Unworthy of Love

When Colin lost his memory, he thought I was a grifter. He tossed a black card at me and told me to get lost. Clutching the card and staring at the two pink lines on the pregnancy test I’d just taken, I happily ran for it. I had money, a baby on the way, and I didn’t have to deal with that perpetually stone-faced man. Life was looking pretty sweet. But my joy was short-lived. A few days later, I was at the supermarket picking up prenatal formula when I bumped right into Colin. Once, twice, three times… The more we ran into each other, the stranger his gaze became, like he was looking at some kind of exotic creature. I was terrified he’d remember everything, so I started thinking about moving to the next city to hide. But then I looked up and saw him take a deep breath and march right toward me. It was the first time he’d spoken to me since losing his memory: “Why does your husband always make you shop alone?” “Raising a child is hard work. You can’t be doing it without support.” “What I’m trying to say is… I have feelings for you.” “If you don’t mind, what if I helped you raise the baby?”

1 I was the woman Colin kept by his side. I was decent-looking, had a mild temper, and we were compatible in bed. So, despite his reputation for being immune to women, he did something that shocked everyone—he kept me around for two years. People whispered that he must have developed real feelings for me. Then he had an accident. And the only thing he forgot was me. That bastard, Colin. Was he faking amnesia just to get out of giving me a severance package? I was muttering to myself when his assistant, Davis, called to explain Colin’s new arrangements for me. He was trying so hard to be diplomatic. “Ms. Audrey, since his memory loss, Mr. Colin feels that his previous arrangement with you was… inappropriate. He says he has no memory of you and has no desire to see you again. So, I’m very sorry, but you’ll need to move out of the Cloudcrest Manor property in the next couple of days.” Cloudcrest Manor was where Colin had set me up. It was where we had slept together for two years. After all that time, it had started to feel like my home. I had filled it with all my favorite stuffed animals, and the balcony was covered in pots of cherry tomatoes I loved to eat. Hearing I had to move out stung a little. But it was his house, his money. I nodded glumly, already bracing myself to leave with nothing. But then Davis’s tone shifted. “Mr. Colin isn’t unreasonable,” he continued. “He was told you were with him for two years, and he believes that even if there was no great merit, you certainly put in the time. So, he’s wired you a sum of money and is gifting you an apartment in the city center. The only condition is that you never bother him again…” Just as he finished, a notification lit up my phone. A bank transfer. The string of zeros made my head spin. That little sting of sadness vanished instantly. My mind exploded with fireworks. A grin spread across my face as I rushed to assure Davis, “Don’t you worry, I’ll be out in two days. No, I’ll be out today! I will never, ever get near your boss again.” This was a jackpot. I had money and a baby with some top-tier genes cooking in my belly. Best of all, I no longer had to service a man with the nocturnal stamina of a marathon runner. Heh, this was better than winning the lottery.

2 That’s right, I was pregnant. I had always wanted a child. When I first found out, I tried to subtly bring it up with Colin. “Do you like kids?” Without a second’s thought, he said, “No. They’re a hassle.” He glanced at me, his brow furrowed. “Are you thinking you want one?” His expression was so severe, it felt like if I dared to say yes, he’d throw me out on the spot. How could I possibly tell him I was already pregnant? I shook my head frantically, my voice firm. “No, no, I hate kids! Besides, given our… arrangement, a baby is out of the question.” We had no official status. I thought my statement was perfectly reasonable. But for some reason, Colin completely lost it. “What kind of ‘arrangement’ are we talking about?” he snarled. “Is the idea of having my child that repulsive to you?” His reading comprehension skills were truly something else. I could only roll my eyes behind his back. And of course, the damn man settled the argument by throwing me back into bed. Luckily, the baby was a fighter. It survived a whole night of its father going at it like a man with inexhaustible energy. That only strengthened my resolve to keep it. So, when the amnesiac Colin told me to get lost, you can bet I was more than happy to take the money and run.

