Chapter 1

"It hurts, Elijah. Let me go!

"Will you regret this if I die, Elijah?

"Don't leave with Jocelyn, Elijah. I love you so much…"

I jolted awake and gasped for breath like a fish out of water. I couldn't breathe, and my throat hurt so badly that it felt like it was about to tear in half.

I struggled to open my eyes. The white lights above me were blinding, and I could hear machines beeping beside me.

"Mrs. Linden is awake, Mr. Linden. The doctor said she fainted due to a head injury and agitation. Other than that, she's fine."

Someone was talking on the phone in a low voice near the bed. I finally realized that I was in a hospital ward. Was I sick?

I heard a cold voice ring out over the phone. "Everything's fine as long as there aren't any problems with her. I have a video conference to attend so I won't head over."

The woman wore a formal outfit. After hanging up, she sighed. Then, she turned around. She was startled to see me staring at her. "You're awake, Mrs. Linden?"

I was about to ask her something when she continued, "Mr. Linden has a video conference today, so he can't come over just yet. You can speak to me if you need anything."

I was lost. "Who is Mr. Linden? And I'm not Mrs. Linden. My name is Ariana York."

The woman was taken aback at first before laughing scornfully. "Mr. Linden is busy, Mrs. Linden, as am I. I don't have time to play games with you. Also, you don't have to feign amnesia when you only knocked your head a little."

She scoffed. "I'd advise you against reading too many of those dumb novels. Playing hard to get isn't going to work on Mr. Linden."

I frowned. "I don't read dumb novels, and I feel uncomfortable with how you're talking to me."

The woman didn't exactly have a pleasant attitude when talking to me, and I didn't like her. She carelessly threw a phone at me, saying, "This is your phone. Contact me if you need anything. I'm heading back to work."

She turned, wanting to strut out of the ward, looking haughty.

Just then, the ward's door flew open, and another woman ran in, her hair in a mess. "How are you, Ariana?"

I was shocked when I saw her. "Why have you ended up like this, Teri?"

The woman before me was Teresa Stuart, my best friend. We'd started playing with each other since childhood and had gone to the same kindergarten, elementary school, middle school… We were like conjoined twins who remained by each other's side even during university.

But why did Teresa look so much more mature than I remembered? Her hair had been dyed maroon, and she wore a black form-fitting dress that showed off her curves. She looked familiar yet unfamiliar.

When she saw me like that, her eyes reddened. Then, she shouted, "You're a fucking idiot, Ariana! I told you to leave Elijah, the scumbag that he is. But you didn't listen! Look at what you're like now! You almost died after threatening suicide. You scared the hell out of me!"

She burst into tears toward the end of her rant. I couldn't understand what she meant, but my heart twisted painfully, and my eyes turned red, too. I didn't know why it had happened.

Just then, the woman in the formal outfit turned back, looking upset as she said, "This is the hospital, Ms. Stuart. Keep your voice down, please."

Teri seemed familiar with the woman. She pointed at her and snapped, "Call your precious Mr. Linden and tell him to come to the hospital! His wife is injured and lying in a hospital bed, yet he's still in the mood to attend some dumb charity dinner with Jocelyn Cornell!

"Doesn't he think he's gone a bit too far? Jocelyn, the bitch, dumped him and fled abroad when he was almost bankrupt. Who saved his company? The York family! Now that he's made a comeback, Jocelyn's returned to suck up to him again.

"One is a bastard and a scumbag, while the other is a slutty gold digger. They make a perfect match!"

The woman's face turned red when she heard Teri's rant. Meanwhile, a nurse hurried over and persuaded Teri not to cause a scene. Only then did the woman hurry off like she was fleeing from something.

When silence descended upon the ward, Teri wiped her face and growled, "Listen to me, Ariana. You've been involved with Elijah and pestered him for seven years, but he doesn't love you. He doesn't respect you or your family at all.

"There's so many fish in the sea—why must you be so obsessed with him? You've threatened suicide so many times that he doesn't buy your act anymore."

She paused, looking exasperated as she continued, "You're rich and pretty, Ariana. Why do you have to be such a hopeless romantic?"

