Chapter 27. The Party Island

*That woman in the photo was Carmelia Wilson.*
For a second, Sienna felt her head suddenly spinning. Her body felt lighter as if she was about to fall on the floor. But she should stand steadily. She couldn’t let Daniel know how shocked she was after looking at that photo.
Everything was wrong. This was wrong, getting into this private island with him.
Right at that second, she wanted to run. She wanted to hide somewhere. She wanted to get away from his sight. She couldn’t let him touch her again. She felt disgusted by his touch.
That woman. Carmelia. How could it possible that she looked like her?
This was not the truth. She didn’t want to admit it. Sienna didn’t even have the memories of ever being his wife in the first place. How could she ever confess to him? She was not her.
She took a deep breath and shook her head.
“No, this is impossible. How could this be real?” She muttered while still holding on to that wedding photograph. “She looks like me.”
When she turned to see Daniel, he froze at the doorsill. It was like he had a hard time being able to say anything to her.
“Say something,” Sienna demanded him. Her eyes popped widely at him.
“Carmelia…” then he slightly bit his lips. He looked hesitant. “Or should I call you Sienna from now on?”
She pinched her eyes, bewildered. Then she snapped, “Don’t joke around.”
“I’m not joking with you since the beginning,” he said considerately. “You are my wife.”
Sienna immediately shook her head. She denied him.
“You are the woman in that photo,” he convinced her. “Cannot you see that it is you?”
Sienna sighed heavily. Of course, she couldn’t just believe him.
“If this is me, why I don’t have the memories of being your wife?” Sienna confronted him.
“Please, Sienna…” he looked sad. “Don’t play with my feeling.”
Her lips trembled as she talked back, “What the hell are you talking about? Who is playing with your feeling, huh?”
He shut his eyes for a second, then he looked at her deeply again. Daniel obviously looked hurt when she challenged him like that.
Sienna said firmly to him, “I’m telling you I don’t know anything about this problem you have with your missing wife. I’m not her for real,” then she put down the photograph abruptly on the dressing table. She felt angry and annoyed.
“Hamuza has been a loyal assistant and a bodyguard to me. I don’t think he shared me with false information when I ordered him to find out about who you are,” Daniel said, his voice slightly breaking. “I just don’t know why you keep playing this game with me. You hurt me.”
Sienna sighed in disbelief at him. “Hurt you? Gosh, you’re such a deliberate drunkard.”
“Hamuza told me that you have regained your memories five years ago,” he muttered. “Was that true?”
“Yes, I was! But I don’t have the memories of you! Not even my aunt or my cousin ever mention a thing about you’re being my husband!” Sienna shouted out of rage.
For a second, he closed his eyes and massage the skin between his dark thick eyebrows. He looked frustrated when she was yelling out.
Then he opened his eyes and gazed at her. “You never wanted to tell me the details about your family either. And you were probably never mentioned me to them. How would you expect them to know that I even exist in your life, huh?”
She shook her head, annoyed that he always had the answer to slap her in the face.
“You were not bleeding last night. It was another proof that you were no longer a virgin,” Daniel reminded her. “We had our honeymoon here in this place nine years ago.”
She still didn’t believe him.
And then he nodded his chin at the bed behind her as he said, “On that bed.”
She gasped the air, shocked when he told her that.
As he reminded her about it again, the memory of tingling sensation throbbed inside her womanhood. She licked her lips and paused to stare down at her shoes.
“You’re crazy,” Sienna murmured low.
“I don’t know if you keep pretending to not know me now, or you are playing a game with me since you have appeared,” Daniel muttered peevishly. “Whichever it is, we both will see the truth soon enough.”
Daniel was persistent about it. He still thought that Sienna was his missing wife, which he had found. On the contrary, Sienna thought that Daniel was not in his right mind.
But the last thing he said to her in the room, that was right.
It was just a matter of time before she would know about the truth.
***
Daniel brought Sienna to the folk’s party in the afternoon. People were gathering together. The elders were serving the food and beverage. While the youngsters were dancing to the country music.
“This island party, it feels like I’m in Hawaii,” Sienna murmured.
Daniel glanced at her, smiling. “Yeah, some of them are bringing the local culture to this island. That what makes this island alive, I guess.”
