After my car accident, I decided to feign amnesia to mess with my husband and son. “Who are you?” I asked. A glint of amusement flashed in my son’s eyes as he brought a woman from outside the hospital room and said, “Ma’am, my parents and I are just here to visit.” My husband stood silent beside him, implicitly approving of his son’s little game. 1 “Ma’am, my parents and I are just here to visit,” my son’s soft, innocent voice echoed in the hospital room. With a bandage wrapped around my forehead, I looked down at my five-year-old son, Evan Blake, holding onto two hands, a mischievous grin on his face. My husband, Lucas Blake, standing beside me in his perfectly tailored suit, looked at me with an intense, searching gaze, but didn’t correct our son’s choice of words. The woman Evan held onto wore a long, flowing white dress. She looked elegant and gentle but turned slightly flustered when I stared at her, tucking her hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture. When Evan noticed my attention on Annie Wynn, he quickly stepped forward, positioning himself protectively between me and Annie, his “mother figure.” If I were truly suffering from amnesia, I might actually believe I was watching a perfectly happy family of three. Evan tugged on Lucas’s hand, whispering, “Dad, now that Mom’s lost her memory, can you finally get divorced?” Though he spoke in a whisper, he made sure I could hear him clearly. I knew his little trick—he was punishing me because yesterday I’d scolded him, embarrassing him in front of the housekeeper. He’d been angry, so this was his payback. This was how Evan enjoyed himself—making me the target of his pranks. But I had no intention of playing his game any longer. Since I’d claimed memory loss, I might as well keep going. I’d pretend there was no son, no husband. “Excuse me… who are you?” Evan looked at me, shocked and slightly flustered. “You really don’t remember me? You can’t forget me—I’m the kid you love most…” Lucas furrowed his brows, his cold gaze growing even frostier, his voice laced with annoyance. “Nina Shaw, stop acting. The doctor said it’s just a minor concussion, not serious. Don’t think you can pretend to have amnesia to get out of a divorce.” Evan chimed in, his little face scrunched up with displeasure, echoing Lucas’s impatience. “Yeah, stop pretending! You love us too much to ever forget us!” I was starting to feel a headache forming. Before I could reply, a nurse knocked on the door. “The patient needs rest,” she announced firmly. “Please, all non-family members, step outside.” Without a word, Lucas and Evan turned and left with Annie trailing after them. The young nurse entered, glancing back at them and said, “Your husband was here earlier—he just stepped out to grab some soup for you.” “My… husband?” My mind stalled a bit. Wasn’t my husband just escorted out by you? The nurse blinked in surprise. “Yes, he’s very handsome, I remember him from four years ago when I worked in obstetrics. He never left your side then; he always waited outside so attentively during your prenatal checkups.” She continued, “We all thought he was one of the rare ones—tall, kind, attentive, and not once on his phone. We actually started to believe in love again, thanks to him.” She paused, then laughed a little. “By the way, who are those two? They’re good-looking, but they looked like they were here to collect a debt or something.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. During all fourteen of my prenatal checkups, Lucas hadn’t come once. The man who had always been by my side was my younger half-brother, Chris Shaw, who was only eighteen at the time. I didn’t bother explaining my relationship with Lucas and Evan—soon enough, it wouldn’t matter. Moments later, Chris came in with a food container, slightly out of breath. My stomach growled at the sight; I hadn’t eaten all day, and the hunger pangs had turned to pain. Chris carefully opened the container, setting out the soup, napkins, water, and spoon with meticulous care. “It’s warm water, and your favorite congee with pork and egg. Eat up—I’ll peel the egg for you.” Ever since I first met Chris at fifteen, he’d been a steady, dependable presence. With a few bites, my stomach finally settled. When I looked up, I noticed his eyes were red, his lips trembling as he spoke with a hint of a quiver. “When I heard you’d been in a car accident… I was scared to death.” I felt a pang of warmth, a bittersweetness welling up. Who wouldn’t be terrified of a car crash? I’d been lucky, at least, not to be badly hurt. I’d thought I’d give Lucas and Evan a little scare, to make them laugh by pretending to lose my memory. But a person without a heart… well, how could they feel worry? 2 A few days later, I was discharged from the hospital. I told the doctors firmly that, aside from Lucas and Evan, I remembered everyone and everything else just fine. The doctor explained to Lucas that my memory loss was only temporary, caused by the concussion, and that I’d gradually regain full recollection. Back in Lucas’s house, I climbed the stairs, ignoring the cheerful piano melody coming from the living room. Evan and Annie were playing a duet, and when they finished, Annie gave him a proud thumbs-up. “Our little pianist, you’re amazing!” Evan blushed and grinned. “It’s because you’re such a good teacher!” The perfect picture of a loving mother and child. Without a word, I continued up the stairs, watching Evan’s smile vanish when he noticed me. Annie quickly stood up. “Mrs. Blake, how are you feeling?” Standing on the staircase, I nodded politely. “I’m nearly recovered. Please, carry on.” I didn’t dislike Annie—I envied her. She wasn’t a third party in my marriage. No, she was Lucas’s unforgettable first love. Though I had married Lucas, the truth remained: the unloved one is the real outsider. Lucas had first fallen for her at eighteen. And last month, when Wynn Corporation declared bankruptcy, Annie had returned. Her entire savings had gone toward covering her family’s debt, and her music degree wasn’t much help for finding high-paying work in the States. So, Lucas had made her Evan’s piano teacher at a monthly rate of $60,000. 