In the village on the outskirts of City B, rows of trellises adorned the hillside, draped with grapevines. The once lush green leaves had turned a golden yellow, and the once abundant harvest had disappeared.
Descending from the vineyard, there stood a quaint two-story building with a small yard enclosed by a white fence.
Clean and elegant, it seemed perfect for promoting physical and mental healing.
In the upstairs bedroom, an unconscious woman lay on an average-sized wooden bed. Her eyelashes fluttered, and gradually, her eyes opened.
Everything she saw was unfamiliar, causing her heart to tighten with nervousness. Someone had sent her a message mentioning Samuel and Simona. She feared that the sender intended to threaten her children, so she took the initiative to contact the person who had sent the message.
The other party instructed her to meet at a rental house…
“This medication can damage brain nerves. It induces hallucinations and memory confusion upon injection.”
A male voice suddenly reached her ears. She turned her head toward the source of the sound. Through the curtains, she caught a glimpse of two figures standing on the balcony. Judging by their height and voices, both were men.
She tightly gripped the sheets beneath her. Who were they, and what did they want?
On the second-floor balcony, a man in a white coat stood alongside another man.
Sampson gazed at the nearby hillside, his eyes distant and filled with confusion.
The doctor noticed his hesitation and said, “If you want her to forget the past, this is the only way.”
Sampson fell silent for a moment, as if making a decision. Finally, he spoke, “Okay, give her the injection.”
That voice…
The two figures then moved and entered the room through the balcony door.
Dolores had no time to think. She quickly closed her eyes, feigning sleep.
Her hands beneath the quilt trembled uncontrollably.
Did they say the injection was meant for her?
Would it make her memory hazy, causing her to forget past events?
No! She couldn’t afford to lose her memory.
She felt someone applying an alcohol swab to her arm…
The fear intensified until she abruptly opened her eyes. Before her was a familiar face, reflecting a mixture of emotions.
Sampson.
Wasn’t he in jail?
Why was he here?
She had countless questions, but she couldn’t ask them.
What she needed to do now was to prevent the injection.
Sampson hadn’t anticipated her sudden awakening and was at a loss for words.
“Lola…”
She glanced at the man standing beside her, holding a syringe in his hand. Her hands clenched in fear as she stared at them with terror. “Who are you?”
Sampson was taken aback. “Lola, it’s me.”
“You… Do you know me?” Dolores curled up defensively on the bed.
Sampson looked to the doctor, seeking answers.
How could she lose her memory even before the medicine was injected?
The doctor was equally puzzled. “I need to examine her to find out.”
Sampson leaned closer, peering into Dolores’ eyes. “Don’t you remember me?”
Dolores panicked. “Who are you? Do you know me?”
“I know you. We are very close. Have you forgotten?” Sampson pleaded.
Dolores shook her head, pretending not to remember. “I don’t remember!”
Sampson reached out to gently smooth her disheveled hair. “Don’t be afraid. I am your relative. You were injured. Can you let the doctor examine you?”
Dolores turned her head, deliberately avoiding his touch.
Sampson’s hand froze in mid-air, but he persisted. “Lola, I am your relative. Why won’t you let me touch you? You used to listen to me so well. Be a good girl and let the doctor examine you.”
He withdrew his hand and tenderly stroked her hair.
Dolores felt an overwhelming sense of horror.
She couldn’t stop trembling. “You… Are you really my relative?”
“Yes,” Sampson affirmed with certainty.
Dolores widened her eyes, resembling an innocent deer. Then, she relaxed slightly and said, “Fine, go ahead.”
Seeing her agreement, Sampson smiled. “It’ll get better soon.” He assisted Dolores with her arm. “Be good now. Lie down so the doctor can examine you.”
He exchanged a meaningful glance with the doctor, indicating that regardless of Dolores’ memory loss, he should administer the medication.
Dolores lay down, and the doctor gestured to ask if he could give her an injection. She swiftly pushed him away and firmly declared, “I don’t want an injection.”
The syringe fell to the ground and rolled to Sampson’s feet. He looked at Dolores and said, “You’re unwell. How will you recover without the injection?”
Dolores turned over, attempting to get out of bed and distance herself from them. Determined to resist the injection, she exclaimed, “I don’t want an injection, it hurts! I don’t want it!”
“Lola…”
“I don’t want it.” She stepped back barefoot, finding solace in a corner, trembling from the cold. “I don’t want an injection.”
She was too agitated, and the only way to make her cooperate was through force.
The doctor looked at Sampson. “Can you hold her?”
Sampson stooped to pick up the syringe from the floor, examining it. “Can a person lose their memory for no apparent reason?”
He wasn’t sure if Dolores’ “memory loss” was genuine or fabricated.
The doctor pondered for a moment. “Memory loss can occur due to severe emotional distress. For instance, I once had a patient who excelled academically throughout elementary and high school. Everyone expected him to get into top-tier universities, but he couldn’t even secure admission to a second-rate one. Unable to cope with that reality, he lost his sanity.”
Saying this, he looked at Sampson. “As a doctor at heart, you should understand that people have limits to their resilience. If something surpasses their tolerance level and greatly stimulates their brain, it could lead to amnesia. However, it’s not always permanent. Memories may never fully return or could resurface within a week.”
“I see. You can leave for today. I’ll call you if I need anything,” Sampson handed him the syringe.
The doctor accepted it, hesitating briefly before asking, “Are you certain you don’t want her to receive the injection?”
Sampson hesitated and then nodded.
The doctor returned the syringe to the medicine box. “Very well, then. I’ll take my leave. Contact me if you require any further assistance.”
“Okay.”
The doctor cast one last glance at Dolores, who remained hidden in the corner, before closing the door behind him.
Dolores’ heart pounded suddenly. As the door shut, her vigilance heightened.
“Look, the doctor has left. The injection is no longer a threat,” Sampson approached her with light steps, speaking softly.
“Don’t… don’t come any closer.” Dolores felt flustered.
She had countless questions. How did she end up here, and how could Sampson be involved?
Was this a conspiracy between him and Maria?
She had encountered Maria at the rental house.
The shock of seeing Maria there remained vivid in her memory.
“You’re surprised to see me here, aren’t you? How do I know about your past?” Maria had a confident air, as if she possessed all the answers.
Dolores panicked and questioned her, “How do you know all these details about me?”
What role did Maria play in that incident six years ago?
“Haha…” Maria’s laughter echoed loudly, chilling the dimly lit rental house. “How do I know? Because I’m the one who paid you to sell your body.”
Her haunting laughter reverberated through the air, sending shivers down Dolores’ spine. Maria had paid her that night.
So, who was the man from that fateful night?