I finally found the chance to ask her something. "Who is Elijah Linden, Teri? I don't remember anything."

Teri seemed taken aback. Then, she chuckled. "Elijah's assistant is gone now, so you can drop the act. I know you're only feigning amnesia."

I rubbed my head, which was still swollen. I smiled bitterly. "I've really lost my memories, Teri. I don't know who this Elijah you're talking about is."

She fell silent and stared at me dazedly. After staring into each other's eyes for two minutes, she shrieked, "The heavens have finally made you see sense! You've forgotten all about that asshole!"

…

After a series of checks, the doctor diagnosed that I probably had intermittent amnesia. The brain was a precious organ, after all, and it seemed that I'd fallen down many steps at the villa. For all everyone knew, something had been knocked loose in my brain when I'd hit my head.

I looked at myself in the mirror. My oval-shaped face and straight nose were the same as always, but my lips were pale. It was indeed my face, but there was something unfamiliar about it.

In my memory, I'd always been lively and joyful. But the woman I saw in the mirror had eyes that were devoid of joy. In fact, I looked bitter.

Had Teri been telling the truth? Had I really been entangled with Elijah for seven years? And was I really married?

…

I didn't want to believe it, but Teri showed me the photos and videos on her phone, proving that I really was married. To my surprise, my husband was Halton University's ice god—Elijah Linden.

I saw how I was beaming in the photos and videos of the wedding and sighed deeply.

Teri said, "You fell head over heels for Elijah when we were in our sophomore year, even going so far as to neglect your studies for him. You waited for him outside his dormitory building every day, wanting to give him the breakfast you'd bought.

"Whatever sport he played, you would buy boxes of drinks for him and his teammates. On his birthday, you hired someone to float a banner using balloons to confess your feelings for him. When he fell sick, you'd sleep on the floor by his bedside to care for him around the clock…"

Her words were a torment to my ears—it was so humiliating. "That's enough…"

Teri had no intention of letting me off the hook. She continued, "You even bribed the student council members to let you take someone else's place in Elijah's artificial intelligence club as an errand-runner. It was all in the name of pursuing him.

"You knew nothing about programming and became the club's free labor. When you were 20, you confessed your feelings to him again…"

I clamped my hands over my ears, not wanting to hear anymore. Teri sighed. "You spent 200 thousand dollars to play a recurring video on Halton City's tallest building—the video was of you asking Elijah to marry you. The whole of Halton City was stunned."

I sighed and lowered my head. "What happened in the end?"

Teri's expression turned odd. "He agreed to your proposal."

I was silent for a while before saying, "It's because of what you told me, right? That the Linden family was about to go bankrupt. He wouldn't have married me if he had any other option since he didn't love me, right?"

She looked like she didn't want me to be hurt. "That might not necessarily be the case. Maybe it was because your persistence in pursuing him finally paid off… I guess."

Silence descended upon the room again. I sighed. "How embarrassing…"

I looked at myself in the mirror again and saw how wan I was. I smiled self-deprecatingly. "To think I, the proud heiress of the York family, ended up becoming the laughingstock of Halton City."

Chapter 2

Teri dropped me home after I'd spent another two days resting at the hospital. I wanted to leave with her, but she locked the door once I'd gotten out.

She scoffed and said, "You should still head home. I don't want to be the bad guy if you regain your memories and beg me in tears to let you continue being Elijah's bootlicker."

I saw the lingering fear in her eyes. It looked like the hopeless romantic in me had caused enough trouble for her over the years that she was traumatized.

I watched as she drove off and headed into the looming villa with a frown. It was large, empty, and unfamiliar.

However, when I saw the row of wedding photos hung on the wall, I knew I was in the right place. A middle-aged woman who looked like a maid came to take my luggage. "Mr. Linden is away on a business trip and won't be back tonight, Ms. York. You don't need to wait for him for dinner."

I nodded and headed upstairs. The maid seemed surprised. "A-Aren't you going to ask why Mr. Linden isn't coming back?"

That was an odd question. I asked in return, "Didn't you say he's away on a business trip?"

She gave me a weird look. "I-I did, but… you've never believed it in the past."

