After finishing my tasks in the ER, I headed straight for the office of the doctor who had treated Liam earlier.

I knocked on the door, and the doctor looked up from his paperwork as I entered. “Is there anything you need, Dr. Amelia?” he asked politely, his tone professional yet warm.

“Yes,” I replied, forcing myself to maintain composure. “I wanted to ask about the patient I was listed as the legal guardian for last night.”

“Ah, your cousin,” he said with a nod, clearly referencing the explanation I had given in the chaos of the emergency room.

My relationship with Liam was a hidden marriage, a decision we made together because of his work as a special prosecutor handling dangerous criminal cases.

For his safety—and ours—we had kept our marriage and even our son, Theodore, a secret.

“Yes, my cousin,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “What happened to him? Why does he… not seem to recognize me?”

The doctor hesitated, he shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the chart in his hands as if searching for the right words.

I forced him to explain by asking more, “Was there anything wrong during the surgery? Any complications that might explain this?”

The doctor shook his head, offering a reassuring smile. “No, the surgery went smoothly. There were no complications. Physically, he’s recovering well.”

He paused, his expression growing serious. His lips pressed into a thin line before he spoke, “But your cousin has partial amnesia. He… seems to have lost some of his memory.”

The words felt like a punch to the gut, even though I had been bracing myself for something like that.

I tried to keep my voice calm, though the knot in my chest tightened. “Can you explain more specifically?”

The doctor exhaled, his expression sympathetic. “Last night’s accident might have caused significant trauma to his brain. It seems to have affected his memory selectively.

“He’s retained most of his knowledge about himself, his work, and his childhood. But he’s lost some memories from the past few years.”

I folded my arms tightly, as though I could somehow shield myself from the impact of his words.

“But,” the doctor added, “in many cases, patients can regain parts of their memories when exposed to something familiar or emotionally significant from the time period they’ve forgotten.”

A faint glimmer of hope sparked in my mind. And then it hit me—Theodore.

Theodore was the very embodiment of our love, a reminder of the life Liam and I had built together. If anything could jog his memory, it was our son.

I exhaled deeply, the idea giving me a flicker of strength amidst the chaos. “Thank you, doctor,” I said softly, offering him a small, grateful smile.

He nodded, his expression kind. “Take your time, Dr. Amelia. And if there’s anything else I can do to help, don’t hesitate to ask.”

I walked out of the office and hurriedly picked Theodore up from daycare that late afternoon.

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the steering wheel tighter. My voice was low, but firm with resolve. “I should take back what’s mine.”

Once I arrived back at the hospital with Theodore, I held his tiny hand in mine, walking briskly toward Liam’s room.

But as I reached the door and pushed it open, my steps faltered, and my breath hitched at the sight before me.

Inside, Liam was sitting up in bed with Evelyn that was perched on the edge of his bed, leaning in close, her body language intimate as they talked quietly.

Cradled in her lap was her baby—Lucas. She held him with such care, pressing kisses to his forehead as if to complete the illusion she was trying so hard to craft.

“Lucas, look at Daddy,” Liam said enthusiastically, his face lighting up with a joy that made my stomach churn.

Not only had Evelyn labeled herself as Liam’s wife, but she had also brought her son into that charade, feeding into Liam’s fractured reality.

“What are you two doing, actually?!” I demanded, my voice shaking with fury as I stepped into the room, holding Theodore’s hand tightly.

Evelyn turned her head toward me, her eyes widening briefly before a smug smile curved her lips. She rocked Lucas gently, feigning innocence.

“Amelia,” Liam said, his tone cold again as he frowned. “What are you doing here again?”

I stared at him, my anger bubbling to the surface. “I could ask you the same thing, Liam. What’s going on here? Evelyn, what game are you playing this time?”

Evelyn tilted her head, her expression infuriatingly calm. “I don’t understand why you’re so upset, Amelia. Lucas is Liam’s son, after all.”

