His Forgotten Obsession

Chapter 3

FLASHBACK

Matteo's POV

The only sound in the room was the fork clinking against the plate and the sound made me anxious.

I sat with my mother and my father at the head of the table. It was an outrageously huge table that could accommodate twenty with ease, though there were only three of us.

My mother took a sip of her white wine, and my father crunched as he cut through his steak.

He looked at me once, then let the utensils hit the floor.

"We're done waiting, Matteo."

I said nothing.

"You've wasted all those years waiting for God-knows-what," he went on. "Liana's dead or maybe doesn't return your feelings. Either way, this nonsense has to stop."

"She's not…"

"She's dead," he snapped.

I glared at him.

My mother didn't even look up from her glass. "Just got married already. "There are enough girls out there who will notice you if you pay attention to them."

I shot her an angry glance. "Like you had the best marriage, mom. You don't get to give advice."

She rolled her eyes, not even looking at me. "If you don't want to find a girl, you'll have to marry the commissioner's daughter. She's quite a catch."

"Are you kidding me?" I swore under my breath.

My father shifted forward, "Language, Matteo. Don't be crude to your mother."

I sat back. "Why? "I'm not a kid any more father, you don't command me!" I whistled out, "I knew, I shouldn't have come when you called me. I'm so stupid!

My dad slammed his hand down on the table. The sound was sharp enough to make the serving butler jump and the whole table shake. “Get your act together, Matteo! Else, I’m giving my inheritance to Charles.”

The room suddenly grew quiet.

“You’re what?” My mom asked, her eyes wide like they could pop out of her skull any moment.

"Yes, you heard me," he said. "I will not wait while you waste the family name without giving me what I want."

"You're bluffing."

My dad laughed at this, "'You don't get to tell me what to do'?" He quoted back my words, "I gave you the life of luxury you live! God dammit! "You do exactly as I say." His volume grew with each utterance.

He was not joking.

"No one is indispensable, not even my son. Charles is obedient and competent."

"He's your bastard son." My mother remained obsessed with that.

"And he's not wasting my time."

I gradually got up and shifted my chair back. "I have to go."

"Don't be obstinate. "You're still nobody under my supervision," his voice was softer now. "You're thirty-two, no wife, no heir."

"I run two businesses and a charitable board".

"Which I booked for you!" He shook his head, "Just marry. Cement the legacy."

"Go to hell."

My mother still hadn't budged as I stormed out.

I drove like I needed to get someone drunk.

My music was blaring at full volume, my windows rolled down, and the wind was in my face. I didn't even ease down.

The highway was wet with rain that had just fallen.

Then, I saw something.

Something along the road, or somebody. Lying.

I braked hard.

The tires squealed. The car swerved to one side before it righted itself. I got out of the car, as the rain started pouring once again.

In seconds, I was soaked through.

My heart was racing, as I ran towards the figure.

It was an unconscious woman. She was bleeding from the head and her shoe was missing. She had no bag and no phone.

I knelt beside her, "Hey! Are you okay?"

Clearly she wasn't, she wasn't even breathing. I turned her over and I just stood there.

No.

It can't be.

Her face…

It was her.

It was Liana.

Oh, wait… not quite.

This woman was different. She had longer eyelashes and a fuller mouth. But the resemblance was creepy.

My hands trembled as I whipped out my phone. I called the ambulance. I gave them the location and waited.

She was operated on for four hours.

She was in a hit-and-run. The police who had assessed the case had given their opinions.

She had minor internal bleeding, fractures, and she had been struck on the head. Maybe her head had hit a rock when she fell down.

Worse still was that she had no identification, no one to contact. No one called either for a missing person. No missing persons report matched her. The police then started questioning me who I couldn't respond to.

So I told them nothing.

I checked the following day.

And the next day.

And the day following that.

I kept reminding myself that I needed to see her since she looked so much like Liana. Watching her helped me let go of Liana.

I'd walk past every other day after work, to see if she had finally opened her eyes, I'd watch her breathe, I'd look at her face wrapped in gauze, and wonder why the hell the world had sent me this… mirror.

Some nights, I stayed on after visiting hours. Just sat.

A week later, the phone called.

My mother.

I shouldn't have answered.

"Tell me, I hear you're visiting the hospital quite often," she said. "Are you sick?"

"Who told you that?" I laughed. Of course, you're having someone tail me. How cliché."

"It's my way of showing that I care."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "What do you want?

"I want you to give your father a break for giving me reasons to embarrass him."

"Believe me, he doesn't need me to do it."

"You know he's not kidding, Matteo. If you don't get a move on and do it, he's leaving the inheritance to that. that Charles or whatever his name is. And if he does it, I'm not going to keep trying to protect you."

"So money is involved."

I could feel her eyes rolling. "Don't pretend stupid, Matteo." I raised you better than that. Of course, it is all about money. What else? Did I do all that? Therefore, I married your dad and stuck it out for thirty-something years. I didn't care about your father's mistresses as long as my child had everything. And then he brought that boy he brought into our lives. You think I stayed because I loved your dad? No. I stayed for this moment. For the chance of doing something honest with you… my son."

I stayed quiet.

She sighed. "You don't have to love a person to marry them. Just pretend it's real."

Then she hung up.

I had an abnormal family. I know.

That night, I sat beside the stranger again.

She breathed steadily and regularly. Her lips were now very dry and cracked. Her left hand still had the IV in it.

I stared at her for so long.

I knew what my parents wanted, but I was not interested in any girl. The only girl I was interested in…

I stared at the face of the stranger who had a copy of the face of my lover.

I nodded my head and returned from the ward to home.

A week later, as I went to the hospital after work, a nurse caught up with me before I could make my way to my newest obsession.

"Mr. Arden?"

I looked up.

"She's awake now."

I felt so many things at once.

That was it.

The girl I found on the street, the girl with Liana's face…

She was awake at last.

When the doctor confirmed her diagnosis of amnesia, it was

When the idea came.

She wasn't Liana.

But she looked like her. Like her.

She didn't have anyone looking for her, and she would have to rely on a stranger who would also need a bride.