At my graduation ceremony, I finally mustered the courage to confess my feelings to my crush. But then, I was hit by a car. When I woke up, my crush was standing in front of me, her face utterly cold. “Awake? Perfect. Let’s talk about the divorce settlement.” Me: What? I hadn’t even confessed yet, so how was divorce already on the table? It was graduation day, and I was finally going to tell Chloe, my long-time crush, how I felt. Across the crosswalk, Chloe was taking photos, looking stunning in her graduation gown. I was so excited, I practically sprinted towards her, completely oblivious to the fact that the pedestrian light was red. CRASH! A deafening impact, and I was thrown to the ground. Everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was a stark white ceiling. To my surprise, Chloe was standing right beside my hospital bed. She was as beautiful as ever, and this was probably the closest we’d ever been. Chloe stood there, her gaze slowly drifting from the IV drip bag above to my face. My eyes unintentionally landed on her left ring finger, where a simple ring gleamed. I’d liked her for so long. Had she already been taken, all this time? Swallowing the bitter tang of disappointment, I forced a smile and greeted her. “Chloe? What are you doing here?” As I tried to sit up from the bed, I noticed my arm was heavily bandaged. The next second, Chloe sat on the stool beside my bed, her voice cold and distant. “Mr. Liam, you truly are skilled at manipulation. To get a divorce, you’d even risk your own life.” I stared at her, utterly bewildered. What on earth was she talking about? Divorce? I hadn’t even graduated, let alone gotten married. Where was this talk of divorce coming from? Just then, a nurse pushed the door open, carrying a tray with bandaging supplies. “Dr. Chloe, you’re still here? Sir, you have no idea how lucky you are. You were in a car accident, and it’s a good thing Dr. Chloe happened to be passing by and gave you immediate first aid. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have just been a broken arm.” The nurse lowered her head, carefully disinfecting my wound as she spoke. She gently placed my hand to the side, and that’s when I noticed it—a ring on my right ring finger! And this ring, it was clearly a matching set with Chloe’s! A wave of dread washed over me. Once the nurse left the room, I instinctively grabbed Chloe’s sleeve. “Your name is Chloe, right? You graduated from medical school in the Class of 18, correct?” Chloe frowned, as if deeply annoyed. She yanked her sleeve free from my grip, her expression icy as she looked at me. “Since you’re awake, let’s discuss the divorce settlement.”
This was insane! I was clearly on my way to graduation when I accidentally got hit by a car. How did I wake up to being accused of “resorting to extreme measures” to force a divorce from Chloe? A conviction settled deep in my gut: either I’d gone crazy, or Chloe had. “Chloe, wait a second!” Before I could finish, a little girl suddenly appeared in the room, running excitedly into Chloe’s arms. Me: ??? Wow, what an adorable kid! I reached out my uninjured hand, wanting to gently touch her cheek, but she shyly hid deeper into Chloe’s embrace. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. Uncle just thought you were so cute, I couldn’t help myself.” Chloe shot me a disapproving look. That’s when I remembered I’d called her back but hadn’t gotten to the point. “Chloe, I know this might sound unbelievable, but I have absolutely no memory of anything you’re talking about. I only remember being on my way to graduation…” Before I could finish, Chloe impatiently cut me off. “So, you’re trying to say you have amnesia now?” Amnesia? Yes, that’s it! Amnesia. Only amnesia could explain why I had no recollection of any of this. I nodded vigorously and earnestly. Chloe’s face remained stone-cold. She pulled a document from her bag and tossed it onto the bed in front of me. “This is the divorce agreement. All the terms are written according to your demands. If you have no objections, just sign it as soon as possible.” I opened my mouth but couldn’t manage to say a single word. The little girl in Chloe’s arms, however, pouted sadly when she heard Chloe’s words. “Chloe, talking about this in front of a child… it’s not really good for her emotional well-being, is it?” “How about we put this on hold for a while?” Chloe let out a cold snort. “Someone else’s child? Liam, this amnesia act is quite convincing, but this is our daughter.” … “And when you were having dinner with other women, did you ever consider whether that was good for our child’s emotional well-being?” I hadn’t even processed Chloe’s first bombshell when her second statement completely fried my brain. I stared at the little girl, utterly dumbfounded. So, not only was I married, but I had a kid too? The little girl, however, completely ignored me, burying her head in Chloe’s neck and not even sparing me a glance. The information overload was too much. My brain completely crashed.
