Hamish sought out the most renowned hypnotist in the world; he didn’t believe the hospital’s claim that memories were uncontrollable. He wanted Elisa to forget the painful memories, believing that her recovery would follow once she forgot, allowing everything to start anew.
Following this, Hamish dismissed the psychologist and had the hypnotist perform sessions with Elisa daily, combined with some medication. Upon learning about the hypnotic medication, the hospital immediately confronted Hamish. The drug in the hypnotist’s possession was similar to one injected into Elisa’s brain, controlling her mind. Improper usage could lead Elisa to become mentally impaired, even turning her into a vegetable.
However, Hamish paid no heed. He challenged the doctors, “So what should I do? I gave you twenty days, but is she any different from the beginning? Is her current state any different from being mentally impaired?”
“Even worse than being mentally impaired, as someone who is mentally impaired can find happiness in their own world, but she only knows suffering. I’m not afraid if she becomes impaired; I’ll take care of her for the rest of her life.”
Hamish had made up his mind. However, for safety measures, the hospital made him sign a guarantee, stating that if Elisa encountered any issues, it wouldn’t be their responsibility.
Elisa was forced into hypnosis. In the hypnotic state, she felt the entire world go silent. She couldn’t hear or see anything. The window was open, letting in a gentle breeze that felt cold. Her body and mind were in turmoil, sweating profusely.
There was a fear that emanated from her soul. It felt like she had fallen into a pitch-black abyss, a darkness so deep and oppressive that it could drive her mad in an instant.
She struggled to keep her eyes open, attempting to understand her surroundings. Why were there so many people in front of her? Who were they?
Elisa felt fear, but she couldn’t escape; it was as if she had entered the wrong time and space.
In her hollow consciousness, familiar faces appeared, swirling in her mind, turning into torn photographs, filling the air with scraps of paper. She reached out, and the voices surged.
“Elisa…”
“Elisa…”
“Elisa…”
“Miss Powell…”
“Mrs. Burns…”
“Mr. Burns…”
Many people were calling her name. She looked at each one of them: Evangeline, the orphanage director; Tobias; Ariella; her grandfather; father; Ivan; Hattie; Uncle Baker; Micah…
Finally, two figures appeared: Hamish and Autumn. A bright light suddenly illuminated, and when the light disappeared, the shadows gradually faded away one by one. She reached out but touched nothing.
If someone were to ask Elisa about the happiest time in her life, she would say it was before the age of 18. Despite her mother’s death and her father’s lack of affection, she had her grandfather, Uncle Baker, and Aunt Baker, who treated her like their own daughter, and Micah, her brother.
She was filled with longing. The person who had saved her shone brighter in her heart with each passing day, illuminating her entire youth.
Tragic events in the world always come without warning. If she hadn’t been so fixated on a love that wasn’t hers, if she had missed passing by the 22-year-old Hamish, would everything be different?
If she hadn’t been so stubborn, so strong…
Tears fell heavily, blurring all her memories of 24 years.
…
“We, Mr. Burns, your husband, met at a banquet. At that time, you fell head over heels for Mr. Burns. After a series of romantic entanglements, you finally became a couple. If you want to know the details, you can ask your husband…”
Tobias gestured animatedly, describing the events with great flourish. Elisa listened, dazed, staring at the marriage certificate in her hands.
“Did I really get married?”
“Yes, Mr. Burns, he’s ranked number one on the rich list, a genuine handsome and wealthy man. Look at how handsome he is in this picture!”
Elisa looked at the man in the marriage certificate. Undeniably, her “husband” was truly handsome, yet she felt an unexplained aversion.
“Is he really my husband?” Elisa asked, incredulous.
“Mrs. Burns, you’ve asked that at least ten times. He really is your husband, as genuine as they come! After your car accident, you slept for four months, and Mr. Burns stayed by your side without rest. He truly loves you.”
It was originally three months of unconsciousness, but with an additional month of treatment, they rounded it up to four months. Tobias mused silently.
Shocked, Elisa said, “I’ve actually been asleep for four months?!”
“Yes, these fourmonths drove Mr. Burns crazy. He stopped going to work, leaving everything to me, as he was solely focused on you.”
Elisa found it hard to believe and started to have different thoughts about this unfamiliar husband. Did he really love her that much?
Staring at her bare fingertips, she asked, “Did my hands become like this because of the accident?”
“Yes.”
What kind of accident would make all ten fingernails fall off?
Looking at her expression, Tobias knew what she was thinking. He couldn’t afford to let Elisa suspect Hamish halfway through.
Luckily, he was fond of reading romance novels in his spare time, and various plots had accumulated in his mind, ready to be used at a moment’s notice.
“During your vegetative state, your nails inexplicably fell off. The doctors couldn’t find a reason. But, Madam, if it bothers you, we can provide artificial nails that look just like the real thing.”
While it was uncommon to hear about amnesia caused by an accident, it wasn’t entirely unheard of for nails to fall off due to such incidents in this world filled with perplexing medical conditions.
Upon waking up, Elisa was forced to accept many things. Her mind couldn’t keep up for a moment, and she burst into tears.
Tobias didn’t want to rush her, so he cautiously probed, “Mrs. Burns, what are you thinking? Do you have any plans?”
Elisa timidly spoke, breaking her sentence into several segments.
“I… I don’t know.”
“I just woke up and only know my name is Elisa…”
“I don’t know what happened, and my mind is blank. I can’t remember anything…” Her face showed deep regret as she spoke.
“I can’t even remember that I’ve been married for five years…”