Amnesia's Gift: A New Beginning

“The antiseptic smell was sharp, the ceiling a stark white as I blinked myself awake, the rhythmic beeping of a machine my only company. A dull ache pinned me to the mattress, and I stared at the IV in my arm, a blank slate where memories should have been. Then, the door swung open, and three figures walked in: my impeccably dressed adoptive parents and my effortlessly confident adoptive brother, Liam. "Oh, for God's sake, Ethan. Are you done with this charade? Another one of your pathetic stunts to get attention," my adoptive mother, Mrs. Reed, sighed, her face a mask of weary frustration. My adoptive father, Mr. Reed, didn't even look at me, his gaze fixed on Liam. Liam stepped forward, a perfect blend of concern and superiority. "I'm just worried about Ethan. He seems... confused." Confusion turned to panic as their words landed like stones, painting a picture of a disappointing, burdensome person I didn't recognize. "Who... who are you?" I rasped, my voice foreign even to myself. Mrs. Reed scoffed. "Now he's pretending to have amnesia. How original." Then, Olivia, my wife, entered, her presence commanding, her eyes cold. "Is he done making a fool of himself? And me?" she cut through the air, her voice frigid. "The press is already sniffing around. 'Tech CEO Olivia Reed's husband in another suicide attempt.' Is this the life you want for me, Ethan?" Humiliation washed over me as whispers from the hallway confirmed my role: the artist who married Olivia Reed, pitied for his pathetic attempts, rumored to be in a loveless marriage with a woman who loved his brother. They left eventually, leaving me with the silence, the beeping, and a profound realization. This emptiness wasn't a void; it was a blank slate. The amnesia wasn't a curse; it was a mercy. It was a chance to escape a life I couldn't remember, a life that sounded like a prison. I fumbled for the phone, my finger landing on "Lawyer." "Ethan Miller," I said, my voice stronger now, filled with a newfound resolve. "We need to proceed."”