Love Beyond Memory

Chapter 2 Can You Give Me My Husband Back?

Charles's gaze followed Grace's departing figure. Only when she was out of sight did he turn to look at me, his eyes filled with reproach. He blamed me for interrupting his time alone with Grace. But I couldn't be willing to accept this ending. So, I took him to the restaurant where we first met, where we had once ordered the same dishes in perfect harmony. I felt a surge of hope. I thought that familiar surroundings might awaken some of his memories. But the dishes he ordered were completely different from mine. I was stunned, a bit puzzled.

"I don't like these," Charles said calmly, looking at me expressionlessly. I was shocked because the Charles I knew always liked these dishes. We ate in silence, and I suggested going to a movie. Watching his profile, I noticed that the twenty-year-old and thirty-year-old him seemed to have many differences. When we first met, Charles and I had many common topics, similar tastes, and overlapping interests. But now, he seemed completely uninterested. I couldn't tell if Charles was deliberately opposing me or telling the truth.

Because of my distraction, I realized after the movie started that he had chosen a horror film. The b****y scenes and eerie laughter made my hair stand on end. I instinctively reached out to grab Charles, but he immediately withdrew his hand, his eyes filled with resistance and disgust toward me. The lingering fear and heartache surged together. After the movie, I sadly reached out my hand to him, "Charles, can I hold your hand?" He didn't answer but stepped back, distancing himself from me, cold and distant. "Charlotte, there's no such thing as ghosts in this world, you don't need to be afraid."

My nose tingled. I suddenly remembered that shortly after we got together, we had also watched a horror film. On the way back, I was pale with fright. At that time, he smiled gently and said the same words, "Charlotte, you don't need to be afraid, there are no ghosts in this world." Then he held my hand tightly and never let go. But now, it seemed there was a chasm between Charles and me. I couldn't cross it, and he was unwilling to come over. We had become so estranged that spending a day together was a luxury, and holding hands had become an unattainable wish.

I wanted to shout, to quarrel, to question loudly. "How dare you forget me?" "You promised to love me for a lifetime and never let me suffer." "Where is the Charles who used to feel heartache when I frowned?" I even had a moment of confusion. Was he really Charles? How could my Charles bear to make me so sad?

"Forget it, Charlotte, forget it." "I don't feel anything for you, and I don't like you. Don't waste your efforts." I lowered my head, sniffing, pinching my palm, trying to swallow my sobs. But the crying still escaped from my throat, embarrassing and humiliating. "You have no memory of being with me, this is unfair to me." He stared at me. His gaze was cold. "But Grace needs me, I can't leave her." I finally couldn't control my breakdown and cried out. "Can you give me back my husband?" "You can't treat me like this on his behalf..."

Charles was about to speak when a persistent phone call broke the tense atmosphere. Whatever was said on the other end made him anxious and agitated. After hanging up, Charles took a step to leave. I instinctively grabbed his sleeve. "Don't leave me..." "Mark is in trouble, Grace is scared alone, I have to be with her." "She has suffered a lot over the years. I don't know how we missed each other, but I won't let her suffer anymore." I endured the bitterness spreading in my chest, trying to control my emotions. "What about me..."

When he once again broke free from my hand without hesitation, I shouted at his back with a sobbing voice, "Charles!" But my voice didn't even make him pause. The confidence I had was all because of his past affection. But now, his affection was given to another woman. Watching Charles walk away from me, watching his anxious figure running for his beloved, I felt a piercing pain.

Tears burst from my eyes. My best friend Harper Clark came to take me to her home after receiving my call, seeing my distress. Harper comforted me. "Don't think about those upsetting things. After you have the baby and recover, I'll find you eighteen call boys!" I laughed through my tears, feeling something leave my heart. I rubbed my eyes and angrily tore the two movie tickets into pieces. If he didn't want me, there were plenty of others who would.

*****

Charles never looked for me again. He kept his word, giving all his love to Grace. He had once promised to get a couple's tattoo after I gave birth, but in the end, he tattooed Grace's name. I was an orphan with no parents to rely on. Harper knew my grievances and took me out to relax. She was afraid I might get depressed and she cursed that scumbag with me.

On the day of my prenatal check-up, I happened to see Grace crying silently outside the hospital room. Charles squatted in front of her, his eyes also red. He gently patted her back, his voice tender and compassionate. "Mark will be fine."

Two patients passing by said sympathetically, "I feel bad for them. Their child is so young and has leukemia. What a pity, they seemed like such a happy family."

A family. They were the family in other people's eyes. Every action of theirs felt like a slap on my face. Every word they said felt like a dagger stabbing my heart, making it hard to breathe.

When our eyes met, Charles frowned instinctively. Then he stood up, grabbing my hand for the first time with force, but it was to lower his voice and warn me. "If you want to make a scene, don't do it here. Don't disturb Mark."

I held back the furious Harper beside me and then laughed. I laughed so hard that tears almost came out. "If I wanted to make a scene, would I have waited until now?"

He was afraid of me making a scene because everyone in the hospital thought he and Grace were the couple. He feared that once the truth was revealed, they would be criticized. He feared Grace couldn't bear the accusations and insults. As for my feelings, they were never within his consideration.

"I came to the hospital for a prenatal check-up today. It has nothing to do with you or her," I said each word with all my strength, pulling Harper and turning to leave.

Once we were in the car, my tears fell like rain. Harper was anxious, not knowing what to do. Seeing my sadness, she tried to cheer me up. "I have an idea! Wait a moment."

She came back with a kitten, cute and adorable. Seeing I liked it, Harper drove to a pet store to buy a bunch of supplies like cat beds, cat food, and an array of colorful toys. I pinched my palm, swallowing all my sadness, and smiled at her, taking the kitten.

The kitten loved to burrow into the bushes, playfully tumbling around on the grass down the building, coming back covered in leaves.

One day, I was lying on the grass when I heard someone call me, "Charlotte."

Charles walked toward me step by step. I propped myself up to stand, but my pregnant belly made it difficult. Charles quickly reached out, intending to help me up.

I heard his nervous and gentle voice. "Come home with me. You're right, this is unfair to you. I'll try to be good to you." His words made my eyes instantly red. For a moment, I felt like the Charles who loved and cared for me was back.

With a trembling voice, I hugged his neck after standing up with his help. "Charles... why did you take so long? I've been waiting for you every day, thinking about you every day, Charles... I really missed you."

This time, he didn't push me away. He even placed a hand on my waist, holding me firmly.

That night, he held me in bed, carefully touching my belly. The little one inside moved, startling Charles, leaving him momentarily speechless, wide-eyed with surprise.

I smiled gently, tapping my belly. "Baby, you scared Daddy."

The next day, I showed him many photos, videos, and chat records from our dating days. He patiently looked through them, his eyes no longer showing impatience or resistance. Maybe he still couldn't remember anything, but at least he wasn't rejecting me anymore.

Gradually, he started learning to be a good husband and father. He often made various dishes suitable for pregnant women. When he saw me resting on the sofa, he would come over to massage me. Just when I thought everything was getting better, Charles gave me a heavy blow.