3 “New Mom is the best! I love my New Mom!” Evan’s loud voice echoed through the living room. “Evan, I’m not—don’t call me that,” Annie replied, visibly uncomfortable. Evan wasn’t pleased with her response. Wrapping his little arms around her leg, he said, “If you keep calling me ‘Evan,’ I’ll get mad. You need to call me ‘Evie’! You’re so much nicer than my mom—I like you the best!” He glanced upstairs toward my room, ensuring I wasn’t there, then continued, “Can you just move in here? I’d love to see you first thing every morning. Dad said it’s fine, and our house is so big! You could have anything you want here.” Lucas had indeed offered Annie to stay in our house to save her the trouble of commuting, but she had politely declined, opting instead to rent a place. “Evan, you need to practice today’s piece,” Annie reminded him gently. He shook his head, determined to have her stay. “Are you scared of my mom? Don’t worry, Dad and I will protect you. She’d do anything Dad says—she wouldn’t dare do anything to you.” Evan knew exactly what to say to jab at my weak points. I put on my pearl earrings, moving deliberately as I walked downstairs. Annie looked visibly uncomfortable as I approached. “Annie, why don’t you stay here?” I said. “I know you spend hours on the bus every day. Don’t worry—you’re more than welcome.” Evan looked stunned, caught off guard. Usually, if Lucas drunkenly uttered Annie’s name, I’d tear up. I suppose he thought he’d found the perfect weapon to punish me. But today, his weapon seemed to have lost its sting. “I want ice cream!” Evan demanded. “Get me two, no—ten of them!” The only response was the sound of the door closing behind me. After days of looking a mess in the hospital, I needed a skincare session. A driver was already waiting for me outside. As the door clicked shut, Evan’s expression crumbled. “Sir, here’s the ice cream,” the housekeeper said, retrieving it from the freezer. “Who said I wanted it?” He threw the ice cream to the floor, his eyes fixed on the closed door. Could Mom really not remember him? 4 When Lucas’s mother, Laura Blake, learned that Annie had returned to the States and was teaching Evan piano, she wasted no time in bringing over bags of high-end gifts. She settled on the sofa beside Annie, taking her hand in a show of affection. “Annie, my dear,” she said warmly. “You’ve been through so much. Just think, if only you and Lucas had ended up together from the start, then Wynn Corporation would’ve had him to manage it. You wouldn’t be in this position now.” Annie’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Laura, that’s not something we can say now. It’s all in the past, and I’m grateful Lucas offered me work.” “Why shouldn’t I say it?” Laura gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “With you teaching Evan, I’m so at ease. And, you know, Lucas is filing for divorce. Surely you realize what that means?” She lowered her voice, adding, “Don’t worry, darling. Evan adores you, and so do I. You’d never feel out of place with us. Besides, Lucas has every intention of helping Wynn Corporation get back on its feet.” Though Laura knew I was home, she hadn’t informed me of her visit, so I stayed out of their way, listening from afar. Both Lucas and Evan liked Annie, and clearly, so did his mother. From the very beginning, Laura had wanted Annie as her daughter-in-law. Annie came from a sophisticated, well-established family, a perfect match for the Blakes. And the moment Lucas had met her, he’d been smitten. Laura was thrilled, quickly making arrangements for their marriage. Unfortunately for them, Annie hadn’t shared Lucas’s feelings. She’d rejected his confession and left to study music abroad. Laura, though disappointed, respected Annie’s independence, admiring her ambition and sense of self. As for me, from a small, ordinary family, I’d been labeled vain and ambitious, supposedly marrying Lucas for wealth. Laura’s restraint kept her from making her disdain obvious, but I could sense her disapproval. Sometimes, I wondered if Annie had married Lucas from the start, maybe everyone would have been much happier. 