Sitting in the quiet of her parked car, Carol feels her hands trembling as she clutches her phone. Her mind spins, flooded with memories she can't quite piece together. They begin with flashes of her parents’ cold words and harsh voices, memories that evoke a deep sadness she’s carried her whole life. She recalls herself as a small girl, clutching a stuffed toy behind a rocking chair, tears silently streaming down her face. But everything beyond that? It’s all a fog.Then, there are memories she can picture more vividly—terrifying, murky images of herself underwater, flailing as she saw her mother and stepfather standing on the shore, laughing. But when she tries to recall when, where, or why these things happened, the edges blur. She can’t seem to connect the dots, to pull the fragmented images into a single, coherent story.Outside the doctor’s office, she sits for a while, unable to start the car. In the aftermath of the visit, she can’t shake the fear bubbling up inside her. Is sh
Carol waits for Brianna for a while but she never comes. Damien isn't available to talk either since he is in an exhibition. Almost two hours passes by Brianna doesn't reply or comes to the café. Feeling a bit impatient, she sends another message but this time Brianna doesn't read the message. Carol sighs deeply, feeling a bit lost. She has been dealing with the things that she can't bear. But God never gives people something that is unbearable. Carol's frown between her brows deepens, realizing that Brianna is ignoring her. ' I shouldn't have mentioned it beforehand. Uhh! Now I miss Damien!' She rests her head on the table while thinking about Damien. It feels refreshing. Thinking that whatever It is, fake, false or imagination, Damien's present has made everything better. She takes another glance at her phone. Clearly Brianna is ignoring her message. She stands up, deciding whether she should leave or not. But her attention goes to the diamond jewelry shop. A famous br
The usual normal days return soon. Carol is expected to return to the company for work, and Damien has been acting giddy since morning. She applies a bit of lip gloss, trying to look her best. Ever since she started physical therapy and other treatments, she looks a bit tired. Since she has no intention of telling Damien about her medical situation to avoid adding more stress, she focuses on perfecting her appearance with makeup. Her effort to present her best self to Damien outweighs even her desire to keep her struggles hidden. After giving herself a satisfied smile, she walks downstairs. Whether it’s reality or a memory, whether she is mentally unstable or not, right now, she is happy to have Damien in her life. If it is a memory, she would rather never wake up. She could continue living in this dream. She grabs the ring box as well. Last night, she couldn’t give it to him. Before she remembered, she had fallen asleep in his embrace like a little baby. His arms feel warm, pro
**What?** A silent gasp escapes Carol as Damien explains her new role in his company. She looks stunned, her mind racing with confusion. **The CEO? Why?** she signs, a knot tightening in her stomach. She never imagined she would be asked to take on such an important position again, especially in someone else’s company. Damien smiles warmly, gently holding her hands and pressing a kiss to her knuckles before signing, **Because I found no one better suited for the role. You’re perfect for this position, Carol. Even my employees have been looking forward to this day.** **Your employees already know?** she signs, her heart racing at the revelation. Damien nods, his smile soft but reassuring. Carol frowns, uncertain about his response. Her fingers hover mid-air, hesitant to sign the question lingering in her mind. But the doubt festering in her heart wins over her hesitation. **Damien, be honest with me,** she finally signs. Damien’s eyebrows lift slightly, confusion shadowing hi
Damien had already told Carol about his friends visiting. However, none of them had stepped foot in his house since that day. It’s been an entire month since Carol took over the company, handling her responsibilities like a flawless CEO. She loves how supportive her employees are—reminiscent of her previous team—and how patient they have been with her. Although some clients were initially hesitant, they eventually warmed up to her, and now she has become the capable and dynamic leader they had hoped for. Despite the demanding workload, Carol has been undergoing treatment for her throat and trauma. The therapies have shown excellent results, and her throat feels more comfortable. However, she isn’t yet ready to speak. It’s a significant milestone, one that requires her to be mentally prepared. During this time, she has noticed her communication with her friends and cousins has decreased. Whenever she tries to reach out to them, they make excuses about being busy. Even Eunice has g
Confusion clouds her mind as she approaches the door to get a closer look. *Carol's Room.* The nameplate looks old, almost childlike. Her hand grazes the steel surface as she tries to piece together what’s going on. Why is her name here? Has she been here before? She doesn’t remember. Curiosity gets the better of her, and she reaches to open the door. Just as she’s about to position herself, she senses someone approaching behind her. Turning around, she finds Alex standing there, his expression heavy, as though she’s committed some grave mistake. **What are you doing here, Carol?** His signing is firm, his brows tightly knit. For a moment, she feels like she’s intruding on his privacy by being here. But she frowns, straightening her stance, **What is this?** She points to the door, her expression making it clear she wants answers. However, Alex steps toward her, blocking the door. **Please leave this floor. You’re not allowed to be here.** Her eyes widen in shock. Something
