THE DIVORCE THEY FORGOT

Beep.

ythmic electronic pulse that felt like a j

d, tears welling up, trying to focus on the white ceiling tiles a

Can you hear

My throat was san

y lips. I blinked again, m

here am I?"

said gently. "You were in a terrible car acc

se. I tried to sit up, but a sharp,

ave a severe concussion. You were

ead. The garage.

art suddenly racing. "Wher

," the doctor assured me. "He suffere

me. He was alive. *Th

ettled over my brain. I frowned, trying to gras

terrifying confusion washing over me. "Why

ifted. She pulled up a cha

ftly. "What is the la

embered the smell of lemon polish in the servants' corridor

slowly. "To Stellin. We just got

, shining it into my eyes. "And what els

her is Fedra. She didn't want me to marry him." I squeezed my eyes shut,

the light off and t

said. "You didn't just get married. Your medical records

No. That's impossible. W

aused a traumatic brain injury. Specifically, a severe concussion to the

ung in the air, hea

al trauma of the crash, combined with what the police report suggests was a highly stressful period in your life, caused you

he doesn't

s experiencing the exact same memory loss. It'

don't remember the last two years... how did w

. "Millie, you were at a lawyer's office. The police re

oked on the word. "Stellin

t happened just after you l

ed more than life itself. But according to the universe, we were appa

somehow, we had ended up in a lawyer's

ed, a tear sliding down my che

*

too bright, too steril

r at the end of the hall. Room

hite bandage wrapped around his head, and a dark bruise was blooming across h

," he b

reaking through a storm. There was no anger, no coldness. Just pure, unadulterate

his voice cracking. "O

I rushed forward. "Yo

y hand. He pulled me down onto the edge of

c and hospital soap, but underneath it, there was him.

. "When they told me we were in a crash, I t

oking into his dark eyes. "T

at is it? Are you hurt

ook a deep breath. "Stellin, we

sed his lips. "What? Millie, what are y

.. there was an accident. We hit our heads. We have a

d. His hand dropp

ssible," he

office. We were..." I choked on th

. He looked like I h

?" he b

fell apart. We were signing the fin

Millie, that's insane. Look at us. Look

eeks. "I know. I don't remember it either. But it'

ould see the panic in his eyes. He was searching his memor

ith a terrifying quietness. "Because I swear to God, Millie, if I

now what happened. But right now, in this moment, you are

ned. A middle-aged doctor with grey hair walked

Aris. I've been reviewing your case. I hav

his grip on my h

therapy to heal. High-intensity emotional stimulation. We need to trigger your brain pathways to

o... what doe

The shared space, the familiar routines, the proximity to one another

I looked at

tting a divorce

e next thirty days. And unless you want to spend the rest of your lives as strangers with a two-year

ouse. But it wasn't the honeymoon suite we remembe

," Stellin s

ill re-evaluate your memory retention. If you fail t

do it,"

zed my hand.