5 A buzzing noise jolted me from my thoughts—a notification that my insurance payout from the accident had finally come in. I’d thought the accident would be a distant memory over time, but closing my eyes brought everything back as if it had just happened. It was pouring rain that night, and Lucas and I were driving on the highway when he took a call. I could hear the voice on the other end clearly: “Mr. Blake, we’ve got a group of debt collectors causing trouble at the Wynn residence. They’re harassing Miss Wynn.” Lucas shot a quick glance my way. I knew he wasn’t asking for my opinion—he was telling me he intended to go to Annie’s. I was silent as he turned onto the road that led us farther from home and closer to the Wynn residence. “Just drop me at the next rest area. I’ll get a cab,” I told him softly. Once I got out, even with an umbrella, I was soaked within seconds. Lucas sped off in his black Bentley, splashing water in my face as he disappeared. That was when I felt it—the rusted-out feeling of love, washed clean in the rain. The old taxi I’d hailed started slipping on the slick highway. When the car spun out, my heart lurched, and I instinctively tightened the seatbelt across my chest. My mind blanked, but my pulse hammered in my ears. With a deafening crash, my head slammed against the window. For a brief, stretched-out moment, time seemed to slow down, and my life unspooled before me—all of it tied to Lucas. At ten, my parents had stretched their finances to buy a house in New York’s wealthiest neighborhood. They’d encouraged me to get close to Lucas, their “little prince of the city.” I was enchanted by his good looks and followed him around for seven years. At seventeen, I realized I was in love with him, though he despised me. I spent a year pining after him, enduring insults from his social circle as they mocked me for my “pathetic crush.” I’d hear whispers of “the clown girl,” echoing wherever I went. At eighteen, Lucas met Annie. I watched him fall head over heels and later fall into despair when she left. At twenty-one, he’d gotten drunk and pulled me close, kissing me passionately. But he kept murmuring Annie’s name between kisses. I should have pushed him away, slapped him even. But my father’s business was struggling, and our family needed money. And—well, being with Lucas was something both my parents and I had long wished for. So I let him hold me, enduring each time he’d say her name while he held me. When his grandfather found out, he’d insisted Lucas marry me to protect the family’s reputation. And I got my wish—I married Lucas Blake. At twenty-two, I was pregnant. The baby gave me terrible morning sickness, and labor was a nightmare. … Memories—painful, knotted memories. When I woke up, I was lying in the hospital, every part of me sore and my head splitting. Now, at twenty-seven, my son was calling another woman “Mom,” and my husband didn’t seem to care. I pretended to be unfazed, but each moment felt like a thousand tiny cuts, reminding me of the reality I was clinging to. The people I couldn’t bear to lose were eagerly waiting for me to leave. Maybe happiness was never meant to be mine. “Would you ever lash out at someone you loved?” I wanted to ask Lucas and Evan that question. But I already knew the answer from the way they looked at Annie. Lucas had fallen in love with her the moment they met. Evan, too, had taken to her instantly, showing affection he’d never shown for anyone else. People become fixated on their first choice, the thing they fell for at first sight. Evan was more and more like his father each day, from his looks to his habits, even his temperament. They both adored Annie. I never considered Annie the “other woman.” From the beginning, it was I who had taken what was hers. They say pain comes from chasing the wrong things. This marriage was over. It was time to return Lucas and Evan to Annie. 6 Lucas had prepared the divorce papers the same day Annie came back to town. He’d been wanting this for a while, eager to pursue her once more. Just as he’d hoped, I called the family lawyer and arranged to meet at Lucas’s office. “I agree to the divorce,” I said calmly, meeting Lucas’s gaze. He looked a bit startled. The lawyer, Mr. Hepburn, handed each of us a copy of the divorce agreement. I quickly signed my name on the dotted line, my pen making swift, clean strokes across the page. When it was Lucas’s turn, he hesitated, his fingers gripping the pen until they turned white. Mr. Hepburn spoke up gently, “Mr. Blake, perhaps you’d like to take more time to consider before signing.” I knew what Lucas was feeling. Maybe even a pet, after years together, could create some attachment. And here I was, after sixteen years, someone who had always followed close behind him. “I’ll take custody of Evan,” he said, his gaze testing me. I nodded. I wanted neither of them. Lucas gave me one last, searching look, as if he were trying to find a glimmer of sadness or reluctance in my face. But there was nothing for him to find. With clenched teeth, he pressed the pen down hard, scrawling his name in large, angry letters. Satisfied with the financial division, I gathered my things and left Lucas’s office. The room felt emptier in my absence, and Mr. Hepburn shivered slightly, sensing the frosty aura Lucas left in his wake. “Mr. Blake, should we release a public statement about your divorce?” “No need. She’s just throwing a tantrum.” Lucas’s expression relaxed slightly, seeming almost reassured by his own words. “Keep this quiet. She’ll be back on her own.” After all, she’s only forgotten about me and Evan temporarily. She loves us both so much—she’ll remember soon enough. The doctor did say the amnesia is only temporary. Once she remembers, she’ll be back, probably crying and begging me to take her back. This divorce? Just a way to punish her for forgetting us so completely. Once she returns in tears, I’ll forgive her, and we’ll remarry. Lucas’s anxiety melted away as he took a sip of coffee. Mr. Hepburn, drenched in sweat, dabbed his forehead with a napkin. Divorce papers signed, assets divided, and yet Lucas thought it was just a phase?
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