Chapter 5
Victoria was so frustrated she almost laughed.
Clearly, he forgot she had amnesia!
With an innocent blink, she said, "We're not even close, so why would I sneak pics of you?"
Henry's face got colder. He sank into the chair, giving her a weird look-like he knew her, but didn't.
When they first met, she was lively, her eyes bright like stars, showing every emotion.
But after marriage, she turned into his perfect little robot wife-no makeup if he said so, dressed how he wanted, no personality, just obedience.
Victoria felt his eyes on her. She tried to stay calm, but her voice shook a bit. "You hooked up with someone else last night, right? You cheated. Got a mistress. Let's just end this. Perfect timing. I'm over it, and you've got someone else. Clean break. Simple as that."
The spark in Henry's eyes died, replaced by cold indifference.
"I didn't cheat," he said calmly, tugging at his tie, "You've got it wrong."
Victoria rolled her eyes at his reply.
Seemed he'd only admit it if she caught him in the act. His lack of honesty was frustrating.
If he liked Sarah, why not just say so? It wasn't like he had feelings for her anymore.
She frowned, meeting his gaze. "Staying married doesn't make sense. Maybe I liked you once, but not now. Are you worried about splitting the assets? Fine, I won't ask for much-just a divorce paper."
Simple enough, right? Now, it was his turn to agree.
The marriage between their families was complicated, but Victoria just wanted a clean break.
A peaceful divorce wouldn't hurt their business ties, so why would he refuse?
But Henry's eyes turned icy, and the room suddenly felt colder.
Victoria blinked, totally lost. What had she said to make him so angry?
Henry rubbed his temples as a headache crept in.
After a sleepless night and barely eating all day, he felt awful.
And instead of her usual warmth, all he got was her saying that she didn't like him.
Now, his headache was getting worse.
"We'll discuss divorce when you remember everything," he said, voice arctic. "I'm starving. Make me dinner."
Victoria froze, realizing her fake amnesia was pointless.
The thought made her sick - he spends the night with another woman, then waltzes in demanding dinner? The nerve.
"Do it yourself." She answered.
Henry doubted his ears as he stared at her, face blank.
Then something hit him like a truck. Right. Amnesia.
She couldn't cook before they got married.
His frustration spiked. Ever since she lost her memory, his perfectly controlled world had gone to hell.
Like right now, Victoria was still pushing for a divorce.
Seeing Henry's cold look, she didn't flinch.
"Just think about it," she continued coolly. "We'd both be better off."
"What about Jude?" Henry shot back. "What happens to him if we split?"
Victoria paused before replying. "Like he'd care. He doesn't see me as his mom, right?"
Thank God for amnesia - it made her bold enough to say what she'd always swallowed down.
The knot in her chest loosened a bit. Finally.
Henry's eyes drilled into her, like he was trying to read her mind.
She stared right back. "If he cared, he'd have shown me concern at the hospital. Let's face it - we never got along."
She took a deep breath. "Why dragging out this toxic mess? He's a kid. He'll be fine." Victoria silently prayed Henry would just say yes.
But no. His face went full ice age, dropping the room temp.
She wasn't acting. Her face was blank, her voice empty when talking about Jude. No emotion.
This wasn't the Victoria he remembered.
Before, she'd loved Jude deeply, even when he treated her with indifference.
She had always been gentle, always affectionate.
Whenever he came home, her eyes used to light up with love for him.
But now, she was calmly talking about divorce, like it was someone else's life.
A mix of frustration and confusion stirred in Henry.
But what could he do? She had amnesia, after all.
"How much have you forgotten?" Henry asked, his voice low and sharp.
Victoria's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected that. But she quickly answered, "I don't remember anything about you or your family. I just know I'm Victoria Hardwick, from the Hardwick family."
She looked genuinely puzzled. "I can't even remember why we got married."
Her confusion seemed so real that it almost made him doubt.
Henry's jaw tightened.
Seemed she had forgotten everything from the last five years. No wonder she felt like a stranger.
"This can wait until Jude gets back," he said flatly, turning away and heading for the stairs.
Victoria felt a bit relieved. Finally, he seemed to be softening.
But she still had to wait another week, playing this part like a never-ending cycle of torture.
That night, as she went to her room, she reached for the light switch.
Just as her fingers touched it, she was slammed against the door.
Then lips crashed into hers. She gasped, trying to push him away. Henry was kissing her with no warning.
The bedroom lights flickered on, blinding her for a second.
Victoria shoved him off, breathless and furiously wiping her lips.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
His eyes turned dark-like, seriously dark.
That look of disgust on her face just made him angrier.
All the anger she thought had cooled? No, it came rushing back.