Windows of The Heart

Chapter Thirty-Three Find Me in Your Memory, Gabrielle Recommended background song: Remember Me by Chris Mann.

"Why was it so hard for you to remember me? You looked at me as a stranger when we began as good friends and then as my girlfriend! Have you disliked our moments together when there was no trace of what we were, Mari? Why did you lose me? What happened to us?"

Tuesday morning came, and Hwan Chul was walking through Gabrielle's Office. In his hands were a school yearbook and a single red rose. Knocked and peeped by the doorway, he hid the red rose surreptitiously under the yearbook and asked for Gabrielle.

"Good morning, girls. Is Miss Gabrielle in?" Hwan Chul asked.

"She has not arrived yet, Sir. Anything we can be of help?" asked Louie.

"I want to give this to her (showing the copy of the yearbook while the red rose is underneath). Can I bring this to her desk?" Hwan Chul said.

"Let me have it bring to her desk, Sir." Alexis volunteered.

"No, don't bother; I'll bring it to her desk myself." Walking to Rielle's table and placed the yearbook facing her chair and the red rose on top of the book, which Rielle could immediately notice as soon as she sat behind her desk, then left her Office whistling a happy tune.

Thirty minutes later, Gabrielle came in while Hyun-Ki passed through his office door.

"Good morning, Miss Rielle. There's something on your desk." Said the secretaries in unison. "Hmm, what could this be, and a red rose?" Rielle held the rose in her right hand and opened the book with the other hand in curiosity.

"Who brought these here?" lifting the red rose and the book in wonder.

"Mr. Hwan Chul came in today and asked if he could bring them to your table ---and the rose?" the secretaries were unaware of the rose, so they were surprised.

"Thank you." Rielle smiled but wondered. She started browsing the book's pages with the rose in her left hand when Hyun-Ki came in.

"Sweetheart,---" he became aware of the slip of his tongue that he suddenly stopped and looked at the girls. He stared at them while the girls quipped in surprise at what they heard from their CEO. Hyun-Ki walked straight to Rielle while facing the girls with his 'zip your lips' sign.

"What is that you're reading, and this rose, from whom did this come?" asked in a tone of jealousy.

"It came to me only today, here on my desk. Louie and Alexis said it was brought here by your brother, and I am looking through these folded pages. Rielle looked closely at the folded pages marked with red the pictures of her friends, Nancy, Wilson, herself, and the image of Hwan Chul Lee.

"What is shocking to me is why your brother's picture is marked 'friend' when I cannot recall him as part of my group or classmate in particular! And as I turned more folded pages, there were pictures of Hwan Chul and me together, crowned as Prom Night King and Queen, and here, look! Here is a picture of us dancing together at the ballroom's center! Why can I not recall this event?" Rielle showed confusion on her face with furrowed brows and then started knocking her head with the palm of her hand, almost agitated. Hyun-Ki was alarmed and took away the book from Rielle and irritatingly threw it on the floor. The two secretaries were shocked by their CEO's fierce anger. Louie caught an eye on the thrown book and the red rose, so she padded and picked them up. Alexis and Louie looked over the folded pages and were amazed by their discovery.

"Mr. Hwan Chul and Miss Rielle?!" both girls conversing in a low tone, were shocked.

"You mean they had a past before our CEO fell in love with Miss Rielle?" Louie was puzzled and continued to speak in a whisper. "Could this be why our boss doesn't want their relationship to be known because this may cause big trouble for the three of them? Wow, the two brothers fighting for one woman?"

"Oh wow! How romantic. Two men fighting their love for the same woman?! It's like a fairy tale. Two princes or two knights duel for their queen's love? How fascinating!?" Alexis was fascinated with her clasped hands on her cheeks and dreamy eyes.

Hyun-Ki led Rielle out of her room and made her sit on his Office's sofa to relax from her agitation. "Your disposition imbalance may only cause you emotionally upset and vent ferocious tantrums the next. You have to control yourself, Rielle. I am so worried about your reactions that you might collapse again. I don't like to see you like this." Hyun-Ki advised Rielle.

