Chapter 2

I went back to my rented apartment and slept for ten straight hours.

For the first time in three years, there was no alarm, no nurse's call button, and no need to wake up in the middle of the night to turn Julian over.

When I finally woke up, it was 3:00 PM.

I had seventeen unread messages on my phone from Martha and Chloe.

Martha: *“Valerie, Julian is doing well today. You don't need to worry.”*

Martha: *“Valerie, I thought about it. We will repay the money you advanced. Don't overthink things.”*

Martha: *“Julian asked who you were. I told him you were a hired nurse, and he didn't question it. Don't come by for now, we don't want to trigger him.”*

The last message was from Chloe: *“Val, I'm so sorry, but Julian only recognizes me right now. When he gets better, I’ll explain everything to him. Thank you for the last three years. When we get married, I’ll definitely make you my maid of honor.”*

I stared at the screen and laughed out loud.

*Maid of honor?*

I typed a quick reply: *“I’ll be at the hospital tomorrow at 10:00 AM.”*

Then, I turned off my phone, took a long shower, put on a full face of makeup, and squeezed into a dress I bought three years ago. I used to wear a small, but now I was thin enough to fit into an extra-small.

I looked at myself in the mirror and practiced my smile.

It wasn't a warm smile. It was the kind of smile that made people's skin crawl.

The next morning, I showed up at the hospital room right on time.

I pushed the door open to a picture-perfect family scene. Chloe was gently spoon-feeding Julian some oatmeal. Martha was sitting nearby, peeling an apple. Julian was propped up against the pillows, pale but alert, smiling warmly at Chloe.

"...And then you insisted on climbing that tree to pick peaches," Chloe giggled. "You fell, scraped your knee, and lied to your mom saying I pushed you!"

"I remember that," Julian said, his voice weak but filled with affection. "You cried all afternoon and said you’d never play with me again."

"Well, you blamed me!"

"Alright, alright. My bad."

They laughed together, looking like a couple straight out of a romance movie.

I tapped on the open door.

Three heads turned instantly.

Julian looked at me with a cold, guarded gaze. "Who are you?"

I didn't answer. I walked straight in, tossed my bag onto the nightstand, and pulled out a thick folder.

"I’m Valerie," I said. "The woman who took care of you for three years."

Chloe stood up immediately, blocking Julian. "Val, why are you here? I thought we agreed—"

"Move."

My voice wasn't loud, but it made Chloe flinch. Surprisingly, she took a step back.

I opened the folder and dumped a massive pile of receipts onto the bed.

"These are the medical bills from the last three years," I said. "The grand total is $205,340. That includes $150,000 in direct medical bills, $35,000 for physical rehab, and $20,340 for nursing fees—which is my labor cost, calculated strictly at the local minimum wage."

I pulled out the last piece of paper: my bank statements.

"I sold my condo and took out $80,000 in personal loans. I have $25,000 in outstanding credit card debt. Martha, I kept track of the $30,000 you contributed. That leaves a balance of $175,340."

I looked up at the three stunned faces and smiled.

"So, how would you like to pay?"

The room fell into a dead silence.

Julian frowned, looking back and forth between me and Chloe. "Chloe... what is she talking about?"

Chloe’s face flushed bright red. "Valerie! Are you insane? Julian just woke up! Why are you bringing this up now?!"

"Why am I bringing this up?" I tilted my head. "I’m collecting a debt. Chloe, you’re the new 'Mrs. Miller,' right? It’s only natural for a married couple to pay off their debts together."

"Who... who is Mrs. Miller!" Chloe panicked. "Julian is just confused right now. Once he recovers..."

"Once he recovers, you two will get married and make me your maid of honor." I cut her off, unlocking my phone and pulling up her text message from yesterday. I zoomed in and held it right in front of her face. "Isn't that what you wrote?"

Chloe turned white.

Martha rushed forward, trying to grab my phone. "Valerie! You’ve gone too far! Julian just woke up and you’re here starting drama! What is wrong with you?!"

I dodged her easily, my voice turning icy and loud:

"What is wrong with me? I am here to get my money back!"

I pointed at Julian. He flinched, pulling back toward the headboard.

"Julian, listen to me. I don’t care what you call me. I don't care if you pretend not to remember me. But I spent $200,000 on you. I quit my career, sold my home, and went from a healthy young woman to this skeletal version of myself. You don't have to love me, but you are going to pay me back."

I pulled a USB drive from my bag and slammed it onto the nightstand.

"On this drive, there is a record of every single payment made to this hospital. There is also a log of my caregiving hours. I’ve already consulted a lawyer, and by law, my labor costs are fully reimbursable. And..." I paused, staring into his eyes, "there are 387 video logs I recorded during your coma. In every single video, I state the date, what I did for you, and how much money I spent that day."

I leaned in closer to Julian.

"You can play the amnesia card all you want, but the law doesn’t have amnesia. If you don't pay me, I will file a police report and sue you. I have absolutely nothing left to lose. I don't mind taking this to the local news."

I stood up straight and brushed some imaginary dust off my dress.

"Three days. Get me my money in three days, and we're even. Otherwise, I’ll see you in court."

I turned on my heel and walked out. Behind me, Martha screamed, "Valerie! You heartless bitch! You’ll rot in hell!"

I didn't look back.

But the moment I stepped into the empty hallway, my knees buckled slightly.

Yet, deep down, I had never felt so alive.