My Amnesiac Husband Asked for Divorce, I Laughed and Walked Away Chapter 01
After Finn Caldwell’s car accident, he lost his memory—and forgot everything about me.
He couldn’t accept that he—the crown prince of the city’s elite—had actually married a community college graduate.
During his hospital stay, he refused to let me visit.
When he recovered, he came to find me. His first words were: “Ms. Vance, let’s get a divorce.”
I clenched my fists, eyes welling up, and nodded.
Six years. I’d finally made it to this day.
Spending every waking moment with a man that cold and restrained—for a girl like me who lives for a little action, it had been absolute torture.
Zoe: [Want to meet someone new?]
She attached a photo of a ripped guy showing off his eight-pack.
***
At the café, Finn treated me like a stranger.
“Ms. Vance. Please sit.”
I played along and sat across from him.
This was the first time I’d seen him since the accident. He was thinner than I remembered—his jawline sharper now.
He slid the divorce papers across the table, a bank card pressed on top.
“The car and the villa are yours. There’s five million dollars on this card—compensation. You’ve worked hard these past few years.”
I clenched my fists again, tears welling up on cue.
Finn thought I was upset. He frowned slightly, as if bracing for a scene. After a second’s hesitation, he added, “Fine—another three million. Stop crying.”
I froze.
Eight million dollars?
I’d worked at Caldwell Corp for six years, climbing from admin assistant to deputy director—and I’d barely put away three hundred thousand dollars.
This was an absolute steal!
I signed through my tears. Finn, thinking I was devastated, handed me a tissue.
“One-month cooling-off period. I’ll have the driver pick you up then. I’ll send someone to clear out my things from the villa.”
I nodded tearfully. “Yes, Mr. Caldwell.”
He blinked. “…You don’t have to be so upset.”
I quickly wiped away my tears, my expression earnest,
“Of course, sir.”
His lips parted, but he said nothing more. He stood and walked out.
I stayed in my seat, watching his straight back push through the door. Sunlight caught him—cool, elegant, like a painting.
What a man. Just… too restrained.
Six years of marriage, and I could count our intimate moments on one hand.
One night, I’d downed some liquid courage and thrown myself at him in a silk slip dress. He caught me steady, carried me to bed, and said softly, “You’re drunk. Get some sleep.”
That cool detachment ran through his bones. To him, I was probably more like a piece of furniture to be properly maintained than a living, breathing woman.
The day Finn moved his things out, I ran a rose bath and opened a bottle of red wine. I leaned against the tub, took a photo showing one bare shoulder, and posted it on my feed.
Caption: [Single and ready to mingle.]
I raised the glass to my lips—
And my stomach lurched.
I gagged over the sink, then checked the bottle. Not expired.
My phone rang. Fletcher Caldwell—Finn’s younger brother. Total brother-complex.
Before I could even say hello, he was howling: “Tessa! Are you really divorcing my brother? Are you insane, or is he?!”
I swirled my wine and laughed coldly. “You’re the one who threw five million dollars at me and told me to get lost so your brother could marry his precious first love. Now you’re asking me if I’m crazy? Fletcher, pick a lane.”
He choked, then came back with a sob in his voice. “Back then, my brother broke with the family to marry you—nearly killed our grandfather. He won’t divorce you. You can’t sign those papers, or when he gets his memory back, he’ll kill himself. Please, Tessa, just wait—I’ll find a way to jog his memory.”
I gave him a vague answer and hung up.
I’d finally escaped that bland, tasteless existence. Wasn’t I better off with a hot young thing?
Zoe: [You really got divorced?]
Tessa: [Yeah.]
Zoe shot back a string of exclamation points, then a photo.
A man standing shirtless by the sea. Eight-pack. V-line. Tan skin beaded with water. Face that hit you right in the gut.
I stared.
Zoe: [Mason Hale—my husband’s cousin. Just back from studying abroad. Six-foot-two. And most importantly—]
Zoe sent a voice message: [He’ll definitely keep you satisfied.]
Tessa sent a voice message: [You’re terrible~]
Tessa: [But… Finn and I are still in the cooling-off period. Would it be too soon?]
