Forget Me Once, Farewell Forever

After finishing my tasks in the ER, I headed straight for the office of the doctor who had treated Liam earlier.

I knocked on the door, and the doctor looked up from his paperwork as I entered. “Is there anything you need, Dr. Amelia?” he asked politely, his tone professional yet warm.

“Yes,” I replied, forcing myself to maintain composure. “I wanted to ask about the patient I was listed as the legal guardian for last night.”

“Ah, your cousin,” he said with a nod, clearly referencing the explanation I had given in the chaos of the emergency room.

My relationship with Liam was a hidden marriage, a decision we made together because of his work as a special prosecutor handling dangerous criminal cases.

For his safety—and ours—we had kept our marriage and even our son, Theodore, a secret.

“Yes, my cousin,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “What happened to him? Why does he… not seem to recognize me?”

The doctor hesitated, he shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the chart in his hands as if searching for the right words.

I forced him to explain by asking more, “Was there anything wrong during the surgery? Any complications that might explain this?”

The doctor shook his head, offering a reassuring smile. “No, the surgery went smoothly. There were no complications. Physically, he’s recovering well.”

He paused, his expression growing serious. His lips pressed into a thin line before he spoke, “But your cousin has partial amnesia. He… seems to have lost some of his memory.”

The words felt like a punch to the gut, even though I had been bracing myself for something like that.

I tried to keep my voice calm, though the knot in my chest tightened. “Can you explain more specifically?”

The doctor exhaled, his expression sympathetic. “Last night’s accident might have caused significant trauma to his brain. It seems to have affected his memory selectively.

“He’s retained most of his knowledge about himself, his work, and his childhood. But he’s lost some memories from the past few years.”

I folded my arms tightly, as though I could somehow shield myself from the impact of his words.

“But,” the doctor added, “in many cases, patients can regain parts of their memories when exposed to something familiar or emotionally significant from the time period they’ve forgotten.”

A faint glimmer of hope sparked in my mind. And then it hit me—Theodore.

Theodore was the very embodiment of our love, a reminder of the life Liam and I had built together. If anything could jog his memory, it was our son.

I exhaled deeply, the idea giving me a flicker of strength amidst the chaos. “Thank you, doctor,” I said softly, offering him a small, grateful smile.

He nodded, his expression kind. “Take your time, Dr. Amelia. And if there’s anything else I can do to help, don’t hesitate to ask.”

I walked out of the office and hurriedly picked Theodore up from daycare that late afternoon.

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the steering wheel tighter. My voice was low, but firm with resolve. “I should take back what’s mine.”

Once I arrived back at the hospital with Theodore, I held his tiny hand in mine, walking briskly toward Liam’s room.

But as I reached the door and pushed it open, my steps faltered, and my breath hitched at the sight before me.

Inside, Liam was sitting up in bed with Evelyn that was perched on the edge of his bed, leaning in close, her body language intimate as they talked quietly.

Cradled in her lap was her baby—Lucas. She held him with such care, pressing kisses to his forehead as if to complete the illusion she was trying so hard to craft.

“Lucas, look at Daddy,” Liam said enthusiastically, his face lighting up with a joy that made my stomach churn.

Not only had Evelyn labeled herself as Liam’s wife, but she had also brought her son into that charade, feeding into Liam’s fractured reality.

“What are you two doing, actually?!” I demanded, my voice shaking with fury as I stepped into the room, holding Theodore’s hand tightly.

Evelyn turned her head toward me, her eyes widening briefly before a smug smile curved her lips. She rocked Lucas gently, feigning innocence.

“Amelia,” Liam said, his tone cold again as he frowned. “What are you doing here again?”

I stared at him, my anger bubbling to the surface. “I could ask you the same thing, Liam. What’s going on here? Evelyn, what game are you playing this time?”

Evelyn tilted her head, her expression infuriatingly calm. “I don’t understand why you’re so upset, Amelia. Lucas is Liam’s son, after all.”

Her words hit like a slap. I turned to Liam, searching his face for any sign of recognition, any indication he might see through her lies. But his expression remained firm, as if her claim was not outrageous.

“Liam,” I said, my voice trembling, “she’s lying to you. Lucas isn’t your son. Theodore is your son!”

I stepped closer, gently urging Theodore forward. “Look at him, Liam. This is our son. Don’t you remember him?”

“Shut up, Amelia,” Liam snapped, his voice filled with indignation. “Stop making a fuss. This is a hospital. You should know better, considering you’re a doctor here, right?”

I froze, the sting of his words like a slap across my face.

“Even if Evelyn was kind enough to stay friends with you,” he continued, turning his cold gaze to me, “But don’t expect me to acknowledge you and your son.”

“I told you not to be too nice to her,” Liam said, his voice softening as he turned toward Evelyn. “Or she’ll misunderstand her position.”

That cold indifference, the way he dismissed me as though I were nothing, it was how he treated people he did not care about.

And Evelyn—she knew exactly how to play her part. Clutching her arm like a frightened victim, she looked at him with wide, innocent eyes.

“But Liam,” she said softly, her voice trembling just enough to sound sincere, “she’s bringing Theodore, and he’s still your son. As a woman, I know how it feels to want your son to be close to his father.”

Evelyn’s words were carefully chosen, calculated to seem compassionate. But they were laced with venom, designed to paint me as desperate and unreasonable.

Liam’s face hardened, his jaw tightening. “But he’s just a mistake from when I was still dating Amelia, Evelyn,” he said coldly. “I will never admit it.”

The words felt like a dagger to my chest, the air rushing out of my lungs as though I had been physically struck.