Empire of Desires - Temptations Eternal Desires - 01

At my graduation ceremony, I finally gathered the courage to confess my feelings to my longtime crush, Kurt Wilder.

Across the street, Kurt stood in his sleek black gown, posing for photos with the effortless poise that always made him seem untouchable. My heart raced. Unable to contain my excitement, I dashed toward him—completely oblivious to the red light at the crosswalk.

There was a deafening bang. All I felt was pain, then darkness swallowed me awhole.

When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was a stark white ceiling. I was in a hospital bed. And standing beside me—was Kurt.

He looked as impossibly handsome as ever. Maybe this was the closest we'd ever been in our years of one-sided admiration. His gaze shifted from the IV drip above me to my face.

Then, by chance, my eyes caught the glint of a ring on his left hand. On his ring finger.

The realization struck me like another blow. After all this time, had he already belonged to someone else?

I swallowed my disappointment, forcing a smile. "Kurt… why are you here?"

I tried to sit up, only to notice thick layers of gauze wrapped around my arm. Before I could process it, Kurt pulled a chair close and sat down.

"Emma, you've gotten so creative. To force a divorce, you'd even risk your life."

I stared at him, completely bewildered.

Divorce? What on earth was he talking about? I wasn't even married yet—how could divorce have anything to do with me?

Just then, a nurse entered with a tray of medical supplies.

"Dr. Wilder, you're still here? Young lady, you have no idea how lucky you are. You were hit by a car, but fortunately, Dr. Wilder happened to be passing by and gave you emergency treatment right away. Otherwise, you'd be dealing with far more than just a fractured arm."

The nurse bent over my arm, disinfecting the wound with practiced care. She placed my hand gently to the side, and that's when I noticed something that made my breath hitch.

On my own left hand—on my ring finger—was a ring.

And it matched Kurt's. A couple's set.

Panic and disbelief surged through me. After the nurse left, I grabbed hold of Kurt's sleeve in desperation.

"You're Kurt Wilder, right? Class of 2018, Roswell School of Medicine?"

He frowned, clearly displeased, and jerked his sleeve free. His expression was icy.

"Since you're awake, let's discuss our divorce."

My mind went blank.

'This is insane,' I thought.

Moments ago, I'd simply been on my way to my graduation ceremony, hit by a car out of sheer bad luck. How had I suddenly become a woman so desperate to divorce Kurt that I'd supposedly staged an accident?

I was certain—either I'd gone mad, or he had.

"Kurt, wait—"

Before I could finish, a small child suddenly appeared in the room, scampering straight into Kurt's arms with unguarded affection.

I froze. 'What the—?'

He was adorable. My heart softened instantly, and I reached out with my uninjured hand to pinch his chubby cheek. But the little one shrank back, burying himself against Kurt as though frightened.

"Sorry, sweetheart," I cooed quickly, "you're just so cute, I couldn't resist."

Kurt's eyes darkened in annoyance, but I pushed forward, realizing I still hadn't clarified anything.

"Kurt, this may sound unbelievable, but I don't remember any of this. The only thing I recall is heading to my graduation ceremony before the accident—"

He cut me off, impatience dripping from his tone. "So what you're trying to say is… you've lost your memory?"

Amnesia. Yes—that was the only explanation. Only memory loss could explain why I remembered nothing of this supposed marriage.

I nodded fervently, sincerely.

But Kurt remained cold. He pulled a document from his bag and tossed it onto my lap.

"This is the divorce agreement. Every clause is exactly as you requested. If you have no objections, sign it."

I opened my mouth, but words failed me. Before I could react, the little boy in Kurt's arms pouted, lips trembling with grievance at his father's harsh tone.

"Kurt, saying things like that in front of the kid isn't good for his emotional well-being," I said softly. "Why don't we… set this matter aside for now?"

Kurt's laugh was sharp, humorless.

"The kid? Emma, this performance of yours is quite convincing. But don't forget—he's our kid."

My mind spun. His words hit me like a thunderclap.

"And when you were having dinner with another man, did it occur to you to consider your kid's emotional well-being then?"

I could hardly absorb his first revelation before the second one shattered me all over again. Our kid?

I stared at the boy, wide-eyed, as though seeing him for the first time.

I was married, with a son...? I had an entire life I had no memory of!

But the little one ignored me completely, pressing his face into Kurt's neck, unwilling even to look at me.

The information overload was too much. My mind froze, my thoughts crashed. For the first time in my life, I truly felt like my brain had short-circuited.