Chapter 15 Memory Crannies

• Jett did not leave the room and instead clutched at the bottle with vengeance in his eyes.
• It was only when he noticed Chloe acting like a frightened rabbit that he concealed his anger.
• He finally understood everything now that he saw the pill bottle!
• Why would my wife not recognize me?
• It's because of these drugs.
• It was used to paralyze nerves and cause memory loss.
• Paralysie.
• Amnésie.
• The label was neatly printed in French. It was those two words that got him on edge.
• This was the drug used on the battlefield when dealing with spies and captives.
• The difference was that the drug was administered through injections in larger doses, causing the effects to magnify. It often caused memory loss in an instant with no chance of ever recovering from it. Victims might even die in more severe cases.
• How cruel!
• Who did this?
• This drug was supposed to have been kept under wraps. What was it doing here?
• Another puzzle had made itself known. He had to find out what was going on.
• He shoved the bottle into his pocket.
• "I'm sorry, Chloe."
• He felt heavy inside after acting so recklessly.
• My wife has clearly lost her memories!
• Chloe no longer remembered who he was, which was why she so adamantly refused his advances.
• He felt indescribable pain as he watched the delicate woman before him.
• How much tragedy did my wife endure in the six years I've been gone?
• Just thinking about it caused him extreme grief.
• "Chloe, it's me, Jett. Have you forgotten?" Jett tried to approach her once more.
• "Leave me alone! I don't know you!" Another pillow was flung his way. This time, a silver-white object with a chain was sent flying by accident.
• "Thunk!"
• He caught it with one hand.
• The pocket watch!
• This was his birthday gift to her on her eighteenth birthday.
• It was truly a gift in the true sense of the word. He had saved up six months' worth of pocket money to have enough for the pocket watch.
• The object felt heavy in his hand as his thoughts were dragged back into an old memory at the sight of the yellowed photograph.
• "I want this one, sir!"
• "You come here every month, kid! Do you even have money?" The man was more than a little disgruntled at Jett for not buying a single thing every time he visited.
• "I do! Gimme! Wrap it up!" Jett gave the proprietor a wad of crumpled notes. It was everything he had saved up.
• "You'll definitely like this one, Chloe!"
• That night, Jett waited downstairs for Chloe with the gift in hand.
• "Happy birthday, Chloe! I got you a gift!"
• Chloe noticed the sincere expression on his face and was curious but eventually accepted the gift. Her cheeks were flushed pink when she opened the heart-shaped trinket. She finally understood what it meant to be in love.
• "Let's go to a photo booth when you have time. You can fit a photo in there." Jett sheepishly fled when he finished.
• That was when he suddenly heard her call out, "I have time this weekend. We can go…"
• Jett looked up. "You remember, don't you, Chloe? You must. I gave this to you on your eighteenth birthday."
• "My eighteenth birthday? You gave it to me?" Chloe fell deep into thought.
• "Daddy, why are you and Mommy fighting? The teacher says we shouldn't fight because it destroys relationships." Mylah tiptoed in.
• "You're right. Be a dear Mylah. This is Mommy!" Jett picked the girl up into his arms.
• "Mommy!"
• Mylah's cry reached Chloe, breaking her out of her stupor.
• "Mommy?" Chloe couldn't take it anymore. A man claimed to be her husband two days ago and now she's seeing a daughter that she's never met before.
• I must be going insane!
• The strangers appearing in her life made her more than a little uncomfortable.
• Mylah took note of her mother's dull expression and pouted, "Daddy, Mommy doesn't like me."
• "Grandma, Grandpa, Mommy doesn't like me!"
• The old couple immediately rushed in when they heard her cries. They gently patted her head. "It's okay, Mylah. Mommy is just nervous because it's her first time meeting you. Why do you think Mommy doesn't like you?"
• Chloe's eyes widened. "Mom? What's going on?"
• "Look closer, Chloe. You'll see!"
• It was only then that Chloe calmed down enough to take a closer look at the girl and found herself unable to look away.
• They shared an uncanny resemblance. She turned to look at Janet.
• "M-Mom? She looks just like me when I was a kid."
• "I'm sorry, Chloe. I shouldn't have lied to you. Please forgive me. The scar on your stomach was caused by your childbirth. It wasn't because of surgery. I only just figured it out myself."
• Janet chose not to lie to her daughter and came clean.
• "B-But why was she not by my side?"
• Jett immediately realized that something was wrong and stopped them.
• "Come now. Let the mother and daughter get acquainted with each other!" With that, he pushed both Alex and Janet out of the room.
• Jett pulled out the medicine bottle when they got to the lounge.
• "Do you know what this is, Mom?"
• "I do. Isn't it good for aiding sleep? I watched her take it ever since she moved back in with us."
• Jett was confused. "She moved out? When was this?"
• Janet began to count on her fingers. "I believe it was three months after your accident. Chloe said she wanted to relax and try living on her own. We agreed."
• "Yes. She returned home four months later. She seemed emaciated at the time and was not in good spirits. It was Bryson who brought her home. He said that he happened to see Chloe crossing the road and was almost hit by a car. He was worried and drove her home himself."
• Jett scowled. "If I find out you're involved with this, no god will save you, Bryson White."
• "What's wrong with the medication?"
• "This isn't a drug that aids sleep. It's poison. Taking too much will cause memory loss. Chloe shouldn't keep taking these."
• "Huh?! You're joking?" Janet exclaimed aloud. "That explains why she doesn't remember much. I thought it was because she purposefully suppressed her memories. Was it because of this?"
• He gestured for her to keep her voice down. "I told you, Mom. I'm back to protect everyone. I'll find out what's really going on here."
• His tone left no doubt.
• Janet was touched by his words. She had her grievances but she could tell how he truly cared for her daughter. Concern like that wasn't easy to fake.
• The afternoon passed by in a flash.
• Jett wanted to take Mylah home when evening fell but she was quite the clingy child who refused to leave.
• They had no choice but to stay for dinner and play with her until she tired herself out and fell asleep.
• It was ten by the time they got home.
• "Sir, a few strays tried to cause a fuss early in the evening!" Bernard Kennedy reported his findings to Jett after patrolling the area.
• When he came back from the hospital last night, he found more than a dozen men discussing how to deal with Jett. Unable to control his anger, he beat them up. What he hadn't accounted for was for another group to come for him again today.
• Jett smiled coldly. The three-day deadline had arrived. I gave you a chance and yet you decided to throw it away. You can't blame me for what happens next.
• Hah! You won't repent? So be it!