My husband, who has been married to me for ten years, suddenly lost his memory
Chapter 1
My husband of ten years suddenly lost his memory.
He forgot me and our daughter.
But he remembered a “first love” and a seven-year-old son.
I thought John was just confused.
Until I overheard him talking to his mother outside his hospital room.
“John, you love Sarah so much, if she finds out you’re faking this…”
“Mom, she won’t. Once I force her to accept Susie and Michael, I’ll miraculously ‘recover’. Then I’ll just sweet-talk her…”
“But…”
“No buts, Mom! Don’t you want to be able to openly acknowledge your grandson?”
I froze, shocked.
The car accident and amnesia were a lie.
My happy marriage, my good relationship with my mother-in-law, all a facade.
I laughed bitterly.
If that’s the case, then I’m leaving.
01
“Yes! Of course, I do!”
“Ten years of marriage and all she gives me is a girl. What good is a girl? And she has the nerve to say she only wants Lily!”
“She’s probably trying to end our family line.”
My mother-in-law’s disgusted voice drifted through the door.
Passersby gave us strange looks, whispering among themselves.
The hopeful light in my daughter’s eyes slowly dimmed.
“Mommy,” Lily whispered, “Grandma’s talking about us, isn’t she?”
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
I just squeezed her small hand and shook my head.
I hadn’t understood before.
John was polite to everyone after his “accident,” but he looked at me like I was his enemy.
In his fabricated memories…
His college sweetheart was Susie.
Susie supported him when he was starting his business.
Susie had his child.
And I was the cuckoo in the nest, shameless and brazen.
I thought even if he resented me for his true love and their child, it shouldn’t be to this extent.
Now I understand.
He was pretending.
“Mom, while I’m pretending to have amnesia, you need to persuade Amy to accept Susie and her son. Tell her it’s for my recovery.”
“As long as she agrees, there’s still a place for her in our family. She can still be Mrs. Smith.”
“If she refuses, then don’t blame me for kicking them out without a penny.”
My heart clenched, making it hard to breathe.
The truth was suffocating.
John at 18, holding flowers: “Amy, will you be my girlfriend?”
John at 24, down on one knee: “Amy, will you marry me?”
And John at 44, time having been kind to his face, now mature and handsome, threatened to throw me and our daughter out if I didn’t accept his mistress and their son.
How ridiculous. I started to cry.
The weather is unpredictable.
So are people’s hearts.
“Don’t worry, it’s time for me to go home and cook for my sweet grandson. Amy will be here to take care of you later.”
In twenty years of marriage, my mother-in-law had always been nice to me, but she had never helped with our child.
Every time she watched Lily for a few days, she’d complain of back pain or leg cramps.
I always considered her poor health and never said anything.
Now, I realized it wasn’t her health.
It was that my daughter wasn’t worthy.
Footsteps approached.
I tried to hide, but I spilled the chicken soup I was carrying.
John heard the noise and came out.
He saw me and Lily, covered in chicken soup, looking pathetic.
His expression flickered with panic before hardening.
“Who let you in here?”
Lily hid behind me, scared.
My mother-in-law hurried out, smoothing things over.
“Amy, when did you arrive? Why didn’t you call ahead?”
“I asked Amy to bring Lily to see you. Since I’m not feeling well, Amy will stay and take care of you later.”
John looked at me, his eyes devoid of affection.
I was about to speak, but a loud crash interrupted me.
A black mug flew past me and smashed against the wall.
Then, he coldly spat out one word: “Get out.”
A shard of the mug cut Lily’s face, and she started to tremble.
The atmosphere in the room turned heavy.
I turned and saw Susie and her son standing at the doorway.
Susie smiled smugly at me.
02
This was my first time meeting Susie.
She was young, graceful, radiating feminine gentleness.
And me…
I looked down at myself.
Tea dripped from my hair.
My soup-soaked skirt clung to my legs.
I was a mess.
A strange feeling churned in my stomach, making me nauseous.
John walked past me, towards Susie and her son, putting his arm around her.
He kissed her forehead reassuringly.
“Are you alright? Did that scare you?”
Susie shook her head shyly, then gave me a triumphant smirk.
I could barely register it. I felt a chill run through me, leaving me trembling.
How ridiculous.
My daughter was bleeding, and he was worried about his mistress and her son.
The boy jumped up and down, yelling, “Daddy! Daddy!”
John picked him up, placing him on his shoulders.
A perfect little family.
Making Lily and me look like outsiders.
“Amy, don’t mind him. John has amnesia; he doesn’t remember you.”
