Unfortunately, a strong shock wave stopped us from approaching the shore. I could feel Anthony’s convulsing arm and knew that he was almost running out of strength. He held me firmly in between his arms again, yet we were nowhere close to the shore.
After I pulled myself together, I mustered all my strength and pushed him away from me.
A few seconds later, I was washed away by a powerful wave. That was the last time I ever saw Anthony.
…
“The chairperson of Featherstone Corporation, Mr. Featherstone, has shown up for the opening ceremony of Eastsummer International School. The six-year-old little boy who delivered the speech on behalf of the students resembled Mr. Featherstone. The onlookers speculated he was Gregory.”
When I was about to regain consciousness, I could vividly recall hearing the voice of a mysterious woman. It seemed to be a news anchor’s voice.
I tried to open my eyes, but I had a hard time getting used to the shaft of strong light. Hence, I kept my eyes closed until I was ready to survey the surroundings.
The spacious ward was illuminated by sunlight. I caught a whiff of the lingering scent of the disinfectant used by the hospital.
A few nurses were huddled at the table next to the ground-to-ceiling window, discussing the content of the news they had just heard.
“Don’t you think his son is going to be as handsome as him?”
“I heard his ex-spouse was the little boy’s mother! Since the little boy is already six-year-old, don’t you think they have reconciled?”
“Is that even possible? He has a fiancée, doesn’t he? Why are you bringing the past up again? A man should learn to move on.”
“That’s enough for today. Stop gossiping when it’s time to work! Hurry up and return to your respective positions! It’s time to change the solution for the drip. You better not repeat the same silly mistake you did last time.”
“Why are you so nervous? It’s not like she’s conscious!”
“Shut up! Are you supposed to say something like this as someone in the line of medicine? Stay out of this! I’ll get it changed today!”
After the group stopped bickering, the older nurse returned to the side of the bed. I couldn’t see her clearly because of my relatively blurred vision. Thus, I could only look in the direction of the nurses.
“Oh, God! Hurry up and check this out!”
“What? Did a miracle happen?”
Soon, a few nurses got in my way, blocking the single source of illumination.
“She’s regained consciousness! It’s a miracle!”
“Hurry! Get the doctor!”
I couldn’t figure out the meaning behind their conversation, too overwhelmed by fatigue. After a few seconds, I fell into a deep slumber once more.
By the time I woke up, I heard a man greeting me in a hushed voice, “Letty, you’re awake!”
I tried to form a complete sentence, yet I could merely ask in a barely audible voice, “Are you talking to me?”
The man who spoke narrowed his eyes and stated with a smile, “Yes! You’re Sienna! Do you remember me?”
I shook my head; I couldn’t recall the man in front of me at all.
He reached over and caressed my head lightly. “If that’s the case, allow me to introduce myself again. I’m your fiancé, Marcus.”
“Marcus?” I repeated his name over and over again. It seemed to be a name I was familiar with.
When he approached me, I deemed it something natural; his tone and the way he carried himself gave me a sense of security. I felt at ease with the sprightly man around me.
Out of the blue, another image flashed in my mind. The man I thought of seemed to be different than the man before me; he had an intimidating presence.
I figured I must be hallucinating because it seemed impossible for the sprightly man to be such an intimidating figure.
I replied with a smile, “Hello, my beloved fiancé.”
Marcus’ eyes widened in disbelief when he heard my reply.
After a few seconds, his eyes started brimming with tears, behaving as though he had been longing for the title of my fiancé.
To be precise, it felt as though calling him that was a trial imposed on me.
Once Marcus gathered his thoughts, he moved away and instructed the doctor and nurses with a serious expression, “Doctor, please ensure everything is fine.”
I furrowed my brows in confusion because my self-proclaimed fiancé of mine didn’t seem to be pleased with my condition.
He should be glad that I had regained consciousness after the days he spent watching over me, yet his expression suggested otherwise.
The doctor couldn’t be bothered by his harsh reaction. After going through a series of check-ups in the morning, he concluded that he should have kept to himself.
“According to the examination we ran, most of your physical parts have recovered. However, after drowning for such a long time after the accident, you’re going to suffer from transient global amnesia for the time being.”
I was immediately irked by the doctor’s explanation. Halfway through his explanation, my mind went completely blank, and I started playing with a strand of my hair absentmindedly.
Over the few hours of check-ups, I gave my best and tried to recall everything I used to go through with the aid of different equipment. Unfortunately, my effort was to no avail. Overwhelmed by a sense of insecurity, I knew a huge part of my life was gone.
“Can I have a moment with you?” Marcus asked my attending physician for a few minutes outside of his office. Whilst talking about my condition, the two men had serious expressions on their faces. Occasionally, they would look at me through the window, behaving differently than usual.
Suddenly, the nurse, who was about to administer me the prescribed medicine, exclaimed, “Ms. Stanhope, I’m so glad you have regained consciousness! Mr. White has been keeping an eye on you over the three years you were unconscious. A lot of us consider Mr. White the perfect man, yet you’re the only one he cares about. You have no idea how envious most of us are.”
When the nurse mentioned Marcus, her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.
Although Marcus and I were slightly older than the nurse, the man was at the prime of his life, especially in the eyes of the relatively young women. He had a well-precedented reputation of being a loyal man, so I knew a lot of people, including the nurses, had a crush on him.
Unsure of the reason behind my emotions, I couldn’t be bothered by the nurse’s remark at all. Instead of being infuriated by the nurse’s response, I responded to her statement with a smile. It felt as though I was genuinely delighted on Marcus’ behalf.
A few minutes later, Marcus entered the ward once more. Although the gentleman seemed like a trustworthy man, I couldn’t shake the lingering sense of doubt I had towards him.
After he dismissed the nurse, he took a seat on the edge of the bed and served me a glass of warm water. It seemed like a routine he had gotten into.
I took the glass over and held it in my hands to keep myself warm. “Are we really engaged?”
I had a feeling that he was a close acquaintance of mine; something essential seemed to be missing between us for us to be engaged. I had a gut feeling that we weren’t actually in such a relationship. He was lying to me.
Something’s wrong… If Marcus is my fiancée, why do I not jealous at all? Not even when the nurses were gushing over him!
Smiling, Marcus asked rhetorically, “Do you think I would lie to you?”
“Y-You…” Upon recalling the fact he had been staying by my side when I was in a coma, I couldn’t bear to confront him. So, I kept my concerns to myself and shook my head. “I think something happened between us. Otherwise, I’m supposed to…”
We were only engaged, yet he had been through thick and thin with me when I needed someone by my side the most. To a certain extent, he could be considered a loyal man. At the very least, I knew he wouldn’t harm me.
Perhaps I don’t feel anything because we’re not that deeply in love with one another anymore. After all, we’re both in our mid-thirties. The passionate kind of love is not for adults like us.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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