The house loomed in the dim evening light, its towering gates opening as the car pulled into the driveway. I stepped out, exhausted, my heart still heavy from the cruel reality at the hospital.

"Welcome home, Miss Cienna," the butler greeted with a slight bow, but before he could say another word, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around me.

"How's my brother? Is he dead?" Leo’s voice was sharp, his smirk twisted in something between amusement and bitterness. "Serves him right. Now I can marry you."

I forced a small smile, trying to ignore the aching emptiness in my chest. I placed a hand on his head, gently ruffling his dark hair. "Samuel is fine."

Leo’s expression darkened, his sharp eyes trailing past me. I followed his gaze, and there she was—Sierra, holding onto Samuel’s arm as if she had never left. My stomach twisted as she whispered something into his ear, her voice sickeningly sweet. Samuel barely spared me a glance, but acknowledged Leo and the butler with a slight nod—proof that he remembered them, just not me. 

Leo’s fingers curled into fists. "So he remembers the butler, me, everything else… except you?" His voice was eerily calm, but his eyes burned with barely restrained fury.

I swallowed hard, unable to answer.

Sierra took a step toward the entrance, but before she could enter, I blocked her path.

"You forced your way into the hospital because of his memory loss, but I won’t let you into our home," I said, my voice low and firm. My body trembled, not from fear, but from the overwhelming pain in my heart.

Sierra let out a soft gasp, feigning innocence as she turned to Samuel. "Samuel…" she whimpered, gripping his sleeve. "She’s scaring me."

Samuel’s eyes were like ice as he stared at me. "Move, Cienna."

I refused. "This house is ours, filled with memories you can’t recall, and you want to bring her in like none of it mattered? I won’t allow it."

Leo stepped forward, his voice laced with malice. "Are you really this blind brother? You forgot Cienna, but you still remember the woman who left you? The woman who abandoned you?"

Samuel’s grip on Sierra tightened. "Watch your mouth, Leo."

"Or what?" Leo laughed darkly. "You’ll hit me? Do it. You’re pathetic, fighting for someone who threw you away while pushing away the one person who stayed beside you when you almost died."

Samuel’s jaw clenched, his entire body tensing. He stepped forward, his fists trembling with suppressed rage. For a moment, I thought he might actually strike his own brother. I couldn't let that happen.

I placed a hand on Samuel’s chest, stopping him before he could do something he’d regret. "Enough!" My voice cracked, but I stood my ground. "Samuel, I’m still your wife. Have some respect—for our vows, for our home, for what we had. You may not remember it, but I do."

Samuel’s expression twisted in irritation. "If you don’t want her here, then we’ll leave. We’ll stay somewhere else."

I sucked in a shaky breath. "You just got out of the hospital. This is the safest place for you."

Silence.

He didn’t argue, but he didn’t agree either.

"Fine," I muttered. "Let them in."

---

Dinner was unbearable.

I sat at the long dining table, my appetite completely gone as Sierra giggled beside Samuel, her hands constantly reaching for him, touching him. He didn’t push her away. He let her. My fingers dug into the table, my heart breaking a little more with every passing second.

Leo’s grip on his fork tightened. I saw it coming before anyone else did. In a blur of motion, he grabbed the knife beside his plate and hurled it across the table.

Samuel caught it effortlessly, his glare locked onto Leo. "Are you out of your mind?!"

Leo leaned back, a twisted smirk on his lips. "You're a fool, Samuel. You've lost your memories, fine. But treating Cienna like this? Spitting on the love you swore to protect? You're lower than trash."

Samuel’s voice was eerily calm. "Your allowance is gone."

Leo scoffed. "Take it. I don’t need your money. I never thought I’d see the day you’d betray the woman you love most." His gaze flickered to me, filled with silent fury. "You disgust me."

He grabbed my wrist, his touch protective yet forceful. "We’re leaving."

I pulled back, shaking my head. "No. I need to talk to Samuel."

Leo hesitated before scoffing and storming out of the room.

The office was silent when Samuel and I entered. The weight of our shattered love pressed down on me as I stood before him, searching for something—anything—in his eyes.

But there was nothing.

Samuel leaned against the desk, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. "I was going to bring this up sooner," he said, voice devoid of emotion. "I don’t know how we got married. I don’t know how you tricked my past self during those three years. But it needs to stop. Let’s get a divorce."

