Chapter 1

1.

After I lost the baby, my husband hypnotized me.

He wiped my memory to give his patient, a woman with depression, better treatment.

For the next three months, he and our son, Leo, took this woman on a vacation to their ski chalet in Aspen.

When they were done playing house, they finally gave me my memories back.

I was once again the perfect wife and mother.

Except, I stopped managing their lives. I stopped asking where they were.

They thought I was just sulking and didn't care.

Until my husband, Eason, saw my post on X:

[HELP: I got my memories back, but the feelings are gone. What do I do? It’s urgent!]

[I don't even recognize the person I used to be. Being in the same room with my husband and son just makes me feel tense and awkward. A little sick, even. Has anyone else gone through this? I'm desperate!!!]

...

I was fast asleep when, with a loud click, the overhead light flashed on, blinding me.

My eyes shot open to see a tall figure standing in the doorway. He wore silver-rimmed glasses, his handsome face set in its usual cold expression.

I blinked, realizing it was my husband, Eason.

His voice was flat, betraying no emotion.

"Why are you sleeping in the guest room?"

I sat up, clutching the blanket. "My memory just came back, I need some time to adjust," I said with a dry, awkward laugh. "Let's sleep separately for a bit, okay? Give me some space."

He didn't seem to care, just gave a slight nod. "Do what you want."

Then, as if it were an afterthought, he asked, "You didn't call me today."

I looked at him, confused. "Call you? Was there an emergency? Nothing happened at home, why would I call?"

The temperature in the room instantly dropped.

"You used to call me like a maniac if I wasn't home by ten."

Thinking back on my old, frantic behavior, I felt a flush of embarrassment.

"Sorry," I said. "That won't happen again."

The reason I was hypnotized in the first place was because of a night like that. It was midnight, I was sick from my pregnancy and couldn't sleep, and the spot next to me in bed was cold.

I got up to look for Eason and found him on the phone with his patient.

I quietly asked him when he could come to bed, telling him I felt awful.

He just waved a dismissive hand at me, telling me to get lost.

I snapped. I grabbed the phone and screamed at the woman, Chloe, calling her a homewrecking bitch. I accused her of faking depression to seduce my husband, telling her if she was sick, she should take her meds instead of climbing naked into other people's beds.

Chloe sobbed pathetically on the other end. When Eason took the phone back, his voice was terrifyingly calm as he told me he'd be right there.

I thought I had saved my marriage.

But when Eason came back, he had an announcement.

"Chloe's condition has worsened. I'm taking her to the mountain cabin for three months of intensive nature therapy."

Our son, Leo, jumped in excitedly. "I'm going too! I'm going too! Chloe bought me dessert last time, she's the best person in the world! I want to go with her!"

I stared at them in disbelief. "What about our anniversary trip? I've spent two weeks planning our trip to Napa Valley. We were supposed to go as soon as Leo was on break."

"Cancel it. Chloe's psychological issues are severe. As her doctor, I can't ignore it."

"I don't wanna go on a trip with Mom, it's so boring! I like Chloe better!"

Of course, I refused. I argued with them, my voice thick with tears.

Eason shoved me away impatiently. Leo charged at me, ramming his head into my stomach.

A sharp pain shot through me, and a wave of warmth followed. Dark red blood streamed down my legs.

I lost the baby I had been trying to conceive for half a year.

And because he was afraid I'd cause another scene when I woke up, he forced me into a hypnotic therapy session, erased my memory, and threw me away in a hospital like a piece of trash.