Chapter 3

The Reed family mansion was an imposing structure of stone and glass, a monument to wealth and power. Walking up to the front door felt like approaching a fortress. I had to go. If I didn't, they would create a bigger scene, and I needed to handle my departure quietly.

I was dressed simply, in dark pants and a plain sweater, a stark contrast to the glittering guests who were already mingling inside. The moment I stepped through the door, a hush fell over the nearby conversations. I could feel their eyes on me, a mix of pity and morbid curiosity.

The party was in full swing. Crystal glasses clinked, and soft music played in the background. My adoptive father, Mr. Reed, stood in the center of the main hall, holding court. Beside him, glowing with pride, was my adoptive mother. And standing next to them, looking every bit the favored son and heir, was Liam.

Olivia was there too, of course. She stood close to Liam, her hand resting lightly on his arm. She was wearing a stunning silver dress that shimmered under the chandeliers, and she looked at Liam with an adoration that was painful to watch, even for someone with no memory of loving her. They were a perfect couple, the tech prodigy and the brilliant CEO. Everyone in the room saw it.

I was an awkward footnote in their perfect story.

I tried to stay in the corner, to be invisible, but Mrs. Reed spotted me.

"Ethan, there you are," she said, her voice tight with disapproval. "At least you' re on time. Try not to cause any trouble tonight."

I just nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

The main event of the evening was Mr. Reed' s speech. He stood before the crowd, raising his glass.

"Thank you all for coming to celebrate my birthday," he began. "This year, I have a special announcement. As many of you know, my son Liam has been the driving force behind the innovation at Reed Industries. His vision has secured our future."

He paused, his eyes beaming with pride as he looked at Liam. "And so, it is my great pleasure to announce that I am officially handing over 20% of my controlling shares in the company to Liam. He has earned it."

A wave of applause filled the room. Liam stepped forward and hugged his father, a triumphant smile on his face.

But Mr. Reed wasn't finished. "And one more thing." He gestured for a servant, who brought forward a velvet box. "This watch has been in the Reed family for three generations. It was my father' s, and his father' s before him. It is a symbol of our legacy. Liam, I want you to have it."

He opened the box to reveal a magnificent gold watch. He fastened it onto Liam' s wrist, a symbolic passing of the torch. It was a public declaration. Liam was the true son, the heir. I was nothing.

I felt the weight of every eye in the room turn to me. I could hear their whispers.

"Poor Ethan. He never stood a chance."

"Did you see his face? Completely left out."

"It' s cruel, doing it so publicly."

They expected me to look devastated. They expected me to shrink, to crumble, to perhaps even make a scene as the old Ethan might have. And a part of me, a faint echo of the man from the journal, felt a ghost of that old sting, that familiar ache of being cast aside.

But as I stood there, watching Liam preen and Olivia gaze at him with loving eyes, I felt something else, something surprising. I felt... nothing. The pain wasn't there. The jealousy, the desperate yearning for my father's approval-it was all gone.

It was like watching a movie about someone else's life. The characters were familiar, but their drama no longer touched me. The watch on Liam's wrist was just a watch. The shares were just numbers on a piece of paper. They held no power over me anymore.

The man who would have been destroyed by this, the man who lived and breathed for a single crumb of affection from these people, was gone. The amnesia had wiped the slate clean, and the journal had shown me the futility of his fight.

I wasn't that man. I was free.

I realized with a sudden, shocking clarity that I didn't care. I didn' t care about the inheritance, the family legacy, or the public humiliation. It couldn' t hurt me because I no longer wanted what they had to offer.

A small, genuine smile touched my lips. It was a smile of release, of pure, unburdened freedom. I was a spectator now, and the show was almost over. My new life was waiting, and this was just the final, formal goodbye.