Chapter 19

 

Kristen could not imagine being happier than she was. She wondered what her life had been like before the accident and why she could not remember everything. She knew who she was and she remembered being married before, but could not remember her husband. She did not remember Ethan, but she knew they belonged together. He was caring and attentive and she was secure when she was with him.

They were married one week after she returned from the hospital and were now heading to the courthouse for the hearing. Her palms were sweaty and the smallest sounds had her jumping.

“Relax,” Ethan said.

They were about to leave and Kristen’s legs were wooden as she stepped through the front door. Ethan eyed her carefully for a moment and took her hand. They’d bought a new car, which was parked out front. As she made a step towards it, her knees wobbled, causing her steps to falter.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

However, the closer she got to the car, the more her legs shook. Her stomach quivered and sweat ran down her back. When she was about a foot away from the car, her feet refused to go further. She was breathing through her mouth while staring at the vehicle with a stricken look on her face.

Ethan gripped her shoulder and willed her to look at him. “It’s okay. Nothing is going to happen.”

He pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair. The security of his warm embrace and his soothing voice calmed her. She listened as he told her that he would drive slowly and be extra careful. She trusted him. After a few minutes, she broke the embrace and took a brave step forward. Ethan never let go of her hand until she was safely in the front passenger seat.

Ethan gripped her hand as soon as he was behind the wheel. Occasionally, he let go when he needed both hands to steer. However, most of the drive he did with her gripping his hand tightly. Her fear of being in the car soon evaporated, only to be replaced by her fear of what lay ahead.

Unconsciously, she chewed her lips. She couldn’t help the quivering feeling in the pit of her stomach and nausea from rising to her throat. Having no clue what she was getting herself into made her tense.

“When we get there, you’ll stay in the car until Camila comes to get you,” Ethan advised.

She nodded. “Are you sure Helen doesn’t know I’m better?”

“She thinks you’re at a private facility and still in a coma. She didn’t even bother coming over to the house to check. She believes whatever they tell her at the hospital. As far as she’s concerned, her influence won’t allow anyone to deceive her.”

“Did you find out anything about my car?” she asked. “You said you were having it double checked.”

Ethan hesitated. “I think the brakes were tampered with, it’s just that I can’t prove it. The mechanic said the hose was new. He said you serviced the car a few days before the accident.”

“I can’t remember doing that. But couldn’t the hose break even if it was new?”

“The mechanic insists that somebody messed with it.”

“You think Helen is responsible?”

Ethan’s jaw tightened. “I hate to admit it, but yes. I think she did this. She’s my mother, but I swear, I want to wring her neck!”

“Ethan, I just want my daughter back, so drop the issue, will you?”

Kristen thought of the day when the accident came back to her memory. It was three days ago while watching the nightly news with Ethan. A bird crashed against one of the windows in the house, startling her. A sharp pain tore through her head that she had to grip the sides. The pain was swift and strong and in the process, she saw herself in the car. She’d just tried calling Helen and received no response. She was about to make another call when the car hit a bump and hurtled into the air. The vehicle spun a few times before coming down hard. “AAAAHHHH!” A bloodcurdling scream ripped from deep inside her as Kristen envisioned the car coming down.

“Kristen!” Ethan was beside her in a flash. He pulled her into his arms and rocked her as she continued screaming until her voice became hoarse. Her screams soon turned into sobs. For about half hour, she blubbered, her tears soaking Ethan’s shirt.

Since the memory returned, she tried to recall more but failed. The crash was about the only thing she remembered except for her daughter and a few more details of her life. She’d had the car serviced a week before her accident. The car was in great condition as far as her memory served.

Since the day she told Ethan she remembered the accident, he was unrelenting in finding the truth. He retrieved the car from the police pound and had someone check it. The insurance cleared her of any misappropriation and the police faulted the accident as a broken brake hose.

She reached over and touched his arm. “I know this must be affecting you too. She’s your mother,” she said in a gentle tone.

He looked across at her. “If she did this, she needs to pay for it.”

“Leave it, for our sake and Hailey’s. If she did this, what is to prevent her from hurting Hailey if she feels threatened?” She knew the panic registered in her voice, but she could not help it. The thought of Helen scared her. All Kristen wanted was to put the past behind her if possible.

“But…” Ethan started, but she cut in.

“Ethan, we can’t prove it and you know Helen, she won’t take this lying down.”

His shoulders sagged. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. I don’t trust her not to retaliate. I just have this weird feeling about her.”

“I’ll let this go, only because we have no proof. But I can’t promise I’ll do the same next time,” he declared.

Kristen fell silent. She couldn’t argue with that. All she needed was to ensure her daughter was safe. From what little she remembered of Helen, the woman was bad news. The fact that a grandmother was willing to drag a little girl through court for revenge, meant the woman was dangerous. Try as she might, she could not remember why Helen hated her so much.

Kristen remembered that her husband’s name was Andrew. He must have been a good man. He left her a few million dollars and a trust fund that his daughter, Hailey could access when she turned eighteen. But something felt off about her past marriage, yet she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She needed to know the reason why Helen was trying to take Hailey from her. Ethan refused to tell her any details, citing that the doctor said not to push it.

