Chapter 191: He’s Afraid
Wendy was looking forward to seeing Michael.
She had thought about what he would look like, and now, she finally could see for herself.
Turning around, she looked up at the man who stood next to her.
Tilting her head upwards slightly, she took in his visage. If she had to be honest, she thought Michael was very good-looking. His features were well-defined and perfectly balanced.
Old wives’ tales often said that daughters tended to look like their fathers and sons like their mothers. Wendy had never believed it, but now that she looked at Leah and Michael, it seemed there was some truth to it. Leah’s eyes and mouth looked very much like Michael’s.
At the instant her eyes fell on Michael, Wendy’s heartbeat sped up. This man was her husband, her children’s father.
Still holding her hand in his, Michael clearly felt her grip on his hand tightened.
"Wendy, I’m so glad you can see now." Michael’s expression was gentle. His other hand patted Wendy’s head lovingly.
Zen teased, "Mr. Lucas, it’s not a good time to go all lovey-dovey on us."
She was sincerely happy that Wendy could see again. It was also great that she and Michael were getting along well.
As long as the couple was doing well, Christian would not have a chance with Wendy.
Zen had to admit that she was having some selfish thoughts.
"We’re married. What’s strange about being lovey-dovey?" Michael smiled, "When you get married, you can do it too."
The word "married" made Zen freeze up for a second. Marriage was something Zen could only wish for.
Michael glanced pointedly at Wendy. "If it were not because there are minors here, I would have given Wendy a big kiss."
All he got in return was a light smack from Wendy and an admonishment. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"How is it nonsense? Wendy, if you’re going to be so shy, what will you do in the future?"
Leah, who had been listening intently, candidly put her hand over her eyes and said, "Daddy, I covered my eyes."
She peeped through her fingers and saw Jake still standing there. She reached out to bring his hand to his eyes, covering them as well.
Torn between laughing and crying, Wendy was greatly amused by Leah and Jake’s cooperation.
"Michael, have you always been so thick-skinned?" Wendy asked.
Wendy’s question stopped Michael short.
He rubbed his nose awkwardly and replied in a slightly subdued voice, "In the past...I guess so."
Wendy noticed something strange in Michael’s voice and tried her best to bring up memories of her and Michael from the past but drew a blank.
In the past, she had thought that it was fine if the memories were gone.
However, she found herself lost in Michael’s tenderness. Despite having forgotten everything that happened between them, she had fallen for him again. This made Wendy want to remember the past. Michael should not be the only one carrying the weight of their shared past.
Suddenly, Wendy saw flashes of memory in her mind’s eye, Michael strangling her, Michael pushing her away cruelly, Michael walking past her with another woman hanging on his arm.
Blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear her head, Wendy felt her head suddenly beginning to hurt.
"Wendy, what’s wrong?" The smile on Michael’s face faded when he saw the grimace on her face. He asked anxiously, "Are you feeling unwell? Where does it hurt?"
"Ah..." Wendy shook her head, sending the images in her mind flying. She gazed at Michael’s familiar yet unfamiliar face and said, "I had some flashes of things that happened between you and me in the past."
Michael should have been happy to hear that. It meant Wendy was regaining her memories. However, when he looked at her expression, he could not help but feel afraid.
Michael saw sadness and disappointment in Wendy’s eyes.
She must have remembered something bad.
Frankly, before Wendy fell into the sea, they did not have many happy memories together. They had only started living the life of a happy couple after Wendy lost her memories.
Michael lowered his head, and his eyes were downcast. He dared not look Wendy in the eye.
"Mommy, do you remember something?" Leah’s little hand grasped her bigger one, and she watched her mother with round eyes that blinked innocently. Somewhat despondently, she asked, "How come you only remember Daddy? What about me and Jake?"
Leah’s voice pulled Wendy away from her dark thoughts. Her expression relaxed a little, and she smiled at Leah.
"Doctor, Wendy gets a headache whenever she thinks about the past. Is there anything we can do to help her?" Mary recalled Wendy’s agonized look earlier and inquired worriedly.
The doctor assured her, "That’s normal. Repairing memory is not the same as repairing eyesight. Memory must be slowly coaxed back. Since she can remember flashes now, it means the rest will slowly return."
"In that case, how long will it take for Wendy to remember everything?" Mary inquired further.
"This is not my area of expertise. However, I believe that as long as Mrs. Lucas cooperates fully with the psychologist, she will soon be able to remember everything."
The doctor immediately turned to his assistant and instructed, "Please inform Dr. Lee that his presence is requested. We would appreciate it if he could take a look at Mrs. Lucas."
Michael knew who Dr. Lee was. He was the best psychologist in this hospital and also Wendy’s attending psychologist. She had already been seeing him prior to that day.
Wendy’s amnesia might have started after the accident, but it was a purely psychological response. Her brain was not damaged in any way, and that was a good thing.
Before Wendy regained her sight, everyone’s focus was on her eyes. Now that her eyes had recovered, everyone hoped she would get her memory back soon.
However, while the rest were hoping for Wendy’s memory to recover, Michael was beginning to panic. What would he do if Wendy remembered the past and pushed him away?
This harmonious time together with his wife and children was extremely precious to him.
Wendy might not remember the past, but she was more receptive to him now than she had ever been. He could feel that she was slowly falling in love with him.
Before long, Dr. Lee arrived.
He first asked Wendy for updates on her situation. "Mrs. Lucas, are you remembering some things that seem familiar but yet not? Like for example, some brief flashes of memory or certain scenes?
"Not very often." Wendy shook her head. "When Christian was here, I had some flashes. When the bandage was removed earlier, I remembered some things too. However, they were all disjointed fragments. In fact, I cannot see the faces of the people in those memory fragments. They were all fuzzy. I remember that all the bits I saw seem to be unhappy incidents even though I cannot remember the details."
Wendy told Dr. Lee everything she could. She seemed quite anxious to recover her memories. Dr. Lee advised her gently, "If you can’t remember, don’t force it. Memory is subjective anyway. You might suddenly get it all back in a flood one day. Of course, it could also come back slowly in bits and pieces. As for why the bits you have seen so far are all unhappy memories, it’s possible they were exceptionally painful, and that’s why your brain has chosen to forget them.
I will prescribe some medicine that will help. Your friends and family should also chat with you more often about happy things that happened in the past. That may also be helpful."
