The second year after my divorce from Liam Garrett, he called me out of the blue. "Where did I put my burgundy striped tie? "And didn't you say you wanted to turn that spare room into a nursery? Why haven't you had it cleared out yet? "Also," his voice was laced with annoyance, "why weren't you home this morning?" At the same exact moment, I got a text from Liam’s sister, Chloe: 【Hey, Sienna. My brother was in an accident. His brain's a little scrambled. To be precise— 【His memory is stuck two years in the past.】 1 Liam had amnesia. The news surprised me for a second, but then I just… didn't really care. "Mr. Garrett," I interrupted him, my tone polite but firm. "We're divorced. If you've lost something, you should ask your housekeeper, not call me first thing in the morning and ruin my entire day." Silence on the other end. Then, a cold, derisive laugh. "Divorce? Is that the new threat you've come up with? Come on, Sienna, I know you. I know I've been busy and I've neglected you, but if you keep this up, no one's going to be in the mood to coddle you." His impatient tone carried a clear warning. Chloe's text popped up again: 【I've tried explaining it to him a dozen times, but he refuses to believe you'd actually go through with a divorce.】 The helplessness in her message was palpable. I got it. I could just picture Liam, smug and certain, dismissing her. It was the same attitude he'd had when I first brought up divorce. Everyone had said the same thing. No way! Sienna would never leave Liam. This is just another one of her ploys to get his attention. It was that certainty that allowed him to constantly put me last, to ignore me without a second thought. I sighed. "So, do you need me to print out a few hundred copies of our divorce decree and paste them everywhere you look?" He'd said something similar to me once. Right before we signed the papers at the courthouse, he'd stared at me, his face a mask of indifference, his voice harsh but his eyes suspiciously red. "Sienna, if you dare back out of this, I'll plaster copies of this decree all over the city." Now I had the chance to throw his words back at him. But he still didn't believe me. He just steamrolled on. "Look, I know I messed up. I'm sorry. But I already explained it to you. All of us decided to go pick up Chelsea from the airport. Her family's business went under; she's not the heiress she used to be. We grew up together, and you know how this town is. If I didn't show up and put on a strong front for her, how would people treat her?" As he spoke, his voice grew impatient again. He never had much of a temper, except when it came to his best friend, Chelsea. His words, however, gave me a clear picture of just how far back his memory had rewound. That day was the final straw that broke our marriage. The day Chelsea returned to the country was the anniversary of my grandmother's death. I had made plans with Liam days in advance to visit her grave together. I'd even texted him a reminder the day before. My calls and messages went unanswered. I figured he was busy. So I went alone. I talked to my grandma for a while, explaining that Liam wasn't a bad person, he was just busy. On the way home, I was in a minor car accident. While I was at the urgent care getting my cuts cleaned, I saw the news. A gossip site had a photo of Liam at the airport, greeting Chelsea. It was a trending topic. I stared at the picture on my phone for a long time before I remembered to call him. Chelsea answered. "Liam's getting my bags, he can't talk right now. Is something wrong, Sienna?" she asked, her voice dripping with fake concern. I could hear people in the background, teasing. "What could possibly be wrong? She probably just wants Liam to come home and cuddle. We've seen this movie before, yawn." "On patrol again, huh? Liam, your wife keeps you on a tight leash. How are we supposed to hang out?" Chelsea shushed them with a playful scolding, then purred, "Liam, you can't just forget about all your best friends now that you're a family man." "They're not even in the same league as you," Liam chuckled. He took the phone, his voice instantly turning cold. "What is it?" I didn't want to fight in front of his friends. "I was in a car accident," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I'm at the hospital." "Are you seriously hurt?" "It's just some scrapes, but I'm bleeding a—" "So it's nothing major," he cut me off, his tone laced with irritation. He clearly believed his friends. "You don't have to make up excuses to check up on me. I'm not messing around. And a few scrapes will heal. Chelsea almost lost a leg once and she didn't make half the fuss you are." "Well, I'm not you, Liam!" Chelsea chirped in the background. "If I had a husband as handsome as you, I'd be way more dramatic than Sienna!" The group erupted in laughter. "Then maybe Liam should give you some extra attention too!" someone shouted. "Liam?" Chelsea asked, her voice full of hopeful suggestion. Through the phone, I heard his light, careless laugh. "Sure." My hand froze. A nurse called my name. Liam heard it too, but all he said was a flat, "I'll be home early when we're done." And then, an afterthought: "Can't you just—" The line went dead. Of course. They had to throw a huge welcome home party for Chelsea. Their childhood best friend. I got my prescription, hailed a cab, and went home. Liam came back late, carrying a small, elegant box. A pearl necklace. "I was busy today," he said, leaning in to kiss my cheek. He fastened the clasp