3 I contacted Davis that same day to handle the deed transfer and moved into my new apartment that very night. My blissful life of prenatal nesting began. My days were filled with leisurely walks, cooking, and taking on a few freelance design projects. My evenings were for watching dramas, listening to music, and shamelessly liking and commenting on photos of handsome men online. I never had this kind of freedom when I was Colin’s kept woman. He’d once warned me that if I ever dared to like another man’s photo, I’d have to “work” double time to make it up to him. As handsome and skilled as he was, and as much as I enjoyed it, my back just couldn’t handle that frequency. Back then, I had to scroll through my feed in secret, and liking a post was unthinkable. But now? Now I could scroll through hundreds of handsome faces a day, my thumb aching from all the liking. Financially secure and mentally liberated, life was good. The happy days flew by, and soon, it was time for my first prenatal check-up. The thought of finally seeing my little one filled my heart with a sweet warmth. I was so caught up in the excitement that I completely missed the faint whisper of unease in the back of my mind.

4 I never dreamed I’d run into Colin at the city hospital. The lobby was bustling, but I spotted him instantly. His head was wrapped in gauze, and he was wearing a standard blue-and-white striped hospital gown. The injury had forced them to shave his normally sharp haircut into a buzz cut. It didn’t detract from his looks at all; in fact, it made his features look even more striking and defined. When his gaze swept in my direction, I quickly ducked my head. I could feel his stare burning the top of my scalp and started cursing internally. He was a rich and powerful man. After an accident, he should have been in a private luxury clinic, or at the very least a top-tier public hospital. What was he doing in this perfectly average city hospital? As I was silently fuming, the intense gaze finally moved away. I cautiously looked up, but Colin’s back had already disappeared into the crowd. I patted my chest and let out a long sigh of relief. It’s fine, it’s fine. He has amnesia. He’s completely forgotten me. Even if he saw me, he wouldn’t recognize me. To him, I’m just a stranger. Reassuring myself, I made my way to the obstetrics department.

5 It was 2025, and the obstetrics waiting room wasn’t overly crowded. Getting a number and waiting to be called was a smooth process. The check-up went well, too. When the doctor handed me the ultrasound photo and told me the baby was perfectly healthy, a wave of nervous excitement washed over me. Ever since my family passed away, this was the first time I had a true blood connection. This was my anchor in the world, a little life I had created. Even though it wasn’t born yet, I couldn’t help but love it, couldn’t imagine not keeping it. I held the ultrasound print, wondering how to best preserve it. This was the baby’s very first picture. I had to get it laminated, maybe pick out a nice frame… “Oof!” Someone rushing past me didn’t see me, and we collided. I stumbled, nearly losing my balance, when a strong arm suddenly wrapped around my waist, steadying me before releasing just as quickly. Once I was stable, I saw the ultrasound photo had fallen to the floor. I instinctively touched my belly. The person who bumped into me tossed a careless “sorry” over their shoulder and kept running. I muttered a curse under my breath, bent down to pick up the photo, and blew the dust off. I looked up, wanting to thank the person who had helped me. But he was staring down at the ultrasound in my hand. When I saw that familiar face, the words caught in my throat. Strong brows, sharp eyes, a high-bridged nose… The man who had just steadied me, who had saved my baby from a potential fall, was Colin? My jaw dropped. The “thank you” was stuck, refusing to come out. Colin studied me for a few seconds, his eyes flickering from my face to the ultrasound photo. His normally icy expression had become as cold as a polar glacier. It sent a shiver down my spine. I was terrified he’d suddenly remember something, drag me off to terminate the pregnancy, or worse, pull some stunt where he’d keep the baby and I’d never see it again. The more I thought, the more I panicked. My brain short-circuited, and I blurted out, “The baby isn’t yours.” The second the words left my mouth, I wanted to die. Colin had amnesia! This was practically a confession! I forced a strained smile and quickly tried to backtrack. “Haha, just kidding. Hey, handsome, thank you so much. My husband wasn’t around, and you really helped me out. I don’t know how I would’ve explained it to him. Our family’s been waiting for this baby for so long…” The more I babbled, the darker Colin’s face became. Finally, he must have gotten sick of hearing about my fictional family, because without another word, he turned and stalked away. God, that was terrifying. I absolutely had to switch hospitals for the next check-up. Watching his retreating back, my mind was made up.

