After Amnesia, I Cured My Love for You

My name is Haley Sterling.

When I was seven years old, Julian Sterling brought me home from the orphanage.

He saved me. He gave me a home.

But when I fell hopelessly in love with him and kissed him, he coldly turned his head away. Haley, you disgust me.

After waking up from a car crash, I lost my memories.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

But in the dead of night, Julian broke into my room.

He bit my earlobe and whispered,

"Haley, you're just sick. That's why you forgot about us."

I pushed him away.

"Julian, I'm cured. Even my sickness of loving you is gone."

It hurt. My head throbbed so badly...

Just before I opened my eyes and fully regained consciousness, I heard a polite, gentle voice.

"Mr. Sterling, your daughter has minor head trauma. We can't rule out the possibility of amnesia."

I froze. Amnesia?

Images flashed through my mind. My parents' disappointed eyes, a man's cold indifference.

And in the mirror, my own twisted, frantic face, filled with resentment and hatred.

Then let it be amnesia.

Forget everything, just like everyone wanted.

I opened my eyes.

A second later, several anxious figures rushed to my bedside.

My mom held my hand, her eyes rimmed with red, her face full of worry.

"Haley, how are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

I stared at her, my eyes blank and confused.

"Who are you?"

Shock flashed across her face. She frowned, panicked. "Haley, it's me. I'm your mother."

I repeated the word softly. "Mother?"

Then I shook my head, looking at her helplessly. "Mom, my head hurts so much. I've forgotten so many things. I can't remember anything."

I leaned my cheek against her hand, rubbing against it like a stray kitten.

"It's okay, sweetheart. If you can't remember, don't force it. Mom is right here," she soothed.

I nodded obediently, then turned my gaze to scan the other people in the room.

Looking at the man standing beside her, his powerful aura intact but his face softened with pity, I whispered, "Dad?"

He wasn't used to showing affection, but he still gave me a gentle nod.

Suppressing the sting in my nose, I looked at the last man.

His face was an icy mask, his brow slightly furrowed.

His dark eyes were like a black hole, ready to swallow any emotion.

"And you are?"

The hospital room fell dead silent. You could hear a pin drop.

Everyone's expressions shifted, thick with tension.

"It's... it's Julian, Haley," my mom spoke up, breaking the suffocating silence.

I let out a relaxed smile and called out obediently, "Julian."

My parents looked shocked. Tears of relief actually welled in my mother's eyes.

For some reason, I thought I saw a flash of emptiness on his cold face.

My eyes, however, were completely calm. A peaceful surrender.

Julian, in this life, I will be exactly what you want. I will be your sister.

A sister who will never, ever cross the line.

My mom whispered a few more soothing words, but her eyes kept darting toward the door.

Finally, she spoke softly. "Haley, Seraphina is outside. Do you want to see her?"

I froze. My head started throbbing again, like someone was slicing it with a dull knife.

In my mind, the screeching of tires and the violent crash echoed. All I could see was a blinding flash of red.

But I still forced a sweet, obedient smile. "If you want me to see her, Mom, I will."

A relieved smile appeared on my mom's face.

Seraphina Vance walked in. She stopped at the foot of my bed, clutching her designer bag tightly, her face stained with tears.

She started crying the moment she opened her mouth. "Haley, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you with my car, I swear! Please don't hate me, and please don't come between Julian and me. I love him so much. I'll get down on my knees and beg you if I have to!"

My heart felt ice-cold, but my face remained blank and innocent.

She made a show of lowering herself to the ground, but her eyes kept darting to me. Her half-bent knees froze, making her look incredibly foolish.

Eventually, Julian grabbed her hand and pulled her back up.

Seraphina leaned into his chest, sobbing softly.

His arm wrapped around her waist, but his sharp, piercing eyes were locked onto me.

"You can't entirely blame Seraphina for this. Haley ran out out of nowhere. Seraphina didn't have time to brake."

Was that really what happened?

When I ran into the street, your car was moving slowly. We were at least twenty feet apart.

Through the windshield, I saw Seraphina's face clearly. She was smiling. A cruel, triumphant smile.

And what about you, Julian, sitting in the passenger seat?

You looked at me with nothing but coldness and disgust.

What were you thinking back then?

Were you thinking that I would get out of the way out of fear?

Or did you want this disgusting sisterthe one who dared to love you and tried to stop your engagementto just die?

If Julian hadn't grabbed the steering wheel at the last second and slammed on the brakes, I really would have died under those tires.

I averted my eyes first, looking at the weeping, delicate Seraphina in his arms.

