08
I looked up to see Nathaniel standing in front of me. In his hands were two cups of tea, one of which he extended
toward me.
I forced a small smile as I took the cup. “Something like that,” I replied softly, my voice hoarse.
Nathaniel sat beside me, his calm presence grounding me. “You’ve had a tough day, haven’t you?” he asked, his tone light yet understanding.
I could not help but smile faintly at Nathaniel’s question. It brought back memories of our college days when the chaos of the ER had been a running joke among our classmates.
While so many had avoided it, choosing less unpredictable specialties, I had embraced it fully, finding a strange
comfort in its intensity.
“Not exactly,” I replied, forcing a small laugh as I sipped the warm tea. “It’s just… there’s something else that’s
been bothering me lately.”
Nathaniel leaned back slightly, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp with curiosity. “What is it?”
I hesitated. Part of me wanted to keep it all to myself, to avoid unloading my messy life onto him. But another part
of me urged me to speak.
“It’s…” I began, fumbling for the right words. I took a deep breath, bracing myself, and decided to let it out, “I don’t
know if you’ve heard or not, but Liam got into a terrible accident days ago… and now he has partial amnesia.”
Nathaniel’s expression darkened with concern. “Amnesia?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice cracking despite my effort to stay composed. “He… he doesn’t remember me or Theodore.
What he remembers are events from the past, before we were married. He…. My words faltered, the weight of it all
pressing down on me.
Nathaniel stayed quiet, his gaze steady and reassuring, silently urging me to continue. So, with another deep breath, I did.
Nathaniel’s jaw tightened as I explained everything. “That’s… insane,” he said, his voice low but firm.
At that time, my tears had spilled over despite my best efforts to hold them back.
He then gave me his handkerchief and asked me once I calmed down. “So, what will you do now?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions. “I don’t think I can stay here anymore. I want to leave if I can.”
I was too exhausted to keep presenting evidence to Liam, who did not believe me no matter what I said.
While Evelyn’s manipulation had succeeded in ways I could not have imagined, and I was left overwhelmed,
defeated.
Nathaniel leaned forward slightly, his voice calm and steady. “If that’s what you want, I think I can help you.
I blinked, looking up at him. “How?”
“This.” Nathaniel pulled out his phone and showed me a poster image on the screen.
I recognized it instantly–it had been shared in our group chat for hospital staff weeks ago. I had seen it before but dismissed it at the time, thinking I would never consider such a drastic change.
But at that time, as Nathaniel showed it to me, it felt like the best option I had to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the hospital and the endless humiliation Evelyn had created.
“Maybe… I’ll think about it,” I said, hesitating.
“Of course,” Nathaniel said with a nod, his tone understanding. “Tell me if you want to know more. No pressure.” Just then, something important crossed my mind.
“Oh, right,” I said suddenly. “Nathan, I need to go home and grab Theodore’s supplies. He’ll be staying here for a few days, and I didn’t bring enough for him.”
Nathaniel tilted his head slightly, his expression thoughtful. “No problem. I have a night shift today, so I can help you watch Theo while you’re gone.
“Would you? That would really help,” I said, relief flooding through me at his offer.
“Of course,” Nathaniel said with a warm smile.
“Thank you so much, Nathan,” I said sincerely, standing to leave. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
The drive home was heavy with thought. As much as I loved my job, the toxic atmosphere at the hospital had become unbearable.
Everywhere I went, I could hear whispers about me, Liam, and Evelyn. The rumors spread like wildfire, their flames fueled by Evelyn’s manipulations.
Nathaniel’s offer of a fresh start seemed like a lifeline, but leaving was not an easy decision. Could I really uproot my life and Theodore’s for a chance to escape?
As my car pulled up to the front of the house, my train of thought screeched to a halt. My heart sank at the sight that greeted me.
Evelyn stood in the driveway, surrounded by my belongings. Suitcases and boxes were scattered across the
Pavement like discarded memories.
She was holding one of my picture frames, a triumphant smirk on her face as if she had been waiting for that
moment.
“What are you doing now, Evelyn?!” I shouted as I got out of the car, my voice trembling with anger and disbelief. Evelyn turned to face me, her smirk deepening. “Oh, Amelia,” she said mockingly. “I thought it was about time you. moved out. Liam doesn’t want you anymore, so I thought I’d help speed things along.”
“This is my home!” I snapped, my voice shaking. “How dare you throw my things out like this?”
Evelyn shrugged nonchalantly, tossing the picture frame onto a pile of my clothes. “Because Liam will be home tomorrow, so it’s just natural for us to not have your belongings in this house, right?
“After all, Liam considers me his wife now. Why don’t you just accept it and move on?”
My fists clenched at my sides, the injustice of it all burning in my chest.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “Then at least let me pack properly,” I said, moving toward the
door.
But Evelyn stepped in front of me, blocking my way. “Oh, no, no,” she said with exaggerated sweetness. “I’ll take
whatever you want for you. Just tell me, and I’ll bring it out.”
Her tone was dripping with sarcasm, and I could feel my patience wearing thin.
“Theo’s….” I started, but Evelyn cut me off with a laugh.
“Oh, you can take whatever you want,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “Except anything that belongs to
Theo. Because that’s Lucas’s now.
She smirked triumphantly as she added, “Now, get out!”
Before I could respond, Evelyn slammed the door in my face, leaving me standing there on the driveway surrounded by my discarded possessions.