It took me a whole day to piece together everything in my head. I really did seem to have amnesia. I was still me, Chloe was still Chloe. The only difference was, we were married, and we had a child. But the divorce papers lying on the hospital bed silently conveyed another message: our marriage was clearly in trouble. The problem was, I might have cheated? But was that even possible? With someone as stunning and brilliant as Chloe, would I really cheat on her with another woman? Had I lost my mind? So, where did things go wrong? And how on earth was I supposed to get my memory back? I irritably scratched my head, my mind a complete blank, making me feel utterly restless and frustrated. “Daddy.” A knock on the door, and I looked up to see a small gap open. The little girl’s adorable face shyly peeked through. “Mommy says you need to remember to clean your hand. This is the antiseptic for you, she said to clean it yourself.” In her tiny hands, she clutched a bottle of iodine. I reached out my hand, gesturing for her to come in. “Daddy’s hand hurts a little. Can you bring that to Daddy?” The little girl looked at me, her expression hesitant, but eventually, she nodded. She slowly made her way to my side and placed the iodine on my nightstand. I picked her up with my other hand and sat her on my lap. I carefully examined her features: her eyes were like mine, big and round and bright; her nose was like Chloe’s, elegantly sculpted; and her face, like Chloe’s, was a perfect, delicate oval. She was absolutely beautiful. This was my daughter with Chloe. I couldn’t help myself. I hugged her close and gently kissed her cheek. She smelled sweet and baby-like, making me want to hold her forever. When I looked up, her face had instantly flushed crimson. She stiffened in my arms for a moment, then wrapped her little arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. She rested her head on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, “Daddy, you smell nice.” She was an absolute angel. I was still immersed in the joy of holding my little girl when the door to the room opened from outside. Chloe’s familiar figure appeared in the doorway, then walked towards me. “Mommy!” The little girl, still clutching me, immediately ran to Chloe, extending her arms, waiting for Chloe to sweep her up. Chloe had clearly just showered. She wore loose, comfortable loungewear, looking completely relaxed. Her hair fell naturally over her shoulders, and a few droplets of water trickled down her neck and disappeared into her collar. I instinctively looked away, feeling a strange awkwardness. As she drew closer, my heart started to pound even harder. But Chloe’s next words instantly extinguished my excitement. “Mr. Liam, don’t you think it’s a little late to start being nice to Daisy now?” “I wasn’t, I…” I wanted to explain, but the moment I met Chloe’s cold gaze, I knew she wouldn’t believe anything I said. Eventually, I just fell silent. “Forget it. You get back to what you were doing, I’m heading out.” I walked out of the study, and Daisy poked her head out from Chloe’s neck, looking at me. Seeing how close she was with Chloe, a wave of bitterness washed over me. So what if I had a wife and kid? My wife didn’t love me and wanted a divorce, and even my daughter only clung to her mom. My mind began to wander. If this was the case, why had we gotten married in the first place? And why had we had a child? Outside on the balcony, a full moon hung high in the sky. The night breeze ruffled my thoughts. Nothing had changed. It seemed only I had.
