Chapter 2
Samuel took care of my discharge papers, and I just followed him home, still in a daze.
He said we'd been together for years.
Looking around the huge villa, I couldn't find a single thing that felt like it belonged to me. I just nodded, playing along, exactly as he was doing.
He found a nightgown for me, and to my surprise, it fit perfectly.
Then he scooped me up in his arms, set me down on the couch, and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
I tried to pull away, but he grabbed my chin, keeping me right where I was.
There was no escaping it.
"Be good, Stacey. I'll go make you something to eat," he said, his voice soft and almost gentle.
I'd almost forgotten that I hadn't eaten anything in days.
Turns out Samuel didn't even have a housekeeper.
Hard to believe a CEO like him actually came home and cooked for himself every day.
I just followed the sounds to his kitchen.
He was taking his sweet time cracking eggs.
His voice drifted from the kitchen, chatting with Spencer on speaker.
"Just keep an eye on Stacey for me for now, will you?" Spencer said.
"Seriously, aren't you worried she'll get her memory back and kick you to the curb?" Samuel asked.
"Worried? Please. Everyone in Havenbrook knows how crazy she is about me. Even if she caught me in bed with someone else, she'd never leave," Spencer scoffed, full of himself.
"If you're so into Charlotte, why not just dump Stacey?" Samuel shot back.
"I do love Stacey, but she's just so boring in bed. Once I get tired of it, I'll just bring her back," Spencer said, sounding totally smug.
Samuel didn't respond, just focused on the eggs, ignoring everything else.
"Samuel, you're my best friend. I know she's not your type, but a reminder—hands off. She's the one I'm going to marry," Spencer said.
Before Spencer could finish, Samuel hung up on him.
I nearly stumbled and fell to the floor.
Turns out all that caring and loving from Spencer was just an act. He was a total fraud.
He'd been bored with me for ages.
Samuel spotted me then.
He quickly set down the bowl, wiped his hands, and came right over, pulling me into his arms.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Bored already?" he teased.
I shook my head. "Just came to see if you needed a hand."
Samuel ruffled my hair.
"My girl never bothers herself with things like this," he said with a soft smile.
"Just leave it all to me," he added.
He was lying to me again.
The whole time I was with Spencer, I was the one doing all the chores at home.
He hated having strangers around, so he never hired a housekeeper.
Being his girlfriend basically meant I was the housekeeper.
Every morning, I had to get up early to cook, do the laundry, and make sure the massive villa was spotless.
My hands were tough and callused, crisscrossed with lines from years of scrubbing and chores.
I'd already seen him as my husband, so I did every chore for him, willingly, without question.
"So if I were your wife, I wouldn't have to lift a finger around the house?" I asked softly.
I leaned into Samuel's chest, his heartbeat strong and steady thumping against my ear.
"Of course not. You're the woman I love most. I'd never let you lift a finger," he said softly.
Samuel's tenderness almost made me forget this was all just a charade.
His cooking was so good that I could've licked the plate clean.
And every dish was sweet and spicy, just the way I loved.
I tilted my head at him. "Samuel, do you actually enjoy sweet and spicy food too?"
He smiled softly, "Only because you do."
How did he know that?
Spencer never even bothered to learn what I liked to eat.
He couldn't stand anything sweet.
So I always left sugar out whenever I cooked.
But somehow, Samuel knew exactly what I liked.
Guess it was just a coincidence.
That night, I ended up crashing in Samuel's bed.
In the middle of the night, I felt someone pull me into a warm hug from behind.
His body was so warm, almost feverish.
Oddly enough, it made me feel safe.
I loved how warm he was, so I just let him wrap his arms around me.
He murmured a quiet sigh from behind.
"Why are you so thin?" he whispered softly.