Chapter 302
Jonathan’s POV
Rollings House – Morning
It’s not the first time I was watching Veronica serve breakfast, it’s been my habit since we lived in the apartment.
She would smile so brightly as if she couldn’t have any better work to do then make breakfast for her family.
Now she’s sitting across from me and the maid is making breakfast. Mother was here, but for some odd reason, Veronica said seeing her makes her feel more painful that she can’t remember things.
Whenever I mention old memories, she ends up getting headaches.
Her expression and reactions also don’t feel normal, especially when a person who knows what it’s like not remembering things.
Nonetheless, I still reminded myself she suffered from a kidnapping trauma so maybe her reaction is different to memory loss than mine.
Days passed, but I still couldn’t get over this weird feeling.
She kept feeling distant to me as if she was trying to fit into being Veronica, rather than be Veronica.
I was feeling stressed and hoped she would recover soon.
But there was another thing that was bothering me.
I dialled a number.
“Let’s meet at the office p>
With that I took my leave without telling Veronica, something I did for the first time.
Rollings Designs
I had called John and Vance as well.
“What’s the matter?” Daniel asked as he sat across from me.
“Daniel, I want your honest opinion p>
“Of course, but what do you need my opinion for or on p>
“Veronica p>
Daniel glanced at me with a tilted head.
“Do you feel…she’s different p>
“I know losing memory changes a person a lot, but not becoming a totally different person p>
“Jonathan,” Daniel exhaled and paused for a brief moment.
“I didn’t want to say this before but now that you ask p>
“I do admit she does feel different p>
“Not the fact that she has forgotten familiar routines, or avoids certain conversations p>
“But she actually reacts cold to people p>
“The old Veronica, she was friendly even with strangers p>
“She even began eating lunch at the office with them, now again she’s eating alone p>
“I just didn’t want to say anything without evidence p>
“And who better to recognize her than you, so p>
He trailed off.
“I presumed she suffered so much, so maybe p>
“I know, but I also suffered memory loss, she’s just too different p>
“She’s even sensitive to my touch p>
“At least now I don’t feel bad for judging her p>
“Jonathan, this is only an assumption p>
“Do you think something happened to her that’s making her sensitive to your touch p>
“She didn’t when Sanders assaulted her, rather she felt safer in my arms at the time p>
“John, what do you think?” Daniel asked.
“Well, I don’t really have that much interaction with her p>
“That goes for me too,” Vance added.
“I can go over the records I have since she came back p>
“But don’t question her without a solid reason p>
“If her behavior is truly because of the trauma she suffered, she may react unpredictably p>
“Okay, but I can’t ignore the feeling of being played on p>
“John, I want you to investigate her quietly p>
“Until we have evidence, she must not know p>
Suspicion was now a secret we carried against her in our hearts.
“Guys,” John said as he was typing away on his laptop.
“I think I found some inconsistencies regarding her recovery p>
He showed the results to Vance.
Vance examined the results.
“Jonathan, do you remember when you forgot?” was the first thing he asked.
“I know I struggled with recognizing people and had problems at work p>
“So I do understand p>
“But, even if I did not remember Veronica immediately p>
“I felt more safer with her than Imelda p>
“I recognized Joshua as well p>
“With Veronica, it’s different p>
“She reacts to Jane as if she’s a complete stranger p>
“She even told her to not come home and now I had to hire a maid as she doesn’t remember cooking p>
“Jonathan,” Vance said.
“First, separate feelings from facts, and let’s investigate each inconsistency properly before we come to a conclusion p>
I felt guilty for feeling like this about Veronica, but I couldn’t let go of this uneasy feeling inside of me.
“Mr. Rollings,” My secretary said on the intercom.
“Your mother-in-law, Ms. Jane Harmon is here to meet you p>
“Send her in,” I immediately said as I walked across the room.
“Mom p>
She looked at the boys, then back at me.
“It’s okay, we were talking about Veronica p>
“That’s why I also came to meet you p>
I made Jane sit as we gathered around her.
“Aunt, we all are also worried about Veronica,” Vance said to make her feel comfortable.
