I'm Not Your Mother

Samuel hurriedly opened up the oatmeal and set it down on the tray table. He then arranged the spoon, napkin, and cup neatly.

"This water is warm, and this is your favorite blueberry oatmeal. Have some first while I peel the eggs for you," he said.

I accepted Samuel's care without hesitation. I first met him when Grandpa brought him back home when I was 15. He became my most loyal companion since then.

The pain in my stomach only subsided after I had a few mouthfuls of oatmeal. When I looked up, I noticed that Samuel's eyes were red.

"You don't know how worried I was when I heard the news of your car accident." His lips were trembling as he spoke in a choked manner.

I immediately felt a lump in my throat. Anyone would have felt afraid when met with a car accident. I was only lucky not to have gotten seriously hurt.

I did not want Yohan and Julian to worry, so I thought I'd pretend to lose my memories just to mess with them. But how would they possibly worry about me when they were both heartless?

…

I was discharged in a few days. I told the doctor that I could remember everything and everyone except for Yohan and Julian.

After my discharge, the doctor told Yohan that it was a temporary memory loss from the concussion. I would eventually remember things as I recovered.

I returned to our house. The sound of melodious piano music filled the living room. Emily and Julian were playing a duet.

When the song ended, Emily gave a thumbs up and praised him, saying, "Our little pianist is so amazing!"

Julian chuckled bashfully and replied, "You're the one who taught me well."

It was a picture-perfect moment of a loving mother and son.

I walked upstairs with an unchanging expression. The smile on Julian's face fell when he saw me.

Emily hurriedly stood up and greeted me, saying, "How are you feeling now, Mrs. Palmer?"

I stood at the staircase and nodded at her. "I'm recovering well. Please continue with what you're doing."

I did not despise Emily—I was only envious of her. She wasn't the third wheel who came between my marriage with Yohan. Instead, she was his unforgettable first love.

Although Yohan and I were married, there was a saying that rang true—the one who was unloved was the actual third wheel.

It was my first time seeing him fall head over heels for someone when he was 18—right during the height of his youth.

The Walkers went bankrupt just a month ago, and Emily was forced to return from overseas.

She used up all her savings to cover the Walkers' debt, yet it was hard for her to find a high-paying job with her music background.

Yohan tracked her down and offered her a job as Julian's piano teacher, with a monthly salary of 60 thousand.

"My new mommy is the best! I love my new mommy the most!" Julian exclaimed loudly in the living room.

"I'm not your new mommy, Mr. Julian. Please stop addressing me as such." Emily glanced at him awkwardly.

Julian was annoyed with the way she was addressing him. He hugged her legs affectionately and said, "I'll get mad if you keep calling me Mr. Julian! You have to call me Juli! You're so much more gentle than my mommy, I love you the most!"

He stole a glance toward the bedroom upstairs. When he noticed I wasn't coming out, he continued, "Can you move into my house? I want to see you as soon as I wake up.

"Even my daddy agreed to it, so why won't you move in with us? My house is so luxurious, you can have anything you want!"

Yohan did suggest for Emily to move into here—we had plenty of rooms, and it would save her the trouble of travelling back and forth. Plus, she had no money at the moment.

However, she insisted on renting a place elsewhere and turned his offer down.

"Mr. Julian… Juli, you should get back to practicing today's piano piece now," Emily said.

Julian shook his head, determined to get her to move in. "Are you afraid of my mommy? Don't worry—Daddy and I will protect you! She listens to him well, so she won't do anything to you."

He was my son, and he was intelligent. He knew exactly what to say to hit me where it hurt.