My world crumbled.

A sharp, unbearable pain tore through my chest, making it hard to breathe. I opened my mouth, but no words came.

This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.

Samuel loved me. He fought for me. He once told me he’d burn the world down for me.

But now, he was willing to throw it all away.

He had forgotten me—but worse, he had abandoned me.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced them back, swallowing the unbearable lump in my throat.

"Samuel…" My voice broke. "Please…"

But he didn’t waver.

And at that moment, I knew—

The man I loved was gone.

I clutched the fabric of Samuel’s suit, my body trembling as I knelt before him. My tears fell freely, soaking the cold marble floor beneath me. My pride was gone—shattered into pieces like my heart.

“Please, Samuel…” My voice cracked, my hands gripping his leg desperately. “Don’t do this. Don’t throw away everything we’ve built. I love you. I have loved you for three years. You promised—you swore to never leave me.”

Samuel looked down at me, his face was void of emotion, as if I were nothing but a stranger. “I’ve already decided.”

My chest tightened painfully, my body shaking as I tightened my hold. “You don’t mean it. You don’t remember, but your heart does! Please, just give us time—I can make you remember!”

Samuel sighed, prying my fingers off him with an exasperated look. “Cienna, this is pathetic.”

His words sliced through me like a dagger, but I didn’t care. I held onto his leg, pressing my forehead against it as sobs racked my body. “I will do anything. I will leave if you want. I won’t bother you. Just don’t do this. Don’t sign it.”

Samuel stepped back, forcing me to fall onto the cold floor. He turned away, his voice devoid of warmth. “Once the divorce contract is signed, I want you out of this house today.”

Something inside me snapped. The desperation, the pain—it all turned to a hollow void. I slowly pushed myself up, wiping my tears away with the back of my hand. My legs wobbled as I stood, but my face remained emotionless.

“Fine.”

I walked away without looking back, my heart completely numb.

---

I had barely finished packing when the door burst open.

Leo stormed in, his face twisted with disbelief. “Where the hell are you going?”

I folded the last of my clothes into the suitcase and let out a slow breath. “He asked for a divorce. I signed it. I’m leaving.”

Leo's fists clenched, his entire body vibrating with anger. “He really went insane.” He turned on his heel. “I’m going to—”

I grabbed his arm. “Don’t.”

Leo’s nostrils flared, his jaw tightening. “You’re really asking me to do nothing after what he just did to you?”

I forced a small smile, though my heart felt like it was bleeding out. “You’re the only family he has. I don’t want you two to hurt each other because of me.”

Leo exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face before giving me a long, searching look. “Where are you even going?”

I hesitated. “Somewhere far.”

“That’s not an answer.”

I shook my head. “I can’t tell you.”

Leo's shoulders sagged before he pulled me into a hug. “Call me sometimes, alright?”

I closed my eyes, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. “I will.”

---

The contract lay on the table, the ink still fresh from my signature. My wedding ring sat beside it—a final, painful reminder of everything we had lost.

I looked at Samuel, hoping—praying for any sign of hesitation. But he remained emotionless, his cold gaze meeting mine without a flicker of remorse.

Sierra, draped over his lap, smirked at me with satisfaction.

The sight made something inside me snap. Without a second thought, I grabbed the glass of water on the table and threw it in Samuel’s face.

He flinched, water dripping from his hair onto his suit, but he didn’t say a word.

I met his icy stare, my voice laced with fury and heartbreak. “One day, Samuel, you’ll regret this. And when that day comes, I won’t be there anymore.”

With that, I turned and walked away, my heart shattering with every step I took.

At the airport, my fingers trembled as I held my passport, waiting for my flight.

---

Far away, inside the mansion, the atmosphere shifted the moment I left.

Samuel shoved Sierra off his lap, his jaw clenched in cold fury. “You’ve done too much.”

Sierra scoffed, fixing her disheveled dress before looking up at him with a smirk. “Why? You said we needed to hurt her.”

Samuel’s hands curled into fists, his breathing sharp.

Sierra leaned closer, her lips curling into a cruel smirk. "Does it hurt, Samuel? Watching her walk away like that?" Her voice dripped with mockery, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Tell me, does your heart ache too?" She chuckled darkly. "Hah. You've really gone soft."