The master bedroom had only one large bed. The entire room was decorated in the most minimalist black, white, and gray tones. Aside from that, the room was impeccably clean, and the air carried the faint, elegant scent of gardenias. I remembered, this was Chloe’s favorite scent. I walked to the walk-in closet, looking for my pajamas. However, when I opened the closet, almost all I saw were women’s clothes—from elegant dresses to exquisite blouses, neatly categorized and hung. I searched carefully, but couldn’t find a single pajama set or loungewear that clearly belonged to a man. … With no other option, I had to knock on the study door. “Chloe, excuse me, sorry to bother you.” Chloe, who was working at her computer, looked up at the sound. Her gold-rimmed glasses made her appear both professional and somewhat aloof. “I can’t find my pajamas,” I explained, gesturing towards the master bedroom. “The master closet seems to have all your clothes.” Chloe stared at me for a few seconds, not speaking immediately. Just as I thought she wouldn’t answer and was about to leave, she suddenly stood up from her chair and walked towards me. She stopped in front of me. Even though I was taller than her, the cool aura surrounding her made me feel a slight pressure. Chloe subtly curved her lips, her hands tucked into her pockets. “What, are you planning to keep up the amnesia act?” I was speechless, unsure how to respond. Honestly, she didn’t believe me. Fortunately, she didn’t press further this time. She simply walked past me, heading towards the other side of the hallway. I stood there, feeling a bit lost. She turned her head, glancing at me from the corner of her eye. “Not coming?” I immediately followed, but intentionally kept a step’s distance. “Thanks.” She walked to the door of a secondary bedroom, pushed it open, and gestured for me to go in. “Your clothes should be in here.” I walked into the room and opened the closet. The sight made me pause—a uniform collection of dark, extremely conservative suits, shirts, and vests, meticulously folded, exuding a stern and rigid aura. I rummaged through them, and finally, in the bottommost drawer, I found a cotton garment that looked like pajamas—old-fashioned, overly loose, but at least comfortable. Holding these pajamas, I felt even stranger. Was this how “I” usually dressed? … I took the pajamas and walked back to the master bathroom, my mind a jumble. The issues between us were perhaps far more complex than I’d imagined. After showering, I threw on a jacket and headed towards Daisy’s room. The children’s room was warmly decorated, with soft stuffed animals and colorful stickers everywhere. It was clear Chloe poured a lot of love into our child. I tiptoed in. Daisy was already asleep, clutching a small bunny plushie tightly. I pulled the blanket she’d kicked off back over her and gently took her thumb out of her mouth, wiping it dry with a tissue. Only at this moment did a soft, paternal feeling truly wash over me. But I knew so little about her, I wasn’t even sure how old she was. My marriage certificate with Chloe showed we’d registered four years ago. So Daisy must be about three years old. I stroked her soft hair and got up to leave. Just as I closed the door and turned around, I saw Chloe standing silently in the hallway, very close by. My back instinctively pressed against the door. Chloe didn’t seem to find the proximity awkward, showing no intention of stepping back. My heart rate abruptly quickened. “Are you done with work?” I asked. “Mhm.” The atmosphere was thick. I didn’t know what to say. “So… are you going to bed?” Chloe didn’t respond, nor did she move. I pulled the jacket I was wearing tighter. “Then I’ll go back to my room first.” With that, I sidled past her, practically fleeing back to the master bedroom. I quickly threw back the covers and lay down, neatly curling up on one side. Soon after, the master bedroom door opened, and Chloe walked in. Seeing me already in bed, she paused, standing at the doorway and watching me. Her gaze made me feel uneasy. “Chloe, which side do you usually sleep on?” She didn’t answer. Helpless, I had no choice but to throw off the covers, get out of bed, and stand aside. “You pick first.” Only then did Chloe move. She walked to the window side, lay down, and then reached out to click off the bedside lamp on her side. The room plunged into darkness. I fumbled my way back into bed, the person beside me breathing steadily. But I was wide awake, my thoughts a swirling mess. The jacket sleeve pressed uncomfortably against my injured arm. I carefully shifted, and seeing no reaction from Chloe, quietly sat up, intending to take the jacket off. Just as I took off the jacket and rubbed my arm, Chloe, who had been facing away from me, suddenly turned over and moved closer in the dark. Her breath brushed my cheek, and my own breathing hitched with nerves. Though I couldn’t see her, I could feel how close she was. “Chloe?” “What exactly are you trying to do, Liam?” Her voice was incredibly clear in the darkness, laced with coldness. “What?” I froze. “You were the one who wanted to get married, then you were the one who went to great lengths to get a divorce. Now, you’re faking amnesia and sleeping here. I have no interest in cooperating with your fickle games.” “I’m not…” “Not what?” Her tone was sarcastic. “Isn’t this your usual behavior?” I was speechless, unable to defend myself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” Silence stretched in the darkness. A moment later, Chloe pulled back, then got out of bed. “Liam, I have no feelings left for you. Whether you’re being genuine or not now, stop with these pointless theatrics.” “I’ll go to the guest room tonight.” With that, she left the room without looking back. The door softly clicked shut. The vast master bedroom was left with only me.
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