Memory Restored, Love Destroyed

Under the covers, I was sleeping soundly when the lights snapped on and flooded my vision with blinding brightness.Jolted awake, I opened my eyes wide and saw a tall man with a straight posture standing by the door, wearing a pair of silver-rimmed glasses. His expression was utterly cold.It took a few blinks to realize that this was my husband, Jude Dixon. When he spoke, his voice was steady and emotionless."Why are you sleeping in the guest room?"Clutching the covers, I sat up and forced a dry laugh. "I just got my memories back, so it feels strange. Let's just sleep in separate rooms for now. I need time to adjust."He nodded as if it didn't matter. "Suit yourself."Then, he casually added, "You didn't call me today."I gave him a confused look. "Call you? Why would I? There's nothing I need to talk to you about."His demeanor cooled further as he replied, "In the past, you would have called me nonstop if I wasn't home by 10:00 pm."As memories of my past behavior hit me

"Isabel? What are you doing at the hospital?"I squatted down in surprise and pulled Isabel Frazier into my arms. She was my little companion during my amnesiac days.During my time in the hospital, I was terrified and lost. It felt like someone had hollowed out a massive hole in my heart.I drifted through the days in a constant dazed state and felt completely at a loss, like a piece of driftwood tossed about by a storm. I even struggled with the most basic tasks.Isabel was the one who had patiently taught me, as if she were guiding a preschooler. She stayed with me, talked to me, and kept me company, so I felt less lonely in the hospital."She fell off the swing while playing and hit her head, so we're here to get it checked," her uncle, Fredric Moss, explained. His eyes lit up when he saw me, as if he was clearly pleased."Oh, no. Are you okay? Does it hurt?" I worriedly ruffled Isabel's hair.She hugged my neck and nuzzled my cheek. "I'm okay. I just really missed you.""I

Goosebumps rose all over my arms again. That was when a sudden thought struck me—Jude probably wanted the spacious guest room for Maddie.The next day, I swapped rooms with her and moved into the nanny's room myself. But Jude's eyes darkened with suppressed, simmering anger. He was so distracted that he didn't even notice the coffee in his cup splashing scalding liquid onto Maddie's arm.That evening, he took Maddie into his study and even shot me a look just before he entered the door, but I kept scrolling through my phone, unbothered.No one in the house but me, not even Oliver, was usually allowed in the study. But she was Maddie, so exceptions were unsurprising.Later, Jude started to enjoy making comparisons. He would praise her cooking as better than mine, how she kept the house cleaner than I did, and how she organized the study more efficiently than I ever had.I rolled my eyes in exasperation. He could praise Maddie all he wanted since she did a great job, but was it ne

Jude set the phone down and sat in the study all night. The words, combined with my recent behavior, led to an obvious conclusion. I didn't love him anymore, so that was why I had become completely indifferent toward him. It wasn't sulking, anger, or acting out.From the very bottom of my heart, I simply didn't care and couldn't feel anything at all. It didn't matter to me that he spent time with Maddie, and I didn't even care if Maddie walked into his bathroom because I didn't love him anymore.The realization hit Jude like a physical blow to the heart. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and he pressed a hand over his chest, barely daring to draw a breath.How was it possible? We had been together for years.He had just grown a little impatient lately. He felt I embarrassed him, so he couldn't help wanting to escape just for three months…Three months… He'd left me in the hospital for three months, after I miscarried and lost my memory…Jude belatedly began to tremble.

"Mom?"Oliver's voice came through the glass. When I looked out, he was standing outside with slightly reddened eyes.I called him in and asked, "What are you doing here?"Pressing his lips together, he clutched the hem of his shirt and occasionally sneaked glances at Isabel. "I wanted to buy you something delicious after school."I was stunned. He had never done anything like that before or given me a gift, so it seemed the divorce talk had truly frightened him."Thank you. Let me take you home."I had thought about letting Oliver eat with us, but when I remembered his long list of allergies, I decided against it and took him back. We waved goodbye to Isabel. In the setting sun, our shadows stretched long across the ground.I wanted to tell Oliver not to overthink, but I wasn't sure how I should start.He kept his head lowered. After a long while, he carefully asked, "Mom, can you hold my hand? You used to always hold my hand."Only then did I notice he had been clutching t