A soft but heavy sigh escapes Alex, who is waiting for even a minimal reaction from Carol when he mentions his family's plan to ask her to return to handle the company. But she stares at him blankly before signing: **What do you think I should do?** Alex didn't expect her to throw this question at him, and he looks away, indicating that he has no place to say anything. **Are you scared that you may have to drop out?** Alex flinches but remains silent. Tears well up in his eyes. Alex has always been independent, but studying at a prestigious university on his own isn't possible. She sighs and places her card on the table. **I want you to use it. Don't overuse it. Pay your tuition and keep studying. I will track your payment history so that once you get a job, you can pay me back.** **What?** Alex looks at her with wide-open eyes. **You don't want to return to the company?** Carol's expression seems to say, *Are you still asking that silly question?* But she shakes her h
Carol places a bowl of ice cream on the table before sitting on the edge of the bed. Lucy looks... distraught.She hasn't answered why she came here at this hour or why she looks like this, but Carol guesses that Lucy needs time to think it over.Despite their bitter history, Carol doesn’t hate her enough to shut the door in her face.Sitting on the edge of the bed, she watches Lucy fidgeting, biting her lips and casting glances here and there. It’s as if she’s drowning in deep thoughts, torn between whether she should do this or not.Carol takes a spoonful of ice cream, continuing to eat while observing Lucy closely. She’s beautiful, but the toll cancer has taken on her is evident in her eyes and body. Carol tilts her head, studying her with the curiosity of a child examining a dollhouse.Lucy, noticing Carol's gaze, finally lifts her head and looks at her with mixed emotions—anger and defeat.She licks her lips before looking at Carol directly. **How long are you going to stay here?
Carol enters her room with food and medicine. She doesn't know if Damien brought his medicine or not, but having extra won't hurt her. She has already informed James about Damien's reckless movements. Obviously, it made him pissed, but he couldn't be disappointed. Damien is reckless when it comes to his own decisions, so it's not surprising. As she walks in, her attention goes to Damien, who is sleeping, resting his hand on his forehead. She walks quietly, placing everything on the table. She stands next to the bed, watching his calm, peaceful, but exhausted face. Her hand slowly moves to his face, gently touching his jawline. Her eyes burn with tears. She smiles a bit, sitting on the edge of the bed, admiring the man she loves so much. Later, she sits properly, her eyes on the floor, as if the floor can comfort her. But soon she breaks down, feeling the weight of exhaustion and heartbreak bearing down on her shoulders. It feels as though carrying the pain is heavier than an
** Congratulations on the collaboration! We are looking forward to working with you and your company!** Carol shakes her hands with the Boss of the Australian company. She smiles with gratitude and nods before noticing her phone buzzing. She ignores it at first and quickly tells her team to wrap things up, so that they can join another meeting with another company. However when the phone keeps buzzing, she walks towards the lounge and opens her phone to check. Her eyebrows raise with surprise and panic when she reads the messages, " Damien isn't at the hospital. Nobody knows where he is!" Realizing something isn't clearly okay, she tries to message James back who sounds frantic through his message. But her eyebrows knit, when she notices a figure standing outside the company, against the car. At first she thinks she is misunderstanding someone else. She has been working nonstop. Maybe it's taking a toll. Because of her mental situation, she told Brianna that she wouldn't be
“What’s this supposed to be meant?” Mr. Crawley asks coldly, his eyes narrowing as Damien meets his gaze with an equally frosty, unreadable expression.Damien’s lips curl into a mocking smirk. “What do you mean?” His voice drips with derision. “Aren’t you happy to see me out of the coma? Or do you think I’m disposable now that I’m not useful to you anymore?”The Crawleys stare at Damien as if they’re seeing a ghost. Their eyes are fixed on his legs, which he deliberately shakes in a relaxed, almost arrogant way. The subtle movement is enough to shatter their composure.“Since when can you walk?” Mrs. Crawley’s voice trembles, her face drained of color.“Oh, this?” Damien grins, spreading his arms theatrically. “Since high school.”“What?” Everyone gasps, the air in the room turning cold. Mr. Crawley’s face twists with fury.“You were fine all along! Why did you lie to us?” he demands, his voice rising.Damien shrugs, his eyes glinting with a dark amusement. “Well, it was so much more