Her words hit like a slap. I turned to Liam, searching his face for any sign of recognition, any indication he might see through her lies. But his expression remained firm, as if her claim was not outrageous.

“Liam,” I said, my voice trembling, “she’s lying to you. Lucas isn’t your son. Theodore is your son!”

I stepped closer, gently urging Theodore forward. “Look at him, Liam. This is our son. Don’t you remember him?”

“Shut up, Amelia,” Liam snapped, his voice filled with indignation. “Stop making a fuss. This is a hospital. You should know better, considering you’re a doctor here, right?”

I froze, the sting of his words like a slap across my face.

“Even if Evelyn was kind enough to stay friends with you,” he continued, turning his cold gaze to me, “But don’t expect me to acknowledge you and your son.”

“I told you not to be too nice to her,” Liam said, his voice softening as he turned toward Evelyn. “Or she’ll misunderstand her position.”

That cold indifference, the way he dismissed me as though I were nothing, it was how he treated people he did not care about.

And Evelyn—she knew exactly how to play her part. Clutching her arm like a frightened victim, she looked at him with wide, innocent eyes.

“But Liam,” she said softly, her voice trembling just enough to sound sincere, “she’s bringing Theodore, and he’s still your son. As a woman, I know how it feels to want your son to be close to his father.”

Evelyn’s words were carefully chosen, calculated to seem compassionate. But they were laced with venom, designed to paint me as desperate and unreasonable.

Liam’s face hardened, his jaw tightening. “But he’s just a mistake from when I was still dating Amelia, Evelyn,” he said coldly. “I will never admit it.”

The words felt like a dagger to my chest, the air rushing out of my lungs as though I had been physically struck.

Theodore shifted slightly in my arms, sensing the tension but too young to understand the weight of what his father had just said.

My grip on Theodore tightened as I demanded, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and disbelief, “What are you talking about?

“How could Theodore be a mistake we made back when we were dating? He is our legitimate son after we married for three years.” My sarcasm was cutting, but I did not care.

Turning to Evelyn, I demanded, “When exactly did you ‘explain’ this to him, Evelyn? What did you tell him when he woke up? Tell me!”

Evelyn’s confident mask faltered, her eyes darting nervously between me and Liam. But before she could respond, Liam wrapped an arm protectively around her.

Liam’s eyes narrowed, his voice turning sharp as a blade. “Of course, he is. I told you to abort it back then. Why were you so stubborn?”

The last thread of restraint within me snapped, and I felt a surge of anger fill every inch of my body.

Back then, I had given him everything. When he suffered from a gunshot wound, I stayed by his side, tending to his injuries with trembling hands.

When he got into that terrible car accident and had to stay in the hospital, I barely left his room.

But none of that mattered to him.

Instead of gratitude, he easily forgot the memories we built together. My sacrifices meant nothing to him.

Evelyn smirked, holding Lucas closer as though shielding him. “It’s time you let go, Amelia,” she said smoothly. “Liam has moved on. You should too.”

The bitter laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. I was done holding back. My grip on Theodore tightened as I approached them, my footsteps echoing in the room.

Without hesitation, I raised my hand and slapped Evelyn across the face. The sharp sound reverberated through the air, startling Lucas into a loud cry and causing Theodore to whimper in my arms.

Evelyn swayed to the side, clutching Lucas protectively as though she were the victim. Her wide eyes darted between me and Liam, her face marked by the red string of my hand.

“How dare you, Amelia!” Liam roared, his voice booming with anger.

The tension exploded into chaos as we argued, our voices overlapping in a cacophony of accusations and denials. Liam’s fury fueled mine, and Evelyn’s faux innocence only made me angrier.

It did not take long for the commotion to draw attention. Nurses and security guards burst into the room, their faces alarmed as they tried to break us apart.

"Dr. Amelia, please step back!" one of the nurses pleaded, her voice firm yet nervous.

I exhaled sharply, realizing I was on the verge of losing control. Theodore’s cries and the guards’ warnings finally brought me back to reality. “Please get out of here before we forcefully pull you out.”

