Chapter 9
Victoria didn't dwell on it. She resolved not to care about his well-being any longer.
Henry caught her glancing at him, and his expression shifted slightly. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but she quickly looked away, her eyes aloof.
Henry clenched the documents tightly, irritation surging inside him. The atmosphere in the car grew tense.
Soon, they arrived at the Harrison Villa. Victoria stepped out and waited for Henry to lead the way.
Mindful that others saw her as someone with memory loss, she couldn't show any flaws around him; otherwise, he would make her life difficult and refuse to agree to the divorce.
Henry strode in, with Victoria following closely. They found Jennifer sitting on the couch, sipping coffee.
"Mom, you wanted to see us?" Henry asked.
Jennifer set her cup down and glanced at Victoria . "You mentioned you lost your memory. How much do you remember?"
Victoria took a seat on the couch. "I don't recognize any of you anymore," she replied.
Victoria frowned. "So you told Jude you didn't want him?"
At this, Henry cast a sharp, cold gaze at Victoria. She had actually said something like that to their son? Was she crazy?
Jennifer's disapproving look intensified, and Henry's glare was icy, as if they were judging her for a grave sin.
Victoria found the reactions absurd. When she had devoted herself to caring for them, they had been dissatisfied. Now that she was exhausted from it all, they still wanted to criticize her. They were so high-maintenance.
Remaining calm, Victoria replied, "He's my son, but he's quite rude. While I was in the hospital after my accident, he was busy thinking about another woman. Why would I want such a son? To torture myself?"
Jennifer slammed her hand on the table in frustration. "Victoria, that's out of line! You're Jude's mother! He's only five years old. Don't you worry about the harm your words may cause him?"
Henry's expression darkened. "You told him you didn't want him over such a trivial matter? Victoria, you've really gone too far."
Even if she had lost her memory, Jude was still her son, and she used to love him dearly. How could she say that?
Victoria felt her anger boiling. A trivial matter?
This kind of matter happened every time Jude returned home. He was indifferent towards her, treating her with coldness and showing no respect. He had never relied on her and even despised her role as a housewife, thinking it brought him shame.
Once, she had passed by the study and overheard a conversation between Henry and Jude.
"Dad, why is Mom home all the time? My friends' parents all have jobs and are successful. I don't think that's good," Jude had said.
Henry had replied, "She doesn't need to do anything as my wife."
Jude had shot back, "But she has no self-worth at all. I'm embarrassed to have her as my mom."
"Enough. Go study," Henry had responded, not scolding Jude for his disrespect, merely telling him to focus on his schoolwork. Victoria had stood at the door, stunned and deeply upset by the exchange.
Back then, Victoria didn't dwell on why Henry was being so distant. She simply believed she hadn't done enough, that was why her son kept his distance and seemed to dislike her.
Now, it was clear to her that no matter how hard she tried-whether she had a job and became a strong woman-their affection lay with Sarah, not with her.
As the memories faded, Victoria's expression hardened. "If you're all so unhappy, then find someone else to be his mother."
Jennifer's face darkened. "Victoria, what's with the attitude?"
Victoria met her gaze without flinching. "Your son doesn't like me. And I've lost my memory, so I don't like him either. We should just get a divorce. If you're all dissatisfied with me, go find a woman who can make you happy."
Jennifer's expression shifted, but she remained silent.
Henry's expression grew even more frigid.
Suddenly, he grabbed her hand and took her upstairs.
"What are you doing?" Victoria asked, bewildered.
Without a word, he dragged her into his room and slammed the door shut.
With an intense glare, he snapped, "Victoria, you've lost your memory, not your mind. Do you even know how old Jude is? Saying that to a child-aren't you worried about the damage you could cause? You're his mom, and you're the last person who should say something like that!"
So, it turned out he was furious about her treatment of Jude.
Victoria forcefully shook his hand off. His tight grip had left red marks on her delicate wrist.
Henry's face darkened even further, and his usually emotionless eyes were now blazing with rage. Victoria repeatedly reminded herself that she no longer wanted them, so she argue over anything because it shouldn't was pointless.
Yet, at that moment, confronted by Henry's accusing stare and cold expression, she felt an overwhelming urge to reveal that she hadn't lost her memory, to confront him, and to accuse him of all the wrongs he and Jennifer had inflicted upon her over the past five years.
Gritting her teeth, she suppressed the impulse and declared, "I don't know how I interacted with him before, but after meeting him once, I don't like him. If I regain my memory, I'll stand by my decision. I just don't like him, even though he is my own child!"
She bristled with defenses, warding off any attempts at closeness, and inadvertently hurting others in the process.
"Victoria!" Henry shouted as he approached her.
She wanted a divorce. She said she didn't like him and Jude. She seemed desperate to rid herself of them. This realization struck him with a wave of panic.
He seized her arm, pulling her into the bedroom and pressing her onto the bed.
"I want to see if you'll still say that once your memory returns," Henry said, convinced that her drastic change was solely due to the loss of her memories from the past five years.
He remembered how deeply she once loved Jude. So, he was determined to help her regain that memory.
With that, Henry leaned down and kissed her fiercely, not giving her a moment to breathe, deepening the kiss with urgency. He held her knees, his body pressing against hers.