around my neck himself. "Good taste," he commented, looking pleased. I thought he was talking about his own taste in jewelry, and my anger began to soften. But then he continued, a hint of complaint in his voice, "See? Now are you happy? I told you Sienna wouldn't be mad. You're the one who was so worried, making me buy her a gift." He wasn't talking to me. I noticed the bluetooth earpiece in his ear. The necklace wasn't his idea. A woman's voice, saccharine and playful, came through the speaker as he took the earpiece out. "I was just worried she'd misunderstand!" Then, she spoke directly to me, her voice loud enough for me to hear. "Sienna, don't worry, I kept an eye on him all day. I didn't let a single girl get near him!" The smile on Liam's face vanished. He shot me a look of cold annoyance. A bucket of ice water couldn't have chilled me faster. I was too tired to fight. I took off the necklace, left it on the table, and went upstairs. I was limping, but he didn't notice. He was still on the phone with Chelsea. "Is she still mad?" "What does she have to be mad about?" Liam scoffed. "I've told her a million times to take a driver when she goes out. She doesn't listen. Maybe this will teach her a lesson." The anger in his voice was palpable, as if my minor accident had been a personal inconvenience designed to ruin his fun. I had expected him to ask about my day, to explain why he'd broken his promise. But there was nothing. The next morning, he dressed with his back to me, as if nothing had happened. "Where are my cufflinks?" he asked. And just like that, like so many times before, I started the process of talking myself down, of forgiving him. I knew he was like this—he loved his freedom, hated being tied down. But I still held out hope that I could change him. 2 "I didn't forget your grandmother's anniversary on purpose!" Liam's voice, full of complaint, pulled me back to the present. He paused, a flicker of guilt in his tone. "I'll go apologize to her, okay?" He'd said those exact words two years ago. After a week of my silent treatment had made his life inconvenient, he'd finally remembered his broken promise and put on a show of remorse. He was younger than me, used to getting his way with a little boyish charm. It always worked on me. Now, the memory just seemed pathetic. I was packing my daughter's tiny backpack. "I'm not mad," I said calmly. I was divorced. I was wealthy, thanks to the settlement. Liam's drama was no longer my problem. "I still have to apologize," he insisted, misinterpreting my calm for forgiveness. "I promised you I'd go. It was my fault." He sounded relieved. "Where are you now? I'll come pick you up." Just then, my daughter, Ava, ran over to put on her backpack. "Let me help, Mommy!" she grunted, then took my hand. "Let's go to preschool!" Liam heard her bright, clear voice. The line went silent. "We... we have a daughter?" he asked, his voice hesitant. "She's my daughter," I corrected him. "She has nothing to do with you." I gently prompted Ava to put on her shoes. "That baby died, over a year ago." When I fell down the stairs, and his first instinct was to catch Chelsea, who had stumbled beside me. I miscarried. Liam had been devastated, or so it seemed. He held my hand, apologizing over and over. "We can have another one," he'd promised, his voice raw. "We're still young." He clung to my hand, his eyes red-rimmed. "Sienna, I'll be here for you. You'll be here for me, right?" For a fleeting moment, I thought he might actually love me. But I was done. I used the miscarriage to demand a divorce and a massive settlement. Because Ava needed it. I'd found her at the hospital, abandoned by her parents. She had a brain tumor they couldn't afford to treat. She was curled up in a corner, clutching a photograph, whispering, "It doesn't hurt, Ava. It's okay. Bye-bye, Daddy. Bye-bye, Mommy." She looked at me, this tiny, sick child, and saw my tears. "Don't cry, miss," she'd said. "I'll kiss it and make it better." In one day, I lost my child, and Ava lost her parents. I adopted her. Out of guilt, Liam had helped with the paperwork. But the Liam on the phone didn't remember any of that. "You don't need to pick me up," I said brightly. "But you can send my daughter a gift. Just Venmo Chloe." I hung up, blocked his number, and took my daughter to school. 3 Chloe actually sent me a huge sum of money. I accepted it without hesitation. She explained that Liam had gotten hit in the head while "protecting" Chelsea. "They both deserved it," Chloe said with a cold laugh. "Chelsea came back and started hanging around her old crew again, all of whom have girlfriends now. She's all over them, pulling the 'we're just best friends' card. One of the girlfriends got fed up, her brother came to defend her honor, and my idiot brother jumped in front of Chelsea to play the hero. He's lucky he only got a concussion." "If he got amnesia because of Chelsea," I asked, "why is he calling me?" "Because the moment he woke up, he started demanding to see you," she said. "He won't believe you're divorced. I can't find the damn decree anywhere. He stole my phone to get your number and started calling you with all these stupid excuses." She complained that Chelsea had been visiting every day, but for some reason, Liam refused to see her. "Don't worry," Chloe promised, "Mom has him on lockdown. He won't be able to bother you." Her promise lasted less than a week. I was picking Ava up from preschool. As I got out of the car, I heard someone call my