Chapter 57\u00a0<\/p>\n
2 Years Later\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
DYLAN\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning, Dylan! How\u2019s the shop today?\u201d asked Cynthia, one of my regular customers in the flower shop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything is doing well, Cynthia. Are you picking up the usual\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, please,\u201d she answered. \u201cHow\u2019s your head? Have you been experiencing frequent headaches?\u201d Her voice was laced with\u00a0<\/p>\n
concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I do. But it\u2019s manageable. Nothing to worry about,\u201d I replied\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI was in the city yesterday, and my friend mentioned this famous neurologist. Maybe he can help you with your situation.\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been two years since I opened this business. And it\u2019s also been two years since the accident. The first two weeks was h3ll. My whole body was sore, and I couldn\u2019t even move a muscle. I\u2019ve been lying down in the hospital bed for two weeks. And what\u2019s worse, I can\u2019t even remember who I am. Thank God, my husband was there to help me get through that accident.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy doctor here is fine, Cynthia. They\u2019ve been giving me a prescription for the headaches. And besides, I don\u2019t think husband and I can afford it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
my\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can call her a doctor,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s been two years, yet you haven\u2019t even made a single bit of progress? Didn\u2019t she say that you\u2019re going to slowly remember your past if you continue to take the medicine she was giving you? But look how it turned out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re overthinking things, Cynthia. The doctor says my condition just needs more time,\u201d I told her with a small smile, trying to sound light and sure. But even as the words slipped out of my mouth, they tasted like a lie.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because the truth was what she said stayed with me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her concern lingered in my chest like a weight I couldn\u2019t shake off. I wanted so badly to believe everything was fine, that I was healing, that I was slowly on my way back to the person I used to be. But there was always that quiet whisper inside me, asking why nothing was changing. Why every morning still felt like waking up in someone else\u2019s life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pressed that feeling down, burying it where I hid all the questions I was too scared to ask.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After all, it was my husband who found that doctor. He was the one who held my hand when I couldn\u2019t remember my own name. He was the one who stayed beside me when I couldn\u2019t walk, couldn\u2019t think, and couldn\u2019t even trust myself. He took care of me when I was at my weakest, when I was nothing but a broken memory in a hospital bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How could I possibly doubt the man who saved me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
So I smiled, nodded, and pretended everything was okay.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even if, deep inside, a small part of me was starting to tremble, wondering if trusting him blindly was the right thing to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cynthia sighed, clearly unconvinced but too kind to push further. \u201cIf you say so,\u201d she murmured, though worry still clouded her eyes. She\u00a0<\/p>\n
gave me a soft smile before glancing around the shop. \u201cYour flowers look beautiful today. You always make this place feel alive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I chuckled lightly. \u201cThat\u2019s the goal. If I can\u2019t fix my own head, at least I can make the world a little prettier, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She laughed, then we finished our transaction, and she left with er usual bouquet in hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
XO VOUC1813\u00a0<\/p>\n
The bell above the door chimed as she stepped out, and just like that, silence settled once more\u2013soft, familiar, and strangely lonely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I leaned against the counter, pressing my hand to my temple when the dull ache began again. It started as a faint throb, then slowly bloomed into something heavier, something that clawed is way behind my eyes. My breath hitched, and I had to grip the edge of the table just to steady myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not again\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Flashes struck like lightning\u2013running, rain, a deep voice shouting my name\u2026 a pair of burning eyes\u2026pain\u2026 an explosion of light.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then\u2013nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just like always.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed hard and forced the visions away, grounding myself with the scent of lilies and fresh roses. My name. My shop. My husband. My life now. Those were the things I clung to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even if some nights I stared into the mirror and didn\u2019t recognize the woman looking back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The doorbell chimed again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Warm arms suddenly wrapped around my waist from behind, steadying me before I even had the chance to stumble.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I flinched when I felt his hand touch me. This is one of the reasons why there\u2019s a doubt in me when it comes to my husband.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt awkward whenever he touched me. Though his touch feels familiar, at the same time, it feels so wrong. And I felt guilty whenever I refused to let him hold me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry. I didn\u2019t mean to startle you,\u201d he quickly apologized. \u201cYou okay, sweetheart? You look pale.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I mustered a smile before I responded, \u201cYeah\u2026 headache again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His brows tightened, but his smile stayed soft and tender. \u201cHave you taken your medicine today?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now that he mentioned it, I suddenly remember that I haven\u2019t drunk my medicine today. I was too busy in the shop, and it slipped my mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI was too busy this morning. I forgot about it,\u201d I replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He smiled, but his smile didn\u2019t bring warmth into my heart. It even gives me the creeps sometimes, as if he were hiding something behind that smile. \u201cThat\u2019s why you\u2019re having a headache. Let me get a glass of water for you,\u201d he said before going to the back of the shop where the pantry is to get a glass of water. Once he returned, he was already holding the bottle of medicine I had in my bag together with the glass of water. \u201cHere you go,\u201d he said as he handed me those two.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at his hands for a minute. I don\u2019t know why it crossed my mind, but I suddenly remember what Cynthia said. I\u2019m starting to doubt whether this medicine was making me better on the opposite.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But despite my suspicion, I still decided to take it. I forced a smile on my face before reaching for the glass and the medicine. He watches me like a hawk as I drink it. He looked relieved once he saw me take it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t push yourself too hard. Close early today if you have to. I\u2019ll take care of everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He always said the right things. Always played the perfect husband. Caring. Supportive. Attentive. So, why did some small part of me tremble around him?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why did it feel like there was something he wasn\u2019t saying, something I wasn\u2019t seeing?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He brushed my hair away from my face, fingers gentle but firm, like he was afraid I\u2019d slip away if he didn\u2019t hold on tight enough. \u201cJust trust me,\u201d he whispered softly. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to think about the past. What matters is now. Me and you. Our\u00a0<\/p>\n
life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded\u2026 Because what else was I supposed to do?\u00a0<\/p>\n
But deep inside, beneath the carefully built walls and forced smiles, a tiny spark of unease flickered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something didn\u2019t feel right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I had the strange, terrifying feeling that if I ever remembered everything\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
My whole world might come crashing down again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
The Alchemist of Broken Dreams by Sienna Rose Blackwell 57 Chapter 57\u00a0 2 Years Later\u2026\u00a0 DYLAN\u00a0 \u201cGood morning, Dylan! How\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-alphas-golden-cage-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24408\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}