“Indeed, we had all sorts of conflicts when we were young. We were overly na?ve back then. We almost lost one another, but the fact that we were able to make it through the challenges in our relationship indicates that God has plans for us. He brought us together again. Perhaps it’s our destiny to start all over again.” Holding my hand, Marcus narrowed his eyes and asked with an affectionate grin on his face, “Will you give me another chance to take care of you for the rest of your life?”
Huh? Is this a confession?
His genuine smile took me by surprise, and I quickly shrugged all of my concerns off my mind. I grasped his hand and nodded as a tiny smile played on my lips.
…
After spending another fortnight at the hospital for a series of therapies, the doctor finally agreed to discharge me from the hospital.
As it was early winter, the weather was just about right.
I put on a jacket over my patient gown and took a seat next to Marcus, who was in the driver’s seat.
Irked by my hair that was shoulder-length, I ran my fingers across it, drooping it behind my shoulders when the car was brought to a halt at the traffic light.
It took a little longer than usual for the traffic light to turn green. Bored, I wound down the window to survey the surroundings that felt familiar yet odd at the same time. “Have I always been in frail health? It feels like I have made countless trips to the hospital. I can vividly recall this particular route to the hospital..”
Marcus stared at me in the eyes. A few seconds later, he stared dead ahead and said, “I neglected you and your condition back in the day, but I won’t leave you alone anymore.”
His words felt like a double innuendo, but before I could probe further, he showed no signs to carry on with this conversation. Hence, I had no choice but to stop poking my nose into his business.
Suddenly, a limousine pulled over by the road. The lavish vehicle caught my attention because of its ostentatious appearance.
The passenger inside the limousine wound down the window and a mellifluous tone could be heard as a child yelled, “You’re a fascist who can’t even keep his word! I don’t want to see you anymore!”
It was an adorable sight because the child had uttered harsh remarks that were unbefitting of the image of a child.
A few seconds later, a little boy who looked about five or six-year-old craned over and tried to jump out of the car.
The boy had relatively chubby cheeks and his hair styled up, making him seem increasingly mature as compared to his peers. The checkered suit he had put on made him seem like a miniature version of a gentleman. He had been blessed with great features, befitting his identity as the owner of the limousine.
As he was merely a step away from sneaking his way out of the car, my heart sank.
Suddenly, a gigantic hand could be seen lifting the little boy’s collar and bringing him back to the car. The boy seemed like a defenseless prey that had fallen victim to a vicious predator.
When the little boy saw me, his eyes widened in disbelief. “Mommy!”
The man behind the little boy glanced at me and asked rhetorically, “Excuse me, Gregory Hall? Have you always considered your father a man with bad taste?”
The handsome man had flawless facial features that seemed to be out of this world. His abysmal pair of eyes seemed to be able to easily intimidate and seduce others according to his will.
Unsure of the reason behind the overwhelming sensation washing over my body, I had a hard time catching my breath. I could feel my heart sinking as the time flew by. I placed my hand on my heart in an attempt to catch my breath, yet it seemed to be of no avail. No matter what, I couldn’t tame my rampaging emotions. In the end, I unwittingly leaned forward.
Once the traffic light started flickering green, Marcus started the car again, but he soon noticed something was wrong with me. “Are you not feeling well?”
“No, I’m fine.” I shook my head and lied, not wanting to return to the hospital.
As soon as we got on the move again, I felt so much better and returned to my usual self within a few seconds.
Perhaps it was one of the aftermaths of transient global amnesia—my emotions were flooding in and out.
After shooting another glance at the limousine, I noticed the other party had headed over in another direction. It seemed as though our paths would never cross again.
The little boy was probably blessed with an abundance of wealth the moment he was born. He’ll probably be a renowned figure in the future.
Although I was an amnesiac, I could vividly recall that I wasn’t a member of the upper echelon. When I recalled the man I saw, I secretly repeated his words in mind.
Have you always considered your father a man with bad taste? What did he mean by that? Do I look bad?
Most importantly, is that the way he’s supposed to talk to his son?
Can a woman really stand a man with such an intimidating look and an arrogant manner?
As I thought about it, I turned around and looked at Marcus next to me.
As compared to the indifferent man from before, Marcus, who was gentle and kind, seemed to be the perfect candidate for me to spend the rest of my life with.
After a moment, Marcus opened his mouth, feeling awkward under my stare. He asked, “Why are you looking at me?”
I shrugged and replied with a smile, “It’s nothing. I just think you’re a reliable man.”
Marcus’s eyes flickered at my compliment. He seemed surprised by the compliment that had come out of nowhere. “I see…”
…
We soon pulled over in front of the gate of the White residence.
“We’re home.” After Marcus made sure the car was switch off, he leaned over to unfasten the seatbelt on my behalf.
I subconsciously inched away from him, not used to such an overly intimate interaction. “I can unfasten it myself.”
Marcus stared at me wide-eyed before returning to his seat. “O-Okay…”
Although I was against the idea of being overly intimate with the man, I couldn’t help but remind myself that he was the one who loved me wholeheartedly and stayed with me through thick and thin.
The conflicting thoughts in my mind almost drove me nuts. I sprinted out of the car and stood at the entrance, trying to catch my breath.
It had been a fortnight since I regained consciousness. Apart from our last intimate interaction in the hospital, I couldn’t get used to it anymore after returning to my senses.
The feeling had morphed into an instinctive response to the extent I couldn’t stand him anywhere near me. I couldn’t possibly lie to myself and force myself into submission.
“Have you recalled anything?”
Marcus’ question snapped me out of my train of thoughts.
When I turned around, I noticed that he had moved to come right next to me.
I shrugged my shoulders and replied with a self-deprecating smirk, “Nah, my mind is still completely blank.”
Unbothered by my response, he showed me the way into the house. “It’s fine. Let’s take it one step at a time.”
The villa had a retro theme and was furnished with all sorts of retrospective items. A majority of the house’s furniture was made out of wood. A phonograph could be seen in the middle of the living room, giving the entire house a touch of the olden days.
Marcus showed me the way to a spacious room on the first floor. In the room sat a huge window with a wound-up curtain that allowed the entire room to be illuminated with sunlight.
It felt great to be in the room with such a comfortable setting, but when I saw the spacious bed in the middle of the room, I felt myself grow stupefied again.
Though I was glad to be away from the ward full of the lingering scent of antiseptic, I was beginning to feel afraid of the intimate session between Marcus and I that was about to come.
Marcus seemed to be aware of my concerns. He quickly stated, “I’ll be staying right next door. Call me if you need anything. We’ll talk about everything else once you have gotten used to living here.”
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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