A Baby For Billionaire Knox

THEME: Shiny bracelet

HUMAN WORLD

Doctor Oliver Scott opened the car door for Adella to enter into it but she didn’t understand what he was trying to say. “Get in.” He said.

Adella arched her eyebrows. “Me? Why should I enter into this thing? Oh.. wow -” She paused to admire the car.

Adella has been discharged from the hospital. After series of test has been done on her and a little therapy section with a psychologist, she was diagnosed of Amnesia which means loss of memory. She couldn’t tell them her address, family background or close friends the hospital could contact to let them know she was in the hospital. She only told them her name which they found strange.

Adella had said “Eretia” and then she pointed at the name on a nurse badge “Jones” as her surname.

“Eretia Jones.” Oliver had pronounced and she nodded.

Adella didn’t want to disclose her true identity to anyone even after Oliver explained the meaning of amnesia to her and she knew they were wrong. Her memory was fine and intact, she remembered everything that had happened in her world, who she used to be and how she ended up in the human world.

The hospital director suggested that she should be turned in to the welfare center while the cops worked on finding her family but Oliver objected. Oliver pleaded with his boss not to do that and he decided that he would help her regain her memory but with a promise that if her conditiom doesn’t change they would turn her in.

Doctor Oliver explained things to Adella and she didn’t like the idea of staying away from him because in a short while she already grew fond of him. Oliver asked if Adella would move into his home so he could be her temporary guardian although he was still oblivious of the fact that Adella was a mermaid.

And without wasting time and thinking too much Adella agreed to live with him since she doesn’t have anywhere to go or anyone to turn to in her new world.

Doctor Oliver signed a form at the hospital to be responsible for whatever happens to Eretia Jones.

Along the line, Eretia pleaded with her guardian to teach her what normal humans could do and Oliver agreed even though he found her a bit strange. But he was determined to help regain her memory so she could reunite with her family.

“What is this?” She asked.

“It is a car.” Oliver answered.

She closed the front door. “Car?” Eretia moved forward, arched her back and pressed her right ear on the body of the car. “Wow! This is for what?!” She knocked on it.

“Stop it…” Oliver went to her. “This is a car and I will drive it to take us home.” Oliver answered.

Etetia stood up straight and placed her hands on her waist with a pout on her lips. “Strange.. things around here.” She mumbled.

“Please get into the car.” He instructed after reopening the car door.

“Why can’t we go home with our legs?” She asked stamping her feet on the ground.

“No, the drive to my home is about an hour drive.” He replied.

“What is an hour drive?” Eretia sked again.

Oliver rolled his eyes. “No more questions from you.” He pushed her into the car and shut the door. “Stay in there.” He went round to get into the driver’s seat.

Eretia looked around the car. “What is this?” She reached out to take a toy from the backseat. “Oh! It is a boy! Who is this boy? Why is he so tiny? Why can’t he talk to me?!” She questioned frantically.

“Seat belt.” Oliver said without looking at her. She didn’t answer.

Eretia screamed in surprise when Oliver started the car and it glided into motion. “Calm down we are moving and that is a superman’s toy.” He replied

Eretia relaxed and smiled at him. “What is su.. soup.. no… super – man toy?” She asked.

“Please use your seatbelt.” Oliver ignored her question.

“Seat belt? Is that a scent?” Eretia sniffed the air.

“No.. I mean.. selt belt and it is right beside you.” He pointed still keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

“Where?” Eretia searched the car.

“There.. no over there.” Oliver tried to show her, she tried to stand on the seat until her head hit the headboard.

“No.. stay calm Eretia… oh.. no.. no..” She turned and poked her ass towards him.

“I can’t find the sea bell!” She said.

“No be careful.. no.. don’t turn like that.. Eretia please just sit down and let me help you.” Oliver said, stopping the car.

“Huh? Why did it stop?” She asked.

“Traffic sign says stop. Here this is it.” He showed her the seatbelt and helped her with it.

Eretia removed it and did it herself again.

“Good Girl.” he roughened her hair with his hand.

Eretia smiled. “Good girl..” she repeated roughening her hair the same way he did to her.

“You are such a fast learner.” He pinched her cheek gently and she blushed.

Eretia picked the toy again and stick out her tongue at it. “Good boy.. you are such a fast learner.” She said to the toy and Oliver stiffed back a laugh.

“Oliver, what is a traffic sign?” She asked.

“That device over there.” He pointed to three light post on the highway.

Eretia bent her head to see. “Which device?”

“That light over there,” Oliver pointed again.

When Eretia didn’t see it she popped her head out of the window to get a better view of the device.

“No.. you shouldn’t do that -” he tried to stop her but his hands were on the wheels.

“Wow! The road is so beautiful! It is the human world!” She shouted.

“Sit down Eretia!” He snapped, annoyance clear in his tone and she sensed it.

Eretia settled in the car back. “Okay.” She said in a low tone.

Eretia fixed her gaze on the toy but soon dropped it on her laps so she could fiddle with her fingers. She was so used to Oliver scolding her these past weeks but he has never yelled at her in annoyance.

After about two minutes of silence, Oliver took a quick glance at Eretia and he noticed she was not happy. “Eretia,” He called her name but no response came from her.

