Chapter 5 - THE WIFE WHO FORGOT
The silence in the boardroom was absolute. Billionaires, investors, and executives sat paralyzed as the drama unfolded. “Amelia,” Ethan said, his voice breaking. He let go of Lily’s hand and took another slow step toward his wife. She looked exactly as he remembered, yet entirely different. Her fiery spirit was buried beneath a thick fog of chemical submission. A faint, white scar traced the line of her jaw—a remnant of the fire she was never meant to survive. “Stay away from me!” Amelia cried, pressing herself against Victor’s arm. Victor quickly regained his composure. He placed a protective, patronizing hand on Amelia’s shoulder. “Security!” Victor shouted into his lapel microphone. “Remove this man. He is clearly unhinged. And take that orphan back to the staff quarters!” Two massive guards stepped from the shadows near the back of the room. Ethan didn’t draw his weapon. He didn’t need to. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the small, silver locket Lily had shown him earlier. He pressed a button on the side, and it popped open. “Amelia,” Ethan said loudly, ignoring the approaching guards. “Look at this.” He held it up. Amelia’s eyes darted toward the silver object. Her breath hitched. “Where did you get that?” she whispered. “You gave it to her,” Ethan said, pointing down at Lily. “Our daughter.” Victor’s face twisted in rage. “Don’t listen to him, Amelia! He’s the one who hurt you! He’s the one who set the fire!” Amelia squeezed her eyes shut, clutching her temples as if her head was splitting in two. “It hurts,” she whimpered. “The smoke. I remember the smoke.” The guards reached Ethan, grabbing his arms. “Let go of him!” The tiny, fierce voice cut through the room. Lily stepped forward. She marched right up to the massive mahogany table. She didn’t look at Victor. She looked directly at her mother. “Mommy,” Lily said, her voice shaking but clear. Amelia froze. She looked down at the little girl in the yellow pajamas and the oversized suit jacket. “I’m not… I’m not a mother,” Amelia stammered. “Victor said my baby died. He said Ethan killed her.” Lily reached up and unbuttoned the top button of her pajama shirt. She pulled the fabric to the side, exposing her left shoulder. A crescent-shaped birthmark rested perfectly on her collarbone. Amelia stopped breathing. Her hand rose slowly, trembling in the air. She touched her own left shoulder. Beneath the fabric of her expensive dress, Ethan knew she bore the exact same mark. A generational trait of the Blackwood women. “My baby,” Amelia whispered. Tears welled in her eyes, washing away the dull, foggy glaze Dr. Hayes’s drugs had left behind. A dam broke inside her mind. Seven years of suppressed memories flooded her consciousness all at once. She gasped, staggering backward, knocking her chair over. She looked at Victor. The man she had been conditioned to trust. The man who had kept her locked in a sterile room, feeding her lies and sedatives. Amelia’s sorrow instantly crystallized into pure, unadulterated rage. Before anyone could react, Amelia grabbed the heavy glass water pitcher from the center of the boardroom table. She spun around and smashed it directly across Victor’s jaw. Glass exploded. Victor screamed, falling to the floor, clutching his bleeding face. “You monster!” Amelia shrieked, launching herself at him. “You took my baby!” The boardroom erupted into chaos. The guards who were holding Ethan released him, unsure of what to do. Ethan sprinted forward, wrapping his arms around Amelia and pulling her back before the guards could intervene. “I’ve got you,” Ethan said, burying his face in her hair. “I’m here, Amelia. You’re safe.” Amelia turned and collapsed into Ethan’s chest, sobbing violently. Lily ran to them, wrapping her small arms around both her parents. For the first time in seven years, the Blackwood family was whole. But the reunion was cut short by the click of a pistol hammer. Victor was back on his feet. Blood poured down his chin from a deep gash on his cheek. He held a silver handgun, pointing it directly at Ethan’s chest. “How touching,” Victor spat, his eyes wild and desperate. “But it doesn’t change anything.” Victor reached into his breast pocket and threw a folded piece of paper onto the table. “The emergency transfer documents,” Victor sneered. “Signed by Amelia Blackwood three hours ago. The trust belongs to me. I am the chairman.” Ethan stared at the paper. His heart sank. If the documents were legally signed, Victor had the power to drain the company, take the assets, and flee the country before the police could ever build a case. “It’s over, Ethan,” Victor said, smiling through bloody teeth. “I won.” Suddenly, the boardroom doors swung open again. A woman stepped into the room. She was handcuffed, escorted by two city police officers. It was Nora, the housekeeper. And she was holding a digital audio recorder. “He didn’t win anything, Mr. Blackwood,” Nora said quietly.