Zoe sent me a link to a trending topic:
[#FinnCaldwellAirportReunion]
I tapped it.
The top post featured a photo of Finn standing at the arrivals gate in a black coat, Serena Shaw’s suitcase in one hand. The look he gave her was softer than anything I’d seen from him in years.
The caption read:
[Caldwell Corp CEO Finn Caldwell Personally Picks Up His First Love. Was His Wife of Six Years Nothing More Than a Stand-In?]
A wild thought crossed my mind.
What if he’d known Serena was coming back all along? What if the “memory loss” was just an excuse to divorce me cleanly?
Chapter 2
I stared at that photo, something heavy settling in my chest.
Serena Shaw. Finn’s college girlfriend—the couple that had been the talk of the entire campus. After graduation, she’d gone abroad. Then, for reasons no one knew, they’d broken up. After that, her name became taboo. No one dared mention her in front of him for years.
I’d sent my resume to Caldwell Corp’s admin department with my community college degree, just hoping for a shot. To my surprise, they hired me. And when I went public with Finn, the whole elite circle called me Serena’s substitute.
I zoomed in on the paparazzi photo. Serena wore oversized shades, her skin pale, her figure slender and tall.
I ran to the floor mirror. Round face. Still a little baby fat.
We looked nothing alike.
Some of that weight in my chest lifted, replaced by a strange relief. So I wasn’t a substitute after all.
Zoe: [My wedding’s next week. If you two show up there, no one can talk.]
Tessa: [Always thinking ahead.]
I threw open my closet to find a dress. Tried on a few—the fitted ones all showed a belly now. I patted my stomach. I’d been gaining weight lately, even though I hadn’t been eating much.
Since I had time, I headed to the mall.
I picked out a sea-blue mermaid gown and went to the fitting room. Stepped out to check the mirror—
And there was Finn.
He was standing in front of the same mirror, zipping up a woman’s dress. She was wearing the exact same sea-blue mermaid gown.
We all froze.
Finn’s eyes swept over my waist. After a moment, he said, “That one shows your stomach. Change it.”
I instinctively sucked in. Was it that obvious? But I’d had no appetite lately—I’d barely touched my lattes.
The woman turned, lightly swatting Finn’s arm. “Finn, don’t talk to her like that—you’ll embarrass Miss Vance.” Then she smiled at me. “Hello, Miss Vance. I’m Serena Shaw.”
I smiled back, polite. “Hello.”
Serena turned and pulled out a shapeless gray dress. “This one’s loose. The fabric’s soft. It’d suit Miss Vance’s current state. Would you like to try it?”
I didn’t take it. It was ugly and matronly—my own mother wouldn’t wear it.
But before I could refuse, Finn pushed the gray dress aside, frowning harder. “This doesn’t suit her either. Too old-fashioned. She’s buying clothes for Zoe’s wedding. We’re not officially divorced yet—if she shows up looking a mess, it’s the Caldwell family’s reputation on the line.”
Serena’s smile faltered. Then she said, wounded, “Finn, maybe I shouldn’t go to your friend’s wedding with you. Since Miss Vance will be there, people might talk.”
Finn hesitated.
Zoe was my best friend, but her fiancé was his close buddy.
After a moment, he turned to me. “Are you sure you want to go? Without the Mrs. Caldwell title, people might give you trouble.”
Watching him shield Serena like that, I suddenly felt how hollow it all was.
I gave a dry smile. “I don’t need to go to every friend’s wedding. But Zoe is my best friend. I’m going. And don’t worry—Zoe’s got my back. You don’t need to concern yourself.”
In my heart, Zoe had always been more reliable than him.
When I’d first gone public with Finn, the elite ladies had found every way to tear me down—calling me a country chicken who didn’t know her wine vintages. Zoe had held my hand, taught me to recognize designer logos, coached me on how to handle snide remarks. She’d dragged me to flower-arranging classes and riding lessons, shaping me from a timid little clerk into a deputy director who could hold her own.
I added, “If you think bringing Miss Shaw would be awkward in front of me, you can just skip it.”
Then I turned and walked back into the fitting room.
Finn’s face flickered with something that looked almost hurt—like his goodwill had been thrown back in his face.