After three years of being with Cole Stevens, I accidentally scratched his childhood friend’s hand. So, on my birthday, he brought a whole group of people to corner me in an alley and smashed the left hand I used to play the violin. He stood over me, looking down with disdain, and said, “Forget the violin. You won’t need that useless thing anymore.” Later, he lost his mind and kept hugging me, begging me over and over not to forget the past. But all I could respond with was a blank, unfamiliar stare. “Amber, are you okay?” “Amber! What’s wrong? What happened?” On a dark and windy night, Cole Stevens had his men hold me down in an alley not far from home. The sky was completely overcast, with layers of clouds piling up, pressing against the horizon. The dead silence of the alley was broken only by the cold wind howling through the streets. Two tall men restrained my hands, pinning me against the wall, unable to move. My phone lay smashed on the ground, and from it, I could faintly hear my brother Daniel’s panicked voice. “Amber? What’s going on? Say something…” My breath came out in cold, shallow gasps, and the tension in the air became unbearable. Cole held a cigarette in his hand, his eyes filled with contempt as he stared down at me. He bent down, picked up my phone, and hung up the call. I looked up at him, only to be met with a brutal kick from someone in the crowd. “What are you staring at? You think staring at Cole is going to bring back your fantasy romance?” One of the men restraining me leaned in, his face close to mine, mocking me. He grabbed my face, squeezing it with disdain. “You do look a little like Miss Harper. No wonder Cole went for someone like you.” Then he slammed me to the ground, pulling me by my hair so I’d be forced to face Cole Stevens. Even now, I couldn’t believe Cole would do this to me. I looked up at him and asked the only question left in my mind. “Why?” But he didn’t even look at me. He just crushed the cigarette against the wall with a cold indifference. The man who kicked me earlier burst into laughter. “Why, you ask? How dare you scratch Miss Harper’s hand? Her hand is meant to play the violin!” “Who do you think you are to be compared to her?” “Don’t blame us,” he said, patting my cheek. “Even if you gave both your hands, it wouldn’t be enough to make up for what you did.” So, Cole had dragged me out here in the middle of the night, just because I accidentally scratched his childhood friend Sophia Harper’s hand? From the start, the only thing he ever cared about was Sophia Harper. Cole crouched down, taking my left hand into his. He looked at it for a moment before speaking in a voice as cold as ice. “I can’t let you stand in her way.” “Forget the violin. You won’t need it anymore.” “All you need to do is stay by my side.” Sophia Harper was destined for greatness. She deserved to chase her dreams, free from mundane things like daily struggles. But did that mean I deserved to have my hand shattered, my spine bent, crawling after you like a replacement? Fury surged through me, and I screamed as loud as I could, hoping someone outside the alley would hear. But I hadn’t realized how carefully Cole had planned this. The entire street was cleared. I struggled with all my strength, but his men took turns holding me down, controlling every movement. The violin on my back was ripped off and thrown harshly to the ground. With a crack, it split in two. It was my birthday today. That violin was the last birthday gift my mother had given me before she passed. Cole glanced at the broken violin, showing a flicker of hesitation. He knelt down, pretending to be regretful, gently touching the shattered instrument. “It’s fine. You won’t need any of this from now on. As long as you have me, that’s enough.” I pressed my lips tightly together, fighting back the tears that blurred my vision. Cold tears streamed down my cheeks, but I couldn’t feel anything. All I could think about was how that violin was the only thing my mom left for me in this world. Cole waved his hand, signaling for them to proceed. And that’s when real fear gripped me. “Cole Stevens, you can’t do this to me!” I screamed, but all it got me was a metal pipe smashing down on my left arm. Agonizing pain shot through my arm, and I let out a piercing scream. I was terrified. If my hand was ruined, I’d never play the violin again. So I crawled forward, inch by inch, my mind barely functioning, all I could think about was begging for mercy. I clutched Cole’s pant leg. “Cole… please… let me go… I can’t live without my violin… “I’ll die… please…” He shook me off, coldly yanking his leg away. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll leave, I’ll go far away, so you’ll never have to see me again, okay?” The metal pipe came crashing down again and again on my left hand and arm, mangling it beyond recognition. I couldn’t even feel the pain anymore. I couldn’t even feel my left hand. “Cole Stevens… I don’t love you anymore, just let me go… I can’t live without my violin…” If I couldn’t hold a violin, I wouldn’t survive. I could lose everything, but not my dream. I crawled like a beaten dog, inch by inch, begging for mercy. I gave him my last shred of dignity. But he didn’t care. It wasn’t until my left hand and arm were utterly destroyed that he finally called them off. He looked down at me with a pitying gaze. “Don’t worry, I’ll marry you. “But you can’t stand in Sophia Harper’s way.” I collapsed onto the ground, my right hand gently grazing over the mangled remains of my left arm. Everything I had been holding inside for so long erupted at that moment. I stared blankly, tears streaming down my face, merging with the blood on my hand. I couldn’t control myself anymore as I screamed at him with everything I had. “Cole Stevens! You’ll never see me again! “You’ll spend the rest of your life in agony, loving someone you can never have!”
