Ezrah Lawrence snapped, disbelief and frustration bleeding through. "I just got into a car accident, and you're still stuck on the divorce papers?" A storm of confusion swirled inside him as he stared at Kehlani. Since she'd brought up divorce, he'd barely recognized the woman she'd become.
Was she hitting some late rebellious phase at almost thirty? he wondered. Out of curiosity, he'd even talked to a psychologist. The guy said pushing back only makes people rebel harder—better to just go along with it. So when Kehlani shoved those papers at him, he signed. Not that he ever intended to actually go through with it. The day of the accident, he'd planned to meet a client, not be at the office anyway.
"Are you just waiting for me to die so you can cash in on my fortune?" he accused, eyes boring into hers. Her patience was wearing paper-thin, and she was seriously second-guessing every life choice that had led her to this man.
The tension shattered when a sharp voice sliced through the air. "Kehlani Lawrence, get the hell out of here!" Laylah Ortiz stormed in, her heels clacking furiously as she tried to yank Kehlani away. "You're divorced from Ezrah—why are you still lurking around? Hoping to cash in? That's low!"
Laylah's usual composure had been blown to pieces by fury. But her strength was nothing against a grown man. She struggled, then realized Ezrah's grip on Kehlani's arm was like iron. "What the hell is going on, Ezrah?" she demanded.
Ezrah's expression was thunderous, his cold gaze freezing the room. "Let her go. I get it—you think she needs to be dealt with. But I'm in no shape for that right now. I'll handle it later," he said, trying to defuse the bomb.
Laylah scoffed. "Handle it? Ezrah is going to hear about this！"
Ezrah's face turned to stone. "Discipline her? Why the hell would I discipline my own wife?"
The room went dead silent. Even the people clustered outside the door were struck dumb. Yael Bishop, Ezrah's assistant, looked completely floored.
Ezrah's icy stare shifted to Laylah. "And who exactly are you to stick your nose in my business?"
Everyone, including Aviana Holmes, was speechless. "Ezrah, how can you talk to your own mom like that?" Aviana finally sputtered.
He met her gaze with pure impatience. "And who are you supposed to be?"
Aviana's disbelief was written all over her face. "Ezrah, you don't recognize me? I'm Aviana—you love me，and I'm gonna be your fiancée."
Laylah was just as stunned. "Ezrah, I'm your mother. You don't remember us?"
Ezrah's brow furrowed. "I don't know you."
Then he looked at Aviana. "I have a wife. How could I possibly have a fiancée? Kehlani, call the police."
Kehlani stood there, baffled. Ezrah had recognized her the second he woke up, but now he had no clue who his own mother or Aviana were. His sincerity was so raw it couldn't be an act.
She pointed at Yael by the door. "Ezrah, do you recognize him?"
Ezrah's eyes stayed unreadable. "No."
This bizarre twist sent someone scrambling for the doctor. After an examination, the diagnosis came. "The trauma appears to have affected parts of his memory. At this point, it's too early to know how much he'll recover—or how quickly.”
Aviana, frantic, asked, "Doctor, how long until his memory comes back?"
"Hard to say. Could be days, months, maybe even years."
As the doctor left, a heavy silence settled. Kehlani felt the hostile glares from Aviana and Laylah scorching into her. She decided to cut the tension.
"Ezrah, if we can't finalize the divorce today, reach out to me once you're discharged."
She grabbed her handbag and headed for the door.
But then Ezrah's voice rang out. "You're my wife. You're not going to stay and take care of me? You're just going to abandon me?"
Kehlani let out a dry chuckle. "Ezrah, your mother and your old flame are right here. How is that abandonment?"
"But I don't know them."
His detachment was so genuine, Kehlani finally accepted his memory really was shot.
Still, she had her own life to live. With cool grace, she glanced back at him, irony lacing her voice. "Don't worry. They'll take good care of you. Goodbye, Ezrah."
A wave, and she was gone, leaving a room full of pinched expressions behind. Outside the hospital, she called her realtor, finalized the rental on that new apartment she'd just seen, and paid a year's lease upfront.
Later, she was in a hardware store, picking out materials. On the bus ride home, her phone buzzed. Her friend Alia Daniels.
"Kehlani, where you at? I'm picking you up for a friend's get-together."
"Not today, Alia. I don't know your friends, and I don't wanna intrude. If there's nothing urgent, I'm hanging up. I'm on a packed bus, okay?"
"Kehlani, don't leave me hanging. Crysta's gonna be there, and if she starts drama without you, I'm screwed. Just tell me where you are. I'm coming to get you."
As the bus lurched, Kehlani sighed. "Fine. I'll get off at the next stop and drop you my location."
Minutes later, Kehlani stood by the curb. A red sports car pulled up, Alia behind the wheel. She adjusted her sunglasses and flashed a grin. "Hop in, gorgeous. There's an outfit in the back—change on the way."