“I know she doesn’t remember, but she’s become too hostile towards me p>
“One thing I know, since I got to know about Veronica p>
“She’s never been cold to anyone p>
“I know, I wasn’t with her all her life p>
“But now she behaves as if I’m not her mother p>
“If I try to help her, she pushes me away p>
“I told her Jonathan doesn’t like eating cold food p>
“She told me, ’he’s my husband, why are you bothered p>
“If Joshua asks to eat something, and I tell I’ll teach her how to make it p>
“She says, what’s the maid for p>
“And Joshua should learn he’s a rich young master, maids do the work p>
“Finally, I left p>
“So, that’s why you left p>
“Veronica said, ’you were feeling tired and left p>
“I thought it was cause of your age p>
“Okay,” I said. “Mom, please keep our conversation between us p>
My doubt was deepening more than before as now I was not the only person who doubted her.
As we all took leave, I went to meet her doctor.
Pearl River Hospital
“Mr. Rollings, what brings you here p>
I told him everything about Veronica’s behavior.
“I did tell you before, trauma can affect memory, and personality p>
“And recovery varies from person to person p>
“But eventually, they will accept their family and spouse p>
“After all, once they accept the family, the bond reunites p>
“Is there any immediate medical concern that you noticed in her p>
“I can go over the records again p>
The doctor’s words gave me a faint light of hope.
“I do agree, after her memory loss, her physical reactions have changed p>
After the doctor told me some suggestions, I took my leave.
Rollings House- later at night
I woke up suddenly as a cold breeze flew into the room.
I quickly got up and closed the windows as I remembered Veronica suffers from severe pain from her stabbing and C-section surgery.
After closing the windows, I quickly removed her pill and walked slowly towards her.
I stood frozen as I came near her.
I stood waiting for her to wake up from the pain and ask for the tablet or blanket.
But she lay comfortably.
Suddenly she woke up and smiled when she saw me.
“Jonathan?” she said, sitting comfortably on the edge.
“Do you want something p>
“Do you want a blanket p>
“Blanket p>
“Why would I want a blanket? It’s not winter p>
I was surprised to see she was normal.
I recalled the times I saw her whimpering in pain, and now she was sitting as if she never felt any pain in cold times.
“Is your injury now better p>
“What p>
“The knife stab…don’t you feel pain in cold times p>
She paused as if she was trying to figure out what to say.
“Looks like my memory loss made me heal p>
Before Veronica used to hide her pain, even if I knew.
Now Veronica is saying she’s healed.
I decided to go and meet John in the morning.
Federal Office – John’s office
“John, I want you to retrieve Veronica’s old and current records p>
I noticed some information was missing.
“Jonathan, don’t assume anything on your own p>
“We can’t accuse based on this alone p>
“I know, but there are too many inconsistencies to let go p>
I even reviewed her photographs and was shocked.
Her posture, expressions, even familiar gestures like placing her hand on mine, changed.
The only thing exactly is the face.
I was feeling pain on suspecting her, but I just couldn’t neglect it.
Just then John told me something, I agreed.
Rollings House – Later that night.
I got up and went to the kitchen and made myself a cup of coffee and came back.
I expected her to say why did I make it and not tell her.
Instead…she shocked me.
“Oh,” she said, seeing me come in with a cup of coffee.
“Could have made for me p>
“You used to get angry if I made myself and tell to tell you always p>
“Jonathan, I’ve told you to forget the old Veronica p>
“Now I’m Veronica, and I’ve changed p>
“I am no longer going to be the soft, low level Veronica p>
“I’ll show everyone what a rich wife really is p>
“Then let me see if anyone dares to kidnap me p>
I felt lonely beside the woman who once was the wife who cared for me.
From then on, I began to watch her closely.
Her moves, her behavior was totally different.
The only thing that matched was her face.
I began to fear…I truly lost the woman I loved all my life.
Suddenly the cold wind again flew in from the window.
Again, she didn’t react.
I walked out and went downstairs and dialled a number.
“Doctor, Veronica doesn’t feel pain from her scars as she used to p>
“She said, her memory loss has healed her p>
“Jonathan p>
“Memory loss can make you forget you felt pain or fear something p>
“But it can’t heal what even science can’t p>
“That’s why we prescribed painkillers p>
After taking my leave from the doctor, my unease had hardened and I was determined to find out the truth.