Taking a deep breath, I turned on my heel and walked toward the door, ignoring Liam’s cold glare and Evelyn’s smug silence.

There was no point in wasting more energy on a man who did not recognize me or a woman who thrived on turning my world upside down. Instead, I headed back home with Theodore, back to the one sanctuary we had left.

The next day, however, the true storm began.

The hospital, usually a hub of professionalism, had turned into a web of gossip. Everywhere I walked, I could hear snippets of conversations.

“They said Dr. Amelia was angry in a patient’s room. Is she having an affair?”

“According to the nurse near the room, it’s actually Dr. Amelia who’s in the wrong—she was caught causing a scene!”

“Eh, did you see? Dr. Amelia brought a child yesterday. Does she already have a kid?”

“She said it was her nephew, but what if the child’s hers from some secret affair?”

“Oh my God, and I thought Dr. Amelia was so innocent.”

I gritted my teeth as I walked through the halls, their words cutting like shards of glass. Though their hushed tones feigned secrecy, the weight of their judgment was palpable.

Even in the ER, where everyone prided themselves on professionalism, I could feel their questioning eyes on me.

I did not care. Let them talk. No one truly knew my life. I was the only one who understood what I was fighting for, and I was not about to let their whispers break me.

During my lunch break, I clutched the wedding photo album I had brought from home.

I planned to take it to Liam, to confront his fractured memory with undeniable proof of the life we had shared.

If Evelyn’s lies were taking root in Liam’s mind, I would fight to uproot them.

However, as I walked through the hallway toward Liam’s room, a hand grabbed my arm roughly, pulling me to the side.

Before I could react, I found myself dragged into the women’s restroom.

The door slammed shut, and I turned to see Evelyn, her smug expression even more venomous up close. She crossed her arms, blocking the exit, her demeanor sharp and aggressive.

“You still dare to visit Liam again after the whole hospital is gossiping about you?” she hissed, her voice low but laced with venom. “Come on, Amelia, you should just accept reality and understand his condition.”

Her words stung, but I would not let her see the cracks she was trying to make in my armor. Instead, I straightened my back and met her gaze with a steely glare.

“Are you afraid Liam will remember me if I keep seeing him?” I sneered, clutching the photo album tightly against my chest.

I stepped closer, my voice low but unwavering. “You can manipulate him all you want, Evelyn, but you can’t erase the truth. The life Liam and I shared isn’t something you can overwrite with your lies.”

Her eyes narrowed, her confident facade faltering for a brief second. “He doesn’t even remember you, Amelia,” she snapped, her tone sharp and biting. “You’re clinging to something that’s gone. It’s pathetic.”

I stepped closer, my voice cold and unwavering, forcing her to retreat into the corner she had tried to trap me in.

“You’re the one who’s pathetic,” I said firmly. “You can play your little games, but deep down, you’re scared. You know that no matter how much you lie, no matter how much you twist his mind, the truth has a way of surfacing.”

Evelyn tilted her head, her expression morphing into one of feigned pity. “Are you really a doctor, Amelia?” she asked mockingly. “You should understand Liam’s current condition, right?”

Her sarcasm burned like acid as she continued. “He has partial amnesia, Amelia. All Liam remembers is me. Why? Because what he remembers is an memory from years ago. He knows me as his college friend and colleague.

“So tell me, Amelia—doesn’t it make more sense for him to believe he married me than someone like you, who he just met a month before the wedding?”

Her words dripped with condescension, each one designed to cut deeper.

“It wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t the first person he saw when he woke up, Evelyn!” I roared, unable to contain my frustration.

Evelyn smirked, her calm demeanor only sharpening my anger further. “But the fact is,” she said, her voice smooth as silk, “you were too busy with your work. So don’t blame me for finding him awake first. Isn’t that the truth, Doctor?”

