Chapter 5

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 necessary to drag me down while he was at it?

Seeing that I wasn't giving him the reaction he craved, his mood grew darker. I found it baffling and soon couldn't stand being in the same room as him.

"Maddie just gave me a piece of candy, Mom. Can I eat it?" Oliver, who had been uncharacteristically quiet these days, asked while holding up a wrapped candy.

"Eat it if you want," I replied without looking up from my phone.

"But it's a nougat cluster."

"So?"

He suddenly burst into loud, frantic sobs. "Don't do this, Mom! Don't stop caring for me! I'm allergic to nuts, and you never used to let me eat them!

"I know that I've messed up. You were always doing what was best for me, so don't ignore me. I promise I'll behave from now on!"

My mind genuinely took a moment to catch up. Since recovering my memory, I had often been slow. Things I used to keep burned into my memory were slowly fading.

Watching Oliver break down into a pathetic mess, I was completely at a loss and turned to Maddie. "Maybe you should comfort him. He's always liked you."

As she pulled him into her arms to soothe him, I seized the chance to make a quick exit and leave his wailing behind me.

The woman I used to be would have felt a sharp pang of distress or guilt at the sight of his tears. But as I pressed a hand to my chest, I now felt nothing.

During my amnesiac days, I would sometimes cry for no reason. My heart would ache so deeply that I couldn't sleep for nights.

Perhaps I had simply run out of tears. My emotions had been drained dry, and I no longer had the strength to care.

That evening, Jude went into the bathroom to shower. Minutes later, he called out, "Serena, bring me my bathrobe."

I was painting my nails and didn't want to ruin the polish, so I looked over at Maddie. "Can you do it? I'm busy."

Maddie's cheeks flushed red, and a shy, youthful glow lit up her eyes.

She bit her lip and nodded. "Of course. If Dr. Dixon needs help, I'm happy to do whatever is necessary."

After she went in, I didn't give it a second thought and focused on admiring my manicure. But moments later, a roar of pure fury erupted from the bathroom. "Get out!"

It was followed by the sharp, crystalline crash of a fist shattering a glass pane.

Seconds later, Jude's hand dripped blood as he stomped toward me in rage.

"What the hell are you playing at, Serena? In the past, you would never let another woman near me, but now you're sending her straight to my door!"