All Chapters of Love Traded for Amnesia, Marriage Traded for Freedom: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Maisie hadn't expected the sudden question. She turned away uncomfortably and avoided my gaze."If you don't want to sign…"She retracted the divorce papers with practiced ease, just as she'd done countless times before. But this time, I caught her wrist.My mind was a mess. After having just been diagnosed with cancer and watching the video she'd recorded three years ago, I wanted to shut everything out more than anything. But I also knew that I didn't have much time left.So, I gripped the divorce papers and stubbornly stared at her, pressing for an answer."Maisie, will you be happy?"She frowned, clearly irritated by my persistence, and aggressively yanked the papers out of my hand. The sharp edge sliced across my palm, and blood slowly seeped out. But the sting in my hand was nothing compared to the look of annoyance on her face.When she noticed the blood on my hand, her expression immediately cooled. "You should get it treated first."I shook my head and stubbornly wai

The next day, I visited Mom's grave."I'm getting divorced, Mom."I sat on the ground beside the gravestone, just like how I used to lean in her arms when I was a kid. I didn't stay for long since I'd be seeing her again soon.On the way home, I passed by my university. On a whim, I decided to go there and take a look around the campus.As soon as I reached the gates, the security guard studied my face intently before asking, "Didn't your wife come with you today?"His sudden question caught me off guard.Seeing my reaction, he sheepishly scratched his head and explained, "Your face is recorded in our security system since your wife donated a huge sum of money to the school three years ago."His voice, filled with a touch of exaggerated awe, echoed in my ears.I walked inside and took a lap around the grounds. There really wasn't much to see now that I was revisiting the old, familiar spots.When I came back out, the guard's eyes lit up again when he spotted me, like a reporte

Maisie's expression darkened after she heard my answer. She slammed the car door and drove off, leaving me standing in a cloud of exhaust fumes.Over the past month, I'd had a bit of withdrawal. Every now and then, I'd wonder if I'd be truly happy after getting a divorce.I had no answer for that question, but I lived freely now.Since I decided not to seek treatment, I started living every day like it was my last, staying up late binge-watching shows, trying out thrilling games, and gorging on junk food. I did everything I'd never tried before.That was until my older sister, Beatrice Dean, returned from abroad. She didn't even go home first and showed up at my door with her suitcase.The moment she saw me, she looked me over and stared me in the eye, asking, "Rue, are you sick?"I poured her a glass of water, using it as an excuse to avoid her gaze, and mumbled a vague response."I saw your medical report. The doctor who diagnosed you is my mentor."With that one sentence, sh

I understood what Beatrice meant. Three years ago, Maisie lost her memory after the car crash. I'd taken her to every specialist I could find and run countless tests, but every doctor said that the amnesia wasn't physical. The crash hadn't caused significant damage to her brain, so it was likely psychological.I'd tried taking her to therapists back then, but she was so resistant that no one was willing to treat her.In the end, I gave up and decided that it was enough that she was alive. It didn't matter whether she remembered me or not.I turned to my side with my back to Beatrice, facing the sunlight. Then, I tilted my head back and rested against her.It was too late.The sunlight was glaring, so I had to close my eyes. The incision in my abdomen throbbed faintly, and even the painkillers weren't working anymore.…After that day, my random encounters with Maisie in the hospital grew more frequent, always in the hallway.Though that was the only path to the psychiatry dep

Third-Person POVAt the psychiatry department, Maisie was both a difficult and obedient patient.She desperately wanted results from the treatments, so regardless of what the doctor suggested, she was always willing to try.Yet no matter what the method was, nothing could break through the wall she'd built in her mind.That changed the day Chloe brought her a duplicate of the videotape. "I'm really sorry, Maisie. I was wrong about everything. Please tell Rupert that I'm sorry too."Chloe's face was etched with guilt as she patted Maisie's shoulder. It suddenly hit Maisie that she hadn't told anyone about the divorce yet.After Chloe left, Maisie headed to the screening room and watched the woman in the video confess. She heard the final line. "I want you to be happy, Rue.""So, I'm the person he'll never see again," she thought.But that wasn't strictly true; Rupert had been referring to the version of her from three years ago.When she woke up after the car crash, her memorie