He Left Me in the Rain with No Memory And Now I’m Someone Else’s Wife Chapter 03

He Left Me in the Rain with No Memory And Now I’m Someone Else’s Wife Chapter 03

My mother stood over me, her hand still raised, glaring down fiercely.

“Are you trying to get us killed?! Vanessa told me this afternoon. You, the real Croft heiress, are out there shaking bubble tea? What kind of nonsense is that? If any of our social circle sees you, they’ll laugh us to death!”

“You’re embarrassing who? You’re just doing this to make your father and me look like fools!”

I held my cheek, my mouth filling with the taste of blood.

“Mom, isn’t this what you said? You won’t pay for my college, so I have to earn my own tuition.”

My father stepped up behind my mother and kicked me hard in the shoulder.

“You dare talk back?!”

“Ella, you think I can’t see through your little scheme? You just want to put on a show for outsiders, win their sympathy, and force us to give you some shares. I’m telling you, dream on!”

“Get out! Get back to your room! The sight of you is bad luck!”

That kick sent me curling up in pain. I didn’t even want to explain anymore.

I staggered to my feet, feeling my way along the banister as I climbed upstairs.

I looked up.

Vanessa was standing in the shadows at the top of the stairs, watching my swollen face.

Her smile was triumphant.

She slowly mouthed two words at me.

“Bitch.”

Then she threw herself into my parents’ arms, whining for mushroom soup.

My parents, of course, doted on her and cooed.

I looked back once, then closed the door.

I sat at my desk, opened my notebook, and crossed out the second entry.

I needed to find a new summer job.

Tears were falling, big and heavy, splattering onto the pages, leaving new wet marks.

I put the pen down, lay back on my bed, and drifted into a heavy sleep.

The next morning, when I woke up, my pillowcase was wet again.

I stared at the ceiling for a long moment.

Still couldn’t remember why I’d cried last night.

Then there was a frantic knock at my door. A servant’s voice.

“Miss, madam is calling you to come down right away.”

When I went downstairs, a strange man at the table kept staring at me.

I didn’t dare look back at him, just kept my head down and ate.

Suddenly, he let out a cold laugh and snapped at me,

“Not even putting medicine on your face, still playing the poor little victim for who? Ella, give it up.”

“The engagement—I’m breaking it off today, no question about it.”

I looked up. I truly didn’t remember him.

So I asked, completely baffled, “Who are you?”

The man stiffened visibly, his face turning livid.

From behind me, a servant whispered, “This is Gideon Ashford, the heir to the Ashford family. Your fiancé, miss.”

Gideon looked absolutely furious.

He didn’t care if I’d finished eating. He roughly grabbed me, shoved me into his car, and sped toward the Ashford estate.

“Still acting! You know what I hate most? That pathetic pretentious act of yours!”

I patiently explained to Gideon, “I’m really not pretending.”

“I’m just sick. I couldn’t remember who you were for a second.”

Gideon scoffed.

“Sick?”

“A cold, a fever, a broken bone—which one are you faking this time?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

Because I couldn’t remember exactly what my illness was. It wasn’t in my notebook.

But my hesitation only made Gideon think I was guilty.

He didn’t want to talk to me anymore.

Once we reached the Ashfords’, he dragged me straight to the drawing room.

In front of Mrs. Ashford, he broke off the engagement.

Mrs. Ashford looked at me and tried to intervene. “Ella, if you don’t want to go through with this, I could…”

I shook my head.

I repeated what I’d written in my diary.

“I will never like Gideon Ashford again.”

“So, let’s end it.”

Mrs. Ashford had no choice but to nod.

I thought after breaking it off, Gideon would at least be a little nicer to me. But no. He was still upset, and drove me back to the Croft house in a black mood.

Gideon didn’t like me, and I wanted to stay out of his way.

I hurried upstairs to my room.

But when I pushed the door open, the entire room was ransacked.

Wardrobe thrown open, bedding tossed on the floor, books scattered everywhere.

My most prized piggy bank was shattered on the ground, and Vanessa stood there, clutching the wad of cash from inside, looking down her nose at me.

“Mom and Dad never give you money. Where did you get this?”

“Ella, you little thief!”