Faded Oaths

When a kidnapper forces my husband, Liam Waltz, to choose between saving me and our son, he sacrifices me without a second thought.

I'm pushed off the cliff, but somehow, I survive. Still, I have lost all my memories.

Liam looks absolutely devastated in front of the media. He holds a public funeral for me, only to marry a woman who looks exactly like me a year later—Clara Brown.

Four years pass before my memories return. I return to Ardenix, hoping to see my son, Lucas, only to find that he now sees Clara as his mother.

And Liam? After four years of thinking I was dead, he only cares about protecting her.

"You were gone for four years. I thought you were dead. You didn't think I'd be widowed forever, did you? I'm now the CEO of a publicly traded company.

"I can allow you to stay home, but you can't ever show your face in public. After all, Clara is now my legal wife."

Instead of heartbreak, all I feel is relief. During those four years of amnesia, I married the one and only heir of Hurrix Corporation.

After regaining my memory, my husband watched reluctantly as I boarded the plane alone. It was time for me to visit my son, Lucas, and my ex-husband, Liam Waltz.

Once I touched down, Liam personally came to pick me up at the airport.

Despite not seeing each other for four years, he didn't seem the least bit delighted at reuniting with me. Instead, he appeared distant.

"We've been doing well for the past four years. Lucas has started school. Though not remarkable in academics, he's really into baseball. His mother…"

Realizing his inappropriate use of the term, he quickly changed his words. "Clara thought it'd be great to let him join the baseball team."

I couldn't help but hear a trace of warmth and longing in his words when he spoke about Clara.

"You knew how I married her three years ago. She's now my wife. I can allow you to stay home, but you can't ever show your face in public."

I listened quietly without responding. Truth be told, I was secretly relieved.

During those four years of amnesia, I had settled down with my now-husband. I didn't plan on disrupting their life, but something in me wouldn't give up on Lucas just yet.

If it weren't for my son, I wouldn't be here now.

"You and Clara are different. She was raised in a tough environment and has a timid personality. Be nice and caring toward her, and don't even think about giving her a hard time."

I was slightly taken aback. My brows furrowed as I asked, "What makes you think I'd do that?"

In the last four years, he had found a new woman, while I had met my one true love. Frankly, I hadn't felt anything for him in a long time.

…

The car eventually halted outside the villa.

Liam said, "I told Lucas you'd be home. He should be coming back around this time after his practice."

I entered the villa but didn't catch sight of Lucas. Frowning, he added, "I guess he just doesn't want to see you. I mean, he sees Clara as his mother now—most probably didn't want you to drive her away."

I felt a sharp pain in my chest as those words sank in.

I understood that Lucas was so little when I left that he probably didn't even remember what I looked like.

Meanwhile, Clara had been by his side for three whole years.

Perhaps he had long since stopped thinking of me as his mother.

Glancing around, I suddenly realized how much the villa had changed from my memories. The vintage paintings I once hung on the walls were gone, replaced by colorful ceramic decorations.

The rug and couch I carefully picked out for Liam when we got married were similarly replaced with a different color and style. It was as if I were never here to begin with.

I looked out the window and saw the garden filled with blooming lavender and morning glories, though in my memories, Liam used to hate having flowers in the yard.

I had even argued with him about it once, but he wouldn't budge. At last, he had changed his ways for Clara.

I couldn't help but think back to our wedding day, when he stood before everyone and promised he would only love me for the rest of his life.

When I went missing, he cried his eyes out on national television, acting like he couldn't go on living without me.

Everyone said he loved me deeply, which was why he married my replica—just to fill the void. Now that I thought about it, they were foolishly, naively wrong.