The Day They Looked For Me, I Had Already Forgotten Them Chapter 01

The Day They Looked For Me, I Had Already Forgotten Them Chapter 01

After high school graduation, I was diagnosed with progressive amnesia.

Little by little, I was going to forget everyone—even myself.

When I got home, Mom and Dad placed the stock transfer papers that should have gone to me in front of Olivia Bennett, the daughter they had raised as their own.

“Maya, you’re the older one. You need to be more understanding with Olivia. Stop picking on her all the time. We’re tired of even looking at you.”

I nodded, went back to my room, and cried all night.

But when I woke up the next morning, I couldn’t remember why my pillow was wet.

That afternoon, I saw my fiancé, Julian Sterling.

He was wiping the tears from Olivia’s face as he glared at me with open disgust.

“Maya Bennett, I was only showing Olivia a little affection. Did you really have to make such a fuss about ending our engagement a few days ago? What the hell is wrong with you?”

His words made me burst into tears.

But at breakfast the next day, when Julian snapped at me coldly, I only stared at him in confusion.

“Who are you?”

I was forgetting faster and faster.

Then one evening, Julian said he wanted to take me for a drive.

He pulled over on a deserted stretch of road and said, “Maya, grab something from the trunk for me.”

I obediently got out of the car.

Julian hit the gas and scoffed, “That’s what you get for acting out. Stay here and think about what you’ve done.”

The car sped away.

I stood alone by the road, my mind completely blank.

I wanted to go home, but I couldn’t remember the address.

Only after the Bennett household erupted into panic and Julian searched the entire city did the truth finally sink in.

I had really disappeared.

…

Ever since I was diagnosed with progressive amnesia, I had made a habit of keeping a daily journal.

While I still remembered, I wrote down what I needed to do the next day.

I opened the notebook with practiced ease to see what I had written the day before.

[It was day seven of my memory loss, and I seemed to be forgetting more and more.]

[1. I am never going to love Julian again.]

[2. Mom and Dad won’t pay for college. Remember to go to the coffee shop at ten for my summer job so I can earn money for college tuition. Address: xxxx.]

There were a few more lines underneath, but the ink had bled until I could no longer read them.

Maybe my tears had smeared the page.

But I couldn’t remember why I had cried the day before.

I didn’t dwell on it.

No one cared about me except me.

I didn’t dare tell anyone I was sick, either.

Even though I was the Bennetts’ biological daughter, I was still anything but welcome in this family. If I told Mom and Dad, they would only call me “the idiot they brought home.”

So I put away the journal and got ready to leave for work.

As soon as I came downstairs, laughter drifted from the living room.

Mom, Dad, Olivia, and a man I couldn’t immediately place were all there.

It took me several seconds to remember that the cold, aloof man was my fiancé, Julian.

He looked at me with obvious dislike, bordering on disgust.

“Get over here and apologize to Olivia.”

“Your parents transferred the shares to Olivia yesterday, and then you poured scalding water on her arm. Maya, how can you be so vicious?”

I looked at Olivia’s unblemished arm and had no memory of ever scalding her.

When I woke up that morning, however, I had an ugly burn on the inside of my calf. The pain was excruciating.

Seeing me frozen there, Mom shoved me impatiently.

“Apologize, you little brat! Stop playing dumb!”

I lost my balance and stumbled back two steps.

My knee slammed into the edge of the coffee table. Pain shot through me, and I broke out in a cold sweat as I nearly dropped to my knees.

Julian reached out and steadied me.

The moment I was back on my feet, however, he pulled his hand away. Then he took out a tissue and wiped his hand in disgust.

“Apologize. Now.”

I could tell none of them liked me, but I genuinely couldn’t remember what had happened.

There was no way to defend myself.

All I could do was lower my head and apologize to Olivia.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to splash you.”

“I’ll be more careful next time.”

Olivia waved dismissively, unable to hide her satisfaction.

“Fine, fine. I’ll forgive you this time. But if it happens again…”

“If it happens again, I’ll send you straight back to that backwater town. Don’t ever show your face in this house again!”

Mom cut in to finish the threat.

Then she waved me away impatiently.

“All right. If that’s all, leave. That blank, stupid look on your face is getting on my nerves.”

My throat tightened at the insult, but I forced the tears back.

I told myself that once I started college and got far away from this house, things would get better.

I had barely taken two steps when Olivia called after me.

“Maya, wait.”

“There’s one more thing.”