3 Years by His Hospital Bed, He Chose Her

Chapter 3

The autumn breeze carried a faint chill, brushing against my skin like a quiet reminder of the season's shift.

The moment my phone was fixed, I texted Dr. Song:

[I'd like to try the hypnotherapy you mentioned before.]

Her reply came quickly:

[Just so you know, the treatment will cause some memory loss.]

[Also, a family member needs to sign a consent form, someone who can look after you during recovery.]

My eyes lingered on the words "family member." I couldn't help but let out a bitter smile. There wasn't a single person I could think of who'd do that for me.

I scrolled through my contacts, hesitating when my finger hovered over one particular profile picture.

Right then, the profile icon shook, and a message popped up:

[I just got back into the country. Want to grab dinner?]

I replied almost instantly, and we picked a place to meet.

As I looked out the window at the city lights passing by, my mind drifted.

Jason was the son of my sign language teacher. Since I'd spent a lot of time at their house for lessons, we'd gotten close over the years.

Three years ago, when he found out I was marrying a man in a coma, he lost it. He smashed the birthday gift he'd gotten me and shouted that his mother had wasted her time teaching me sign language.

I didn't hold back either, I signed back all kinds of awful things.

Then he left for school abroad, and I thought I'd never see him again.

But now, here he was, back in the country. Time had changed him. He'd grown into someone poised, confident, with a cold, distant air when he wasn't smiling.

I didn't waste time. I signed,

[Can you… pretend to be my family and sign the form for me?]

His expression stiffened. After I explained everything, I saw his hands clench at his sides, like he was fighting to keep something down.

He asked quietly, "Are you sure about this?"

I nodded. What good were these memories anyway? If losing them meant I could speak again, I was willing to let them go.

"Okay," he said.

By the time I got back to the Jiang family mansion, it was already evening. My belongings were tossed carelessly in the hallway.

Ethan looked at me, eyes cold.

"Rachel, don't say I didn't give you a heads-up. From now on, you're staying in the guest room."

I just nodded. My calm clearly threw him off, he looked me up and down like he was trying to figure me out.

But what did it matter where I slept? Soon, I wouldn't even remember him.

Out of nowhere, a small dog darted out of the house. I froze. Without thinking, I grabbed Ethan's arm.

He scowled and yanked his arm away, hard.

"Rachel, know your place."

The force of it knocked me off balance, and I hit the floor. Pain shot through my wrist.

I'd been terrified of dogs ever since I was little. And the boy who once promised to protect me forever? He just let go.

There was a flicker of regret in his eyes. He reached out to help me, but I ignored it. I got up on my own, biting down the pain.

That's when Olivia walked out, clinging to his arm and pouting.

"Little Darling hates being in such a tiny space. Can we give her a bigger room?"

Ethan smiled, gently ruffling her hair.

"Sure. Let's give her the freshly cleaned guest room."

Then he looked at me.

"Rachel, you can move to the basement."

What a joke. In his eyes, I was worth less than a stray dog they'd picked up off the street.

While packing my things, I caught a strange smell.

Following it, I found a big yellow stain on a red coat.

I froze. That coat had been a birthday gift from Ethan.

My birthday happened to fall on the same day my uncle and aunt died, so my parents never let me celebrate. But Ethan had secretly given me that coat and said, "Rachel, from now on, I'll be with you every birthday."

But I guess promises only matter when love's still there.

I had never even worn that coat, just kept it tucked away like something sacred.

Looks like I'll never get the chance now.