I waved my hand irritably. "Don't bother cooking anything for him since he won't be back. I'm heading upstairs."

I turned and continued up the staircase while the maid muttered, "How odd. Why does it seem like she's completely changed?"

…

I headed to the bathroom to shower when I got to the bedroom. My hospital stay had been a comfortable one, but showering had been a huge issue. It didn't help that I was a germaphobe.

I relaxed as I soaked in the warm bath. Thanks to Teri filling me in for the past three days, I knew how I'd ended up like this.

I was married, and my husband of five years was Elijah Linden, once known as Halton University's ice god. He and I had met in my sophomore year.

According to what Teri had told me, Elijah and I had been involved for seven years. But my memory was still of me being a freshman and the proud heiress of the York family.

In my memories, I was young and beautiful. I came from a wealthy family and had grown up pampered. The young men interested in me could've formed a line from one end of the city to the other. In Teri's words, every hair on my head screamed "rich".

But since meeting Elijah when he'd helped out in an activity organized by my drama club in my sophomore year, I'd turned into his bootlicker. I spent the rest of my university life showing everyone what a perfect bootlicker was like.

There was nothing I couldn't do to suck up to Elijah. Teri told me it was as if I'd been placed under a spell during that time. I knew he had a childhood sweetheart, but I'd still clung to him, wanting to ruin their relationship so I could have him to myself.

Under my brainless and shameless pursuit, Elijah had finally agreed to marry me when it was almost time for graduation.

Yes, I was the one who'd proposed to him. After that, we registered our marriage without having a wedding ceremony. We'd just taken simple wedding photos before I officially became Mrs. Linden.

After marriage, Elijah threw himself into his work because his family's company was at a critical juncture. Initially, I acted relatively normally. But after realizing that he didn't love me and constantly left traces of his true love in his life, I started acting like a maniac.

I pulled all sorts of tricks to find out where Elijah was 24/7. I even hired a private investigator to dig up information on Elijah's true love, who was abroad.

After spending a fortune, I found out the reason behind Elijah and his girlfriend's breakup. At the same time, I'd tragically realized I was nothing but a pawn Elijah had used to resolve the crisis his family's company had faced.

He didn't love me, yet he'd blatantly taken the shares and funds of York Group which were under my name. Linden Group had risen from the ashes thanks to my investment, but York Group suffered a huge loss.

My father, Philip York, had ended up in the hospital after suffering a stroke due to his rage. My poor mother, Marie Keller, had been left with a heart condition after everything that had happened. And my brother, Jonathan York, who'd always spoiled me, had slapped me for the first time.

The help I'd mindlessly provided Elijah turned me into Halton City's laughingstock. After losing my family's support, I'd become even more insecure and hysterical.

The tantrums I threw and the fusses I kicked up didn't make Elijah feel guilty, though. On the contrary, they only made him despise me more and distance himself from me.

Meanwhile, his true love remained in contact with him, never having actually severed ties. She worked on building a reputation as an artistic goddess.

Her elegance and grace only made me seem like a witch in comparison. Her talent and achievements made me look like an uncivilized brute.

One of us was a high and mighty artistic goddess, while the other was a hysterical brute who held the position of being Elijah's wife.

Anyone who wasn't blind would pick her over me. Yet everyone seemed to have forgotten that I used to be Halton City's most renowned and talented heiress. I'd gotten into Halton University with top grades!

My love for Elijah had made me forget myself. Meanwhile, his true love was the only one who enjoyed his passion and loyalty.

Ultimately, I'd threatened Elijah with suicide after we'd gotten into a huge fight over a small matter. He'd long since grown sick of my tricks, so he'd turned and left.

In my despair, I'd jumped from the second floor. I hadn't died, but I'd injured my head.

…

I shuddered after going through everything I'd forgotten. The bath had already gone cold, so I hurriedly got out and wiped myself dry. Then, I wrapped the towel around myself.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I was pale and haggard, but my face had abnormal splotches of red. I was skinny to an extreme—I looked malnourished. My face had been slightly plump when I was 18, but it wasn't anymore.

