Chapter 11
Leaving the hospital, I could finally walk on my own again, my fingers intertwined with Ash’s.
Just as we stepped outside, my phone vibrated with a message. I opened it. It was from a number that had been silent for two years.
[Olivia, I’ve got my memory back.]
I hadn’t saved the contact name for this number.
But there was a time when I knew these digits by heart, when each message from this number would make my heart
race.
Back then, I thought Julian’s love was everything I needed. I’d built my whole world around his smiles, his promises, his supposed devotion.
Now, looking at those words on my screen, I felt… nothing.
The number that once meant everything was just another set of digits.
The memories that should have stirred something only reminded me of my own naivety – how I’d mistaken possession for love, control for care.
Ash saw the message too.
His hand instinctively tightened around mine, as if afraid I might slip away.
But in that protective gesture, I felt everything Julian had never given me – genuine care without conditions, support without manipulation, love without pretense.
For two years, Ash had shown me what real love looked like through actions rather than empty words.
Every gentle touch, every quiet moment, every time he put my needs before his own.
Without expression, I deleted the message, then turned to the man who had taught me what love should feel like.
Looking into his concerned eyes, I smiled. “Let’s get married, Ash.”
