After a devastating accident that altered my life, I woke to find myself with no memory—and a stranger sitting beside me, claiming to be my fiancé. I couldn’t recall him at all, but at first, I trusted his words—until my dog’s odd behavior made me start questioning everything. Was this man truly who he claimed, or was he someone completely different?
No one ever thinks tragedy will strike them. That night had been nothing out of the ordinary. I was driving home after spending time with a friend, the radio on, singing along to my favorite songs, feeling carefree and content.
But in the blink of an eye, everything changed. A car suddenly came speeding around a bend and slammed into me. That was the last thing I remembered before everything went dark.
When I finally opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital bed. The doctors told me I’d been in a coma for a week and a half. They said I was fortunate to have avoided any permanent disability. But I didn’t feel lucky—because my mind was fractured.
I had partial amnesia. I remembered my parents, my closest friends, my dog. Some things were clear in my mind—faces, certain memories—but I couldn’t remember my workplace or the exact address of my home, though I could picture what it looked like.
Most unsettling of all, I didn’t remember him. The man the doctors said had never left my side while I was unconscious.
The first time I saw him was when I woke up. He introduced himself as Derek—my fiancé. But when I looked at him, I felt nothing but the presence of a stranger.
“Why doesn’t she remember me? She knows her family, her friends—why not me?” Derek asked the doctor, confusion written on his face.
“With partial amnesia, this can happen,” the doctor explained. “Only certain parts of memory are lost.”
Derek shook his head. “We’ve been together for nearly a year and a half. We’re engaged. We were planning our wedding. What am I supposed to do now?”
“You could tell her about your relationship,” the doctor suggested. “Show her photographs, share your memories together—it might trigger her recollection.”
“‘Might’? What if it doesn’t?” Derek asked.
“She’s fallen in love with you once before,” the doctor said with a smile. “Perhaps she’ll do it again.” Then he left us.
From that moment, Derek always came to me with something—photographs of us together, small gifts he said he had given me, and stories about how we met, our dates, the day we moved in together.
“I’m sorry,” I would tell him each time. “I don’t remember any of it.”
“It’s okay,” he reassured me gently, taking my hand. “We’ll get through this together.”
Even in the hospital, my mom was constantly questioning me.
“I can’t believe you never told me about Derek!” she said.
“Mom, please… I don’t remember anything. What do you expect me to say?” I replied.
“Derek told me you were going to tell me after he proposed,” she continued, “but the accident happened before you could. I don’t know if I buy that. You’ve always been so secretive.”
This back-and-forth carried on for days. Derek’s stories, my mom’s comments, until finally the doctor said I could go home.
Derek came to pick me up, and we headed toward what he said was our home.
The one thing I was most eager for was to see my dog, Otis. I had missed my little ball of energy more than I could explain.
As we pulled up, I could hear Otis barking from inside, no doubt just as excited to see me as I was to see him.
But the moment Derek opened the door, Otis bolted out—not toward me, but straight at him, barking furiously and snapping his teeth like he was ready to bite.
Otis was a small Jack Russell, but he had never reacted to anyone he knew with such aggression.
“Get him away from me! Calm him down!” Derek yelled, shielding himself.
“Otis! Come here!” I called, but he ignored me. “Come here!” I said again, firmer this time.
Otis finally ran to me, tail wagging, but his barking at Derek didn’t stop. “Quiet, it’s okay,” I soothed, lifting him into my arms.
He went silent for a brief moment, but as soon as I stepped closer to Derek, he started up again, wriggling to get free.
“Put him in the backyard,” Derek said.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because he’s trying to eat me!” Derek replied sharply.
“But you said we live together. Why is he acting like he doesn’t know you?” I pressed.
“I don’t know. He’s never liked me. While you were in the hospital, I stayed with you, and your mom took care of him. Maybe he forgot me,” Derek suggested.
His explanation didn’t sit right with me. I had been away for over a week, but Otis hadn’t forgotten me.
I took Otis to the backyard and spent about an hour playing with him. I’d missed him so much, and his reaction to Derek gnawed at me.
When I came back in, the barking started again—nonstop this time, to the point where my head began to ache.
“This is so strange,” I murmured.
“What is?” Derek asked.
