Chapter 2

After saying that, Yancey wrapped his arm around Alice's waist and left without hesitation. Grace stared at the string of numbers on her phone. That man just now had claimed to be her fiancé, yet he hadn't shown a shred of concern for her from beginning to end. All he cared about was defending Alice. It felt like an iron wire was tightening around her heart. Her face turned paler as a dull pain spread through her chest. Alice looked like she had recovered fully, while she, the one being blamed, had barely survived. How could a man like that possibly be her fiancé? She had been missing for three days, yet no one from her family had reached out to her. The only thing lingering in her hazy mind was the faint memory of having a boyfriend. Without hesitation, she dialed the number. It was answered by a robotic, professional voice, which likely belonged to an assistant. "Ms. Lambert?" "Hello. Is this Ethan Henderson? I think I lost my memory in a car accident, and I—" "Mr. Henderson just returned to Druville and is still undergoing rehabilitation. Last time, you called him with the exact same excuse, asking him to pick you up. You even used the same car accident story. And he actually went—only to end up in that accident with you. "Ms. Lambert, if you have even a shred of conscience left, please don't contact Mr. Henderson again." "But I—" The call was abruptly cut off. Grace let out a sigh and leaned back against the pillow. Her head throbbed, and a sense of fear and uncertainty about the future crept in. She glanced down at her unlocked phone. At least her payment app was still accessible. She handed the phone to the nurse who had just walked in. "Could you check if there's enough balance on this?" Her eyes swept over her transaction history. Just a week ago, she had spent exactly 200 thousand dollars. It seemed she had bought a pair of men's cufflinks. That meant she wasn't short on money, right? The nurse's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Insufficient balance. The emergency treatment and hospitalization fees total 20 thousand dollars." Grace lowered her gaze, confusion evident on her delicate face. She had just spent 200 thousand dollars a week ago. How could she not even have 20 thousand dollars left in her account now? She went through the contact list and found one labeled Mom. Taking a deep breath, she called the number. The moment the call connected, an angry voice lashed out at her. "So, you still remember to call me, huh? Grace, how old are you now? Why are you still playing these childish games? Yancey and Alice have been secretly dating for a long time. Alice never told you because she didn't want to hurt your feelings. "But what do you do? You see them kiss once and drag Alice out, leading to a car accident! You're such a burden! Honestly, you should've just died out there! Alice has always been so considerate of you as her sister, and all you do is resort to these dirty tricks! How did I give birth to such a vile creature like you?" Grace was about to say something when she suddenly heard Alice's voice on the other end. "Mom, I think Grace might have lost her memory this time. Maybe you should go easy on her." "Memory loss? How many times has she 'lost her memory' this year alone? What a fool—always pulling the same stunt. If she really had any backbone, she'd stay gone forever. That way, I wouldn't have to deal with the stress of her existence. "Alice, stop defending her. Haven't you suffered enough over the years? Yancey confessed to you first, but because of your kindness, you let Grace cling to him like a fool. She never dared to confront him directly, so she takes it all out on you. You're too kind, my dear." Upon hearing this, Grace felt a sharp pain in her chest, an unbearable bitterness spreading through her heart. Was this really her mother? Why was she just like Yancey—never once asking how she was or concerned about her injuries? She opened her mouth, her voice trembling in disbelief. "Are you really my mother?" What kind of mother would say such vile things to her daughter? "What do you mean by that, Grace? Are you trying to give me a heart attack? If you don't want to acknowledge me as your mother, then fine! I don't want a disgraceful daughter like you either! Do you have any idea how many humiliating things you've done chasing after Yancey? "Can you stop embarrassing yourself for once? You even got jealous when I bought Alice an extra car. Do you even see her as your sister? I don't want to see you for the time being. Didn't you lose your memory? Just stay gone! Our family will be much more peaceful without you. What a jinx!" The call ended abruptly. Grace stared at her phone, the dull ache in her chest refusing to fade. Something wet slid down her cheek. She reached up and touched her face—they were her tears. She scrolled through her social media feed and realized Alice had posted something new. It was a photo taken before a massive floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the river in Druville, with fireworks exploding in the night sky. The caption read, "With my loved ones by my side." The reflection in the glass revealed Yancey and two blurred figures of middle-aged adults. A sharp pain stabbed through her chest, and Grace nearly doubled over from it.