He Forgot, I Ran

Synopsis

The day Andrew Grant lost his memory, I almost threw a party to celebrate. He threw me three years of abduction and coercion. I had countless escape attempts and countless times of being dragged back. The man who locked me in a basement with red-rimmed eyes and said, "Be my woman", finally forgot me completely. His family rushed over that night with divorce papers and a check big enough to choke on. Polite and ice-cold, they said, "Never show up in front of him again." I took the money and flew to the farthest city without looking back. I finally lived the life I'd dreamed of, buying groceries, cooking meals, and having an ordinary job. I thought the nightmare was over, until one ordinary evening, walking home with my groceries, a hand clamped over my mouth and nose from behind. A sharp chemical smell flooded my lungs. In the last second before my consciousness faded, only one thought crossed my mind: here we go again. When I opened my eyes, I was in a dim basement. There was a cold metal bed. The air smelled faintly of disinfectant. A figure stepped out of the shadows. I couldn't see his face, but I heard that voice, the one I knew better than my own. It was clear, low, and certain, with no room for refusal: "Be good and be my woman. I'll give you everything you want." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Perfect. It was the same as last time. He didn't even change the script.