Then a call from Dr. Chua's Office informed Hyun-Ki that the CT Scan result was released. It is good timing, he thought, for Rielle to get out of the Office for a while to breathe.

Hyun-Ki told Rielle's staff that they were going back to the hospital for the result of her CT Scan, and he also would want to talk to them about the incident when they returned.

The CT Scan of Rielle showed no bleeding and enlargement of the fluid-filled spaces in the ventricles, so the doctor ruled out the chances of a tumor. The doctor's suspicion was dropped off but advised her to refrain from getting stressed.

"Miss Gabrielle, remember our sessions three years ago, repeatedly asking you about your accident wherein you cannot recall? I was wondering what made you forget that most crucial experience you had, but I cannot force you to open up. Then as our sessions went on, you displayed a forgotten knowledge of that fatal incident. I then presumed that your memory of that accident was intact under lock and key made by your heart and brain. Still, you don't have to pressure yourself to recognize or remember them because who knows, with God's miracle, your memory is free, So just let it go, usually, live as if nothing happened. If a time comes that your heart is knocking to open, your brain will unlock it so that those memories buried deep will eventually come out, if not the whole thing, maybe little by little. You don't have to panic, but you can seek my help or your family to help you determine the memories coming from your mind. Do not stress yourself, is that clear, Miss Gabrielle?

Rielle was worried because she feared that what Hwan Chul told was frightening. She wanted to talk more about her situation with Dr. Chua alone, so she requested Hyun-Ki to have her privacy with the doctor. Hyun-Ki gave her a chance, so he went out and sat on one of the benches outside the Office and waited patiently.

Rielle started to relate some of her visions, which gave her confusion, and some were fearful.

"My fiancée, Hyun-Ki, and I were in a beach resort, and he suggested we take a boat ride, and there he will swim at the other side of the shore, but as we were sailing in the middle of the sea, a sudden flash of a blurred vision of a man dived in the water to save a girl from drowning, and it seems that I was that girl though I cannot see his face. I felt so frightened because I was in danger that he tried to take me out of the water to save me. I was so scared that Hyun-Ki decided to turn back to shore. Then another incident, a very recent one. That was the day I was admitted here and eventually was released; we went to his condo to spend some time together. His brother, Hwan Chul, came to the condo unexpectedly; when he was about to come near me, I felt so afraid of him, imagining him as if he would want to hurt me. And when I asked him to bring me home, Hyun-Ki and I were looking at each other, trying to cheer me up, when the bright light of an oncoming car was supposed to hit us. I felt that frightening and horrible feeling as if we were hit, and I could feel pain in my body which caused my uncontrolled trembling, and Hyun-Ki felt so afraid of the look on my face. He said I was shaking and that I felt like breaking down. I never told Hyun-Ki any of these because I was confused and bothered by these flashes of fear and pain."

"I think your bruised heart is beginning to heal and commanding your brain to open up. If that is the case, try to be strong and rational and not let fear overcome your judgment. Learn to face it squarely. In due time would be able to piece these visions together, which may help you remember the experience you had, then face it bravely with a reasonable mind whatever that outcome is." The doctor explained Rielle's presumptuous reasonings logically.

Having her unsettling feelings resolved, she came out from Doctor Chua's relief. She was in a good mood and invited Hyun-Ki for an early lunch before returning to their Office.

Back to the Office, Hyun-Ki asked the two secretaries to see him in his Office. Standing before him, seated by his desk, he warned them.

"Whatever you saw today about Rielle and me has to stay in this Office. I don't want any malicious rumors spreading within the walls of this company, so stay away from it."

Back in their places, Louie expressed in a low voice her positive observation, "See, I knew it! My hunch is right! Their actions speak louder, and I can't dispose of that thought of them in a relationship!"

"Do you think you alone observed that? I just kept quiet, waiting for their announcement. But then, why keep it a secret? Mr. CEO has no rumored girlfriend, so why hide it?" wondered Alexis.

"They may have reasons for that like our boss said, 'I don't want any malicious rumors spreading within the walls of this company." Louie changed her voice low, mimicking Hyun-Ki's verbal warning.

"O-o-oh, I've been waiting for them to admit their relationship because every time I caught a glimpse of their sweetness together, I am so-o-o thrilled! They look together s-o-o good!" Alexis sighed deeply.

