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Chapter 81

Author: Penumbra
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-03 23:57:24

Chapter 81

Annalisa

They say grief has five stages—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. But what about the grief of losing someone who is still breathing? What stage do you get stuck in when the love of your life looks at you like you are a total stranger?

I sat by Cristiano's hospital bed, the room completely shrouded in that suffocating, sterile silence. Machines beeped steadily, a rhythm that should have been reassuring but only made my nerves more uneasy. The rising and falling of his chest was like a reminder that he was still here, but the warmth and spark that used to be in his eyes were somewhere else, somewhere I couldn’t reach.

The room was cold. Or maybe it was just me that felt it.

My fingers twisted into the blanket, and I forced myself to breathe evenly. Dr. Moretti’s words still echoed freshly in my head. He said, ‘Memory loss can happen after prolonged surgery. It may be temporary’

I clung to the word ‘may’ like it was a lifeline on a stormy day. I ju
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