I still couldn't believe the truth as I stared at my reflection. I'd lost my mind over love, wanting to end my life over a man who wasn't related to me without a care for how my family felt.

What the hell had gotten into me?

I smacked myself on the head, making intense pain spread through me. Tears welled in my eyes—I'd forgotten I was still injured, damn it!

Just then, the bathroom door swung open. I looked up to see Elijah standing there, looking grim.

"What are you…" I subconsciously covered my chest and frowned at him. His face wasn't familiar to me, but I'd sensed the slight tremble in my body upon seeing him.

The familiar sensation made my frown deepen. To Elijah, however, I was just trying to kick up a fuss again. He asked coldly, "Why were you taking so long in here? Come out once you're done. Or do you think I'll carry you out?"

His gaze landed on the bathtub, which was still filled with water. He snorted and said, "Don't tell me you were thinking of slashing your wrists in the tub and threatening me with suicide again. How long more are you going to keep this up?"

I followed his line of sight to my bloodied hand. I wanted to explain that it was from the wound on the back of my head, but he'd already stepped past me and grabbed a towel. Then, he headed to the shower. My face turned red when I saw him strip.

"What are you doing?" I cried, hurriedly turning away. My face was hot to the touch.

The sound of running water rang out, and Elijah said mockingly, "I'm taking a shower. What's wrong? You loved running in here while I was showering to join me, didn't you? What's the point of acting all innocent now?"

My face burned even more. I also felt embarrassed. I cursed at him before hurrying out of the bathroom.

Chapter 3

I hurriedly got dressed as the sound of running water came from the bathroom. I picked a tracksuit to prevent accidentally showing too much skin—it was the safest choice.

Elijah came out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel loosely wrapped around his waist. My face turned red again.

His hair was wet, and the water droplets trickled down his cheeks. The droplets on his chest rolled down his body and over his rippling obliques.

I stared at him until he snorted disdainfully. Then, I looked away, feeling awkward.

A warmth came from behind, and he blew on my ear. "Be good and stop kicking up a fuss now that you're back."

He sounded like he was coaxing a child. My heart skipped a beat—my body proved to me how it felt about him.

I dodged his breathing and tried to keep my voice cold. "I've lost my memories, Elijah."

"Ha." He wrapped his arms around my waist and gently caressed it with his thumbs. His voice was lazy yet annoyed as he asked, "Ariana, you realize you're annoying me, right? I told you to stop with this bullshit."

Flames of anger surged within me. I don't know where my strength came from, but I shoved him away. "I'm kicking up a fuss, huh? I was in the hospital for three days after falling from the second floor, yet you didn't visit me once!"

He looked at me calmly. "Uh-huh. So?"

I almost wanted to laugh in exasperation. No matter how despicable I'd been in the past, I'd still saved his company. That alone was enough to warrant him visiting me in the hospital to see whether I was still alive.

Yet he looked so calm and composed that it made me seem like an overly emotional manic. For the first time ever, my stomach roiled as I looked at his handsome face.

Then, I waved a hand. "Nothing. Let's divorce, Elijah."

He laughed. "You haven't given up yet, huh? I told you ages ago that we'd never divorce. Also, stop being jealous of Jocelyn. You'll never compare to her—not in this lifetime."

I wanted to puke. I scowled and snarled, "You're not deaf, are you? I told you that I've lost my memories and don't love you anymore. I want a divorce. Also, I don't remember who Jocelyn is, so this divorce isn't because of her."

Elijah's expression turned steely. He grabbed my wrist and pinned me to the wall. The pain made me wince, and my eyes reddened.

He was so close to me that his warm breath fanned over my face. Embarrassingly enough, I started blushing again.

His chest was pressed to mine, and his tall frame dominated me. I could smell the faint scent of cypress wood on him and his masculine pheromones.

Once again, my body betrayed me. I started trembling, and my legs went weak. For a second, I even wanted to press my lips to his.

Elijah chuckled again. This time, he sucked on my earlobe, making me feel like electricity was running through my body.

"Don't think you can piss me off by saying such things, Ariana. You don't remember Jocelyn, huh? Don't you realize every insult you've made about her for the past two years just tells me how much she bothers you?"

