The Morning After

After leaving the room, I went in the direction he instructed me to go and upon finding the right door, entered my bedroom. It was mine in every sense of the word. When I turned on the lights, the same walls, and the same furniture greeted me, just like in the room I left before suddenly finding myself in the company of him. The only difference I could find is the lack of my personal belongings. Not only my clothes were missing from my drawers and were replaced by suits and some casual wear but even my books and my laptop were gone. Even the linen on the bed is different.

Something is wrong and I don't know what. Is this even the house my family lives in? No, that can't be. This seems to be entirely in Mr. CEO's family's possession, while we're only renting a flat within a building. Maybe I should go out and check the house from the outside. Based on its location and surroundings, I should be able to easily pinpoint where I am now. But what if I'm really in a different place? I couldn't have sleepwalked into someone else's home, could I? As I was frantically trying to make sense of the situation I was currently in, I suddenly remembered that I was holding my phone and the watch I got from my parents when all of this happened.

After looking around, I found both of them under the desk which was supposed to be mine. I must have dropped them and luckily, they didn't break but this still doesn't explain how I got here. I'm not doing drugs but this feels like I am. Or maybe this is just a slightly too vivid and realistic dream.

I unlocked my phone to see if I did manage to take a photo of the watch. Maybe this is a kidnapping case and I have some clues on the photo I took. Though it does sound too surreal. Even for me.

As I expected, there was no such photo in my gallery. No surprise there, since I wanted to adjust the time on it before I took a photo. I looked at the watch and then back at the phone. The time shown was the same on both. No matter how many times I looked back and forth, it didn't change. Except...

The date was different. Which of course is just a mistake. I looked at the calendar app on my phone before going into the settings to correct the date and my hand froze. Next, I did the stupidest thing I could think of and Googled today's date. The result was the same. Either this is an early, well-constructed April Fool's joke or I somehow went ten years back into the past. Which is of course impossible, so after all, I've no other choice but to conclude that this is a nightmare. Feels too realistic but still a nightmare. I paced around a little more then came to the conclusion that maybe I'm better off sleeping and when I wake up, this nightmare will be long gone.

I hastily put down the phone and the watch on the desk then took my clothes off and jumped in bed. Until now, I didn't realize how tired I was but I must have been since I fell asleep almost immediately.

                                                                       ******

The morning arrived with a slight headache and a dry throat. Usually, it's the toilet I first go to after waking up but now the only thing I could think about was water. Or any drinkable liquid I can find, be it tea, juice, or anything.

I stepped out of my room and subconsciously went in the direction of the kitchen. My hand was only reaching for the door handle when I heard a gentle voice from behind.

"That's the guest room, sir," the blushing maid informed me.

"I was looking for the kitchen," I said and pretended like I didn't find it strange at all that suddenly we had a maid, too.

"That's downstairs, sir," she replied and pointed in the direction of the stairs. I thanked her and went down. I vaguely noticed the different furnishing again but my sleepy mind and dry throat refused to accept the reality.

I followed the voices of tea or coffee being poured into cups and the delicious smell of breakfast. I casually walked in and sat down at an empty chair. I picked up the teapot, the nearest cup, filled it to the brim, and drank all of it. Rinse and repeat until my thirst subsided. I didn't even bother putting sugar in it, although, I prefer my tea sweet. When I finally put down the cup and looked up, I saw a pair of dark eyes looking at me. It was him.

"We would appreciate it if you would be so kind as to appear in decent attire at all times," he said indifferently. At first, I didn't know what he meant, which he might have realized, since he looked downward, right at my chest. Following his gaze, I realized I was not wearing anything on my upper body. Thank God, I at least have my underwear on. But this is still awkward anyway. Especially since he was fully dressed, even wearing a waistcoat above his shirt. 

I didn't know what to say but it turned out he didn't want me to. He already said what he wanted to say, he doesn't care for my opinion, so I should just accept his request and comply with it.

He must have finished eating, since at this point, he got up.

"After you finish your breakfast, get properly dressed and come to my room. It's the third door on the right. I need to discuss something with you regarding my daily schedule."

I nodded and put a spoonful of scrambled eggs in my mouth without much thought. I heard him walk away and suddenly the room felt empty and I felt alone, even though there was a housekeeper of some sort present. I had the urge to try and make her gossip about this family but I doubt she will just spill the beans to a stranger she just met. But it's still worth a try.

"Uh, Mrs. ...," I hesitated as I didn't know how to address the woman.

"Nichols. Emma Nichols, sir," she said as she turned to face me.

"Mrs. Nichols, you have been working here for a long time, I suppose."

"Yes, it'll be twenty years next month, since I first came here."

"As you know, I'm new here. What is it like working for this family? What kind of people are they?"

"Oh, they're very generous, sir, very kind. Master Liu is a strict employer but is always fair. I've never been treated unfairly by him," she said, almost in a praising manner.

"How about his son?" I asked, trying to make it sound as if it wasn't that important, and picked up my cup to drink some more.

"The young master is hard not to like. I've known him since he was born. I changed his diaper and I was the one who looked after him when his parents were busy. He was a sweet little kid and still is. He can be strong-willed at times but he is the kindest human being ever. You just have to find the right tone with him and you can get along with him easily."

"I see. Thank you," I replied not knowing what to say. She must have realized this as she got back to what she was doing without another word.

I pretty much doubt that finding this so-called 'right tone' will be that easy but either way, I have to do something and quickly. By now, I'm almost certain that this isn't a dream, I'm as awake as I can be. I pinched my arm under the table as hard as I could. The pain that followed felt too real to be fake. So, in case it's the reality, I have to figure something out to solve this ridiculous situation.

When I finally felt full, I got up, thanked Mrs. Nichols for the delicious breakfast, and went back to my room. After all, I can't let Mr. CEO see me in only a pair of boxers again now, can I? As the saying goes, the first time can be an accident but the second time would be deliberate.