AYAH'S POV
"We can run a few neurological tests to confirm the memory loss," Alex said.
"Or to confirm she's lying," Ethan muttered.
I glared at him.
"Why are you so obsessed with proving that I'm lying?" I snapped. "Do you think I wanted to wake up in this gddmn hospital after a car accident just to lie and get your attention? Get a life!"
My chest rose and fell with anger.
"I only chased one person in my life," I continued. "Bryan Mitchell. Him or no one."
I crossed my arms, standing firm.
Ethan let out a bitter laugh, but there was clear frustration burning in his eyes.
"You're a jealous freak, Ayah," he said through clenched teeth. "I understand why you're doing this. What I don't understand is how far you're willing to go just to get my attention from Mia."
His voice turned colder.
"You're ridiculous. A complete loser."
My temper flared.
"You know what?" I shot back. "Even if I really am twenty-eight years old, I would never marry someone like you!"
I scoffed.
"With this attitude of yours? The house would turn into a battlefield every day."
I pointed at him.
"And I don't even know who this Mia is that you keep talking about! Maybe she's your wife, not me!"
My voice rose.
"So get the hell out of my sight!"
"Hey, calm down," Kyla said worriedly as she stepped between us.
She turned to Ethan, clearly irritated.
"Ethan, if you really care about our friend, you shouldn't be stressing her out like this."
"That's right," Roxette added with a sharp tone. "Pretending or not, you don't have the right to pressure someone who just woke up from an accident."
Isaac, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke.
His voice was colder than everyone else's.
"I wonder if you actually care about her."
Everyone looked at him.
"If you don't love her," he continued, "then give her back to us."
The room fell silent.
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"I swear I love my wife," he said, his voice low but firm. "It's just that she's been acting strange for the past few months."
He paused.
Then he added something that froze the entire room.
"She even committed a sin. A crime."
My heart skipped.
Everyone stared at him in shock.
"A-what?" I asked, completely confused.
My brows knitted together.
"You're going too far now, Ethan," I said coldly. "Leave the room. I don't want to see you."
My patience had completely run out.
But Ethan didn't move immediately.
"We're not done yet," he said darkly. "I'll make sure your real intentions are exposed."
Then he turned and walked out of the room.
The door closed behind him with a sharp click.
I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever."
Once he was gone, the tension in the room slowly faded.
I turned to my friends.
"Do my parents know about the accident?" I asked.
Kyla hesitated before answering.
"We didn't tell them yet," she admitted. "We thought... you might get angry. So we decided to wait until you woke up first."
I frowned.
"Why would I get angry?" I asked. "Did something happen?"
No one answered.
The silence said enough.
A strange feeling crept into my chest.
Slowly, I reached for Isaac's phone.
"Let me see that."
He handed it to me without hesitation.
I unlocked the screen and immediately looked at the date displayed on the top.
My breath caught.
January 9, 2026.
My fingers froze.
"No..."
My mind raced.
That wasn't right.
It should say 2016.
Not 2026.
My eyes scanned the screen again.
The date didn't change.
The news headlines.
The calendar.
Everything said the same thing.
Ten years.
My stomach twisted.
"This has to be a prank," I muttered, shaking my head. "Did you guys change the date or something?"
No one laughed.
No one denied it either.
The room felt colder.
My grip on the phone tightened.
"So it's true..." I whispered.
I swallowed hard, trying to push away the growing panic.
Maybe the phone was wrong.
Maybe everything was wrong.
Maybe this was still a dream.
I forced myself to stay calm.
"Then tell me something," I said.
I looked up at them.
"Why did I get into an accident?"
Isaac crossed his arms.
"That's what we're trying to investigate," he answered. "What caused the accident-and the motive behind it."
My brows furrowed.
"Motive?"
Isaac hesitated before continuing.
"There's a rumor circulating among the elites."
He looked at me seriously.
"They're saying you tried to end your life."
My eyes widened.
"What?"
I almost laughed in disbelief.
"Killed myself?" I repeated. "Why would I ever do that?"
"That's exactly what we're trying to find out," Isaac said.
He sighed.
"It would really help if you could remember something."
Kyla nodded.
"We didn't have any communication with you for seven years."
Xette agreed quietly.
"You suddenly cut us off."
My chest tightened.
Seven years?
"That's impossible," I whispered.
Isaac continued.
"And recently... you contacted me again."
I looked at him.
"You called me," he said. "You were crying."
My mind went blank.
Rumors about suicide.
Seven years without speaking to my closest friends.
A husband I didn't remember.
A life that didn't feel like mine.
If it was true that I was twenty-eight...
Then what kind of life had I been living all this time?
