Merlin Olson's husband of many years, Dave Carlson, suffers amnesia after a car accident, mistaking his first love for his wife.
Dave forgot that he gained weight to become a 300-pound obese man to save Merlin.
He also forgot to confront Merlin's beastly adoptive father and die together in a fire.
He forgot that after his release from prison, he discovered she was penniless and forced himself to become Mr. Carlson.
Dave allowed his first love into their home, treating Merlin and her son like a monster. She struggles to hold on, hoping for the day he regained his memory.
However, after being raped, she overheared him on the phone with a friend.
"If I had met Merlin first, perhaps Lily Franco would be the one I used as practice for marriage now. But Lily is back; the position of Mrs. Carlson must be hers."
"I should have pretended to be a thug and raped her a little longer; that way, she would have learned her lesson."
Later, Merlin packed her bags and left. She made her son call him uncle and signed the divorce papers without protest.
Dave’s face grim, abruptly stopped the car, "I don't agree to a divorce."
***
"Grandma, I've agreed to divorce Dave and marry into the Franco Family."
The voice on the other end of the phone rose several octaves.
"Really? You're finally willing to give Luther a new father? But didn't you like that Carlson Family boy the most? How could you bear to part with him this time?"
Silence replaced the answer. The long street in the dead of night was as quiet as a mirror, reflecting Merlin's heart, riddled with wounds.
"Seven days to resolve this relationship, is that enough time?"
How could it not be enough time? Falling from heaven to hell only took one phone call.
Looking down, she saw Dave's line was busy and her heart sank.
"Merlin…" The voice was slightly hoarse, as if moistened by tears.
Merlin was momentarily dazed, involuntarily humming in agreement, as if returning to their past sweetness. But his wicked next sentence was, "Come to the hotel and bring your husband a condom."
Under the city lights, Dave's slender fingers lightly rested on his wine glass, exuding an air of nonchalant aloofness, yet a mocking smile played on his lips.
Silence followed the call, one second, two seconds, three seconds, until the sound came again, "What, you don't want to?"
"How could I?" Merlin smiled lightly, "After all, we're just friends."
She emphasized the word "friends," and Dave chuckled as if he had truly lost his memory.
"Strawberry flavor, Lily likes it."
Half an hour later, Merlin appeared in the Presidential Suite carrying a heavy red bucket.
Lily opened the door, leaning against it, a suggestive red mark on her neck, bursting into laughter.
"You're so shameless, even bringing condoms to your cheating husband so quickly." Lily took the small box and arrogantly slapped it across Merlin's face. "Would you gladly kneel and serve me at the foot of the bed?"
"Yes." Even she was starting to believe that Dave wasn't her husband of many years.
Merlin laughed, took a step, raised her hand, swung it around and smashed the red bucket over Lily's head.
"If you're going to sell yourself, prepare your tools. One condom isn't enough."
"You like taking what I don't want, huh? Then this man is yours, I don't want him."
Lily's scream successfully attracted Dave from inside the room. He had just finished showering and hadn't even had time to tie his bathrobe, rushing around.
He didn't even remember to put on his shoes, but grabbed a coat for Lily.
"Lily, are you alright?"
Lily cried, tears streaming down her face, just shaking her head repeatedly, not speaking. Her eyes were timid and pitiful as she looked at Merlin.
The man picked Lily up, his lips tightly pressed together, his eyes cold. "Ignore her, let's go."
"Let's go?" Merlin's fingers gripping the phone felt cold.
She thought they were a perfect couple, but it turned out she was just an insignificant clown.
The car slowly started moving.
The cold night wind rushed in through the car window. This was the first time she hadn't disturbed Dave's good time since she learned he was faking amnesia, yet he had someone deliberately rear-end her car.
“Does it feel good to bully someone, Merlin? Lily was so scared until she couldn't sleep all night. Are you satisfied now?”
He grabbed her by the back of her collar and slammed her against the smoking hood of the car.
“Even if you misunderstand me as your husband, you shouldn't have driven Lily to such a desperate situation.”
“She just returned to the country, all alone and helpless. You're still torturing her like this. Are you trying to kill her?”
“Human life matters most. How can you be so cruel and shameless?!” The hood of the car sizzled against her cheek, but Merlin seemed oblivious to the pain.
Who had been the one being mocked from beginning to end? And who was being intimidated now? Was she just supposed to obediently wait to die, without even the right to fight back?!
At this moment, Merlin finally answered her grandmother's question in her heart.
Because Dave no longer loved her.
He had risked his life to donate bone marrow for her, served time in jail and even gone to sea. Before overhearing the phone call, she foolishly chose to believe him.
She believed he had only lost his memory in a car accident and mistaken Lily for her, which was why his feelings—and his treatment of her and their son—had changed so drastically.
Merlin never dared to dream that the amnesia was fake, the love was fake and even the marriage was just a tool to use her as a practice subject.
The man who spoke gently even to the waitress, whose manners were ingrained in his bones, actually disguised himself as a thug and raped her to force her to leave.
"Thinking you're my husband, ha..."
That's right. All these years, it was just wishful thinking on her part, just a pathetic joke.
She laughed, but unlike her usual gentle laughter, it revealed a calmer and more clear-headed side.
"Stop pretending to have amnesia, Dave. It's pointless. I'll only ask one question."
"Have you ever, even for a moment, truly liked me?"
Dave showed no embarrassment at being exposed, nor did he try to distance himself from her as before. Instead, he smiled slightly, carefree and unrestrained, indescribably handsome.
In all these years, she had never seen him smile with such youthful energy, while Lily, with just her appearance, effortlessly possessed a tenderness she could never attain in her entire life.
Her eyes instantly reddened and she hastily lowered her head, burying her tears in her clothes.
"Answer me."
She lowered her head, watching the gradually falling rain, stubbornly wanting an answer.
But the only response she received was the cold, icy rain.
Then, Dave actually sent Merlin to prison on charges of instigating murder.
The last time he was in jail, Dave had just finished off Merlin's stepfather, his face covered in soot, yet he shouted with radiant joy.
"There are no more beastly fathers in this world, only me, Merlin, who loves you."
This time, he was dressed in a suit and tie, his stunningly beautiful face hidden in the light, yet he said, "The old you would never have been so unreasonable."
She had been deceived by him for so many years, living as a dependent in his own home, being taken advantage of by Lily and yet he still scolded her for being unreasonable.
She tilted her head slightly, her face damp, indistinguishable between raindrops and tears.
"Dave, I only love you, I'm not stupid."
She was willing to sacrifice for love, but how could Dave be so heartless, not even sparing the child?
"Luther stole Lily's money, sent him to the station too, to sober up."
"Like mother, like child, this isn't his fault."