I’d been with Cole Stevens for three years. At the very beginning, I was in a practice room, playing my violin, and he happened to pass by, drawn to the sound. The summer wind swept through the trees by the window as scattered people strolled down the street. The melody of “La Vie en Rose” floated through the air, reaching his ears. He turned his head, and saw me, bathed in light, playing the violin. It was like an awakening. In that instant, I saw him too. The music flowed between us, like we were walking through the streets of Paris, and at any moment, we would stumble upon a rose. Our relationship grew as quickly as the song itself, and Cole became like family to me. So, when I first heard the rumors, I didn’t believe them. “Hey, did you hear?” “Sophia Harper is back from overseas.” A group of girls, clearly from wealthy families, sat gossiping in a corner, occasionally glancing my way, as snippets of their conversation floated to me. “Who do you think Cole Stevens will choose, Sophia Harper or Amber Jackson?” “Is that even a question? Sophia Harper has been the love of his life for ten years. I heard they grew up together!” One girl, sitting closest to me, shot me a look of pure disdain, rolled her eyes, and whispered to her friends as they left. “Amber Jackson doesn’t even realize she’s just a replacement. I bet Cole will drop her any day now and go after his true love.” “Amber who? Sophia Harper is from a prestigious family…” The rumors spiraled out of control, growing louder by the day. I was restless, so distracted I didn’t even notice someone standing outside when I opened the door. The old doorknob fell off, hitting the person’s hand, leaving a deep cut as warm blood started to flow. That’s when everything changed. I finally met Sophia Harper. We looked eerily similar, especially from the side. Coincidentally, we were both violinists. Even our habits were strikingly alike. Cole always held me close, calling me “Soph.” Over and over again. At the time, I thought he was different from my brother Daniel and the others, who all called me “Amber.” But it turned out, he wasn’t calling me “Soph,” he was calling me “Sophia.”