"Seraphina, even though I've forgotten some things, Julian is right. I must have been at fault too. Why would I want to break you two up? We're going to be family soon anyway."

Seraphina was so shocked she stopped crying. Pure joy flashed in her eyes.

Julian still stood like a statue by my bed.

He was tall, his expression dark. When those cold eyes looked down at me, it was like he was looking at something worthless.

And he was right. My life was cheap.

It was only because of the scraps of charity Julian had thrown my way that I became the heiress of the Sterling family.

How could someone as lowly as me ever dare to crave someone so far out of reach?

Before I became the pampered Haley Sterling, I was just an orphan girl in a run-down shelter in this city.

On the day the Sterling family came to adopt, the director gathered all the girls in the courtyard, lined up like products for inspection.

I was small and malnourished. I was easily pushed into the very back by the bigger, healthier kids.

Every child there knew that being chosen meant escaping hunger and cold. It meant a ticket to heaven.

Gradually, I found it hard to breathe. Survival instinct kicked in, and I started waving my arms frantically, trying to be seen.

After what felt like forever, the suffocating crowd suddenly parted.

I opened my eyes, and Julian was standing right in front of me.

I remember that day clearly. The old oak tree in the courtyard had just sprouted its first green leaves of spring.

A gentle breeze swept across my face, carrying the scent of damp earth and fresh grass.

The young boy looked down at me, placing a pale, slender hand on my head.

"Her. I'll take her."

Those simple words, like a divine decree, changed my life forever.

I went from an ugly duckling stuck in the mud to the high-society daughter of the Sterling family.

Only later did I find out why Julian chose me.

The Sterlings' biological daughter, Angelica, had drowned.

Before she went under, she had waved her arms helplessly, just like I did.

My adoptive parents were always busy, and Julian didn't really have any feelings for me.

I was basically raised by the nannies.

But while the nannies could provide gourmet meals and a warm, luxurious bed, they couldn't stop the bullying at school.

Back then, my classmates called me a charity case, a parasite, and a thief who stole someone else's life.

I kept my head down and let them drag me through the dirt. I knew protesting was useless; no one would stand up for me.

Until the day Julian was sent by our mother to attend my parent-teacher conference.

He saw them throwing trash and broken pencils at my head. He heard the vulgar insults they hurled at me.

Only then was I rescued from that never-ending nightmare.

The kids who bullied me were forced to kneel in a row, apologizing to me.

They cried, slapping their own faces.

But I knew they weren't kneeling to me.

They were kneeling to the terrifying, cold-faced teenager standing beside me.

Julian had saved my life once again.

When did I start developing those forbidden feelings?

Was it when he shielded me from the bullies, holding my shoulders?

Was it when his hand covered mine, teaching me my first piano piece?

Or was it during my first extravagant birthday party, when he looked at me with such tenderness amid the crowded room?

I wasn't greedy or shameless. I never intended to expose this dirty, secret crush.

If only that accidental, intoxicating kiss had never happened.

That day, I thought I saw a glimmer of hope.

Like a drowning person, I reached out, thinking he would save me again.

But instead, I got his freezing words: "Haley, you're sick. You disgust me."

Julian, you saved me, only to drag me down to hell with your own hands.

You made me, and you destroyed me.

Except for my fake amnesia, my physical injuries weren't severe.

At my request, my mom handled the discharge papers and took me home.

Up until the day I left the hospital, I never saw Julian again.

It was an unspoken agreement. No one mentioned him in front of me.

My forgetting him was a blessing the entire Sterling family was incredibly grateful for.

After all, the elite Sterling family couldn't afford a scandal about a twisted girl who fell in love with her own brother.

On the day I got home, my mom and the chef prepared a massive feast. Julian showed up too.

At the dinner table, Julian was a carbon copy of our stern, silent father.

He kept his head down, acting mature and composed, not saying a single unnecessary word.

Only my mom kept talking, trying to make me feel comfortable.

But every time my eyes accidentally drifted toward Julian, she would tense up.

I suppose the trauma of her adopted daughter falling in love with her biological son had left a deep scar.

I felt a pang of guilt, which only solidified my decision.

"Mom, Dad, I want to go to grad school in London."

The moment those words left my mouth, all clinking of silverware stopped.

In my peripheral vision, I felt Julian's pitch-black eyes locking onto me.

My body stiffened, but I didn't look at him.

My mom put down her fork, looking puzzled. "Why the sudden decision to study abroad?"

"I just want to further my education."

Honestly, when I graduated high school, my parents wanted to send me abroad. But back then, I only wanted to stay by Julian's side.