Before their Office called it a day, Hyun-Ki went to Rielle's table. The two secretaries were once more observant of their boss's movement as he approached Rielle, and Rielle was too absorbed in her work, so Hyun-Ki bent over on Rielle and whispered.

"It's time to go, Sweetheart. Let us leave now." Rielle looked at Hyun-Ki so sweetly, grasped his hand, and clutched it with hers as she stood up and reached out for her bag. They were leaving when Hwan Chul stood by the door. The two secretaries watched them closely, both thinking about what will happen in this scene.

"Leaving so soon?" asked Hwan Chul.

"What do you want again, Chul," Hyun-Ki murmured while Rielle flinched behind Hyun-Ki. "I want to invite the two of you for dinner at home." Hwan Chul offered.

"Please don't deny me of this offer. I want to apologize for my rudeness last night, peace, brother. Gabrielle?" insisted Hwan.

Hyun-Ki looked over at Rielle and said, "You're okay, Sweetheart?" Rielle nodded and gave a faint smile at Hwan Chul.

"Good! Thank you! Let us go then." Hwan Chul said in excitement. The two secretaries, happy with the turn of events, made a 'give me five' sign and a 'fist bump' when the three left.

An hour later, at the Hans mansion, Rielle began to feel uneasy, thinking something was off. The two brothers were talking at the bar counter, sipping wine while waiting for the food, and Rielle was sitting quietly in the living room when Hwan Chul tapped the television's remote control to open. As it opened, the film of Rielle's commercial came out, and Rielle was surprised so was Hyun-Ki.

"I want to show the commercial film of Rielle, which I did not recognize too soon because her face is far different from personal. And imagine how much you changed, Gabrielle." Hwan Chul in a low tone of sadness. Hyun-Ki approached Rielle and clasped her hand as he sat beside her, watching the commercial. Then a call for dinner came from the maidservant.

Hwan Chul paused the commercial and led them to the dinner table. The three were quiet as they dined, and Rielle felt conscious of Hwan's gazes at her. After dinner, Hwan opened the television again to continue their watch on Rielle's commercial. Then to her surprise, the film of that Prom Night followed. Rielle and Hyun-Ki got stuck in the movie, watching the event eight years ago. Hyun-Ki watched the pair as they were crowned King and Queen and followed on the dancefloor, dancing together. He could see their expressions so in love that Hyun-Ki felt a lump in his throat. He stood up and went out from the side glass door to the garden beside the living room. His gaze was too far to reach, trying to hold his emotions. At the same time, Rielle couldn't believe what she was watching. She had mixed feelings about what she was watching, amazed and simultaneously confused because her memory of that event does not process in her thoughts.

"What do you want from me, Hwan Chul?" came Rielle's sudden question. Hwan Chul was startled, and so was Hyun-Ki, and turned his glance at Rielle.

"I-I want to prove that we were lovers once, Gabrielle. That dress you wore for the Prom? Nancy and I bought that so you could attend the ball; still no recall of it? You accepted me as your boyfriend that same night, Rielle!" almost in tears as Hwan spoke. "Why was it so hard for you to remember me? You looked at me as a stranger when we began as good friends and then as my girlfriend! Have you disliked our moments together when there was no trace of what we were, Mari? Why did you lose me? What happened to us?" Hwan Chul was all in tears, feeling more hurt, while Rielle just stared at him in silence.

Hyun-Ki came to Rielle and grabbed her by the hand. "Stop this now, Chul; we're leaving." Rielle showed no emotion at all and just gave a blank stare at Hwan Chul.

Then Hwan Chul knelt before Rielle and pleaded. "Find me in your memory, Gabrielle, please. I beg you. I won't let you go that easy, Gabrielle" Hyun-Ki pulled his brother up to stop him.

"This is over now, Chul. You are not helping. We're leaving."

Hyun-Ki put his arms around Rielle and walked her to his car. While putting the seatbelt on her, he saw Rielle's tears falling. He tried comforting her with his embrace, but she kept weeping. She could not express how she felt; she was too downhearted and could not understand her emotions at that moment.