“Otis has never acted like this,” I said.
“He’s just a dog. His behavior doesn’t always make sense,” Derek dismissed.
I suddenly remembered something. “Where’s my phone?”
“It got destroyed in the accident. I’ll get you a new one tomorrow,” Derek said.
“Good. I want to call Sally,” I replied.
“Uh… I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Derek said.
“Why not?” I asked.
“The doctor said you need rest.”
“That’s not true. He didn’t say anything like that. Why can’t I see my friend?” I demanded.
“I just think you should wait,” Derek replied.
The unease in my chest grew heavier. I didn’t remember him, my dog despised him, and now he was stopping me from meeting my friends.
“I’m going to sleep in another room—with Otis—if that’s alright,” I said. Truthfully, I didn’t feel safe sharing a bed with him.
“Why can’t the dog sleep outside?” he asked.
“Because he’s a house dog. He’s never slept outside,” I said firmly.
“We always left him outside,” Derek insisted.
His words made me frown. That wasn’t me. I would never make Otis sleep outside.
That night, I stayed in the guest room with Otis, and Derek took the master bedroom. It felt safer that way.
When Derek got me a new phone, he also gave me a new number. I couldn’t contact Sally, and I didn’t remember my social media passwords. I felt trapped—isolated. I only left the house if Derek came with me.
I stared at the photos he showed me, but no matter how many I saw, my mind stayed blank. It was as though he had never existed in my life.
Derek kept assuring me my memory would return, but I was doubtful.
He also began insisting we marry as soon as possible, saying he loved me too much to wait. But how could I marry someone who was a stranger to me?
One day, I overheard him speaking to someone at the door. I couldn’t see the visitor, but Derek’s tone was irritated.
“I told you, it’s not time yet!” he snapped before slamming the door shut.
“Who was that?” I asked.
“Wrong address,” he muttered.
An hour later, he left for work, and I was alone—uneasy and restless. I needed to figure out what was happening.
Why didn’t I remember him? Why did Otis treat him like an intruder? Why was he cutting me off from my friends?
I went through his things but found nothing obviously suspicious. Then, a knock sounded at the door.
When I opened it, it was Sally. I ran into her arms.
“I’m scared,” I admitted.
“He wouldn’t let me see you,” Sally said.
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” I told her.
“Kait, listen to me—Derek doesn’t exist,” she said firmly.
“What?” I was stunned.
“I tried to look him up, but there’s no trace of him anywhere,” Sally explained.
“But… how?” I stammered.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Either you kept him a secret from everyone, or he’s lying.”
“What do I do? I don’t think we were ever together. Otis barks at him like crazy,” I said.
Before Sally could respond, a courier arrived with a large envelope. I signed for it, and we took it inside.
Inside was a marriage contract. As I read it, the truth started to fall into place.
If we divorced, Derek would get half my assets—assets that were substantial because my wealthy grandmother had left everything to me.
“That bastard!” Sally shouted.
“How did he even know about my inheritance?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but I think it’s time to call the police,” she said.
Sally hid in a room as I waited for Derek to come home. Otis’s barking signaled his arrival.
“Hey, how’s your day? Did you see the contract?” Derek asked casually as he walked in.
“Yes, and it says you get half my assets if we divorce?” I questioned.
“Yes, but only under certain conditions,” he replied. “Did you read all of it?”
“I don’t want to sign this,” I told him.
“It’s just a precaution in case of divorce. I want us to be together forever,” he said, leaning in to kiss me—just as there was a knock at the door.
Derek opened it, only to be met by the police, who arrested him immediately.
He struggled, shouting insults at both me and Sally, claiming we had ruined everything.
“I still don’t know how he found out about my money,” I told the officer.
“We’ve identified him. His real name is Harry,” the officer explained. “He used to work as a nurse at a nursing home.”
“My grandmother spent her final months in a nursing home,” I realized aloud.
“That’s probably where he learned about your inheritance,” the officer said. “He took advantage of your condition to pose as your fiancé.”
I watched the police car drive away with him inside. Otis ran happily into my arms, and I hugged him tightly.
If it hadn’t been for him, I might never have doubted Derek—Harry—and who knows how far his plan would have gone.