"Well, if that's what you want, I..."

Before my mom could finish, a deep voice cut her off.

"No."

Everyone looked at Julian. His face was expressionless, but his throat bobbed with difficulty.

"Mom, Haley just got out of the hospital. She hasn't fully recovered, and her memory is still hazy. Are you really comfortable sending her across the world right now?"

My mom nodded, turning to persuade me.

I offered a reassuring smile. "I'm not leaving tomorrow. It's only July. I wouldn't leave until September at the earliest. Mom, please let me go."

My mom had always spoiled me. But that affection was never pure.

Every time she looked at me, I felt like she was looking at someone else through me.

Probably her poor, deceased child.

She hesitated, glancing at Julian, but eventually, she sighed. "Alright, sweetheart."

She told me to pick a university soon so she could make the arrangements.

"Are you really that desperate to leave?"

Julian spoke, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Julian, you wanted to get rid of me so badly. Now that I'm leaving, shouldn't you be thrilled?

I smiled. "Don't worry, Julian. I'll make sure to fly back for your wedding."

He froze. His grip on his fork tightened until his knuckles turned white. A flash of pure fury crossed his eyes before vanishing.

"Do whatever you want."

"Haley, did you really lose your memory?"

In my bedroom, my best friend, Chloe Montgomery, was circling me, inspecting my head with deep concern.

I blinked innocently. "Really."

She looked skeptical, tapping my forehead. "Then do you remember me?"

I smiled. "Of course. You're Chloe."

She looked even more confused. "Then what did you forget?"

My smile faded.

"Just some meaningless things. Things that only brought me pain."

She went quiet, understanding the unspoken implication. After a long pause, she asked cautiously, "So, are you going to Julian's birthday party the day after tomorrow?"

Julian's birthday.

In the past, I cared about his birthday more than he did.

I would make his gifts by hand, never repeating a concept.

I would design every detail of his party. He never cared, but I minded every little thing.

I always felt Julian's birthday held a sacred meaning for me.

Because of him, my life had been saved.

But this year, I had almost forgotten it. I guess no pain is too deep to be erased after a clean slate.

Humans are wired to avoid pain, after all.

"What are you planning to get him this year?"

I thought about it. "I'll just buy a watch from your family's brand."

Chloe stunned, clearly not expecting this.

For his birthday last year, I had literally flown to France to learn his favorite French recipes, and I even hand-designed a custom watch strap, hiring a master craftsman to make it.

The contrast in effort was staggering.

"What? Don't want my money?" I teased.

Chloe snapped out of it and laughed. "Are you kidding? I'd love nothing more than for a Sterling heiress to boost my family's sales."

Julian, I hope you like this year's gift.

The birthday party was just a glorified networking event for the city's elite youth.

Julian was surrounded by a crowd, wearing his trademark polite but distant smile.

He held his champagne glass high, looking like an undefeated general. He was always so powerful, so invincible.

He navigated the room with effortless grace.

The flashing lights were giving me a headache, so I put down my glass and slipped away toward the second-floor balcony for some fresh air.

"Seraphina, I heard Julian's adopted sister is a real piece of work. You won't let her bully you once you marry into the family, right?"

Behind the heavy green velvet curtains, I froze.

"I heard about her too. Apparently, she's obsessed with Julian. Is that true? He's literally her brother. That's so disgusting."

"She's adopted, though. They aren't blood-related."

"Still gross. Crushing on her own brother? She's a freak."

Then came a malicious laugh.

"She's just a street rat playing dress-up. She actually thinks she's a real Sterling. Imagine trying to seduce Julian. She should look in the mirror and see if she's even worthy."

It was Seraphina's mocking voice.

"Shh, keep it down. If someone hears us... no matter what, she's still a Sterling. We can't afford to mess with them."

"What heiress? The Sterlings don't care about her. I literally hit her with my car, and they didn't do anything to me. Julian even defended me. That proves she has zero status in that house."

Even through the thick curtains, I could picture the smug sneer on Seraphina's face.

After a brief silence, a timid voice asked, "Wait... you mean you hit Haley on purpose?"

"I only regret not hitting her harder. A freak like her who lusts after her own brother..."

Before she could finish, I ripped the curtains open.

I grabbed Seraphina by her hair and slammed her face straight into the brick wall.

Thud.

Her forehead split open, and blood began to trickle down her face.

The balcony erupted into high-pitched screams.

Someone tried to drag me off her, but I violently shook them off.

I leaned down, whispering right into Seraphina's ear, "Not hard enough, you say? Want to see if I have the guts to throw you off this balcony?"