CHAPTER 2
1526 Words
MAXINE
Athena?
Almost all of us were surprised by the first name he mentioned when he woke up. Why is he saying another woman's name? It should be me!
I couldn't move immediately due to shock when Hunter uttered the name of another woman upon waking up. I just stared at him, watching his eyes slowly open and his hand reach for the oxygen mask covering his mouth.
When he finally removed it, he spoke again, but this time clearer than before, unlike when he addressed me.
"Athena..." he whispered, almost in a hoarse voice.
The pain doubled this time because he pronounced the name much clearer than earlier. It hurt even more to watch my husband, hoarse and calling another woman's name, not mine.
Athena took the opportunity, as if no one else was around, to approach Hunter's bedside and hold his hand.
"I'm here, baby," Athena replied, using an endearment to my husband right in front of me.
Due to a mixture of stress, exhaustion, and pain, I couldn't think straight, and I impulsively grabbed Athena by the hair.
"How dare you call my husband baby! You're so shameless to flirt right in front of me. Where is your decency?" I angrily yelled while not letting go of her hair.
"Ouch! Let go of me! He is asking for me, it's not my fault that he's still looking for me after all these years," she bravely retorted, struggling to break free from my grasp.
"You have some nerve! You should be thrown to the floor to knock some sense into your insolent face," I said, still angry, trying to push her face down to the floor. My in-laws tried to separate us, but I wouldn't let go of the woman easily.
"What the fvck are you doing with my girlfriend!" a shout stopped us all.
Confused, I looked at Hunter, who was now sitting on the bed, glaring at us in anger. I was not used to Hunter's current gaze. He never looked at me like that. Not once did he look at me with such anger in his eyes. At that moment, I couldn't recognize the man in front of me.
"Athena, come here, baby," Hunter said, extending his hand towards Athena.
I involuntarily let go of Athena's hair. I saw her smirk slightly before she moved closer to Hunter.
"Mom, Dad, how can you let an insolent girl lay a hand on my girlfriend?" he said angrily, still not giving her a glance, not even once.
Look at me, Hon!
I was pleading, deep in my heart, begging for him to look at me, even just for a second. I couldn't hold back.
"He's not your girlfriend, Hunter. You broke up seven years ago," I told him.
"What are you talking about?! We didn't break up! We were just talking about her plans to go to Paris, but I know Athena will stay with me," he asked in confusion.
"No, Hunter! You and Athena broke up seven years ago. She left you and went to Paris. Today is May 24, 2020," I shouted again.
"W-what? No, today is March 11, 2013. Stop talking nonsense, you stupid girl!" he yelled back at me. He was looking at me now, but not the look I was expecting. His eyes were full of anger and rage.
"I'm telling the truth, Hunter. She's not your girlfriend anymore, and I am your wif---" I didn't finish my sentence because Hunter shouted loudly.
"Aaargghhhhh!!!! My head is killing me! Make it stop!!" he screamed.
I immediately ran to his side to support him, but he pushed me away while holding his head with one hand.
"Don't touch me!" he shouted again. My tears flowed even more because of the pain of his rejection.
My parents-in-law assisted me, telling me to give Hunter some space and call the doctor. Hunter didn't stop screaming. He seemed to be in so much pain. As hard as it was for me, I decided to leave and call the doctor.
When we returned to the room, Hunter was unconscious again, lying on the bed. The doctor and nurse quickly attended to him and checked his condition.
"What happened?" the doctor asked immediately while they adjusted Hunter's position on the bed.
"He woke up and thought that this woman was still his girlfriend, and he didn't recognize me, Doc," I quickly replied.
"Hmm, we need to run more tests. We also need to get a CT scan of his head to check for any other complications from his head injury," the doctor said after checking all of Hunter's vitals and ensuring he was stable. The doctor then excused himself and the nurse who was attending to Hunter.
When everything calmed down, I faced Athena and dragged her out.
"You are not needed here. You can leave; only family is allowed inside. That's enough." I held her arm firmly. She struggled and spoke defiantly.
"Hunter needs me here. You saw it yourself, he was looking for me when he woke up. If there's someone who should stay here, it's me," she said boldly.
I couldn't hold back, so I quickly slapped her face.
"Ouch! Wow, you really hurt me with that slap. Is it painful?" I asked, surprising her with my actions. Before she could recover, I slapped her face again.
"There's another one. Maybe the first slap didn't work because of your thick skin. Are you awake now? I don't care about your feelings. Hunter is my husband, and I am his legal wife, so I have every right to drag you out of here. Now, if you have any ounce of shame left in you, you will walk out of this hospital quietly. If not, I'll have my bodyguards drag you out," I sternly told Athena.
"We're not done yet. I will get Hunter back, mark my words!" she said before turning away.
She can try all she wants, but I will not let her. I will fight for Hunter, no matter what happens.
*
*
*
"The results are out. According to the test, Mr. Lorenzana suffered from selective amnesia."
We were all in awe, listening to the doctor. My in-laws and I were at the doctor's office to be informed about Hunter's true condition.
"What do you mean, doc?" I asked, puzzled.
"You see this part of his head?" the doctor said, pointing to the CT scan of Hunter's head displayed on a lit whiteboard.
"This is the part where he suffered most of the head trauma, which is also the part where our long-term memory is stored. Now, because of his injury, his brain cannot access some part of his long-term memory," the doctor explained. We all remained silent, just listening to the doctor's explanation.
"According to you, Mrs. Lorenzana, he didn't recognize you when he woke up, right?" the doctor turned to me.
"Yes, doc," I replied briefly.
"And when exactly did you and Mr. Lorenzana meet?" the doctor asked again.
"Six years ago, we dated for a year before we got married," I answered.
"So, we can say that he lost six years of his memory," the doctor said.
"But what he remembers when he woke up is that Athena was going to Paris, which was seven years ago," my dad added.
"So, we can conclude that he doesn't remember what happened after that, because his first memory upon waking up was something from seven years ago," the doctor elaborated.
"Does it mean that my husband doesn't remember me?" I asked tearfully.
"Unfortunately, yes. But this is all temporary, Mrs. Lorenzana. Once his head injury fully heals, his memory will come back. However, due to the black-out incident earlier, I would suggest not forcing him to recall his memories. The more we insist, the higher the chance that his lost memories may not return," the doctor explained.
I couldn't speak after hearing the doctor's words. What is he trying to say, that I should let my husband believe that Athena is still his girlfriend?
"You mean, doc, we can't tell him anything about what happened besides what he remembers?" my dad asked.
"Yes, Mr. Lorenzana. You can't tell him about it. He needs to remember it on his own, or he will have another black-out episode if he tries to force himself to recall the memories you're talking about," the doctor replied.
"I can't even tell him that I'm his wife?" I asked, not really as a question but to confirm.
"Especially that, Mrs. Lorenzana. You being his wife is the most drastic change he needs to face because of his memory loss. If you introduce yourself and who you are in his life, he will try to remember, and a year's worth of memory is a long leap for him," the doctor explained again.
I just leaned back in the chair, feeling like all my strength was drained. Hunter is my source of energy, and now that he doesn't recognize me, it's as if I'm losing the will to fight.
"Be strong, my child. You need to be strong for Hunter," I heard my mom say.
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- Writer
