Playing Amnesiac Set Me Free のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 9

"Charles, from now on you need to listen to Mommy. Don't cling to your Aunt Wendy anymore." My husband, Jason Hubert, looked at me. His eyes flickered, but there wasn't a trace of guilt or unease.My son peeked out from Lindsay's arms and glanced at me cautiously. Then, in a clear little voice, he called out, "Aunt Wendy."Those words landed right in the center of my chest. A sharp, throbbing ache spread under my ribs.Lindsay walked up to my hospital bed, her voice thick with disapproval."Wendy, Jason and I are already so busy with work. We asked you to help take care of Charles, and you couldn't even do that right?"Thank goodness Charles is fine. If something had happened to him, could you have taken responsibility? Honestly, what can you do properly?"The moment she finished, the woman I'd always tiptoed around—my own birth mother—immediately chimed in."Lindsay, don't be so hard on her. After all, she doesn't have Wheeler blood. She's not like you—excellent at everything

I've never been a magnanimous person. The nanny tore me away from my family for over twenty years—and she raised me poorly on top of it.I had always carried a grudge against her, and naturally, I could never warm to Lindsay, the beneficiary of her schemes.Back then, Jason had casually said, "Lindsay didn't do anything wrong. She was just a child who didn't understand anything."I had been angry with him for two whole days over that.In the end, he had come to soothe me, and a single bag of candy had been enough to calm me down. That episode now felt like a dividing line between us. Life went on as usual, but looking back, I realize that moment marked the path I didn't take.I popped the candy into my mouth. It melted on my tongue, but the sweetness quickly turned cloying.I pulled out my phone and dialed a number."Hello? Wendy! Why are you calling me? I thought you’d totally drowned in Jason’s little love bubble!"It was my best friend, Gina Buckley.She had been the only o

Lindsay's birthday arrived.My mother threw her a lavish party at the city's most luxurious hotel banquet hall.Jason spared no expense, inviting nearly every notable socialite in town.Lindsay wore a custom-made gown that shimmered like the night sky, her arm looped through Jason's, accepting the crowd's admiration with a radiant smile.My mother stood beside them, her face glowing with pride.The three of them—laughing, celebrating, basking in each other's happiness—were the envy of everyone present.I had boarded a flight abroad three days ago. I had timed it perfectly.At the climax of the birthday celebration, when the host invited Jason to the stage to give his heartfelt birthday wishes to Lindsay, it was time for my gift to be delivered.I sent a message to Gina's friend back home: [Now.]On stage, Jason held the microphone, gazing at Lindsay with all the warmth he could muster."Lindsay, from the day you were born, you've always been like a light, warming everyone aro

The following days, I had my lawyer file formal divorce proceedings against Jason, submitting all evidence of his infidelity during our marriage.At the same time, I petitioned the court to divide all marital assets under our names.Jason received the court summons and panicked.He had to contend with a corporate crisis, public scrutiny, and now a divorce lawsuit—simultaneously.He tried to contact me, only to discover that every line of communication had been blocked.All he could do was go through his lawyer, sending messages expressing a desire to reconcile.His attorney claimed Jason was willing to forfeit all his assets if I would withdraw the lawsuit and publicly acknowledge that everything had been a misunderstanding.I instructed my lawyer to reply: [Fine. But he must kneel in the city's largest plaza and apologize to me for three full days and nights. Then, maybe I'll consider it.]Jason nearly smashed his office in a fit of rage.Meanwhile, the Wheeler family descend

Gina followed me in and handed me a cup of warm water. She looked at me with concern."Are you… okay?"I took the cup, sipped, and shook my head."I'm fine. Calmer than I expected."Yes—calm.I once thought that facing them again would break my heart, that a storm of emotions would rise all at once. But when the moment truly arrived, I realized my heart had long since become a dead sea, unruffled by any waves.They could no longer stir anything in me.I thought that was the end of it.I was wrong.A few days later, another uninvited guest arrived—my mother.She looked even more wretched than Jason. More than half her hair had turned white, deep wrinkles carved into her face, as if she had aged ten years overnight.Led in by Gina, she stepped into my office. The moment she saw me, tears spilled down her face.She moved to embrace me, but I sidestepped. Her outstretched hand froze awkwardly in midair. After a pause, she spoke, her voice trembling, "Wendy… my daughter… I was w