Chapter 2

I moved back into the apartment I owned before getting married.

My best friend, Natalie, came over as soon as she heard the news. The moment she stepped inside, she pulled me into a tight hug.

"Good. Finally." Natalie seethed, actually stamping her foot in frustration. "That Alexander," she muttered, "is a stone-cold snake. All your kindness, and he never deserved a bit of it."

In my previous life, after my death, Natalie had fought tirelessly to expose Alexander and Jenny's true nature, but the Sutton family's influence had blocked her at every turn.

This time, I was determined not to let her worry about me.

"Don't worry, I won't make the same mistakes this time," I said, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat.

For the next two days, I turned off my phone and refused all calls.

I needed to clear my head and to let Alexander and his circle stew in their own panic.

I knew they must be frantic with anxiety.

Sure enough, on the third morning, Natalie's phone rang.

It was Eleanor.

Natalie put the call on speakerphone. Eleanor's voice had lost its earlier sharpness, replaced by a deliberate, calculated gentleness.

"Natalie, dear, this is Eleanor, Laura's mother-in-law. Do you know where Laura is? She has turned off her phone, and we are worried because we can't reach her," Eleanor said.

Natalie rolled her eyes but kept her tone polite.

"Laura isn't feeling herself and needs some space. If there's something you need to convey, I can pass it along," Natalie replied.

Eleanor was silent for a moment.

Finally, she said, "Please tell Laura not to be so stubborn. The child is innocent. Why must things escalate instead of being discussed reasonably? Alexander is unwell, and as his wife, how can she be so inconsiderate?"

There it was again, the same old story.

Natalie looked ready to unleash a torrent of curses, but a glance from me stopped her.

I took the phone. "I'm not being stubborn. I'm being sensible, which is why I've chosen to step aside and let him be with Jenny," I said, my voice calm.

There was a sharp, arrested breath on the other end of the line.

"Has he signed the agreement? If so, I'll collect it immediately," I said.

"Must you push us to this extreme?" Eleanor's voice wavered, thick with unshed tears. "Alexander has merely lost his memory. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you."

"Love?" I let out a derisive laugh, as if hearing the most absurd joke.

"If he truly loved me, why would a selective brain injury cause him to forget only me, yet remember a childhood sweetheart from years ago? Do you actually believe such self-deception?" I retorted.

Dead silence greeted me.

I ended the call.

I knew Alexander had been listening the whole time.

Every word had been meant for him.

I wanted him to know that I had seen through his pathetic charade long ago.

*****

That afternoon, Alexander's assistant called, informing me he wished to meet to discuss the divorce settlement.

The meeting was arranged in a private suite at an exclusive club.

When I arrived, Alexander was already there.

He had exchanged his hospital gown for an impeccably tailored black suit, his hair meticulously styled, not a strand out of place.

Apart from a lingering pallor, one would never guess he had recently been gravely ill.

Jenny wasn't there.

He sat alone on the sofa, toying with a lighter, his expression inscrutable.

"Have you agreed to sign the papers?" I asked, taking the seat opposite him.

He didn't answer, but merely lifted his gaze to meet mine.

"Are you really going through with terminating the pregnancy?" he asked.

"What concern is it of yours?" I retorted.

My words left him momentarily speechless, and his expression darkened.

"Laura, do you have any idea what you're doing?" he demanded.

"Of course I know," I replied, holding his gaze. "I'm cutting my losses."

He snapped the lighter shut with a sharp, definitive click.

"You can have the shares. But the child stays," he stated.

"Once the child is born, you will hand it over to me to raise. You may take the money, go wherever you want, and live as you please. After that, we will be done with each other."

I looked at him and let out a sharp, humorless laugh.

"Alexander, what makes you think I'd ever want a child with you?" I asked.

"You want a child? Go ahead." I leaned forward slightly, my gaze locking with his. "Let Jenny have it. Isn't she your true love? A child born of your true love would undoubtedly be superior to one from an outsider like me."

"Laura!" Alexander shot to his feet. "You're going too far."

"Me? Going too far?" I looked up at him, my smile turning glacial.

"Who's really going too far, Alexander? You faked amnesia to force a divorce and make room for your precious Jenny. Now that you see the price, you're getting cold feet? And you want the child? No way!

"Let me be perfectly clear. The child is mine, and the decision is mine. Whether you sign the divorce papers or not makes no difference to me. I am having the procedure tomorrow. You won't get the child."

With that, I took my bag and turned to leave.

As I reached the door, his hand shot out and closed around my wrist.

"Don't you dare!" he growled, the words ground out between clenched teeth.

Any pretense of memory loss evaporated, leaving his gaze startlingly clear and sharp with menace.

I knew I had pushed him past his breaking point.