Three Chances for the Amnesiac Don Chapter 01

Three Chances for the Amnesiac Don Chapter 01

Cordelia’s pov

The car swerved out of control on the way to the municipal notary’s office, where we planned to file for divorce.

Phineas threw himself in front of me to shield the second we crashed head-on into a semi-truck.

He sustained critical injuries and was rushed to the hospital.

When he woke, he recalled everyone’s identity,everyone except my rival and stepsister, Seraphina Lancaster.

After waking, he loved me far more intensely than he had during our honeymoon.

He secretly transferred all his entire fortune,all trust funds and liquid assets, into my accounts.

Upon learning the crash had left me infertile, he checked into our family hospital and underwent a vasectomy.

Everything felt like it had gone back to normal.

I truly believed his selective amnesia was a second chance granted to us.

That illusion broke on my birthday.

My cousin Alistair Finch, an FBI agent fresh from raiding an underground casino, called me out of the blue.

“Cordelia, Phineas is in custody.”

“We breached the door and found him naked in bed with Seraphina.”

My phone slipped from my hand and crashed to the floor. The birthday cake’s candles flickered out.

Even with this second chance, my lifelong wish to stay with Phineas was impossible.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, yet an odd sense of relief settled in my chest.

The mandatory divorce waiting period would end in three days. We’d planned to withdraw our petition today—but I no longer needed to.

Three days was more than enough time to finalize our divorce.

Phineas came home late that night to find my birthday cake melted into an unrecognizable mess on the table.

“Sorry, baby. A family emergency came up and I missed your birthday. I’m truly devastated,” he said, worn out but unnervingly calm.

“But I brought your favorite lobster ravioli. Let me warm it for you.”

I watched him pretend nothing had happened at all.

He busied himself in the kitchen, cleaned up the wreckage, and drew me a bath.

A bitter laugh escaped me.

“Phineas, you’ve missed your last chance. In three days, we get the final divorce decree at the courthouse. Don’t forget.”

The bone china bowl slipped from his grasp and shattered across the floor.

He snapped his head up and saw my phone screen still displaying Alistair’s photos.

His face turned ghostly white.

“Cordelia… you know everything.”

I said nothing, staring at the ravioli scattered across the floor, topped with extra parmesan, Seraphina’s favorite.

“I’m so sorry, Cordelia. I’ve ruined everything,” Phineas choked out.

He dropped heavily to his knees, crushing the broken glass underneath.

“It was wrong to touch Seraphina, won’t to leave you alone on your birthday.”

“But I swear it won’t happen again. I’ll cut her off completely, right now.”

He pulled out his phone, sent a breakup message, and blocked her on all platforms, including the family’s encrypted private channels.

He crawled toward me on his knees as shards of glss pierced his skin, though he felt no pain.

“Cordelia, please forgive me just this once. You promised me three chances. I still have one left, don’t I?”

He lifted his black shirt, exposing his scarred back.

A mocking smile tugged at my lips.”Is that what you believed?”

“I’ve forgiven you far too many times already.”

I reached out and traced the faintest scar.

Eighteen-year-old Phineas had taken a knife for me to fend off a thug.

But my gratitude died the first time I found him unfaithful.

The second was a burn scar. When I was twenty-three, our old house exploded, and Phineas charged into the fire to save me and my grandmother.

I repaid that sacrifice with our unborn child’s life.

The last and the darkest scar came from the car crash when I was twenty-eight. That was my final act of forgiveness, and still, it was never enough to break our curse.

On the day we were meant to reconcile, everything shattered completely.

I pulled my hand away and stared straight into his eyes.

“You’ve used up all of your chances. Have you forgotten?”

“Or did Seraphina omit that this is far from the first time?”

Phineas froze entirely. Only his eyes moved, wide with shock and desperation.

“Cordelia… I will never let you leave me. Not while I’m alive.”

“Do as you please.”

The foyer mirror reflected my pale face and the powerful family patriarch, Don Wren, kneeling humbled amid broken glass.

Anyone else would have caved. My heart was numb.

I dragged my fully packed suitcase and stepped out of the mansion that had once been full of your love.

The moment I opened the door, a stinging slap struck my cheek.