Chapter 3

Once more, I turned him down. "I'm not feeling well."

Henry's face grew dark after being repeatedly rejected.

"Sienna, don't come asking for favors later," he growled.

At last, he released my hand, his expression icy as he marched to the bathroom to "take care of things" by himself.

That evening, sleep eluded me. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.

The following morning, the quiet was broken by a knock at the door.

Henry went to answer it.

To his utter shock, Sienna stood on the threshold.

She strolled in as if she owned the place, saying nonchalantly, "Henry, why wasn't the spare key in its usual spot? I had to actually knock."

Then, with a teasing grin, she added, "I heard that old bat is away, so I came just for you."

Henry stiffened at her words. His eyes darted anxiously between Sienna and me, who had just emerged from the bedroom.

Sienna noticed me too. Her face drained of color, her unease evident.

"Lianna, I... I didn't intend to—"

Henry cut her off abruptly before she could finish. "Lianna, why are you back so soon?"

Sienna looked utterly bewildered.

Henry, however, pressed on with his frantic explanations. "You should've told me you were returning so I could've picked you up! Sienna's here because she needed assistance with her math homework, that's all."

He even gave me a look, as if seeking my cooperation. "Isn't that right, Sienna?"

I stood motionless and silent, staring at him.

Sensing something amiss, Sienna's eyes glinted with cunning. She swiftly adjusted her demeanor and played along.

"What a surprise!" she exclaimed cheerfully, linking her arm with Henry's like a loving spouse.

Her behavior exuded familiarity, as if she had always belonged there. She didn't challenge the role he had thrust upon her; instead, she embraced it fully.

Seeing her reaction, Henry visibly relaxed. He then glanced at me coldly.

"Why are you just standing there? Go back to school."

Sienna chimed in, feigning kindness. "It's too late now. Let Sienna stay in the guest room tonight."

Her words settled the matter. Henry didn't object, possibly out of guilt.

That night, he was unusually attentive to Sienna, even offering to wash her feet. He knelt beside her, tending to her like a servant.

Sienna basked in the attention, smirking at me with undisguised provocation.

When Henry finished and went to clean the basin in the bathroom, he passed by me, lowering his voice to issue a warning. "Stay quiet tonight and don't reveal anything. If Lianna finds out, it's over between us."

His words were like ice, final and cutting.

After he left, Sienna looked at me smugly. "Looks like you'll have to start calling me Mrs. Scott now. How does it feel? Does it hurt to watch him treat me this way?"

Her triumphant expression didn't affect me. Instead, I replied calmly, "What do you think will happen if Henry regains his memory and realizes you've been deceiving him?"

For a moment, fear flashed in her eyes, but she quickly composed herself. Through gritted teeth, she hissed, "As long as I'm around, he'll never recover his memory!"

Just then, Henry returned. Sienna instantly transformed, becoming sweet and demure.

In the days that followed, I remained at the house.

I didn't return to school, as there was no point.

Sienna, determined to humiliate me, didn't drive me away.

Henry, as always, followed her lead.

During the day, I watched as Sienna clumsily mimicked my mannerisms, trying to maintain the charade. Her awkward performance was endlessly amusing to me.

At night, I lay in the guest room, listening to the loud noises from the master bedroom—creaking bed frames and Sienna's exaggerated moans echoing through the walls.

I felt nothing.

Instead, I silently counted down the days until I could leave for good.