He Called My Sunrise Visual Garbage

When the Obsessiveness Leaves Me

After the car accident, my memory reset to ten years ago—to the afternoon I confessed my feelings to Caleb Blackwood at my NYU graduation art exhibition.

I scoured every app on my phone, desperately trying to find proof that Caleb was my husband, but next to his name in my contacts was just an impersonal "Lawyer" tag. Our chat history was completely blank.

In desperation, I called my best friend, Maya Chen, to ask if my confession that day had been successful. She exploded at me like a lit powder keg. "Willow Hayes, have you lost your mind? Successful? You're about to divorce him!"

After hanging up, the first thought that flashed through my mind was, Wow, I'm amazing. I actually managed to land the formidable Caleb Blackwood.

My second thought was sheer confusion as I stared at the divorce papers and a one-way ticket to Florence on the nightstand.

"Who wants a divorce? Me? Have I lost my mind?"

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1

The day Caleb Blackwood came to the hospital to pick me up—with another woman by his side—I shoved the divorce papers and plane ticket deep into my purse.

Although I’d lost ten years of my memory, I recognized my own signature on that document. The date at the bottom was for yesterday.

"Willow Hayes, can you go one day without pulling some stunt for attention?" Caleb leaned against the hospital corridor wall, his voice as sharp and cold as a shard of ice. "If there's a next time, I'm not coming to get you. Period."

Ten years had carved a mature edge onto his face, but the one thing that hadn't changed was the cold indifference in his eyes.

The woman beside him was elegant, and there was something unsettlingly familiar about her.

"Caleb, don't talk to her like that," she said softly. "She just had an accident and lost her memory. She needs to rest."

Caleb let out a harsh, cold laugh, a flash of scorn in his eyes. "Lost her memory? Just another one of her ploys. All these years, and still so childish."

He pressed the elevator button. "Don't just stand there. Let's go."

Those harsh words would have sent anyone else storming off, if only to salvage their pride. But I just smiled, squeezed into the elevator, and deliberately wedged myself against his side. "Hey, what's the rush? I'm sticking with you."

Caleb's brow furrowed, his face a mask of impatience. He opened his mouth to say something, but I grabbed his cuff and shook it playfully.

"If you don't let me lean on you, I'll start bawling right here. It’ll be embarrassing for both of us, but way more for you."

This was how I used to pester him ten years ago.

When he told me to stay away, I would first take his hand, then link my arm through his.

When he told me not to follow him, I would always "coincidentally" appear wherever he went.

I always did the opposite of what he wanted.

I chased him for so long. And in the end, didn't I win? Ten years later, Caleb was my husband.

I stole a glance at the sliver of a leather watch strap peeking out from his wrist, a warm, satisfying feeling blooming in my chest.

Capricorns are stubborn and slow to warm up. I've done my research.

Sure enough, Caleb’s expression shifted. A war of emotions seemed to rage across his face before he finally averted his gaze, looking toward the woman beside him.

"Sorry, Camilla. Looks like I'll have to take her home first."

A flicker of hurt crossed her face, but she still managed an elegant smile. "It's alright."

And just like that, it was settled. I buckled my seatbelt and rubbed my stomach. "Caleb, let's go get something to eat. The hospital food was disgusting. I'm starving."

He rattled off a string of excuses, but in the end, my persistence won out. He drove us in his black Bentley to a cafe near NYU.

The owner, Marco Rossi, lit up when he saw us. I used to drag Caleb here all the time during college. "Willow? Caleb? My God, has it been ten years? Look at you two, all grown up and successful."

I ignored the "ten years" part, slipped past Camilla, linked my arm through Caleb's, and gave a triumphant smile.