A few days passed. I tried to settle in, but I felt like a guest in my own life.
Rhydian was… complicated. He was incredibly kind, providing everything I needed. He hired nurses to help me regain my strength. He spent every evening with us, eating dinner, playing with the children.
But there was a wall between us. A thick, invisible wall.
Whenever he tried to touch me, even just to fix my hair, I flinched. And every time I flinched, I saw pain flash in his eyes, followed by that cold, hard resolve.
One afternoon, while the children were napping and Rhydian was in his office, I wandered around the house. I needed answers. I needed to see proof.
I went into the main study room. It was Rhydian's territory, but the door was slightly open.
On his massive desk, there were framed photographs.
My breath hitched.
I walked over slowly, my hands trembling.
There was a large wedding photo. Me, and Rhydian. I was wearing a white gown, smiling. I looked happy. Or did I? In the photo, my eyes looked a little sad, but Rhydian was looking at me with so much intensity it was scary.
We really got married.
Next to it was a photo of the twins when they were just babies. I was holding them, looking down at them with so much love. My heart clenched. That look… that wasn't forced. That was real.
I picked up a photo album sitting on the shelf. I opened it carefully.
Page after page. Our dates. Our travels. My growing belly. The birth of Wynne and Maven. Family trips.
It was a whole life. A life I couldn't remember living.
But then, my eyes caught something else. Hidden underneath some files, there was a smaller, older photo.
I pulled it out.
It was a picture of me… and Damian.
We were young, laughing at the beach. We looked so happy. So free.
My fingers traced his face. Damian. Where were you? Why weren't you here? Why did everyone act like you never existed?
"What are you doing?"
I jumped, dropping the photo.
Rhydian was standing in the doorway. His face was like thunder. His eyes were dark, angry.
"I… I was just looking," I stammered, backing away.
He walked over quickly, his steps heavy. He picked up the photo of Damian and stared at it with pure hatred in his eyes. Then, he slowly tore it into pieces.
"Rhydian!" I gasped. "Why did you do that?"
"He is not part of this family, Aureliana," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "He is not part of your life. He left you. He moved on. He forgot you."
"No!" I shook my head, tears falling. "You're lying! He loved me! Why would he leave me?"
"Because I was the one who stayed!" Rhydian shouted, suddenly grabbing my shoulders. He wasn't hurting me, but he was shaking me, trying to get through to me. "I was the one who waited! Three years, Aureliana! Three years sitting by your bed, talking to you, hoping you would wake up! I raised our children alone! I built this life for you! And you dare mention his name?"
I froze, staring up at him. His face was flushed, his eyes wet. For the first time, I saw how much pain he was in.
"He left," Rhydian repeated, quieter now, but full of bitterness. "He didn't want a woman who was asleep forever. But I did. I chose you. I always choose you."
He let go of me and turned away, running a hand through his hair.
"Don't look for things that will only hurt you, Aureliana," he said coldly. "Your past is gone. Your future is here. With me. With them."
He walked out, leaving me alone in the quiet room, surrounded by the evidence of a love I couldn't remember, and the destruction of a love I couldn't forget.