6 After that day, I spent a few anxious days at home. But aside from a call from Davis asking if I still wanted the giant stuffed rabbit from my old bedroom, there was no word from Colin. I finally relaxed and slowly fell back into my peaceful, baby-nurturing routine. Soon, it was time for my second check-up. This time, I chose the most famous top-tier hospital in the city. As I casually walked toward the entrance, I thought to myself: there’s no way he could be this unlucky. Colin couldn’t have transferred from the city hospital to this one too, right? As it turned out, my luck was exactly that bad.

7 Seeing Colin in the hospital lobby, not far from me, I completely froze. Colin had an uncanny sense of awareness. He immediately looked in my direction, a slight frown creasing his brow. He was probably wondering why I had suddenly shown up at this hospital. After all, pregnant women don’t usually switch doctors mid-term. What kind of rotten coincidence was this? If I had known he was here, I never would have come. He stared for so long that I couldn’t pretend I didn’t see him. I raised a hand in a small wave. “Hey, handsome. Fancy seeing you here. Back for a follow-up?” The amnesiac Colin was incredibly rude. He shot me a cold glare, turned, and walked away as if I were a complete stranger. When I was his woman, if we ran into each other in public, he’d always come over, stroke my hair, give me a kiss. Now… tsk. I made a face at his back and quickly slipped away to the obstetrics department. The check-up went smoothly again, and I got the baby’s second picture. In my eyes, my baby was the cutest thing in the world. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I found a chair and sat down, completely absorbed, when suddenly, with a soft thud, someone collapsed right in front of me as if they were trying to scam me. I jumped to my feet in fright. “Sir, are you okay?” I knelt down and struggled to turn him over so he wouldn’t suffocate. And then, I found myself face-to-face with Colin. I was speechless. How could I run into him everywhere? But seeing the fresh bruise on his temple, I couldn’t just leave him there. I took a deep breath, called for help, and with the help of a nurse, we got him to the emergency room. After slipping out of the ER, I made a firm decision: next time, I was switching hospitals again. If I ran into him another time, I would seriously start to question my sanity. I hadn’t even reached the main entrance when I saw someone I shouldn’t have. In the middle of the lobby, my eyes met Davis’s. Remembering my promise, I quickly held up two fingers and swore, “I swear, I have no intention of pursuing your boss. I just came in for a cold. I’m absolutely not here to stalk him.” Davis was silent for a long moment before saying, a little mournfully, “Mr. Colin’s visit to the hospital today was a last-minute arrangement. I know you’re not that kind of person.” He paused, his expression complicated. “But… thank you for helping Mr. Colin just now.” I breathed a sigh of relief and waved it off. “It was nothing. This is a hospital. If it wasn’t me, someone else would have helped.” I was terrible at small talk and said my goodbyes, ready to leave. But Davis suddenly called out from behind me, his voice hesitant. “Ms. Audrey, maybe you should go see Mr. Colin? He doesn’t remember you, maybe it’s because he hasn’t seen you in person enough. Perhaps if he sees you again, he’ll remember.” Uh, no thanks. We’d already run into each other several times. It was useless. He had truly forgotten me. Besides, I was pregnant. I didn’t dare hang around him. What if his memory returned and he decided he didn’t want the baby? I wouldn’t even have time to cry. I quickly refused. “No.” I gathered my thoughts and tried to advise him earnestly. “Davis, your boss specifically said he doesn’t want me around. How can you, for the sake of our minor acquaintance, go against his wishes?” So, whatever you do, don’t mention me to Colin.