“It’s normal for men to make mistakes, but Michael *is* his son, our family’s blood. We have to accept him. When he remembers, you can punish him however you want, I won’t say a word. What do you think?”
“Besides, you were the one who said you only wanted Lily. But a family needs a boy to carry on the name, right?”
John had a low sperm count. Only he and I knew.
To protect his pride, I told everyone *I* only wanted a daughter.
I never thought they would actually believe it.
I’d even told John we could try IVF if he wanted another child.
He’d said: “Amy, you went through so much with Lily’s pregnancy, I don’t want to put you through that again. Don’t worry, Lily is enough, she’s our precious girl.”
I had been so touched.
I felt so lucky to have a child, a symbol of our love, with the man I loved. All the hardship had been worth it.
My mother-in-law continued her “heartfelt” speech while trying to hug Lily.
Lily dodged her.
I stared blankly at John, who remained silent. He used to adore Lily, but now…
“You can bring your child home. That’s my biggest concession.”
Susie’s eyes reddened. She tugged at John’s sleeve.
“John, I don’t want to leave you and Michael.”
“Susie has been with me for over a decade, suffered so much for me. I would never leave her alone out there.”
He looked at me, no love in his eyes.
“The house is big enough. Susie doesn’t know much about childcare, so you can take care of the kids…”
I laughed bitterly.
“So, you want me to accept your affair, accept your mistress and her child living under the same roof, *and* be their nanny?”
John frowned, impatient. “Is that a problem?”
I was speechless. I didn’t bother arguing.
“In that case, let’s get a divorce.”
I took Lily’s hand and left.
I thought he was just pretending.
Now I see that this person, this relationship, had rotted from the moment he started drifting away.
I held Lily’s hand as we walked home, tears streaming down my face. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“It’s okay, Mommy.” Her small body hugged me tight. She wiped away my tears.
“It’s just us now, and that’s good.”
“We don’t need Daddy.”
03
John didn’t come home for weeks after that.
I saw him again on Lily’s birthday.
He walked in, carrying a cake, and placed it on the table.
Lily’s eyes lit up. “Daddy, is that for me?”
My heart ached for her.
When had my carefree child learned to be so uncertain?
John didn’t answer. He looked awkwardly towards the door.
I followed his gaze and realized he wasn’t alone.
Michael rushed in like a cannonball, shoving Lily aside.
“Go away! Daddy bought this for me! You can’t have any!”
Susie dragged a suitcase inside, pretending to scold him. “Michael, apologize to your sister!”
Seeing John’s silence, Michael became bolder.
“No! Grandma said she’s a bastard, not my sister!”
I trembled with anger. “John, is *this* your family’s good manners?”
I couldn’t understand how someone could be so biased.
Even if Lily wasn’t a boy, his mother had loved her for nine years.
John had spoiled her rotten for nine years.
And now…
He just frowned. “He’s just a little boy, Lily should be more understanding of her brother.”
“Lily, apologize!”
Lily looked at John in disbelief.
He turned away, looking at Michael with concern, as if *his* son was the one who had been wronged.
Lily’s eyes reddened. “I didn’t do anything wrong! He’s not my brother…”
John immediately snapped.
“Lily Smith! What are you saying!?”
“Amy, this is how you teach your daughter! Take it out on me! I can’t believe you would put her up to this!”
I snapped back to reality.
John was frantically comforting a crying Susie. Lily’s outburst had made her burst into tears.
My throat tightened. I tried to explain.
Before I could, Susie started sobbing.
“John, you know Michael is your son. If I knew he would be doubted and insulted by his own sister, I wish I had never given birth to him!”
“John, I love you. I know I’m looked down upon for living here without a title, and Amy has every right to treat me poorly, but Michael is innocent. I don’t want him to live his life being judged.”
“I know Amy doesn’t accept us. You brought me here today, and I thought she had forgiven me, but… seeing her attitude, I should just go back. I don’t want to raise my child where we’re not wanted.”
She sobbed dramatically, and John panicked.
“Susie, I know how much you suffered carrying Michael for nine months. He’s our child, I love him, and I love you! I won’t allow anyone to look down on you or our son. Everything I have is yours, don’t you know that?”
“You don’t need to care about her. This is my house, *I* bought it! No one can make you or Michael feel unwelcome here!”
“Don’t cry, both Michael and I will protect you.”
His words were like daggers to my heart.
Indeed, every brick and tile here belonged to his family. What did it have to do with me?
I didn’t bother explaining.
