Chapter 5

Martha held her phone close to her ear, pacing the length of her living room. Her voice was sharp, laced with fury. “Alex outdid himself this time. Just look at the condition he left you in!”

June cut in immediately, her tone edged with worry. “Alex? Is this a joke? Why do you talk in such a manner about my husband?”

“What in the world, June?” Martha snapped. “You and I know that this is Alex’s doing. Come on, don’t remember what that man has been doing to you?” Martha paused.

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of giving him the benefit of the doubt again!”

June’s brows furrowed deeply. “Ahhh,” she let out a strained breath. “I can’t… honestly, I just can’t deal with all this. It’s too much in one day.”

She turned to Linda, who had been standing by silently the entire time. “Please leave. I’d like to be alone.”

“June?” Martha’s voice softened. “Where are my manners? Get some rest, alright? I’ll come by tomorrow and we’ll talk properly then.”

June ended the call and sank onto her bed. Tears blurred her vision as her mind drifted and wandered towards her mother. She grabbed her phone and dialled. No answer. She tried again. And again. By the fifth attempt, she gave up. Clutching her pillow tightly, she cried herself to sleep.

The next morning arrived swiftly. June woke up early—how could she have slept comfortably?

Staring at the ceiling, the memories of the day before, which she had hoped were only a dream, came flooding back. She was still in Alex’s mansion, trapped in what felt like both a fairy tale and a cage of emotions she couldn’t understand.

A gentle knock at the door snapped her back to reality. Linda opened it, her voice soft and familiar.

“Good morning, Mrs. Smith.”

“You weren’t at the dining table. Are you not hungry?”

“It’s just 6:30 a.m.,” June replied, sitting upright.

Linda’s expression saddened. “Oh, child… You don’t remember, do you? You and Mr. Smith always have early breakfasts on weekdays.”

“Is he at the table now?” June asked abruptly.

“Yes,” Linda nodded.

Without a second thought, June hurried out to the dining room, determined not to miss seeing Alex before he left for work.

The dining room was quiet, except for the soft clinking of Alex’s cutlery. At the far end of the long table sat Alex, elegantly dressed in a charcoal suit and absorbed in his tablet. When he looked up at the sound of her approaching footsteps, his eyes softened.

“Good morning, June,” he said gently.

She gave a slight nod and pulled out a chair. “Good morning, Alex.”

Silence settled between them. Only the faint sound of Alex sipping his coffee filled the room. June stared at her plate, but her mind wandered. Different thoughts weighed her heart..

Linda entered briefly to pour June a cup of tea before slipping out again, leaving the two alone with their silence.

Alex finally broke it. “Your breakfast is untouched.”

“You always leave so early for work?” she asked, responding with another question..

With his gaze fixed on her, he asked, “Well, most days, yes. But you… you love being very early to work. It’s a habit I learned from you,” he added with a small, reflective smile.

June’s countenance, still unyielding, he asked keenly, “Does something bother you?”

June studied his face, trying to reconcile the handsome, soft-spoken man in front of her with the villain Martha had described. “I spoke to Martha last night,” she said suddenly.

Alex’s jaw tightened. “And what did she say?”

“She said… a lot. About you. About what you did to me.”

“What I did?” His voice lost some of its calm. “What exactly are you trying to say, June?”

“Ummm… we didn’t get to finish our conversation. Is there something that you aren’t telling me that I should know about”

He rose from his seat. “We can’t talk about this now. I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

He pushed his chair back and walked towards the door.

He stopped and looked back at her. “Please rest, June. You’ve been through a lot.”

Later that day, Martha drove through the estate as though she were rushing to catch a flight. She was asked to wait in the sitting area while Linda went to inform June.

June gasped. “Martha?”

The memory of Martha that lived in her mind was that of a nineteen-year-old girl who wore glasses all her life. She was very brilliant but painfully shy. They had been very close friends. Martha had undergone a few facial surgeries and wore contact lenses instead of the thick glasses June remembered.

“Martha Reid! My God!”

“I barely recognise you! Your glasses… if it weren’t for those chubby cheeks, I wouldn’t have known it was you.”

“Huh. I know you fell, but did you hit your head that hard?” Martha asked, slightly agitated..

“There is so much I have to tell you, Martha. Please, come inside,” June said, leading her to the living room.

She placed a pillow on her lap and raised her gaze slowly to meet Martha’s. “I think I have to start by telling you about the memory loss.”

Martha leaned in, startled. “Memory loss?”

“Yes, Martha. I remember only as far back as our senior year in high school,” she confessed, taking a deep breath. “I don’t remember my husband or ever being married. This house… everything is so new to me.” Her voice cracked as tears filled her eyes.

“Is this for real? That’s why you were defending that wicked man on the phone yesterday. It all makes sense now. I thought you forgave him again—like you always do.”

“Why do you speak like that about my husband?” June asked, her voice trembling.

“You may not remember anything, but don’t let that man fool you into thinking everything is perfect—because it is not.. I can swear that Alex tried to kill you. He only succeeded in putting you in a coma and wiping your memories.”

“What?” June gasped. “My husband?”

“He’s worse than I sound. That man is the devil himself. You were about to run away from him for good when the accident happened. That cannot be a coincidence June.”