name. "Miss Evans?" "Dr. Hayes?" I turned, surprised to see Ava's neurosurgeon. "What are you—" "My nephew just transferred to this school," he said, a wry smile on his handsome face. "My sister roped me into pickup duty." Dr. Julian Hayes and I weren't strangers, but it was still a bit awkward. He smoothly transitioned the conversation to Ava's health. As we walked toward the school, he told me he'd been in contact with a specialist in Switzerland, and the prognosis for Ava's surgery was excellent. I couldn't help but smile. "I'm so grateful to you— ah!" A strong hand grabbed my arm, yanking me away from Julian. A familiar, dark voice growled in my ear. "Sienna, is this the son of a bitch you're cheating on me with?" 4 I hadn't expected to see Liam again, especially not like this. He looked a mess—his clothes were rumpled, his arm was scraped, and there was a wildness in his eyes. "Did you finally get jumped in an alley?" I asked, my voice devoid of sympathy. "God does answer prayers." His anger faltered. "What? No one can touch me." He tightened his grip on my arm, as if afraid I'd disappear. "Is he the father? Are you here to pick up your kid together?" Julian placed a calm hand on Liam's arm. "Let her go," he said politely, but his grip was firm, pressing on a raw scrape and making Liam wince. But Liam didn't let go. His face paled, but he looked at me, his expression suddenly shifting to a wounded pout. "Honey, you're hurting me." 5 Playing the victim, acting cute—it was Liam's specialty. He only ever called me "honey" in bed, or when he knew he'd really screwed up. He knew it was my weakness. But that was the old me. "Then let go," I said, my voice flat. The pout vanished, replaced by a scowl. He took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "Look, that kid is what, three? We've only been married for a little over a year. So this guy must be from before me. Everyone makes mistakes when they're young. I've done plenty of stupid things to make you mad. I know you still love me. I don't mind. Are you staying away because of the kid? It's fine. I'll take you both home." "Mr. Garrett," Julian interrupted, deftly breaking his grip. "The children are about to come out. You're going to frighten them." "Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?" Liam snarled, swinging a punch at Julian. "This is my wife!" The punch landed. Before Liam could swing again, I slapped him. Hard. The sound echoed in the quiet afternoon air. He stared at me, stunned. "Are you calm now?" I asked, stepping in front of Julian. "If you're going to have a meltdown, do it at home." Liam’s tongue darted out to touch his bruised cheek. He let out a strange, choked laugh, his eyes fixed on me with a terrifying intensity. "You hit me," he said in disbelief. "For another man." "Liam!" Chloe was rushing toward us with several large men in suits. "They get here fast," he muttered. He stood his ground, his head bowed. "Are you okay?" I asked Julian, mortified. "The kids are coming," he said, his voice light despite the bruise forming on his cheek. "If Ava sees this, she'll cry, and then we'll have to spend all night cheering her up." I was so mortified. But Liam just glared at Julian with pure hatred. As the bodyguards surrounded him, Chloe promised to get him home immediately. "Chloe, take your sister-in-law with you!" Liam yelled. Chloe rolled her eyes. "Ex-sister-in-law. I can't tell her what to do." "Wait," I said, stopping them. I went to my car and returned with a stack of papers. I handed them to a bodyguard, who held them up for Liam to see. His rage evaporated, replaced by a stunned silence. They were copies of our divorce decree. "Amnesia doesn't erase the past," I said calmly. "You once said you'd plaster these everywhere if I backed out. Looks like the tables have turned." "I don't believe you," he whispered, his eyes darting away from the papers as if they were on fire. But it was a weak protest. "You don't care about me anymore?" he asked, his voice trembling. He sounded small and wounded. "He just got a bruise, and you rushed to his side. But I jumped out of a second-story window for you." I looked at Chloe for confirmation. She nodded grimly. "I got sick, and you didn't visit me," he continued, his voice cracking. "I wanted to see you, but they wouldn't let me out. So I had to jump. I think my leg is broken... Sienna, why don't you care anymore? You used to love me." His bewildered pain was a bucket of ice water. He took my affection for granted. He was so sure I'd never leave that he could treat me however he wanted. He used to introduce me as "Sienna, my wife," with the same tone he used to describe a piece of property. I did love him. Deeply. But love has its limits. He was young, arrogant, and used to getting his way. But that wasn't an excuse to hurt the person who loved him. If he could do that, it meant he didn't love me back. And he never would. "We've been divorced for over a year," I said, my voice gentle but firm. "If you hadn't shown up today, I probably would have forgotten you existed. Amnesia is not an excuse. If you can't leave me alone, I'll be forced to take measures." Just like I had when I'd fabricated evidence of him cheating with Chelsea to force his parents' hand in our divorce. "Fine," he said, straightening up, the arrogant mask sliding back into place. He sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "Sienna, it's not like you're the only woman in the world."
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