Mystery Husband Fakes His Amnesia

At three months, my baby bump was starting to show, so I switched to looser dresses. Somehow, Hazel found out I had moved out and showed up at my new place.

"Shantal," she sneered from the doorway, scanning me from head to toe, "I know losing Louie in a divorce must be a blow, but letting yourself go like this is a bit much. Look at how much weight you’ve gained already." She looked around my modest apartment with a smirk. "Although, from the looks of it, you managed to do alright over the years—you didn’t get his heart, but at least you got his money. Makes me feel a bit less guilty."

I listened to her condescending performance and finally looked up, replying calmly, "So, it sounds like in your last marriage, you got neither his heart nor his money. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be scrambling for a replacement."

Smirking, I added, "Seems you’re strapped for cash. Guess that’s what led you to be the ‘other woman."

Charlotte, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Hazel’s face flushed in shades of red and white, and she tried to barge in, pushing past me.

I grabbed her wrist firmly and flung it back. "What’s the matter, did Louie not give you a place to stay? Is that why you’re so desperate to come into mine?"

Glaring at me, she hissed, "If you’d just be sensible and divorce Louie already, I wouldn’t even come near this dump."

She eyed me with disdain. "Some people are just so shameless—clinging to Louie for his money without even realizing who he’s actually liked all these years."

"Exactly, shameless people really do have a knack for sniffing out the scent of opportunity," I replied, gripping the door handle and giving her a faint smile. "Seems Louie didn’t tell you—it’s him who’s been delaying the divorce, not me. So if you have any real skills, get him to sign the papers. Stop embarrassing yourself as ‘the other woman’ all the time."

With that, I slammed the door in her face.

"You—!" Hazel fumed outside for a good while before storming off.

Charlotte gave me a thumbs-up, laughing. "You should have done this a long time ago!"

I smiled, thinking back to when Louie first woke up after his accident. The doctors said his amnesia made him sensitive and wary of me, so they advised me to avoid triggering his memories. He relied on Hazel instead, and for the sake of his health, I tolerated her presence, biting back my anger. Even the hospital nurses assumed Hazel was his wife. I thought that once he recovered, everything would go back to normal—but then the divorce papers arrived.

Peace lasted only a few days before Hazel showed up at my door, clinging to Louie’s arm. This time, though, her smug expression had shifted to a simpering, pitiful look that turned my stomach.

"What do you two want?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "Or are you finally ready to take the time to file the divorce?"

Louie replied indifferently, "The divorce isn’t urgent. Hazel is worried that I won’t be comfortable living on my own, and since she likes the house so much, I’ve decided to give it to her. As for you, there is also a villa in Clear Water Bay. You can have that one."

Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "Didn’t you say she was allergic to pollen? Has that changed now?"

Hazel’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction as she gazed adoringly at Louie. "Oh, he’s already cleared out the lily-of-the-valley patch for me. He even spoke to the neighbors to make sure there wouldn’t be any flowers nearby. I felt it was an inconvenience to others, but he insisted my health comes first, so I couldn't refuse his kindness," she added, casting me a triumphant look.

"Really?" I replied with a malicious smile, pulling out a contract. "Too bad I’ve already sold the house. Remodeling someone else’s property without permission is illegal, isn’t it?"

Hazel froze, a look of panic flashing across her face. "Shantal, you and Louie aren’t divorced yet, so you can’t sell shared property without his permission."

I shrugged. "But my name’s the only one on the deed. Why can’t I?"

Louie shot me an irritated glare as Hazel took the contract from my hand, looking at it repeatedly before turning to him with a defeated expression. "It’s alright, Louie," she sighed. "I don’t need that house. We can decorate a new place together; it’ll be just as good."

Pretending to be affectionate, she leaned close to my ear as she handed the contract back to me. "Do you think I really care about that house, Shantal? It’s nothing compared to everything Louie owns. I’ll take it slow and show you how I win his heart."

As she finished, she gave my hand a sharp tug, then abruptly let go, letting out a dramatic scream. She staggered back, "falling" against the arm of the sofa, and a large bruise quickly appeared on her forehead.

Such poor acting, yet Louie believed it.

"Hazel!" he cried, roughly shoving me aside without a second thought. He ignored me completely as he helped her up, checking her for injuries.

The force made me stumble, and I collided with the corner of a shoe cabinet, a sharp pain slicing through my abdomen. Looking down, I saw blood trickling down my leg, pooling on the floor.

"Blood! Shantal, you’re bleeding!" Charlotte’s frantic voice snapped me back. She ran over, her hands trembling as she tried to support me.

Louie whipped around at her words, his eyes widening as he saw the blood. His face turned ashen, and he rushed toward me, abandoning Hazel.

"Shantal, what happened? Why are you bleeding? Don’t scare me!" His voice shook as he held me close.

Charlotte’s voice was urgent. "Get her to the hospital—she might be having a miscarriage!"

Louie’s arms tightened around me, his face flushed with panic. "Miscarriage? Shantal, you’re pregnant? Why didn’t you tell me?"

Watching him, so distraught and frantic for me, I found myself laughing bitterly.

"Louie, didn’t you say you’d lost your memory?"

"You lied to me."