I sat crouched in the corner of the hospital, cradling my shattered left arm. After realizing something was wrong during our phone call, Daniel had rushed out of the house, only to find me, lost and broken, at our front door. Cole Stevens, with his wealth and influence, easily brushed the incident aside with just a few words. He even promised compensation. But I could never play the violin again. I sat there, staring blankly, not reacting to anything. The only thing I could do was hold onto my arm as if that would somehow fix everything. Daniel didn’t know what else to do, so he gently brought me back home. I clutched his hand, my eyes red and swollen from crying. “Daniel…” I smiled weakly at him, even though my eyes were filled with tears. “I have a performance in a couple of days. I can’t stay home like this. Can you take me back to the orchestra?” He was stunned, frozen in place as he looked at me. “Amber… don’t be afraid…” He wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes, trying to comfort me. “I’ll protect you.” “Daniel! Please… take me back to the orchestra…” I begged, my eyes pleading with him. Unable to bear seeing me like that, Daniel settled me down in bed before retreating to a corner of the house, where I could hear him quietly break down in sobs. I didn’t understand what was happening. It felt like my mind was covered in a thick fog, and pieces of my memory were being erased, little by little, like someone rubbing away at them with an eraser. I felt scared, but at the same time, there was a part of me that looked forward to forgetting everything. One day, as I sat alone in our empty house, thinking about having lunch with Daniel later, I stepped outside by myself. When I tried to return, I couldn’t find my way home. I wandered aimlessly around the neighborhood, circling the same streets over and over, but I couldn’t recognize anything. I didn’t know which way to go. I couldn’t find home. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember the way back. Unconsciously, I tightened my grip around my left arm, desperately trying to hold myself together. I didn’t know what else to do, so I just started running. Running and running. I tore through the alleyways at full speed, not knowing how long I’d be running down those endless streets. I could hear my own ragged breathing, the panicked sound of my heart pounding in my chest, and the tears streaming down my face. Until I collided with Daniel, who had been frantically searching for me. He grabbed my shoulders, trying to calm me down. I was crying uncontrollably, looking around in confusion, muttering, “Daniel, I can’t… I can’t find my way home…” “I… I can’t go back, Daniel…” “Why can’t I remember anything? What’s happening to me?” I clung to him, my fingers digging into his clothes as all my emotions burst out in that single moment. “Amber Jackson!” His voice was stern as he stared at me. “Calm down!” I was startled into silence, staring up at him with wide eyes. “Don’t be afraid.” “I’ll take you to see the doctor, okay?” He bent down, gently picking me up onto his back, and without another word, he carried me to the hospital. I knew he was hurting too. I knew he was worried. But I had forgotten so many things… so many things…
“Preliminary tests show that the patient has early-onset Alzheimer’s, and it seems to be progressing.” “That’s impossible! My sister is only 27 years old!” I stared out the window, watching the birds chirping and flitting about, as if I couldn’t hear the conversation between Daniel and the doctor. “Not only that,” the doctor continued, “but she’s also suffering from severe depression, likely triggered by a major traumatic event. Did something significant happen to her recently?” I continued cradling my left arm, but my mind wandered to the thought that my birthday was just a month away. I wondered what Daniel would get me this year. Cole Stevens never gave me anything on my birthday. He always combined it with the day we first met! I smiled up at Daniel, reaching out with my right hand to poke his arm. “Daniel, what are you going to get me for my birthday this year?” I had forgotten that the day Cole and I first met was actually Sophia Harper’s birthday. I had also forgotten that my own birthday had long passed. As Daniel explained what had been happening lately to the doctor, he reached down to gently soothe me. He gave me a sad smile, but tried to hide his emotions. “Whatever you want, Amber. Your brother will get you anything you ask for.” “The prognosis suggests this is a sudden condition. Early intervention and treatment might slow its progress, but we can’t guarantee recovery.” “The most important thing is to keep her away from any triggers.” After hearing the doctor’s advice, Daniel brought me home and immediately removed anything related to the orchestra or Cole Stevens from the house. He stood tall and strong in front of me, like a tree. But my eyes were clouded. I couldn’t see the path ahead of me, nor could I see any future at all. “Open the door, it’s Cole Stevens.” I sat on the couch, staring blankly at the door. When I heard his voice, I glanced over at Daniel, who was in the kitchen cooking, and got up to open the door myself. Cole stood lazily outside, his expression slightly impatient as he looked at me. He seemed irritated that I had taken so long to answer the door. But I couldn’t really see what he was doing. All I knew was that this was the man I loved, and I should be happy to see him. So, I smiled brightly and grabbed his arm with my right hand. “Cole! You came to see me! What’s gotten into you?” “I thought you were busy with work lately?” Cole was caught off guard by my reaction, frowning as he looked down at me. My left arm was in a cast, thick bandages wrapped around it. But I didn’t seem to notice. It just hung limply by my side. He assumed that I was clinging to him, trying to win back his affection by playing this helpless act. But he had no idea…
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