My Fiancé Erased My Memory for His First Love

Chapter 5 He Turned Me Into a Prisoner

Serena woke in an operating room. Straps pinned her to the table, and harsh surgical lights blazed overhead, forcing tears from her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she cried the moment she saw Adrian and Vivian.

"Vivian was right," Adrian said coldly, dressed in a white coat. "Your memory has recovered."

Vivian clung to his arm, her voice trembling with urgency. "Adrian, you can't let her recover completely. If she does, Father will throw me out of the family."

Adrian patted her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry. No one will hurt you." Then he looked at Serena. "As long as she undergoes one more memory-reset procedure, she'll forget everything that happened recently."

Serena felt ice flood her veins.

One more? Did that mean they had tampered with her memory before? Had they kept her from recovering all these years?

If her mother had not insisted on sending her own doctors to supervise every stage of Serena's treatment, she might never have regained her memory at all.

Panic crashed over her.

She looked at Adrian with desperate, pleading eyes. "Please don't do this to me. Adrian, I can't live like that again. I don't want to become someone who remembers nothing. I'll give you everything, anything. Just please don't do this!"

"Serena." Adrian stepped forward and gently wiped the tears from her face. "You'll be fine."

He smiled with practiced tenderness. "Think of it as making sure our wedding goes smoothly. I'll take care of you for the rest of your life."

For seven years, Serena had believed words like that. Now she knew every one of them had been a lie. And even now, he was still trying to deceive her.

When Adrian saw the despair in her eyes, his expression gradually turned cold. "You don't trust me?"

Serena laughed bitterly. "How could I trust you? You've nearly gotten me killed for Vivian again and again!"

Adrian said nothing.

Vivian, however, stormed forward and slapped Serena hard across the face.

"If you hadn't stopped Father from bringing me home back then, would I have spent over ten years suffering outside that family?" she snapped. "The one who should have grown up with Adrian was me! You owe me all of this! Adrian is only helping you repay what you owe!"

The blow whipped Serena's head sideways, blood staining the corner of her mouth. Hearing Vivian twist the truth so shamelessly, Serena almost laughed.

"Your mother was the mistress. You're the illegitimate daughter. Why would Father ever abandon my mother for either of you?"

The word "mistress" hit Vivian like a slap.

Before Vivian could strike again, Adrian lunged forward and clamped a hand around Serena's throat.

Her voice died instantly.

She clawed at his wrist, gasping and thrashing for air. Only when her face turned purple from lack of oxygen did he finally let go.

"Serena," he said with a disappointed sigh, "you clearly need your memory wiped. Otherwise, how could you say something so cruel to Vivian?"

He turned to the doctor. "Begin the procedure."

"No! You can't do this to me!"

Serena screamed until her voice gave out, but all she could do was watch Adrian leave with Vivian as the doctor approached, syringe of anesthesia in hand.

She did not know how much time passed before she woke again. She was back in her room.

Aside from the sunset outside the window, everything looked exactly as it had that morning. The eerie repetition felt like a nightmare with no escape.

Serena sat motionless by the window, staring blankly outside, numb with fear.

When Adrian entered, that was the sight that met him.

She looked pale and fragile, her head wrapped in bandages, so delicate she seemed as if she might shatter at the slightest touch.

For reasons he could not explain, unease stirred in his chest. Holding a document, he crossed the room and sat beside her.

Serena turned to him, her voice soft and uncertain. "Adrian…"

Her fingers brushed the bandages around her head. "What happened to me?"

Adrian's tone was gentle. "Your condition worsened. We were in a car accident on the way to the hospital."

Then he handed her the document. "There's one more thing. Because your injuries were so severe, and the institute's schedule couldn't be delayed…"

He paused. "Victor's project has already been transferred to Vivian."