I gnashed my teeth. "Let me go, Elijah. You're a shameless fucker!"

He bit my earlobe almost as if punishing me. "Why are you wearing something like this? Where are those uniforms you've hidden? I remember you used to love putting on one that I've never seen before while I showered… Then, you'd seduce me with the things you learned from those videos you watch."

His breathing grew heavy. "It's been three days, Ari…"

My scalp tingled, and my mouth was parched. I was 26 on the outside, but my mind was still that of an 18-year-old.

I had no idea how "I" could be so open when it came to sex, especially since Elijah and I were on such horrible terms. Could it be I'd been the one to take the first step during sex? God!

I shoved Elijah away. He was caught off guard and almost fell. His gaze darkened as he glared at me. "How dare you push me away, Ariana! What the hell is wrong with you?"

I didn't want to talk to him anymore, so I hurriedly opened the room door. "I'm heading down for food. Do what you need to."

…

I headed downstairs to see a feast laid out on the dining table. It looked like the kitchen hadn't cooked any less because of Elijah's supposed absence. I looked over the food and realized none of them were things I liked. That meant they had to be Elijah's favorites.

Ha. I was getting tired of this.

I sat down and started eating. I was hungry after everything that had happened. I ate without a care; Elijah only came downstairs after some time.

He was evidently angry because of what had happened and sat as far away from me as possible. He didn't spare me a glance as he got his food. Well, I didn't want to look at him, either.

It was eerily silent as we ate. Suddenly, Elijah asked, "Why isn't there pumpkin soup today, Wanda?"

Wanda Jones was the middle-aged maid who'd spoken to me earlier. She glanced at me, her tone reprimanding as she said, "Because Ms. York didn't cook any today. You can't blame me for that, Mr. Linden."

I frowned at her and retorted, "What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying it's my job to make the soup? So, I'm the one who's at fault here?"

Elijah slammed his cutlery on the table, looking icy as he snarled, "You've always been the one making it, haven't you? It's not like Wanda knows how."

I laughed derisively and put my cutlery down before wiping my mouth elegantly. "You need to get this straight, Mr. Linden. I'm just your wife, not your maid. Isn't it enough to have a table full of your favorite dishes? You still want me to make soup for you? Do you think I owe you?"

Perhaps he didn't expect me to suddenly lash out like that—there was a hint of surprise amidst the dislike in his eyes. "Don't think you can get a rise out of me just because I like pumpkin soup.

"You were the one who learned how to make it from a chef and insisted on making it for me, yet now you're refusing to. What the hell do you mean by that? If you're not done throwing your tantrum, go let off steam somewhere else. Don't try to cause trouble at the dining table."

I sneered. "Don't you understand what I mean? I'm not going to be at your beck and call anymore, Elijah!"

I flung my napkin onto the table and stormed upstairs. I'd had enough of his arrogance and selfishness. Honestly, how could I have been blind enough to fall for him in the past?

He probably didn't expect me to just dump everything and leave like that. He watched me dazedly from the dining table.

Wanda was still muttering, "Mr. Linden, Ms. York used to cook all your favorite dishes, including the pumpkin soup. Now, she's dropping everything just like that. Honestly…"

I could still hear her, and it pissed me off.

Just then, the doorbell rang. I glanced at it to see Wanda answering the door and letting an elegant, graceful figure enter.

She was beautiful, and her features were delicate. She wore a pale blue dress that fit her well, and a string of pearls hung from her neck. Her carriage was regal and demure; she looked like she'd walked out of a painting.

I had to admit that even as a fellow woman, I was jealous of her.

She looked at Elijah and said gently, "I hope I'm not disturbing you by coming at this hour, Elijah."

His expression, which had been steely just seconds ago, immediately became gentle. He naturally took the things she held and even found her a pair of lounge slippers.

I watched this coldly, finding the whole thing such a mockery. My husband had flown into a rage because I hadn't cooked his favorite pumpkin soup. Yet here he was, bending over to gently help another woman wear a pair of lounge slippers.

Chapter 4

I turned to head upstairs. Elijah looked so humble that it was a sight for sore eyes.