I smiled bitterly and took out the divorce agreement I had prepared.
“Sign it.”
04
John glanced at it dismissively and took Susie’s hand to go upstairs.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Amy. You’re in your forties.”
“Who else would want you besides me? Just stay here, take care of me and the kids, and I won’t take away your Mrs. Smith title.”
“I may not remember why we got married, but we’ve been married for twenty years. What would the media, our business partners think if we divorced now?”
“Just be a good wife, and I won’t bother you.”
I scoffed.
Indeed, this was the real reason John didn’t dare divorce me.
John and I had started our business together. We had struggled during the financial crisis when many big companies went bankrupt.
I had made the risky decision to import new equipment from overseas, securing a major partnership that turned our small company into a local leader.
But after I got pregnant, we had a disagreement.
I wanted to continue my career after giving birth.
But John wanted me to be a stay-at-home mom, focusing on our child and him.
He pretended to agree, but while I was pregnant and away from the office, he pushed me out, firing or demoting the senior staff I had brought in.
My position was filled within days.
I was so angry I went into premature labor.
But I couldn’t let go of our twenty years together. After his repeated apologies, I forgave him.
I thought our love was more valuable than business.
Clearly, John didn’t think so.
We grew distant.
The only thing we still talked about was Lily.
Even then, whenever I wanted him to be involved in her life, he would always use work as an excuse.
In the end, all we had left was a marriage of convenience.
“I’m taking Susie upstairs to rest. You can watch the kids downstairs.”
Seeing me motionless, he frowned and continued, “Oh, and it’s Michael’s birthday today. Make him some of his favorite dishes.”
He then rattled off a long list of Michael’s likes and dislikes.
He didn’t mention Lily once.
He bent down, as gentle as he was with Susie.
“Michael, be nice to your sister. Daddy and Mommy are going to rest for a bit, and then Amy will make you some yummy food.”
Michael happily agreed.
I numbly followed him to the kitchen.
Then, his eyes landed on the mango mille-crêpe cake on the table.
He started whining and demanding to eat it.
I hesitated, wondering if I should ask John.
Michael saw right through me.
“My daddy is resting with mommy. He doesn’t have time for an old woman like you. Daddy told you to make *me* what *I* want! I want that cake!”
That cake, I had made it myself for Lily’s birthday.
Lily ran over, protecting the cake. “Mommy made this for me! You have your own cake, you can’t have mine!”
Michael pushed Lily to the ground and snatched the cake, stuffing it into his mouth triumphantly. He threw the rest at Lily.
“It’s disgusting! I’d rather throw it away than give it to you!”
“Little bastard!”
I rushed to Lily, pulling her into my arms.
Lily sat there, eyes red, staring silently at the cake on the floor.
The commotion downstairs quickly brought the other two down.
Michael saw John and started crying.
“Daddy, I’m itchy! I told Amy I’m allergic to mangoes and can’t eat mango cake, but she and my sister made me eat it!”
Susie burst into tears, and John was terrified. He rushed Michael to the hospital.
The diagnosis: a severe allergic reaction, requiring hospitalization and an IV drip.
A weak Michael lay in Susie’s arms, crying for his daddy.
“Daddy, is she mad because I didn’t give her the cake you bought?”
“I won’t fight with her for you or cake anymore. Please don’t let her and Amy hit me! I’m sorry!”
Susie cried too, looking pleadingly at me.
“Amy, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have come back, shouldn’t have appeared in front of you. Please don’t hurt Michael, he’s my son, he’s my life!”
I realized something was wrong. “I didn’t…”
John slapped me across the face. His eyes were bloodshot, like he wanted to kill me.
“Amy, how could you be so cruel to a child! Take your anger out on me! And you even taught our daughter to be just as bad!”
I tried to explain. “It wasn’t me! He wanted to eat it! Lily tried to stop him, but he grabbed it!”
“Enough! Shut up!”
John looked at me coldly and pulled out the divorce agreement, quickly signing it.
“You want a divorce, right? Fine, let’s divorce. It’s about time I give Susie, who’s been with me for over a decade, a title. And seeing how you are, I wouldn’t dare leave our child in your care.”
After he finished, I felt a sense of relief. I didn’t bother explaining further. I calmly picked up the signed agreement, hugged Lily, and walked out.
“John, we have security cameras throughout the house. And today is our daughter’s birthday. You seem to have forgotten both of those things.”
“Besides, did you really lose your memory?”
John opened his mouth, his expression flickering with panic, but he didn’t say anything.
