Author’s note: This part of the story is flashback of the past after Riley’s accident.

Days after Riley’s conversation with Jane, she laid flatly on her back, as her face was wrapped in white bandages. The plastic surgery had been performed, just as Jane had promised, and it was the day that the bandages will be removed and reveal her new and entirely different look.

The door swung opened and Lynn and Jane both walked in for the unveiling. “Riley, are you ready?” Lynn asked while settling herself on the edge of the bed with the hospital scissors she needed to cut off the bandages off of Riley’s face.

Riley nodded her head as she felt her heart seemingly taking a giant leap off of the edge of the highest mountain.

Lynn began to cut off the bandages, slowly and intricately. “Now, there will be bruises here and there but it’s only temporary, it will disappear in a couple of days,” Lynn warned while finally revealing Riley’s new and improved face. Lynn and Jane couldn’t help but gasp at the change in her appearance. “Are you ready to see your face?”

Riley nodded her head once again, as Lynn pulled up a small mirror in front of her. Riley followed both Lynn and Jane’s gasp with a gasp of her own. She took the mirror off of Lynn’s hand and examined herself as Lynn sat back and watched Riley marvel her newfound outer beauty, unable to hold the smile on her face, happy for Riley.

Jane quickly grabbed the mirror off of Riley’s hand and said, “Enough of this crap, now here,” she grunted while handing Riley a brown envelope. “There’s $10,000 in there, more than enough for you to start your life somewhere else. Someone will be waiting for you downstairs to drop you off at the airport. There’s an open plane ticket in there, first class, go wherever you want to go, I couldn’t care less, just get the hell out of here. After I walk out of that door in a minute, I expect never to see your face ever again or you’ll be sorry!” she threatened and without hesitation, leaving the room in a huff.

Riley held the brown envelope in her hand as she looked up at Lynn, whom stayed in her position. “There are some clothes in that closet over there that you can use,” Lynn instructed, sympathetically. “Good luck,” she smiled one last time and left the room leaving Riley alone.

Riley remained immobile as she let all the events that have occurred in the past couple of days sink within her. Tears began to roll down her eyes and soon drift along her once imperfect but now perfect and beautiful face. She couldn’t help but feel the pain of knowing that she will never see Nick again. She loved him and she hated herself that she allowed things to get this bad.

With no other choice left, she got out of bed and took the clothes that were in the closet, just as Lynn had told her and began to get dressed. In due time, she walked out of the hospital, her eyes squinted as the sun shone directly right into her eyes. In front of her, there was a man in a uniform standing beside a black limousine.

“Miss Riley?” he called out at her and when Riley nodded her head to let him know that she was whom he had been waiting for, he proceeded in opening the door for her and helped her inside and went in the driver’s seat and drove off on their way to the airport.

Once again, all that Riley felt was the sensation of being utterly scared and alone: a feeling she never knew she would ever feel again.