Truth and Lies

Dr. Alma noticed the stares she received when she arrived at work. She also noticed how many whispered as she walked passed and stopped the moment she approached them.

“She can’t be royalty. She looks too casual.” one of the admin spoke a bit too loudly to a friend as she walked passed. The doctor froze in her tracks as she realized what they were discussing.

“But, it makes sense! Look at how she always walks with grace. Not to mention how she is always so formal.”

“Do you think she is really a quack?”

“Not possible. Her paperwork is always professional and I never heard anyone ever complain about her doing a bad job. I mean, –”

The moment they noticed Dr. Alma approach the desk, they stopped talking.

“Dr. Alma…Your Majesty…”

“What is going on here?” she asked sternly, “Why is everyone acting so peculiar around me?”

“Uh, you didn’t read today’s tabloid?”

“No, why should I? They always post scandalous rumours about everyone.”

“Here’s the tabloid. Read the front page and page 3.” the admin stated as she pulled out a spare copy of the tabloid paper and handed it to the doctor.

The headline read: Dr. Alma - Royalty that ditched gown for scrubs.

Needless to say, it wasn’t a praising article about her at all. It said that she used her royal status to bribe her way into becoming a quack of a doctor and that all successful cases are just flukes.

“Don’t worry, we know that you are not a quack,” a doctor piped up, “We are just confused why they would state you are royalty and the actual queen of Nebula 54Z.”

“…Unless it is true?”

“…” Dr. Alma covered herself with her arms. She really didn’t want her secret to be revealed this way. She felt so exposed.

“…” she gave a small nod before she headed for her office, shaken and confused. They are going to treat her differently. She knows it.

She sat down in her chair and clutched her head with her hands as she felt her head throb from a headache.