Hailey was about the only one she remembered entirely. She remembered Camila as being her best friend, but some of the years of their friendship also lost. She kept seeing bits and pieces of Ethan as well. She remembered when they met, but nothing much after that surfaced.

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t realize that they were at the courthouse. Ethan found a parking space around the back of the building. She knew he chose the spot because of its location.

“I’ll be going inside and Camila will come get you,” he said, leaning over and kissing her. “Be strong. I won’t let Mother win this.”

She gripped his sleeve and kissed him deeply. When she pulled away, their eyes locked and she was swept away by the magnetic pull of his eyes.

Ethan broke the spell by backing away and opening his door. What Kristen wanted to say was stuck in her throat. She wanted to tell him how much she appreciated him, that she cherished so many things about him. Ethan took her breath away, making her forget her nervousness. He calmed her whenever she was anxious.

She watched him walk to the front of the building and disappear around the corner. Leaning back against the seat, Kristen closed her eyes and imagined what would happen in court. Would the judge realize she had lost her memory? The plan was to act as though everything was normal.

An hour later, someone knocked the window. She turned to see Camila’s smiling face. “Hey,” Camila greeted when she opened the door. They hugged while her friend reassured her that everything would be fine. “Don’t worry about a thing. The judge will see Helen for what she is,” Camila said.

They began walking to the front of the building. “I have something I need to tell you,” Camila said. “I was waiting for the right moment, but I don’t want you finding out from someone else.”

Kristen paused, not liking the sound of that. “What is it?”

Camila urged her to come along. “We’ll talk afterward. Your case is next.”

When they reached the courtroom, the door was closed with a guard stationed outside of it. He stepped aside to let them through. Kristen hesitated, her heart thumping heavily like a bongo drum.

“It’s okay,” Camila soothed, caressing her shoulder. “It’s okay.”

The guard pushed open the double doors and smiled. Camila took her hand and led her into the room. Helen’s lawyer was at the front of the room with a sheet of paper in his hand, addressing the court.

As she stepped inside the room, all eyes turned in her direction. It didn’t take long to see Ethan. Their connection was strong enough that she knew where he was. He gave her a reassuring nod as she moved forward.

Her eyes shifted to her right, settling on the woman she knew to be Helen. The woman’s face was ashen and her mouth hung open. Her lawyer’s eyes bulged as the two of them stared at her.

Mark rushed forward to meet her and seated her in an empty chair beside Ethan. The audience in the room spoke in low hushed tones, perhaps whispering about her. Kristen wondered if anyone knew she had amnesia.

“Mrs. Broderick, it’s wonderful to see you,” the judge declared.

“Thank you, Your Honor,” Kristen said.

Mr. Brown turned to Judge Lord. “Your Honor, this is highly unusual. We were told that Mrs. Broderick was still in a coma.”

Mark stood and addressed the judge. “Your Honor, due to the situation between Kristen Broderick and her mother-in-law, we deemed it necessary to keep this information classified. Kristen was involved in a motor vehicle accident and was unconscious for some time. During the time, she was in the ICU, her mother-in-law visited. That visit resulted in Kristen’s heart rate and blood pressure going through the roof until she collapsed, she had to be resuscitated.”

Judge Lorde held his hand up. “Are you saying Helen caused it?”

“What I’m saying is, that visit was traumatic for the patient.”

“I object,” Mr. Brown said. “We can’t be certain that my client was the cause of the patient almost dying.”

“Your Honor,” Mark countered. “Hours after that visit, Mrs. Helen Broderick requested that the court date be changed to an earlier date, which is today. I tried to have it moved back but was refused a new date.”

Judge Lorde frowned. “I don’t like where this is going, Mr. Rickards. Let’s get to why we are here. I understand that Kristen has complied with my recommendation and has gotten married?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“She married her brother-in-law? Isn’t that a little unusual?”

Kristen stood. “May I speak your honor?” He consented. “I met Ethan ten years ago before I met Andrew. We started dating but he was not ready for commitment. When I met Andrew, I had no idea they were brothers. What I’m saying, I think I was meant to be with Ethan.”

Mark interjected. “Your honor, they both love each other.”

“Then I see no reason why Hailey can’t go home. Mrs. Broderick, I’m sorry, your granddaughter will return to the custody of her own mother immediately.”

Mr. Brown protested, “Your Honor. Think about this!”

“My ruling is final, Mr. Brown. I have accommodated this case as much as I can. We will not waste any more of the court’s time with this. This case is adjourned.”

With his last word, his pounded the wooden block with the gavel and stood. Helen hadn’t said a word or moved since Kristen walked into the courtroom.

Mark punched the air with his fist, happy about the outcome. Everyone rose as the Judge left the room. Helen looked about to faint as she stared straight ahead, avoiding looking at Kristen.

They didn’t take long before leaving the courthouse. Ethan drove directly to the mansion to pick up Hailey. They wanted to get there before Helen to avoid any confrontation. Kristen didn’t waste time packing. She threw just a few items in a bag and asked the housekeeper to pack up the rest. Finally, she had her daughter back and was headed home. The only problem now was regaining her memory, or so she thought.