Chapter 3

"But the news said," Veronica started once again not knowing what to think. "Even the doctor said about an accident with a boat."

"They can only say what the police believe so far. I know you better than all of them and I am trying to protect you so please, go inside," Liam urged her.

Veronica looked at the door she did not recognise. 'He is keeping secrets from me.'

Why else would he silence Edna? What did he or anyone not want her to know?

First, it was the ring and now her husband was hiding something from her. If it wasn't a boating accident, Veronica didn't know who to trust. Who wanted to harm her?

Having nowhere else to go when all she knew of was everyone she saw in the hospital, Veronica entered the large home. 

'He has to leave at some point,' she thought to herself. Then it would just be her and Edna to know what Liam wanted to hide from her. 

Veronica didn't know where she was meant to go but she walked inside, looking around at the decor trying to find something she remembered. She was relieved to see a television. 

Veronica hurried to the remote on the small table and pressed the on button for the television to work but the black screen only showed her reflection. "Why isn't the tv working? The power is on," she said, feeling a chill from the air conditioning. 

Liam came to her side to take the remote from her hands. "You don't need to see anything on TV right now. You need to rest. You've woken up but you aren't fully healed yet. Go to bed."

Veronica stepped away from Liam. "I have rested enough. Have someone turn it on or I will find a way to do it myself. What are you trying to hide from me?"

Liam tried to be patient with Veronica since he understood her position. She woke up not having a single clue about the people around her. He wanted to embrace her and tell her all that he knew but he didn't want to overwhelm her when she was still in a delicate state. 

Would she believe him that her family was no good?

Veronica backed away from Liam. She inspected the home, trying to find a bedroom to hide in.

Liam broke the remote so Veronica could not use it again but even if she were to try turning it on some other way, she would not be successful.

"Why would you do that? Do you want to keep me here as a prisoner?" Veronica yelled, regretting her decision to come with him.

She might have been safer if she stayed in the hospital or asked for money to find a room elsewhere.

"You will not be given access to the internet and when you walk around, you will have a bodyguard with you. We will discuss letting you leave the property another day. Edna!" Liam called for the small middle-aged woman. 

"I do not want to be here. You are not different from the others," Veronica said, making a beeline toward the door she came in.

Liam moved to grab her before she could do something reckless. "Veronica!" He yelled, gripping her shoulders. "Stop it."

"I will stop when you tell me the truth and stop trying to hide the past from me," Veronica replied.

It was frustrating that Liam wanted her to just go along with him trying to keep her here. 

"You not long ago said that this wasn't an accident but you suck at doing a good job to make me trust you. I want to be somewhere else. Somewhere alone," Veronica demanded.

"I apologise for breaking the remote. My anger got the best of me but you are not going anywhere. Until you have some memory of how you got in that water to have almost drowned you will not leave my care. I am doing my best to protect you. You have just forgotten me," said Liam.

His patience was thin but he made the mistake of snapping before Veronica. When his wife had all the answers and wasn't the same woman he knew after days of waiting, he didn't know how to react.

"Mr. Sterling," Edna said, unintentionally disturbing the talk.

"Show my wife to her room. No calls must be taken for her and no one will be allowed inside without my permission-"

"You are making me feel like I am a prisoner," Veronica said, not liking the rules placed. "If you tell me what you are trying to protect or hide me from then maybe I would comply."

"I cannot tell you now. There isn't any internet for you to use with your laptop and your phone is still missing. I hope the memories on your laptop will help you to trust me. You went through a traumatic event I knew was not an accident. There are some things I cannot throw on you right away," said Liam.

How would she take that her family liked to use her for her money and were disowning her when she cut them off? While she lay unconscious in a hospital room they were going to lawyers trying to figure out ways to grab ahold of her belongings.

Liam was advised to take this slow but with all the wild stories on the news and the people around Veronica he could not trust, he had to be like this.

"Tell me the truth about our marriage. Were we happy?" Veronica asked as Beth's words were stuck in her head. What did her cousin get from mentioning affairs? 

"We were a good couple. Happy and private. I want your memories to come back as quickly as you want them back. I want my wife," Liam said, desperately holding on for the moment she would remember him. "I am trying to protect you."

"You are caging me in here. Fine," Veronica said, deciding to play his game for now. If she worked hard, she could find secrets little by little. 

"I will be in my office if you need me," Liam said, turning around to leave.

Veronica watched him leave first with the man who drove their car from the hospital following Liam.

"It feels too early to have you walking around. Just yesterday there were reports that you wouldn't make it. Oh!" Edna gasped, quickly regretting the speaking. 

Veronica turned to Edna, the only one who might slip up to tell her what she was missing. "He is not here. What was our marriage like to you? Were there affairs?"

Edna glanced where Liam walked. She couldn't see him but it didn't mean there wasn't someone watching her. "You had a good marriage to Mr. Sterling. You loved him. I should show you the room upstairs."

"You are doing the same thing as the others," Veronica muttered.

Edna couldn't understand Veronica since she mumbled her words. "What did you say, Mrs. Sterling?"

"You are smiling like the others when they tell me lies. I just want the truth. What was our marriage like?" Veronica repeated.

Edna needed Liam to come to handle this matter. The couple were always in love but she had noticed Veronica acted suspicious of her husband for a few weeks. Was she to mention how she saw Veronica petrified after going through her husband's phone?

"Your marriage was good," Edna replied. She needed Veronica to one day forgive her for keeping this secret and all the others.