“Thank you so much, Doctor,” said Mr. Alex Smith.
June found herself completely captivated by the handsome stranger who was supposedly her husband. A rich, woody masculine scent filled the air as he stepped closer to her. Alex released a sigh of relief and held her lightly by the shoulders, gently swiping away her tears with his thumb. “I’m here now. Oh… I don’t know what to say. You probably don’t remember me. I’m just so glad you’re finally awake,” he said in a low, captivating voice. June, who had been filled with rage and frustration, suddenly felt calm. She couldn’t take her eyes off Mr. Alex. He is unreasonably perfect, she thought. His eyes had so much depth, a girl could get lost in them. His breath as he spoke… that deep voice sent shivers down her spine. She finally mustered the courage to speak. “Is this for real? I lost my memory… and I’m married? I’m your wife?” “I never thought I’d have to introduce myself to you of all people,” he said, exhaling deeply. “I’m Alexander Smith. Well, everyone just calls me Alex. And yes, I am your husband. We’ve been married for over a year. Please, sit—you look tired.” “This is a lot to take in. Honestly, it’s unbelievable.” She laughed bitterly. “When are my parents coming? And where is my phone?” She stared keenly for an answer but Alex didn’t respond. She stood and walked to the drawer, hurriedly scattering the neatly packed clothes. Finally, she found her phone at the bottom, It looked very different from the one she remembered having, but she had too much on her mind to worry about how her phone looked. June turned it on and opened her call log to contact her mom. To her surprise, her recent calls had names she didn’t recall including Alex’s.. Tears welled in her eyes. Reality hit. Her hands trembled as she left the call log and opened her photo app. Her mouth fell open at the sight of pictures she didn’t remember—pictures of herself, and finally, her wedding photos with Alex. “It’s really true,” she whispered as her phone slipped from her hands. Alex rushed to her, helping her up. “Tears don’t suit your pretty face, Juney. Your mom will visit you at the house, I promise. Let’s go home now,” he said, gripping her waist gently to steady her. When she looked up, her eyes met his, and for a moment, they stood frozen, breathless in each other’s presence. Alex blinked rapidly, as if snapping out of a trance. He quickly released her and went to sit down. “Bring me the dress I had arranged for Mrs. Smith,” he said into his phone. “Finalise with her doctor and get the discharge documents.” Still dazed, June watched as Alex handed her a dress and a pair of shoes. “Put these on. Let me take you home,” he said, his voice low and commanding. She hesitated, but one look into his eyes and she was drawn in. “You’re starting to look like the wife I remember,” he said with a smirk, gently placing a hand on her shoulder as they exited the room. Her stomach fluttered with butterflies. As they walked through the hospital corridors, June noticed how heads turned—staff, visitors, even patients in wheelchairs strained to catch a glimpse. It was strange, but oddly pleasant. Was I a celebrity too? she wondered. Well, he is definitely worth staring at, she thought, smiling. Alex caught her gaze and smiled. “You seem happier to go home with me than I thought you’d be,” he said, his voice smooth. June grinned from ear to ear, excited and anxious about whatever was waiting for her. As they approached the hospital exit, a Rolls-Royce Phantom was parked right in front of them. The driver stood by, holding the door open. She froze, stunned. “Was that man talking to me? Is this… wait, is this your car?” she stammered. Alex nodded. “That’s our driver, Mr. Williams. He’ll take us home. Get in.” Once inside, she marvelled at the luxurious interior. “Did I sleep and wake up in a fairy tale where I’m married to a hot, rich guy?” After Mr. Williams closed her door, he rushed to open the other side for Alex. “Thank you, Williams,” Alex said as he sat down. June continued to stare, wide-eyed and speechless. “You’re an entirely different person, June,” Alex said finally, breaking the silence. “Are you kidding me? Is this for real? What exactly do you do? Wait… is this my life? Oh my God.” Her words came out unfiltered, unlike her usual composed self. “I know you don’t remember me, but just how far back is your memory gone?” he asked. “Let me rephrase, how old do you think you are?” “Well… from what I remember, I’m 18, in my first year of college.” Alex let out a short, forced laugh. “Wow. You’re going to be a handful, aren’t you?” “Well, let’s be realistic, you own a very expensive car.” “Yeah, it’s okay. Just one of my favourites,” he said, looking out the window. Her shock deepened. “There’s more?! What kind of house do we live in then? I’m sorry, I’m asking too many questions. This is all just overwhelming. I hope you understand.” Alex laughed, loud and warm. “Your questions are music to my ears. Don’t worry, you’re not asking too much. I’ve never experienced this version of you before. It’s… interesting.” June smiled shyly, biting her lip and fiddling with the rim of her dress. Her legs bounced nervously the entire ride. She looked out the window, hoping to recognise a landmark, but her mind was blank. As they neared Alex’s mansion, they noticed a commotion at the gate. “What’s going on, Williams?” Alex asked sharply. “I’m not sure, sir. I wasn’t informed about anything.” “What do you mean by you weren’t informed? Get this sorted immediately.” “Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir,” Williams replied. Silence filled the vehicle. June was stunned—this was her first time seeing Alex annoyed. His voice held such authority and composure that it was both breathtaking and slightly terrifying. As they approached the gate, they were suddenly surrounded by paparazzi. Flashbulbs burst in rapid succession. “Did Mrs. Smith try to end her life?” “Did you drive your wife to suicide?” “Are you getting divorced?” “Are you seeing someone else?” “Is Mrs. Smith mentally unstable?”Her mom’s stay went by like a breeze, and in no time, she had to return to Australia.At Alex’s office in the Grand Hotel.