Serena’s breath hitched at Owen’s words, her heart pounding in her chest. "What?" she whispered, unable to comprehend what he had just said. She searched his eyes for some sign of a joke, some hint that this was all a misunderstanding, but his expression was solemn and unyielding.
"You decorated this house, Serena," Owen repeated, his voice steady. "You chose every piece of furniture, every color on the walls, every little detail. This was supposed to be..."
Before he could continue, Serena stood up, as she started to walk around curiously. Her gaze swept across the room, taking in the delicate curtains, the cozy throw pillows, the artwork on the walls. Yet none of it sparked any recognition. In fact, this place did not even look like something she would like.
The walls were almost muted, making the place look a little sad and almost gloomy. As she continued her exploration, her eyes fell upon a small table in the corner, where a quirky figurine stood proudly. It was a whimsical piece, a ceramic cat dressed in a top hat and monocle, one paw raised as if in greeting. The sight of it brought an unexpected smile to her lips and she picked it up.
The cat looked so out of place in this as if it had been placed here by mistake. She rubbed her fingers over the smooth space and wondered at it. This... this she could believe that she might have placed here.
"You always had a thing for quirky knick-knacks. You said that these little things were somehow joyful..." Owen murmured from behind and she stiffened. She’d forgotten his presence for a moment."
Serena set the figurine back down carefully, her fingers lingering on it for a moment longer before she looked back up at him, "I... I don’t remember any of this. But how do you..."
Owen cut her off, and even though she could see the disappointment in his eyes, he gestured towards a closed door," All the answers you need, are there behind that door."
Serena turned to look at the door and gulped. What answers? She didn’t even know what questions to ask. How was she supposed to find answers. But finally, as she reached the door of the room, she took a deep breath and pushed the handle.
As she’d expected it was a bedroom, dominated by a large bed in the middle of the room. But that was not what held her attention for a long time. It was the wall opposite the bed that held her attention.
It was lined with photographs, some in frames and others simply tacked up, creating a collage of moments frozen in time. Serena felt her legs carry her forward as if drawn by an invisible force. Her gaze locked onto the pictures, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing.
In the center of the collage was a photo of herself, her expression soft, almost shy. She was standing next to a man with mussed-up hair, his arm casually draped over her shoulders. Owen. In the picture, he was smiling, a relaxed, almost playful grin, while she gave a small, hesitant smile, as if unsure but happy nonetheless.
Another photo showed them at what seemed to be a small café, the table between them cluttered with coffee cups and plates. They were both leaning in close, heads nearly touching, as they took a selfie. Her smile was the same hesitant one while he seemed happy and energetic.
As she stared at the photographs, the world around her seemed to tilt. The faces, the places, the emotions in those photographs—they were all hers, yet they felt like someone else’s life entirely. A life she couldn’t remember living.
There were so many pictures of them that she knew without words what this was. Owen’s voice from behind her made her jump. "This was supposed to be our home, Serena. After we were married. Do you know how many times I imagnied carrying you into the house like I did just now.. I never could have imagined that when I did carry you, instead of laughter I would be faced with your scared gaze."
Serena gulped as she stared at Owen who came to stand next to her. "You see this picture in the middle. It is from the day I proposed to you. It is bigger than all of the others. When you chose to put it in the middle, do you know what you said-this is where it all began, Owen. So, this should be in the middle..."
Owen gave her a look then, hoping that she had recollected something but as she continued to stand there, staring blankly at him, he felt his hope deflate. He’d thought that bringing her here would somehow magically bring back her memory. But that had been foolish of him, he knew now.
"We were so happy, Rena. So eager to get married and live together."
He grasped her wrist then, pulling her into his arms as he cupped her face," What happened to our happiness, Rena? Why did everything get ruined? If only, I had insisted on going with you that night, then all this might not have happened. You and I...we’d still have been together."
Owen hugged her then and Serena stiffened, wanting to push him away but somehow unable to as he held her close. "I am sorry, Rena. I am sorry for not being able to protect you. We had a future together, Serena. A future that was torn apart."
He stepped back then and looked into her eyes before glancing at the scarf around her neck, his eyes blazing now as he yanked the scarf away from her," Tell me, Serena! Do you love your husband now? Have you given yourself to him, when you’d promised to be mine forever?" As he spoke his voice rose in anger as he continued to question her, " Answer me, Rena! Was everything I did in vain? Was my love in vain?"