Just then, the woman asked gently, "How are your injuries, Ms. York?"

I turned around, saying reluctantly, "Much better."

Elijah stopped her from asking more. "She's fine. She just got a little banged up here and there."

I sneered. "You didn't bother visiting me when I was in the hospital, Elijah. How would you know that I'm fine?"

His expression darkened. "Stop this nonsense, Ariana."

"Nonsense?" I laughed. "I'm just stating a fact. How is that nonsense? Or do you think everything I say is nonsense?"

My disgust for him peaked at this point. Though I didn't remember anything about the past seven years, I was sure Elijah's neglect of me and his claims that I was only throwing tantrums had angered me countless times. It'd be a miracle if I could remain sane and calm after all that.

The woman suddenly curtsied in my direction. I frowned. "What are you doing?"

She lowered her head, sounding aggrieved as she said, "I came to apologize to you, Ms. York. I know you must've gotten the wrong idea after seeing my WhatsApp conversation with Elijah."

She looked up, her eyes glistening with tears. She looked pitiful.

I was about to mock her when someone suddenly charged into the house and shoved me hard. "You're a nasty bitch, Ariana! You were the one who threatened suicide! What does that have to do with Josie? Why did you force her to apologize to you?"

I fell backward from the shove, and an intense pain spread through me, starting from my waist. My heel also hurt like hell.

Then, I heard myself cry, "She's Jocelyn Cornell?"

I looked at her and appraised her seriously. She hurried over, looking like she wanted to help me up. I spotted the smugness that flashed in her eyes, though. I knew my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.

She kept apologizing to me. "I'm so sorry, Ms. York. Are you hurt anywhere? Evan's just a child—please don't get mad at him."

Evan?

I turned to look at the young fellow who'd shoved me aside. I guessed he was Evan Linden, Elijah's younger brother. He and Elijah had similar looks, after all. He glared at me, looking like he wanted to rip out my throat to appease Jocelyn.

I grabbed the banister and slowly pulled myself to my feet. Evan stood protectively before Jocelyn, looking like he would fight me to the death if I were to do anything to her.

Instead of saying or doing anything, I slowly made my way upstairs. For a second, the trio downstairs didn't know how to react to that.

Elijah was probably waiting for me to fly into a rage or kick up a fuss, and Jocelyn was probably waiting for me to scream and shout at her so she could pretend to explain.

Meanwhile, Evan was surprised. He was probably waiting for me to yell at him like a shrew and call him an ingrate.

They waited for a storm that never came.

I headed upstairs and slammed the door shut.

…

I'd forgotten about Elijah, but I still remembered Evan. He was my cousin Jason Shaw's classmate. I remembered that before I turned 18, Evan affectionately called me "Ari", as Jason did.

At the time, he'd been young and poor, so he'd been sent to an upscale nursing home owned by the York family. One summer, I'd gone there to spend time with my grandmother, Liza Johnson, and had happened to see him alone in the garden.

"Oh, my. Are you alone here?"

I remembered speaking to him with plenty of snacks and goodies. Evan had initially been wary of me, but he'd joined Jason and me for some fun times after learning I was Jason's cousin.

That had been a happy summer, and it had passed in the blink of an eye. I'd always thought Evan considered me his sister, but that wary look on his face earlier was so unfamiliar.

He hadn't been too rough when shoving me earlier, but it still hurt like hell. He wasn't just pushing me—he was pushing the Ari in his memories away.

I noticed a weird sensation on my face and touched it—it was wet with tears. I slowly wiped them dry.

Damn it. Elijah hadn't made me cry, yet Evan had.

I knew I couldn't stay in this place anymore. After drying my tears, I started packing my things.

…

Downstairs, in the living room where Ariana couldn't see, Jocelyn looked at Elijah guiltily. "Did I come at the wrong time, Elijah? Ms. York looked furious earlier. Maybe you should go talk to her."

Elijah snarled, "Ignore her—that's just what she's like. She'll be fine after some time."