**Carol!** Brianna stops her, realizing she has done something she can’t ask forgiveness for. It’s only a matter of time before loyalty is tested. Standing before Alex and Brianna, who have always been there, Carol realizes one thing — they are indeed the family of her grandparents. **It’s not what I meant! I know you’re busy with life, and whatever happened to our family was brought upon us by our own stupidity,** Brianna says, looking extremely guilty. Carol, as usual, wears that mask of indifference. Maybe it’s time to get away from everyone. **Sis is right! We are grateful for everything. It’s just that the family has been—** Carol stops them by raising her hand. **It doesn’t matter to me.** She smiles, but it’s not a genuine smile. **The day you refused to tell me the truth about my past, I knew you were protecting something big from me. I don’t know what it is, but you clearly chose your family over me. And I’m not upset about it.** She signs matter-of-factly. There are pl
Carol gently pressed her lips on his forehead before she left for her trip. She was confused by his sudden action last night but it felt nice to see his old self. The travel to Australia wasn't great since she had a very rough time around. Probably because of her treatment and medication, her body keeps burning. The first day was on working there, having meetings, visiting companies and factories. The three days' work she completed within a day because she wanted to leave as soon as possible. Next day, Right now, she just finished a meeting with her clients who are very satisfied with her performance. Of course, it's not like she didn't feel questioned on her disabilities. But everyone is supportive and surprisingly friendly. Right now, sitting outside a café, sipping her coffee, she watches the calm surroundings of the café. The vibe of the Sydney makes her feel better. A way to escape from the world she just belonged two days ago. As she keeps enjoying her morning, h
Carol grabs her laptop after finishing the meeting with her clients. Recently, she has been feeling a bit off with her health. She feels extremely tired, sleepy, and dizzy. The pressure has been getting harder, so she can't actually blame anything else for it.As she walks towards the door to leave, James, who has been helping her, walks towards her with hurried steps.**Boss!** He opens the door, stopping her.Carol isn't used to being called Boss. But she doesn't say anything about it either.**About the business trip. I think you should go!**Carol's eyebrows narrow as he signs. Just now, she had a meeting with a foreign ambassador of a big company from Australia. It's their very first big project with great potential. However, Damien is recovering. She can't leave him alone for a week-long trip to Australia. She said she would send some experts in her place to handle the project.**I know you are trying to be there for Damien. But I think you should take this chance to give yourse
It was chaotic. I watched the videography of our wedding day. So I was nothing but a replacement as a groom and I was the one who initiated it. Did I fall in love with her at first sight? If not, why would I fall in love with her when she was about to get married? And certainly, according to James's words, I actually knew her from high school. The strange thing is that, I remember everyone including my sister who died in the car accident but I don't remember anyone named Carol who was actually in my junior school. Is this even possible to happen? I mean my sister Carol used to live binge movies with cliché parts where male lead loses memories and some part of their life. But how did I just forget such an important thing. Only her, and anything related to her. It doesn't make sense to me but here I am watching a few moments of my life with that woman who cries every night silently. She can't talk or hear. It must be hard but can I really love her the same as I used to? I mean
Damien's POV.... It's the first time James raised his voice at me. It's strange that he would dare to go against me for a woman. Carol? I don't remember her. It's not a fake or prank. Why would I prank something like this? if she is my significant other, I will never hurt her or forget her, even on my worst day. But it's strange. She is calm, composed and knows what I want before I spit it out of my mouth. As if she has the ability to read my mind. ** Stretch your legs a bit!** She says, her expression is usual calmness. How could she stay so calm after knowing that I forgot about her? I don't remember that she is my wife but she remembers that I am her husband, right? Or maybe....!!!! I actually kidnapped her and forced her to be a good wife..... Or....??? Is this a contract marriage? .... No, Maybe a fake one. That's why she doesn't care. ** Stop staring at me!** She signs again. She is really attentive. She doesn't speak. But her company doesn't make me feel boring
Carol walks in, holding her suit, exhausted and hungry. She has just had a long meeting about Damien's absence and how she would handle everything from now on. She knows the love she has for Damien has weakened, but she believes she will be alright. She loves him and chooses to forgive. Until, She steps into the VIP room, stretching her neck. Her attention has yet to turn to Damien's side as she places her suit and bag on the couch. Feeling like she will be alright if she gets some sleep, she decides to take a quick shower. But her attention shifts to the shopping bags. James's jacket is still there. The coldness is increasing; it may snow tonight. She frowns slightly and turns to grab the jacket, but she pauses, finding James standing by Damien's bed and Damien staring at her with a confused expression. "Damien?" she exclaims in her mind, tears gathering in her eyes. She leaves her phone on the couch, rushes to him, and jumps into his arms like a desperate child who has bee