Chapter 4

Felix's spirit reacted before I could.

"As long as I remember everything from when I was a spirit, I am never marrying you."

Then he froze.

"Wait. What if I don't remember any of this when I wake up? What if I forget everything? Will my spirit and body even sync up properly? I didn't think about that. Damn it. What if I wake up and actually believe Sienna was the one taking care of me?"

I rubbed my stinging cheek, just as unsettled.

I didn't really care who Felix ended up marrying.

But if Sienna stole my credit, there went my twenty million.

Felix suddenly smacked his forehead.

"Hold on. My mom. She's seen Sienna's true colors. There's no way she'd let me marry her again. As long as Mom's around, she can prove Ruth was the one taking care of me."

Except—

Sienna wasn't about to quit.

She went straight to Penelope.

Without a shred of shame, she said, "You know Felix. Once he decides on someone, that's it. When he wakes up, you can't force him to marry a girl he doesn't even know. He survived something terrible. As his mother, you should support him, not meddle in his love life."

To my surprise, Penelope actually bought it.

She turned to me, looking uncomfortable. "Felix doesn't know who's been caring for him anyway. When the time comes, I'll just tell him it was Sienna. They were already in love. It'll make sense for them to get married. Everyone wins.

"I'll compensate you generously. As long as you stay quiet, nobody has to know you were the one taking care of Felix."

I nodded without arguing.

Felix practically lost his mind. "Ruth, can you please stand up for yourself for once? Why are you just handing over the credit?"

I wanted to.

But I'd spent my whole life swallowing things and moving on.

I had no family backing me up. No connections. No confidence.

What was I supposed to fight with?

Felix dragged a hand down his face. "Unbelievable. None of you are reliable. Fine. I'll handle it myself. I just need to make sure I keep these memories."

After winning Penelope over, Sienna decided to lock things down.

She told the media before Felix even woke up.

"After everything I've done for Felix, he's finally about to wake up! We'll be getting married soon, and before long, I'll officially be Mrs. Floyd. Thank you all for your love and support."

Everyone outside believed Sienna's devotion was what created the miracle.

As more specialists got involved and Felix kept fighting, his condition improved fast.

Less than six months later—

Every test showed the same thing.

His brain had fully recovered.

He could wake up at any time.

The closer that day got, the less Felix wanted to leave.

"Ruth, I really hope I remember all of this when I wake up. I hope I don't forget how good you've been to me. And I really, really hope I don't wake up thinking Sienna's the one who saved me."

I hoped so too.

But there was nothing I could do about it.

Then one morning, I opened my eyes—

And Felix's spirit was gone.

My heart skipped.

He was waking up.

I immediately called Penelope and the specialists.

The second Sienna heard the news, she showed up with reporters in tow.

With everyone watching nervously, the doctors performed the final procedures.

Then a soft beep sounded.

Felix's eyes slowly opened.

The room fell silent.

Nobody dared breathe too loudly.

His fingers twitched.

He swallowed hard.

Then he stared up at the ceiling, like he was trying to piece something together.

All I could do was pray.

Pray he remembered.

Pray he remembered those six months.

Pray he remembered who had actually been there for him.

Because if he didn't—

Then everything I'd done was for nothing.

And I'd basically handed Sienna the win.

Sienna couldn't wait another second.

She rushed to his bedside.

"Felix! You're awake! It's me, Sienna! The woman you love! I've been taking care of you for the past six months. I stayed by your side every day. I took care of everything. You remember that, right? You remember me?"

The look in Felix's eyes made my stomach sink.

He looked... confused.

Had he really forgotten?

My parents immediately jumped in.

"Stop fantasizing. Even Felix's mother said that if he doesn't remember, then Sienna's the one who took care of him."

"Why are you still standing here? Quit ruining Sienna's moment."

Felix kept staring at Sienna.

My chest tightened.

Guess that was it.

I lowered my head and turned to leave.

Then—

Felix finally spoke.