Triggering the Truth
1228 Words
Days passed quietly inside the penthouse in London.
For Maya, those days felt strangely peaceful and confusing at the same time. The enormous glass windows overlooking the city skyline had begun to feel familiar. The soft hum of life inside the penthouse, the gentle voices of the servants, and Layrus's constant laughter slowly created a calm rhythm in her days.
But deep inside Maya's mind, something was unsettled.
She could feel it.
There were pieces of her life missing, like pages torn out of a book. Now and then a strange headache would creep in, bringing flashes of images she couldn't fully understand.
A loud sound.
A dark cliff.
Someone is shouting her name.
Each time it happened, the memory vanished before she could catch it.
Lucas tried his best not to pressure her. He kept his distance, giving her space, but he was always nearby. Sometimes she caught him watching Layrus play, his expression soft and thoughtful.
The sight always left Maya feeling confused.
Why did he look at Layrus like that?
And why did she feel so comfortable around him?
She couldn't answer those questions.
But someone else was watching everything closely.
Sophie.
For the past few days, Sophie had been paying close attention to Maya's behaviour. At first, she had been relieved to hear that Maya had lost her memories. It had been perfect.
Too perfect.
But the more she observed Maya, the more uneasy she became.
Sometimes Maya looked at Lucas in a way that suggested familiarity. Sometimes she would stop mid-sentence as if she had almost remembered something.
It irritated Sophie.
And fear slowly began creeping into her heart.
What if Maya was pretending?
What if she had already remembered everything?
The thought alone was enough to make Sophie restless.
She could not allow Maya to regain her memories.
Not when the truth could destroy everything.
That morning Sophie made a decision.
If Maya had forgotten everything, then nothing would have happened.
But if Maya was pretending...
She would find out today.
Maya stepped out of her room that morning, stretching slightly as she walked into the hallway.
Layrus was still asleep inside the crib behind her.
The quiet hallway of the penthouse was calm, bathed in soft morning light.
But the moment Maya lifted her head-
She froze.
Sophie was standing directly outside her door.
Leaning against the wall.
Waiting.
Maya's eyes narrowed immediately.
"What do you want?" she asked sharply.
Sophie pushed herself slowly away from the wall.
Her lips curved into a strange smile.
For a few seconds, she said nothing.
Then she slipped her hand into her coat.
Maya frowned.
"What are you doing?"
The next moment Sophie pulled out a gun.
And pointed it directly at Maya's face.
Maya's breath stopped.
"Do you remember this?" Sophie asked quietly.
Maya stared at the weapon in pure shock.
"Are you insane?!" she shouted.
Her voice echoed through the hallway.
"Help! Someone help!"
Sophie chuckled softly.
"Save your breath," she said calmly.
"Nobody is home."
Her finger slowly pulled the trigger.
Click.
The sound was loud.
Sharp.
Terrifying.
But the gun didn't fire.
It wasn't loaded.
Still, the sound alone was enough.
The moment Maya saw the weapon...
Something inside her mind shattered.
Images burst forward violently.
The cliff.
The wind howled in her ears.
Layrus's birthday party.
Sophie's cold smile.
The gun was pointed at her chest.
The sound of the shot.
Her body fell backwards into the darkness.
Lucas is screaming her name.
"MAYA!"
Then another memory followed.
Sweden.
The quiet snowy streets.
Lucas's confession.
The love she had tried so hard to ignore.
Everything came back at once.
Every memory.
Every emotion.
The pain exploded inside her head like a storm.
Maya screamed.
"MAKE IT STOP!"
Her hands flew to her head as she staggered backwards.
Her breathing became frantic.
The memories kept coming faster and faster.
Sophie is pushing her.
The fall.
The fear.
The betrayal.
Maya felt like her mind was being torn apart.
Her vision blurred.
Then suddenly-
Her legs gave out.
Her body collapsed.
She fainted.
At that exact moment, the front door of the penthouse opened.
Damein had arrived.
For days he had been unable to tolerate the thought of Maya and Layrus staying under Lucas's roof.
He had finally decided to take them home.
But the moment he stepped inside, he heard the commotion upstairs.
He rushed toward the hallway.
And what he saw made his blood run cold.
Maya lay unconscious on the floor.
Sophie stood nearby.
"What did you do?!" Damein roared.
Sophie turned calmly toward him.
Then she laughed.
"It took you long enough to come get your wife," she said casually.
"She was destroying my marriage."
Damein's anger exploded.
"You wicked woman!"
He shoved Sophie violently.
She stumbled and fell to the floor.
Ignoring her completely, Damein rushed to Maya's side.
"Maya!" he called urgently.
He lifted her into his arms.
But she didn't respond.
Fear gripped his chest.
Without wasting another second, he ran to Layrus's room and picked up the baby.
Layrus stirred slightly but didn't wake.
Damein rushed downstairs and placed him carefully in the back seat of the car.
Then he drove toward the hospital as fast as he could.
The moment they arrived, the hospital staff rushed Maya into the emergency room.
Doctors surrounded her immediately.
Machines beeped around her as they tried to stabilise her condition.
But Maya wasn't responding.
Damein waited outside the emergency room, pacing.
His hands trembled.
After a moment he pulled out his phone and texted Alicia.
Come to the hospital immediately. Take Layrus home.
Within minutes Alicia arrived.
But she wasn't alone.
Lucas came with her.
The moment Damien saw him, rage filled his eyes.
Before anyone could react, he pushed Lucas hard.
"What are you doing here?" Damein snapped.
Lucas's fists clenched instantly.
His temper flared.
But before the situation could escalate, a doctor stepped between them.
"Control yourselves," she said firmly.
"This is a hospital."
Both men forced themselves to calm down.
The doctor continued speaking.
"Your wife is in critical condition. She is not responding to treatment."
Damein felt his stomach drop.
"Can she be saved?" he asked quickly.
The doctor nodded.
"Yes. We have handled worse cases before."
She gave him a reassuring smile.
"You brought her here early enough."
Then she left.
The hallway fell silent.
Damein slowly turned toward Lucas.
"You said you could protect her," he said bitterly.
"It hasn't even been two weeks since she left my house."
Lucas remained silent.
"You are the thorn in Maya's life," Damein continued.
"The sooner you disappear, the better it will be for everyone."
He brushed his shoulder against Lucas and walked away.
Grabbing Alicia's arm, he pulled her aside.
"How dare you bring him here?" he snapped.
"I asked you to take Layrus home!"
Alicia jerked her arm free angrily.
"Have you forgotten something?" she said sharply.
"Lucas is Layrus's father."
Damein froze.
"And Maya," Alicia added firmly, "is Layrus's mother."
Her voice softened slightly.
"We all know who Maya would want beside her right now."
With that, Alicia turned and walked toward the car to carry Layrus.
Behind her, Lucas stood silently in the hallway.
His eyes were fixed on the emergency room door.
Waiting.
Praying.
Because somewhere inside that room, the woman he loved was fighting to wake up.
- Writer
