“By chance, we met, and then we were together.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
Thelma could hardly believe it.
Her life had changed dramatically five years ago, and Tyler appeared to be about three or four years old. If she had truly married and had a child with Sam Noah, it must have happened almost immediately after her life fell apart.
If what Samantha had told her was true—that she had faced betrayal from her first love and a close friend at her lowest point—how could she have moved on so quickly to find someone, fall in love, and get married?
Could it be that the trauma had been so great that she impulsively sought to settle her life with someone else?
But she couldn’t believe herself to be that kind of person.
And Sam Noah—such a man wasn’t someone just any woman could marry. He was sharp-minded and visionary. Ten years ago, at just twenty years old, he took over the family business and steadily grew it, leading it to become a publicly listed company. His intellect and methods were unparalleled. How could a shrewd entrepreneur like him make such a casual decision about marriage? She didn’t think she possessed enough charm to sway him.
There had to be something more to the story. But he clearly wasn’t willing to tell her. As for why she had chosen to marry him and then wanted a divorce, why he had refused the divorce, and why she supposedly disliked him—only she would know. But without her memories, she had no way of understanding her thoughts at the time.
What he had shared was likely all she would get.
Thelma felt an unbearable sense of oppression, unsure if it was because of him or the sudden revelation that he was her husband.
She no longer wanted to remain in the car with him.
“I’m leaving,” she said, reaching for the door handle. But suddenly, he grabbed her wrist.
“Where are you going, Thelma?” His voice carried a hint of urgency, and as soon as his hand touched her wrist, he let go.
He called her “Thelma” with a natural familiarity, but it felt deeply unsettling to her.
Without looking at him, she said, “I’m going back to the hotel.”
She got out, closed the door, and rode off on her little electric scooter.
When she arrived at the hotel, she found Samantha waiting anxiously at the entrance. Thelma parked her scooter, and Samantha rushed to meet her. “Where have you been so early?”
A flood of emotions swelled in her chest, and seeing her sister’s worried face felt like a helpless child finding comfort in a trusted adult.
Unable to hold back, Thelma threw herself into Samantha’s arms, sobbing. “Am I really Tyler’s mother? Am I really married?”
Samantha patted her back to comfort her and asked, “Did you see Sam?”
She called him “Sam,” which made it clear they were quite familiar with each other.
Thelma nodded. “I don’t know. I don’t remember anything. Why is this happening? I can’t accept it—it’s so unfair!”
She had gradually come to terms with losing her singing voice, but now she was being told she was married, had a child, and had even hurt her own child.
It was too much to bear.
Samantha sighed, stroking her head. “Alright, alright, don’t think about it anymore. No one’s going to force you.”
“I’ll take Tyler and leave.”
As Samantha’s voice faded, a low, deep voice suddenly sounded.
Thelma froze and turned her head to see Sam Noah standing nearby. His car was parked not far away.
So he had followed her here.
He walked toward them slowly, his brows furrowed, his sharply defined face tense, exuding an air of authority.
But when he spoke, his tone softened, “We won’t trouble you. I’ll take Tyler and leave. You’ll never see us again—pretend we never existed.”
His gaze was fixed on her, and the muscle by his temple twitched slightly. She noticed he looked pale.
Even Samantha seemed a little moved, softly saying, “Sam, don’t say that.”
But he lowered his head and chuckled lightly. When he looked up again, he exhaled toward the sky. This man, who had always appeared so confident and composed, now seemed resigned. “I mean what I say.”
He turned and left. Moments later, the sleek black car disappeared at the end of the street.
Samantha watched the car vanish and sighed heavily. Looking at Thelma, she seemed to want to say something but stopped herself. Finally, she simply patted her on the shoulder and said, “Sam has done a lot for you over the years.”
That afternoon, Sam Noah arrived a little early to pick up Tyler from school. When Tyler was brought out by the teacher, he looked surprised. “Daddy, you’re so early today.” Then, as if remembering something, he grew excited. “Mommy hasn’t started her deliveries yet—let’s go find Mommy and eat with her!”
Sam Noah didn’t respond. Instead, he crouched down, his expression serious. “Starting tomorrow, you won’t be attending this school anymore.”
Tyler’s bright smile gradually dimmed. “Why? If I don’t go to school here, I won’t be able to see Mommy.”
Sam Noah stroked his head. “Mommy remembered something, so we can’t stay here anymore. It would make her unhappy.”
The little boy stood still for a long time, his eyes turning red. “Does that mean I’ll never see her again?”
“Mm.”
“Does that mean I can’t eat with her anymore?”
“Mm.”
“Does that mean I can’t even call her Aunt anymore?”
“Mm.”
Large tears rolled down Tyler’s cheeks. The little guy tried his best to hold them back—there were so many kids around. If the younger ones saw him cry, they would definitely make fun of him as their big brother.
But he couldn’t help it.
It hurt so much. Not being able to see Mommy anymore hurt so much.