He did not want to hurt her.

“I am sorry for yelling at you.” Oliver apologized.

Eretia nodded slowly without looking up at him. “Listen it is okay if you want to know some certain things you see around here. I will always answer you.” He said.

“Are you sure?” She asked in a low tone without looking at him.

“Yes and I promise to always give you answers.” Oliver responded.

Then her face brightened a bit and she flashed him a beautiful smile. “Why are there so many car? Where are they headed? To the sea?” she demanded.

The traffic post signaled green light and all the cars moved.

“Uhmm probably to work -” Oliver replied.

“Walk? What is walk? Do you walk? Oh yes you do.. I can walk too.” She questioned frantically.

“No.. not walking with your legs. I mean work like what you do for a living. I work as a surgeon at the hospital.” Oliver explained calmly.

Eretia nodded in understanding. At least she knew that fact about the stranger who helped her.

“We all work to earn money.” Oliver added.

“Money? What is money?” She furrowed her eyebrows.

Oliver looked at her as if she had grown two heads but she was really serious about not knowing what money is. He realized that she wasn’t joking about it as she waited for his response.

“Money is like a currency.. and ahm it is a means of exchange, like you buy something and pay for the items bought.. basically we spend money.” He answered.

“So why do humans need money?” Eretia asked. “I don’t need money.” She said with a shrug.

In the merworld there was nothing like money. You get things by exchanging your precious treasure and jewels for whatever you need. A trade by barter method was the system used in the merworld. As a princess she has never traded anything because all she ever needed was in the palace.

Oliver chuckled at her words. It felt like he was talking to a toddler who doesn’t know anything. “Listen we all need money to pay bills, feed ourselves and buy good stuffs.” Oliver replied.

“So why are you not at work?” She asked again.

“I am on leave now.” He responded.

“What does that mean?” Eretia focused her gaze on the road ahead.

“When you take a break from work to relieve your stress.” He answered.

“Stress? Explain it.. I don’t know.” She shook her head, a confused look on her face.

“Stress is a state of mental tension resulting from overworking.” He explained the best way he feels she would understand.

“Stress is a.. state of mental tension resulting from.. over working.. like when you work too much?!” She asked with a wide eyes.

“Yes when you overwork yourself.” Oliver nodded.

“Okay.” Eretia clapped for the things she just found out about the human world.

“Don’t worry you will get to know more things.” Oliver laughed.

“Do you have family?” She blurted after seconds clicked by in silence.

“Yes I have a younger brother.” He replied.

“What is his name?” Eretia picked up the toy again.

“Ryan, he was the one that found you on the beach.” oliver replied.

“Then I have to say thank you to him right?” She stated trying to pull the stuffed toy legs.

“Yes.” He nodded.

“So what about your mother and father?” She looked at him.

They exchanged glances for a second before he focused on the road ahead. “They both died in car crash when I was eighteen.”

“Oh.. I am sorry for asking.” She said in a low tone.

“No it is fine to want to get to know me.” Oliver shook his head and smiled.

Eretia cleared her thoat. “So are you married?” She asked.

“No, I am not married.” He laughed.

“Why?” Eretia itched the bridge of her nose.

“I am not ready to -”

She cuts him off and with a wide eyes she countered him. “But you are more than twenty years old clearly you are old enough to get married.”

Eretia was judging from the rules in the merworld. A merman at twenty six would have started a family even before that age.

“Let us just say I haven’t found the right woman.” He took a quick glance at her.

His gaze met hers but Eretia looked away quickly. “I am sure you will find one.. someday.” She stuttered.

“I hope so too. So tell me about this bracelet.” He pointed to the bracelet on her wrist.

“This bracelet is -” She stopped to look down at the bracelet.

It was the Neifion bracelet Azizi gave to her in the merworld. How come it didn’t come off when she left the merworld like her crown did? She can’t tell him about it, no one must know her identity.

“I don’t remember anything about it.” Eretia lied.

“It is beautiful but at the same time I must say that it is strange.” Oliver said.

“Yes it is beautiful but not strange. Let me take it off.” Eretia tried to remove it from her wrist but it didn’t come off instead the bracelet glowed.

“Is that a light?” Oliver’s forehead creased.

“No it is not a light… I.. I.. I think it is the ray of the sun on it, trust me.. it is nothing.” she laughed and hid her hand away from him.

“Really?” He asked.

“Yes.. it.. is really.. nothing.” She stuttered and faked a smile on her face.

“Then what about your eyes?” He almost pulled the car to a stop when she looked at him. But he managed to manuever his way to a street and pulled the car to a stop.

“My eyes?” Then Eretia remembered her eyes do respond to the bracelet.

Eretia cursed under her breathe and closed her eyes. “That’s-”

“Is this bracelet some kind of magic?” Oliver asked with widened eyes.

“No.. it is not magical!” She said in an unusually raised tone.

“Please.. please.. you damn bracelet.. and shiny eyes. She pleaded internally.

Then the glow faded and her eyes became normal.

“It is strange.. very strange.” he whispered.

“I can’t wait to meet your brother.” she said to stop him from thinking about the bracelet.

Oliver thought he was hallucinating as he started the car again.