In Love With My Bully-Chapter 58: Back to Default

"How are you?" he asked, not looking at me.

"I’m fine."

"I do remember you but not as my wife, just as Nerdy Benny. I remember I had a crush on you then too."

"Yes, I know..."

"I’m sorry if this hurts you." He says, looking up at me. "And I am trying to remember."

"It will come to you. Don’t force it. The doctor says not to."

He nodded and finally let go of my hand. "So, how are you and Gwen pregnant? I mean, if you are my wife, then I must have stopped seeing Gwen, right?

"Good question. You didn’t."

"So, I was cheating on you?"

"I don’t have the answer to that question, Richard. Only you do."

"I remember you used to call me Junior, though."

I nodded in response. That wasn’t the part of our life that mattered. The part that mattered had been erased from his memory, and I didn’t know how to help him get it back.

"I will get you some water." I said

"Never mind. I will just retire to my study for a bit. Need to see what I have been up to." He got up, towering over me, standing so close to me. My breath hitched in my throat, thinking, hoping that he would look in my eyes and that would spark something.

"May I?" he said.

"Excuse me?"

He gestured to the path I was standing in, and I realized I was in the way. I quickly stepped out of his path.

"Oh, and by the way, you are an amazing kisser."

"You remember?"

"At the hospital, when I woke up. The kiss, it was good."

My heart fell, but I nodded and gave a small smile. You taught me, I thought. He hesitated once more and walked away.

I fell back in the sofa he had been sitting in and let the tears flow once more. This much crying wasn’t good for anyone.

A few minutes later, I heard his voice call me, the name foreign to me even though it was mine. "Benita!"

I wiped off my tears and hurried to him.

I found him sitting at his desk, a file on hand. I recognized it immediately. The contract.

"We made this?" he asked.

I nodded, losing the ability and energy to speak.

"It says at the end here, divorce after a year of marriage with compensation to Miss Benita Williams. So it was for the money?"

"Wh...what?"

"I mean, you married me for the money."

"I didn’t want money! I didn’t want anything!"

"So why did you marry me?!" he shouted. "I expected this from Gwen; it was always about the money with her. But you... I held you at such high standards; I thought you were above this."

"Richard..."

"Why bring a baby into this... this... this farce? Is the child mine? Or was it what was his name again, Victor’s? The one who can’t keep his eyes off you when he comes to visit ’me’?"

I opened and closed my mouth several times, losing words. One tear after the other dropping. I matched up to him and slapped him across the face.

My breathing coming in gasps. "Anything... anything... accuse me of anything... not that."

I turned and left his office and met my phone ringing on the living room coffee table. I fought back my tears and picked up Mr. Numero’s call. It was Gwen; the baby was coming.

I headed back into his office and found him this time holding a framed photograph of me that used to sit on his desk.

"It’s Gwen. The baby is coming. I will get Martin to drive you."

"Never mind. I have amnesia, not a broken leg." He said, threw the picture in the bin beside his desk, and walked past me.

I moved further into his study, looking at the file on his desk. I smiled as my fingers glossed over it. I didn’t need to open it to remember what was in it. I remember the moment he had semi-kidnapped me from my old office to the lawyer’s. I remember the fight we had in the lobby. I remembered our bickering.

He had been patient with me even though I was mad at him for something he knew nothing about. This was my test of love. I would be with him through all of these. Even if he hates me.

*****

I sat in the car with a heavy heart. My husband hadn’t been home since yesterday evening he left to the hospital. I heard it was a rough birth. I had accepted the fact that he was going to have a child with Gwen, I just didn’t know I would be left out in the process.

I stared at the message on my phone screen from my father-in-law.

It’s a girl.

I didn’t think I would be jealous of Gwen, but here I was. I didn’t think I would resent her, but here I was. I came to the painful realization that Richard would always be tied to Gwen. And with his memory loss, Gwen was taking total control of spinning her own narrative.

I arrived at the hospital and went to the private ward. I stood at the slightly open door; Richard was holding the newborn in his arms, and my in-laws were in the room. Richard was smiling down at the child.

I reached down to feel my own stomach. Will your father be this happy when you finally get here?

"She’s perfect," Richard commented, still staring in wonder at the child in his arms. "I didn’t think I could be this happy, but I am. Oh, thank you." And then the worst happened. He leaned down and kissed Gwen on the lips.

My world tilted and my insides twisted. I had been waiting for him to remember us, to remember what we had. But maybe he already chose what he wants in this life. Maybe it was time to go back to the former arrangement.

"Nita, youre here!" Mr Numero said, finally spotting me by the door. I gave a small smile and entered the room.

"I... I..." Richard started.

"It’s alright. Congratulations, Gwen." She gave me a nod and went back to touching my husband in a suggestive way.

I looked at my mother in law, these days I wasn’t sure when she would recognise me or not. I was told my kidnap put a lot of mental pressure on her and to deal with it, she pictured Gwen as me.

She smiled sadly at me. "My girl! How are you doing?" Ah, my woman is back.

"I’m fine."

"Oh sweetie." She moved to hug me. I needed it. Mr Numero gave me a pat on the back.

"Have you thought of a name for her?" I asked.

"Chayara." Richard whispered. "My Chayara." He repeated, still holding the child.

I cleared my throat to hold back tears. "That’s nice. I’m going to head to my parents’ place. Give them the good... news." I finished and headed out.

"Benita!" I heard him call. I didn’t want to stop, but I did. None of this is his fault. He just went back to his default setting.