Chapter 5

Allison Day POV:

The sterile scent of the clinic clung to the air, a stark contrast to the cloying sweetness of Barbie' s perfume that still haunted my senses. Dr. Vance met my gaze, his eyes full of a reserved concern.

"Are you ready, Mrs. Day?" he asked, his voice low and steady. "There's still time to reconsider."

I shook my head, my jaw tight. "I'm ready."

He nodded, a sigh escaping his lips. "Very well. We'll begin."

I lay on the cool, padded table, a cap of electrodes fitting securely over my head. The room was dim, bathed in soft, pulsing blue lights. A gentle hum filled the air as the machine whirred to life.

My mind, once a chaotic storm of memories and pain, now felt strangely calm. I closed my eyes, letting the hum wash over me. I allowed myself one last journey through the landscape of "Allison Day."

I saw the desolate beach, the crash of waves, the cold sand against my skin. The fear, the blankness, the terrifying void of amnesia. Then, Erik. His kind eyes, his gentle touch, the warmth of his smile as he offered me a hand. "You're safe now," he had said. He had been my savior, my anchor. He gave me a name, a home, a purpose.

I remembered the early days: his struggling piano, my quiet sketches, our shared dreams. The way he' d look at me, his eyes full of admiration, when I showed him a new photograph. "You have such a gift, Allison," he' d murmur, kissing my forehead. "You capture the soul of things."

I saw our tiny apartment, filled with the scent of his music and my art. The hours spent editing his album covers, meticulously crafting each shot, pouring my heart into his success. The pride I felt, seeing his name climb the charts, knowing I was a part of it, even if unseen.

Then, the cracks formed. The gradual distancing, the subtle lies, the whispered phone calls. The coldness in his eyes when he believed I wasn't looking. The casual cruelty that had escalated into outright malice. Our baby, a tiny, precious life, lost in the blizzard, while he cared for a dog. The perfume. The public betrayal. The final, crushing humiliation.

The memories flashed, quick and painful, like shards of glass. But with each image, the hum of the machine grew stronger, a soothing white noise that promised oblivion. It was tearing at the fabric of my past, unravelling the threads that connected me to Erik Alford.

I felt a strange sensation, like a part of my brain was being gently, meticulously scrubbed clean. The pain, the anger, the love, the disappointment – they all began to blur, to lose their sharp edges. Erik' s face, once so vivid, became indistinct. His voice, once so dear, faded into a general sound.

A deep, profound peace began to settle over me. It was a blankness, a void, but it was also profoundly liberating. The weight I had carried for so long, the crushing burden of his betrayal, was lifting.

Then, something unexpected happened. As the memories of "Allison Day" receded, a different set of images began to surface. Not the blankness I had anticipated, but a kaleidoscope of vibrant, unfamiliar scenes.

A grand mansion, sprawling gardens, the scent of fresh-cut roses. A girl with bright, inquisitive eyes, laughing as she chased a golden retriever across a manicured lawn. A young man, his eyes kind and intense, holding her hand, promising forever.

The images were fleeting, like echoes in a distant hall, but they were powerful. They weren't Erik. They weren't "Allison Day." They were something else entirely. Something... older. More real.

A name whispered in the nascent corners of my mind, not Erik's, not Day. Woodward.

The machine continued its gentle hum, but now, it felt different. Not just erasing, but unblocking. Like a dam had broken, and a flood of forgotten memories was rushing in, filling the void left by Erik.

I saw opulent ballrooms, power lunches, the glittering skyline of New York City. I saw a family, fierce and protective, their faces etched with love and concern. I saw a childhood steeped in privilege, but also in responsibility. I saw myself, not as the timid, subservient Allison Day, but as a confident, artistic, independent woman. Allison Woodward. The heiress. The missing heiress.

The sensation was overwhelming, a dizzying rush of information. The boating accident in the Hamptons. The political scandal surrounding my family. The blow to my head, the amnesia, the years lost. Erik hadn't saved me; he had found a blank slate and written his own story on it.

A gasp escaped my lips. The machine stopped. The blue lights faded. Dr. Vance was standing over me, his brow furrowed.

"Mrs. Day?" he asked, a note of surprise in his voice. "Are you alright? Your brain activity... it's unprecedented."

I sat up, my head clear, my heart racing not with panic, but with a strange, exhilarating sense of discovery. The pain in my abdomen still lingered, a dull throb, but it no longer held the same emotional weight. The scars were there, a reminder of Allison Day's suffering, but they did not define Allison Woodward.

"I'm not Mrs. Day," I said, my voice strong, resonating with a newfound authority. "My name is Allison. Allison Woodward."

I reached into my pocket, pulling out the small, cheap silver ring I had thrown in the trash, then retrieved. A memento of a painful but necessary journey. Now it felt like a relic of a past life. With a decisive flick, I aimed for the small waste receptacle beside the table. The ring clinked once, then was swallowed by the plastic.

A profound sense of serenity washed over me. The past, the fabricated life with Erik, was gone. Erased. And in its place, my true self had awakened.