Her smugness was infuriating, and it pushed me over the edge. “I know you did this on purpose,” I said, my voice trembling with anger. “But don’t worry. I’ll make Liam see the truth with this.”

I raised the photo album in my hand. Evelyn’s eyes flickered to it, and for a brief moment, I saw fear. She recognized it immediately—our wedding photo album.

But her fear did not last. A slow, mocking smile spread across her face as she crossed her arms.

“Go ahead,” she said, her voice dripping with confidence. “Do whatever you want, Amelia. But don’t come crying when Liam pushes you away—again.”

With that, she brushed past me, her head held high as if she had already won.

I stayed behind for a moment, trying to catch my breath and steady the storm of emotions swirling inside me.

Evelyn had managed to rattle me, to chip away at my resolve, but she had not broken it.

Looking down at the album in my hands, I clutched it tightly and stepped out of the restroom, continuing toward Liam’s room.

I believed somewhere beneath the fog of amnesia and manipulation, the man I had married still existed. I just had to find him.

However, I forgot one thing. I missed the fact that as a lawyer, Evelyn had the skills and resources to forge documents, to fabricate ‘proof’ that aligned with her lies. And Liam, in his vulnerable state, had believed her completely.

No matter how desperately I explained each photo, pointing out the details of our wedding day, Liam just barely glanced at the pages, his expression hard.

“These photos mean nothing to me, Amelia. They’re fake,” he said coldly.

I froze, my heart sinking. “What are you talking about? Liam, this is our wedding album. You picked the venue. You chose the flowers, you….”

“They’re fake,” he repeated, his tone firm. “Evelyn already showed me the evidence. She told me you’d pull something like this. Do you really think you can fool me with fabricated photos?”

My chest tightened as his words registered. Evelyn had already poisoned his mind, planting lies so deeply that even the truth looked like a fabrication.

“No, Liam,” I said, my voice trembling. “Evelyn is lying to you. She’s manipulating you.”

“She’s not,” Liam snapped. “Evelyn showed me proof. I trust her, not you.”

My breath caught in my throat. I realized too late how far Evelyn had gone.

Desperately, I kept pressing Liam, refusing to let Evelyn’s lies root deeper and settle in his fractured mind forever.

My voice trembled as I pleaded, “Liam, please listen to me.”

But Liam’s patience finally snapped. His face contorted with frustration as he shouted, “If I wasn’t sick, I would have kicked you out of my room myself. Get out now, or I will call the guards again!”

The force of his words hit me like a physical blow. Tears welled up in my eyes, hot and stinging.

For three years, Liam had never yelled at me—not once. Even when we argued, his voice had always remained steady, measured.

But those past two days, all I had received from him were yelling, insults, and indifference. The man I loved was gone, replaced by a stranger.

With my heart shattered, I turned on my heel and ran toward the door, unable to stay in that room any longer.

But just as I reached the doorway, I collided with someone entering the room—Evelyn.

“Argh!” Evelyn cried out dramatically, falling backward onto the floor, cradling Lucas protectively in her arms as if I had deliberately attacked her.

The sound of her cry sent Liam into a panic. Ignoring his own condition, he jumped up from the bed, yanking the IV needle from his arm.

Blood dripped freely from the puncture site, staining the white sheets, but he did not seem to notice or care.

“Evelyn!” Liam shouted, rushing to her side. He knelt down, his arms wrapping around her protectively. “Is there anything wrong? Are you hurt? Talk to me!”

Evelyn clung to him, her face contorted into an expression of faux pain.

Liam’s eyes darkened as he turned to me, his voice a thunderous roar. “You’ve gone too far, Amelia! How dare you?!”

“Liam, it was an accident….” I tried to explain, my voice cracking with desperation.

But he did not let me finish. “Don’t you dare come into our lives again, or I swear, I will sue you!”

Without sparing me another glance, Liam helped Evelyn to her feet, his arm securely around her as he guided her into the room.

The door slammed shut behind them, leaving me standing in the hallway, alone and defeated.