06 Rebirth

Ashley woke up with a start. Her heart thumped like a hammer inside her chest. She remembered being cold and near-death. Now, she was suddenly warm and flushed.

As Ashley’s eyes adjusted to the light, the young woman realized she was on a toilet commode with her trousers and panties down. 

Did she fall asleep while taking a leak? That would be ridiculous. The brutalities that happened to her seconds ago were too real to be a nightmare! 

Ashley’s own family killed her. Scarlet, and Mary—the monsters in her life.

Ashley pulled up her lowers, flushed the toilet, and left the cubicle. It was the executive washroom of the Grayson building.

"I'll splash some water on my face. That should get my bearings in place."

Ashley went to one of the luxurious Whitehaus basins and looked into the mirror. What she saw almost made her fall over in shock. It was impossible!

She looked almost a year younger. The dark circles, the signs of impoverishment, the dehydrated skin—everything was gone! Ashley was beautiful again! Her body, her cheeks, her chin, her forehead, her nose. She touched herself all over to be certain it wasn't an illusion. 

Ashley pinched herself, and it hurt like a regular day. What the hell was going on?

"My phone!" She checked her smartphone. Her eyes first went to the date! It was one year in the past! 

[5th May 2023] 

Ashley racked her brain to place the date. When was this exactly…? Then she realized the time period suddenly. "It's a day before I was engaged to Jake!" 

Ashley started giggling in disbelief. Her giggles turned into laughter. What was happening to her was too surreal.

"My God, what the hell is this sorcery? Have I gone crazy?"

"Ash, are you all right?" a masculine voice interrupted her outburst. Who was it? Her memories of the time were a bit cloudy. A man was waiting for her outside the washroom?

Ashley freshened up her makeup and stepped out. The man's appearance made her bite her lip in intrigue.

Over six feet tall, lean, muscular, and well-groomed, the young man smirked at her with overpowering charm. He wore dark denim pants and a Ralph-Lauren blazer.

"I heard noises and got worried," he said chivalrously. 

The hottie paused for a moment, admiring her. "You look so beautiful today," he added.

Ashley was also casually dressed in designer red suede trousers with flared legs and a halter top with a lace-up back. 

"Jake…" she murmured. The memories came flooding back in. The charismatic Jake Grayson took Ashley for lunch a day before their wedding. He said it was their last date as an unmarried couple.

Little did she know that he'd drastically change not soon after, betraying her. The thought made a chill run up her spine. However, at the moment, Ashley needed to play along.

"Don't make me blush, Jake," she said, forcing herself to sound embarrassed. "You say the tackiest things!"

The young man tilted his head playfully. "Ah, then you better rethink our relationship because Mr. Tacky comes with the package," he joked.

Ashley's eyes moistened a bit. She missed this—the familiar connection with a man she loved, the mind-numbing excitement of courtship, the colossal dam of emotions she built. In retrospection, Jake’s charade made her give everything up—her inheritance, honor, and self-esteem.

Ashley’s past now seemed like a blur.  It was as if Jake forced her into a trance, and when she woke up, she had lost everything.

"Let's go!" Jake said, interrupting her thoughts. They went down the elevator and he led her into the parking lot. They reached their vehicle, a Mercedes G64 Armored Limousine.

"Where are we going?" Ashley inquired curiously, although she knew the answer.

"The very best for you, my Queen. We have a lunch reservation at Le Bernardin!"

On the inside, Ashley felt a dagger of cringe stabbing at her. Jake's pageantry and chivalry drove her crazy in the previous life. How could she not see through the terrible acting?

"Oh, how did you manage that at such short notice?" she exclaimed, feigning innocence. “Wait, don't tell me… Let me guess… The powerful Mr. Grayson broke or bent a few laws to make it happen?"

Jake's lip corners curled up. "Well, let's just say that a Congressman may or may not have been kicked from the reservation list."

Ashley covered her mouth in pretend shock. "Oh, my God! We should not piss off politicians!"

Her fiance offered a carefree shrug of his shoulders. "Senator O'Reilly could not have been happier. He just received a quarter-million dollars in his next term's campaign fund."

The young woman shook her head in amusement. "You know Jake… Sometimes money DOES buy happiness."

"Love to hear that from the future Chairperson of Palmer Industries."

They laughed together again. Ashley recalled she had met Jake at a fashion show. They had instantly hit it off. The two became best friends and then graduated as lovers, and eventually got married.

Ashley eyed Jake, and as their eyes met, she realized how disarmed she was around him. How could eye candy like him turn out to be a fraud and a traitor?

Jake asked the chauffeur to close the partition and shut off the microphone. "We're meeting after a week. If you don't mind I’d like to take some liberties…"

Jake leaned closer to Ashley, who looked confused by his advance. He brushed his fingers against her cheek and went on to fondle her earlobe. The man touched her shoulder and ran his hand down her arm to her thighs.

"Hey… We’re on the road… What are you doing?" Ashley murmured in objection.