A trace of dislike flashed in his eyes. Evan, who'd been quiet before, suddenly said, "You shouldn't come here alone anymore, Josie. Ariana is a…"

He wanted to say how I was a freak who would hurt Jocelyn, but he suddenly recalled how I had looked at him before heading upstairs. I looked like I was filled with disappointment and sorrow.

He shook his head irritably, trying to get rid of his odd feelings. Why did he feel like I wasn't the same as in the past anymore?

He'd only wanted to keep me from hurting Jocelyn—it wasn't like he'd pushed me on purpose and couldn't understand why I had given him such a look. He hadn't done anything wrong!

After brainwashing himself, he blurted, "You should send Josie home, Eli. I'll stay here and watch that freak for you."

Jocelyn looked even more guilty. "I'm sorry you have to go through this, Evan. To think she'll berate you despite you being so young… If you get the chance, please help me to apologize to Ms. York. We can't let this misunderstanding become worse."

Evan looked touched. "You did nothing wrong, Josie. That freak is the one who pushed all the blame on you! You have to protect yourself, but Eli and I will protect you, too."

Satisfaction flitted past Jocelyn's eyes. She rubbed Evan's head and said, "Alright, then. I'll get going."

She looked at Elijah and said gently, "Maybe you shouldn't send me back, Elijah. I'm fine getting back to the hotel myself. It's a little off the beaten path, but I'll be okay alone."

She glanced upstairs, looking worried. "You should really talk to Ms. York. If not for her using the York family's money to help you, your company wouldn't have made it through that crisis so easily. It's natural that she's a little haughty now. You should be more tolerant."

Elijah frowned. "She can't take credit for getting Linden Group past that crisis. If not for me and my staff working together, no amount of investments would've helped."

He paused as his hatred for me grew. "I don't want to talk about that from now on. If Ariana thinks she can make me bow and scrape before her for life because of this, she's wrong!"

He grabbed his car keys and wrapped an arm around Jocelyn's shoulders. "Come on, I'll send you back. It's dangerous for women to be alone at night."

Evan chimed in, "It's getting late, Josie. Hurry up and head back."

Chapter 5

I heard the sound of a car's engine roaring downstairs. I couldn't help but look out the window, and I saw Elijah holding out an arm to pull Jocelyn close to him. It seemed he wanted to protect her.

I didn't know whether it was a moment of telepathy, but he happened to glance at the second floor. Our gazes met.

I saw him frown, his lips parting slightly as if wanting to say something. I watched him coolly, which made him falter. Perhaps he didn't expect me to be so quiet and calm.

"Elijah?" Jocelyn called him softly. She followed his line of sight to see me standing behind the window.

"Elijah…" Her tone turned aggrieved. "You should head upstairs if you want to be with Ms. York. I'm fine alone."

He returned to his senses and concealed the emotions in his eyes, saying indifferently, "It's fine. Let's go."

Jocelyn glanced at me again. This time, I saw the faintest smirk on her lips—she was mocking me for failing to control my husband despite being his lawfully wedded wife. Instead, he was cozying up with her.

I felt my heart clench. It didn't hurt, but it throbbed a little. I drew the curtains. As the sound of the car engine faded into the distance, I composed myself and started packing my things.

I had to admit I'd never been shortchanged when it came to material things. Before marriage, I lived a comfortable life as the York family's heiress. After marriage… I was shocked to see rows upon rows of clothes and bags in the walk-in wardrobe.

The wardrobe was so huge that sounds echoed in there. There were so many limited-edition bags and clothes that I couldn't even count them.

I went through each item. Many of the bags hadn't even been used as were the clothes and shoes. They were so new that the labels hadn't even been removed.

The jewelry cabinet unlocked with my thumbprint. I saw an abundance of jewelry and watches inside.

I didn't know how married life with Elijah had been over the past five years, but it looked like he'd never been frugal.

At that thought, I relaxed a little. He would probably give me a considerable sum after the divorce if he wasn't frugal. If I couldn't have love, having plenty of money was also good.

There were too many things in the wardrobe for me to pack. All I could do was pick out some outfits suitable for daily wear, a set of expensive-looking jewelry, and an exquisite watch.

I was about to return to the bedroom to rest when I kicked a black bag. I opened it out of curiosity, and I blushed when I saw what was inside.