“Seriously, you have to start paying me for all the counseling services I render to you. I can’t imagine how much I’d have made by now if I charged you for every time I gave you advice, man.” David laughed, trying to make the air less tense by making up jokes, hoping to pull a smile from Alex.“Well then, maybe with all that money you’d be able to finally get a girlfriend.” Alex chuckled, though his eyes still maintained the hollowness devoid of the emotions his face was trying to portray.David’s smile slowly faded as he noticed Alex’s countenance and decided to quit with the jokes before they lost effect.“Are you and June still not able to make things work, even after she lost her memories? It doesn’t make sense that she’d be able to remember how things were between you two before the accident.”“It doesn’t make sense, yes,” his tone low and firm.He paused for
Somehow, it was so easy for her to remember everything between her and Christian, but with Alex, it was as though her mind blocked off all the memories, maybe to protect her from things better left unremembered, she thought.10 a.m. the following day. The morning sun’s rays streamed into her room, illuminating the place.June woke from sleep, but her eyes remained closed. She was too lazy to get out of bed, so she lay there, half-asleep.The memories of the previous day came flooding back, and she let out a soft exhale.She stretched her arms out and, while yawning, stretched her legs. Her right foot hit against something.“What’s that?” she wondered, kicking against it.“Ouch!” a familiar voice exclaimed. Her eyes bolted open.“Mom?” she called out, blinking rapidly to clear her vision.“Mommy!” she cried, reaching toward her mother for a hug. Her mom embraced her passionately.“You are here, when-how? You should have at least woken me up, mummy,” she said, her voice babyish.“You s
After they met at the opera, Christian started making more time to see her and eventually became a dear friend of hers.One day, Alex and June had a heated argument. She didn’t want to go home to face him; she needed somewhere to clear her head.She thought it’d be a good idea to spend some time with her friend Christian. Being around him was always a breath of fresh air.Like her knight in shining armor, he came running after her. He reserved a private dining room at Velaré where they could meet.She was skeptical about being alone with him behind closed doors for the first time, but he seemed so harmless. What harm could someone so sweet possibly do? Anything was better than seeing Alex anyway.The restaurant was exclusive enough for someone of her caliber to meet with him without raising public suspicion.Christian got to the place early so that he would already be there when she arrived. As soon as she opened the dining room door, he stood from his seat and pulled out a chair for
“Don’t worry, it was a mistake and not your fault okay.” “I insist.”They were both kneeling, neither willing to let anyone else pick up her items scattered on the floor. June raised her gaze into his. He was relentless—determined to help. Insisting on picking up her things herself seemed disrespectful, so she stood up and allowed him to do it.He smiled mischievously, gathered her things into her bag, and handed them over with both hands, as if they were of great importance to him.“Here you go.”“Thank you,” she said, accepting the bag. She gave him a polite smile and walked off without waiting for a response.He stayed back, intentionally giving her some time to walk in before he joined.June walked across the lobby, her heels tapping softly against the floors, the low murmur of voices fading behind her. Ahead, the auditorium doors stood tall and closed, guarded by a pair of silent ushers in black suits.As she approached the doors, someone brushed her hand again.“Sorry, ma’am,
Six months agoChristian’s father was on his neck to secure the contract, and the fact that if he didn’t win it, he could lose it to Alex made him grow hungry to get it through any means possible.Alex was a powerful billionaire, much more powerful than he was. There was no way he could even touch a thread on his jacket.But just like Martha, he saw Alex’s wife—June as the weak link. If he could get to her, he could get to Alex.On a snowy afternoon in Manhattan, the air was moist and chilly as the flakes piled up on the ground.Christian had lit up a cigar and puffed the smoke in his secretary’s face, who he had held against a wall.Leaning closely to her face, he took out the cigar and used it to swipe her hair off her face, which she had turned away from his gaze.“What’s wrong, love? Don’t tell me that you’re shy.”“Please sir, let me leave,” her breath shaky, she uttered in a low voice.“I know women like you. You just love pretense, don’t you? I see the way you look at me.”He l
“I’m Serena Hart, senior correspondent for The Manhattan Report.Tonight, we’re following up on a development that has sparked new questions about June Smith, the wife of billionaire hotel magnate Mr. Alex Smith.The public has known about Mrs. Smith’s fall for some time. It made headlines, prompted statements from the family’s legal team, and led to a brief absence from the spotlight.But what wasn’t disclosed until last night is that the fall caused her to lose her memory.The revelation came during a private charity gala attended by several high-profile figures. In a quiet moment, Mrs. Smith shared that she had been suffering from memory loss since the accident, meaning much of her public return to society happened while she was still recovering from amnesia.The reaction among guests was immediate. Some expressed sympathy. Others expressed confusion. But for many watching from the outside, the dominant response is SUSPICION.Why wasn’t this detail shared earlier? Why had Mr. Smith