Samuel’s expression darkened, but he said nothing. Instead, he sat there, silent, as something deep inside him twisted painfully—a feeling he couldn’t explain.

A feeling that told him he had just made the biggest mistake of his life.

The plane rumbled beneath me, but I barely noticed. I stared blankly out the window, watching the clouds drift past. My heart felt as empty as the sky beyond—no, emptier. I was officially divorced. No home to return to. No husband. No past.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

I ignored the voice at first, too drained to care. But when the person lingered, I sighed and turned my head, ready to snap—only for a wave of nausea to slam into me.

My stomach lurched violently.

I swallowed hard, trying to suppress it, but the turbulence made it worse. My stomach churned violently. Before I could react—

“Oh shit—” he shot up from his seat, looking completely horrified. I barely registered his reaction before I clapped a hand over my mouth and bolted down the aisle, racing for the bathroom.

The stranger followed me. “Hey—are you okay? Do you need water?”

I shut the bathroom door in his face and threw up again, gripping the sink for dear life. My entire body shook as I stared at my reflection—pale, exhausted, and now utterly humiliated.

When I finally emerged, the man was still waiting outside, arms crossed. He was tall, with sharp yet strangely gentle features, his once-clean shirt now ruined. He glanced down at himself and sighed. “Well, that was unexpected.”

“I—I’m so sorry,” I stammered, bowing my head repeatedly. “I didn’t mean to—”

“You can stop apologizing now,” he chuckled. “Though, if you really feel bad, you can make it up to me.”

I blinked. “W-What?”

His grin was boyish, teasing. “Be my tour guide when we land.”

I hesitated. “I—uh, I need to go home first.”

“Fair enough.” He gave me a casual salute. “I’m Aiden, by the way. You look like my—”

He barely finished the sentence before another wave of nausea hit me.

Aiden's smile vanished. “Are you really sick? You should get checked.”

I brushed him off, but a nagging thought gnawed at me. My stomach has been upset for days. I was exhausted, emotional, and—

Wait.

My breath hitched.

When was the last time I had my period?

My fingers curled around the armrest as realization crashed over me.

Was I… pregnant?

---

We parted ways at the airport, Aiden waving cheerfully as if we were old friends. I checked my phone, scrolling to his number—the one he had called minutes ago to make sure it was real.

I slipped the phone back into my pocket and took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp air of the countryside. Peace. That was all I wanted. A quiet life, away from all the chaos.

As I walked through the familiar dirt roads, the scent of fresh earth and blooming flowers filled my lungs, wrapping around me like a warm embrace. The chirping of birds and the distant laughter of children playing in the fields made my heart ache with nostalgia.

“Cienna! You’re back!”

I turned to see some of the townsfolk smiling warmly at me. A group of elderly women, who used to watch over me as a child, clutched their baskets as they approached.

“We haven’t seen you in so long,” one of them said, patting my hand. “You look so thin, child. Are you eating well?”

Another woman squinted at me. “And your husband? Didn’t you say he’s some big businessman?”

I forced a smile, ignoring the pang in my chest. “I’m just here for a break,” I said vaguely.

They nodded, though I could see the curiosity in their eyes. I bid them goodbye before they could ask more questions and continued toward my house.

But the moment I stepped inside, my brief sense of peace shattered.

My mother stood in the doorway, arms crossed, her face twisted in anger.

“You finally decided to come home,” she sneered. “Where’s the money?”

I stiffened. “What?”

“The money, Cienna! I didn’t get anything this month! Do you think I can live off nothing? You were off living your fancy life while I was here struggling!”

My hands clenched into fists. “I was sending you money every month. Don’t act like—”

“Then where is it?!” she snapped. “You think I’d be standing here yelling at you if I got it?”

I swallowed, my chest tightening. I had stopped checking my accounts after everything fell apart with Samuel. Could he have cut me off completely?

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’ll figure something out.”

My mother scoffed. “You better. I won’t feed a useless daughter who can’t even send money back to her family.”

I turned away before she could see the way my eyes burned with unshed tears.

As I stepped outside again, the scent of fresh air did little to calm me. My hand instinctively touched my stomach.

I had wanted peace. A life away from all the problems.

But now… with this unconfirmed baby growing inside me, my problems were only beginning.

And then my phone buzzed.

A message from an unknown number.

[We need to talk. - Samuel.]

My breath hitched. My fingers trembled over the screen.

Did he know?