There were several unopened costumes inside. There was one for a sexy rabbit, an office worker, a traditional outfit, and even a maid costume…

The longer I looked through the bag, the more intense my blush became. It looked like Elijah hadn't been lying. Not only had I been crazy before losing my memories, but I'd also gotten up to all sorts of hijinks in bed.

"Ha. Has it finally occurred to you to use these things to save our marriage?" A cold, mocking voice rang out behind me, making me jump to my feet.

Elijah grunted and clamped a hand on his jaw. I hurriedly backed away and stammered, "Y-You… Why are you back so suddenly?"

He looked mad. "It's been over half an hour. Of course, I'm back."

Only then did I realize how quickly time had passed. It had been almost an hour since Elijah left to drop Jocelyn off.

I stuffed the costumes back into the bag and kicked it into a corner. Elijah's gaze darkened at that. "Looks like you've become smarter, Ariana. I thought you would get into a huge fight with me."

He came to hold me, his tone coaxing as he continued, "Be good, okay? There's nothing between Jocelyn and I."

I was about to say something when I smelled something sweet on him—it was Jocelyn's perfume. Suddenly, I wanted to puke. I shoved him away and snapped, "Stay away from me!"

His expression turned steely. "Don't push your luck, Ariana!"

I sneered. "You reek of another woman's scent. How dare you tell me there's nothing between you and her?"

He sniffed his shoulder, and his expression shifted slightly. He frowned at me, looking like he wanted to say he knew I was going to kick up a fuss. He parted his lips to explain, but I turned away. "We're sleeping in separate rooms starting tonight."

I made to leave the wardrobe. Behind me, Elijah snarled, "Haven't you had enough, Ariana?"

I sneered. "Nope."

Elijah hurried forward to grab my arm. His grip was strong, and I paled from the pain. "Ouch!"

He loosened his grip when he saw my reddened eyes. His gaze was resigned as he said, "The perfume got on me by accident. There's really nothing going on between me and her."

I didn't say anything. Suddenly, he leaned in to kiss me. I shuddered and instinctively tried to push him away, but he didn't budge.

His breathing grew heavy as he caressed my waist. Familiar bolts of electricity shot through me, and my breathing became erratic.

My mind was a mess—I felt like some memories were on the cusp of emerging. My body turned to jelly under his ministrations, but I could hear my heart crying. This body was too weak.

I struggled to remain lucid while constantly pushing him away. However, my futile struggle seemed like an invitation to Elijah. He thought this was just part of our foreplay.

He deepened the kiss, and his scent wafted into my nose, eating away at my rationality. My brain was dazed, and my body responded to him without my permission.

Elijah continued to deepen the kiss. His scent enveloped me, making me lose track of where I was. When a wave of coolness washed over me, I realized Elijah had carried me to the bed.

I used my remaining rationality to shove him hard. "Don't touch me!"

He was taking his clothes off and almost fell from my shove. Rage spread over his face, and he raised a hand. I instinctively shuddered and curled into a ball, screaming, "Don't hit me!"

The atmosphere tensed. Elijah's hand stopped in mid-air, and I stiffened on the bed. I didn't know why I'd reacted like that or understood where Elijah's sudden brutality had come from. All I knew was that I was trembling uncontrollably.

Elijah's rage disappeared when he saw how scared and pitiful I was. He stood by the bed, wanting to explain something. Ultimately, he remained silent.

I felt ashamed as I dragged the sheets over my body, mumbling, "Get out. Get out! Don't touch me."

After a while, he said, "…Get some rest. I'll sleep in the study."

He turned and left the room, his expression icy. Shortly after, I heard the study door slam shut.

Silence and peace descended upon the bedroom, and I slumped on the bed, feeling like all my strength had left me. My back was covered in cold sweat, and my head throbbed painfully.

I didn't know why Elijah kept coming after me despite his hatred for me. I also didn't understand why I was afraid of his brutal side if I'd loved him so deeply before losing my memories. More importantly, why did he refuse to divorce me?

My head hurt even more from these thoughts. After a while, I finally drifted off.