thing I remembered was making it to the ICU then I blacked out, I need no soothsayer to tell me who was behind it.”

“I’m not trying to dispute what you said, but how would you know that? Anything could have happened to the car, accidents happen every day, you can’t go about making accusations like that.”

I looked at her face, I knew she wouldn’t understand, she does not find fault in anyone, not even in Austin, she only sees good in people, which is something I admired in her. But I intend to show her and the world what kind of person Austin and his mother are. I still need to be careful about what say about Austin, I remember how angry she got the last time, I decided to not overwhelm her with what I know.

“Do you have any ambitions?” I said to change the subject.

I watched her eyes lit as she spoke about the things she wants to do, somehow, I feel the need to help her, achieve what she wants, but I can’t help her in my current state, which makes want to regain my strength back, now more than ever.