Sienna stared up at him for a second. Then she shrugged her shoulders ignorantly. She didn’t mean to say those words to him. It was just her personal opinion about this place when she talked to herself.
When they walked past the fence, the locals greeted them friendly. A woman in her mid-forties suddenly came to her to give her a necklace made of flowers. She smiled at the fresh aroma of these white and pink flowers.
“Oh, my, thank you so much,” she appreciated it since she loved flowers.
That woman also gave the other necklace to Daniel. And then she murmured, “Now, you both look like a perfect couple.”
Sienna bulged her eyes at her, kind of surprised. Then she quickly corrected, “No! Absolutely no!”
Daniel giggled when seeing Sienna struggled to convince that woman. On the contrary, Sienna felt annoyed that he found this moment to be somewhat amusing.
After that woman let them came to the front yard, Daniel invited Sienna to take his hand. But of course, she boldly refused.
A young boy came to offer them a drink. She looked at the icy blue lagoon drink on his tray. She then narrowed her eyebrows defensively.
“No, thank you. I’m fine,” she immediately refused. She didn’t want to risk drinking it. She imagined if the taste would feel weird in her throat.
Meanwhile, Daniel drank the glass of that icy blue lagoon in one gulp. He sighed heavily. It seemed her hunch was on the point this time. Daniel didn’t seem to enjoy it, but he already finished it quickly. Maybe he was hugely thirsty.
For a moment, Sienna gazed out around. Everyone seemed to have fun at this party. She saw some of them dancing happily in the middle of the ground. This was an outdoor party. And the sunset was about to begin in fifteen minutes.
Afterward, a couple of elders came to greet Daniel in person. These elders were probably in their early seventies. They seemed to know each other already. Daniel was very polite to them.
Then he turned to glance at her and said, “Hey, Sienna, let me introduce you to the guardians of this island. Mister and Ms. Minko.”
They seemed bewildered when staring at her. Maybe they found his words somewhat odd.
Then Daniel pretended to clear his throat and said, “My wife just returns. She suffers from amnesia. I hope you don’t mind that we redo the introduction, shall we?”
Mister and Ms. Minko smiled concurrently after he told them.
When Ms. Minko thrusted her hand toward her, Sienna immediately returned her friendly handshake. Then that woman said, “Welcome to the Wilson Paradise Island, I hope you’re enjoying your stay here, Ms. Wilson.”
Sienna wanted to correct what he said that she was not his wife. But then Mister Minko shouted out, “Ms. Wilson, isn’t this party great? Let’s consider it as your welcoming party as well.”
These elders really thought that they were husband and wife.
When the music changed into a slow romantic ambiance, Ms. Minko then said with a happy smile to her, “Why don’t you dance with your husband?”
Sienna flickered, surprised by her sudden request.
“Oh, no, please…” Sienna muttered while shaking her head.
“This is such a good moment for a young couple like you both to have a romantic dance,” Mister Minko added.
Sienna gulped down her saliva anxiously. She still tried to smile in front of them, although she felt hugely uncomfortable.
Dancing romantically was just not her thing. She never even had a proper dance with Jonathan before. Why would she do it with Daniel who was nobody to her?
“Oh, come on, Ms. Wilson,” Ms. Minko said as she tapped her shoulder lightly and smiled. “Don’t be shy with your own husband. This is the perfect moment. Don’t miss it.”
They were surely made her felt uncomfortable to attend this party. But she would feel really bad if she refused them. These elders seemed excited at the time.
She finally sighed and said, “Fine, I will dance with him.”
A wide smile appeared on his face. She certainly saw how happy he was when she agreed.
Afterward, Daniel walked her into the crowd. Then he thrusted his hand for her. Although she felt hesitant, she couldn’t turn her back this time. Those elders were still watching her from the bar table.
“Look, I only agree to dance with you, it’s because I feel bad for them,” Sienna was being honest with him.
Daniel giggled, but he ignored what she said. Seemingly, it didn’t matter what she thought as long as he could touch her closely again.
Then he quickly grabbed her waist and dragged her closer to his chest. She gasped the air, surprised when he touched her so intimately.
Eventually, they danced to the romantic music. And let the moment passed.