Damien thought about his grandfather and his sudden interest in the Wellington family. He'd always held a deep respect for Sam Wellington, who had taken over the family company and made it vastly successful, proving old Samuel Wellington right to leave the business to him over his own son, Thomas. In Damien's opinion, Thomas seemed like a power-hungry businessman who would sacrifice anything for money, even at his family's detriment. Their relationship with Sam appeared complicated.
As Damien sat looking over documents in his study, the hours passed and the rain began to fall outside. The fog covered everything within minutes, and the image of the accident flashed before his eyes through the rain-streaked window. He couldn't shake the image of Sarah's face, pale and lost, her eyes filled with a confusion that mirrored his own. He got up and started pacing the room. Only three days had passed since the crash, but it felt like a lifetime. The longer he waited, the more restless he became. He needed to see Sarah again; he needed to make sure she was all right.
The evening came, and the dinner was approaching. He called Johnny, "Get the car ready, we're going to the Sterling manor in ten minutes." Johnny replied, "Got it, boss!" The rain had subdued, but the fog was persistent.
The Forced Engagement
At the manor, Don was already there with Thomas, his wife Evelyn, and their daughter Penelope. Damien greeted them and sat down.
Don: "You could have gotten here before our guests, you're making me, an old man, lose face by being late."
Damien: "Traffic."
Thomas: "Don't worry about it, Don, your grandson must be busy running from one company to another. It's not easy for him."
Evelyn added, "Young people work too hard nowadays."
Penelope: "Yes, that's true. And Damien, being the person many look up to and strive to be like, wouldn't be who he is today and wouldn't achieve the things he's achieved if he wasn't so persistent and hardworking." She smiled politely his way.
Thomas: "Look at my little princess defending your grandson, Don. Just like me and my wife when we were young."
Don: "He's lucky to have caught your daughter's eye, Thomas."
Damien turned to Penelope and said, "Isn't your brother Sam just as hardworking?"
Thomas dismissed his question with a wave of his hand, then added "Damien is right. Sam would have joined us tonight, but unfortunately, he had some unavoidable business to attend to. That boy works himself ragged, doesn't he, Evelyn?"
Evelyn just smiled at her husband.
Damien was looking from the Wellingtons to his grandfather and thought, Am I the only one who finds this conversation ridiculous? Am I the only unwilling participant here?
They sat around the table making small talk until Don got up and proposed a toast, "To our families uniting." They all started clinking their glasses together; Damien reluctantly lifted his.
Then Don spoke again, "To Penelope and Damien, I hereby declare their engagement."
Damien put his glass down, got up, and said, "What engagement?"
Don spoke, "This is why I called you here tonight. I have chosen your fiancé, and she is Penelope."
Damien replied, "When did I agree to this?"
Don spoke, "I'm not asking you, I'm informing you."
Damien just smiled at his grandfather's ridiculous words, turned back, and left without a word.
Don yelled after him, "Damien, come back here!"
The Wellingtons looked between each other. Don then turned to them and said, "Don't worry, he'll listen to me. He was just taken aback."
Thomas agreed, saying, "We understand, kids nowadays don't like us old people getting involved in their personal matters."
Evelyn added, "I know Damien will come around. There's no better candidate for his wife than our Penelope."
They continued eating and chatting as if nothing had happened.
The Hospital Visit
In the car, Damien sat furious. This old man, I knew he was up to something, I just didn't expect him to force my hand here. He exhaled, exhausted. Johnny kept looking from him to the road, thinking, Old man Sterling is an old weasel, why did he say to the boss now to make him so angry?
Back at his apartment, Damien picked up the ring, its cool surface smooth against his skin. He thought, Marriage shouldn't be a transaction but an act of love between two people...
The next morning, Damien stood outside Sarah's hospital room, the ring in his pocket. He hesitated, unsure of what to say, aware he was a stranger at the scene of her tragedy. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Sarah was sitting up in bed, gazing at the rain. With her leg in a cast, she looked even more fragile and lost than before. A bandage covered the scratch on her forehead.
"Miss Walker?" he said softly.
She turned, her eyes widening slightly. "It's you," she said, a hint of recognition in her voice. "You're the man who got me out of the car." Tears fell onto her hospital gown. She lifted her hand to wipe them, saying, "I'm sorry... I don't know why I'm crying."
He came closer, ducked down, and offered her a tissue from his suit pocket. When she lifted her hand to take it, her hand started trembling. Damien gently took the tissue and wiped her tears himself. He then stepped back a little. "Sarah, my name is Damien Sterling."
She looked at him with tearful eyes. "I hope you don't mind my presence. I just wanted to see how you were doing."
Sarah nodded, repeating his name softly. Her gaze drifted back to the window. "I… I don't remember anything," she said, her voice filled with quiet desperation. "They tell me all these stories, but all of it feels foreign… Ethan… They say he was my friend... His mother blames me for the accident... But… I don't remember him. I don't remember anything before the crash." Her voice broke. "It's like… like I'm a ghost."
Damien's heart ached for her. He went up to her, took her hand in his, and said, "Sarah, all you need to know is that it's not your fault, accidents happen... You're not to blame." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. "I found this at the scene of the car crash," he said, holding it out, the simple silver band glittering dully in the hospital light. "You dropped it while the paramedics were helping you into the ambulance. I thought it was important—a piece of the life you lost. Maybe it could spark some memory, moving forward."
Sarah looked at the ring, her brow furrowed. She took it, her fingers tracing the smooth band, but her eyes showed no recognition.
"This… ring," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I don't remember it. But I remember you… Mr. Sterling, you saved me and told me to trust you," she said, her voice barely audible. "I… I don't know why… but I do."
Damien stared at her. She remembered that. She trusted him. He felt a surge of something he couldn't name.
Sarah then asked, "Is your arm still in pain?"
Damien: "My arm?"
Sarah: "I remember it was bleeding… I got scared."
Damien smiled. This poor woman, weighed down by amnesia and guilt, was still asking if he was in pain. This was the moment Damien realized how selfless and caring she was.
Unseen by Damien, Chloe, Sarah's sister, stood in the doorway, listening. She'd recognized him from the news: Damien Sterling, one of the richest men in the world. Avarice ignited in her eyes. She saw an opportunity.
Chloe then burst into the room, her face a mask of exaggerated worry. "Sarah! Oh, Sarah, darling! How are you feeling?" she exclaimed, rushing to Sarah's side. She shot a quick, calculating glance at Damien.
She moved to shake his hand, but he held up his hand in a polite but firm gesture, maintaining a professional distance.
"You're Damien Sterling," she said in surprise.
Damien: "Do I know you?"
Chloe: "No, but I know you. You're all over the news. How do you know my sister?" Her curious smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
Damien then turned to Sarah, taking a bank card out of his pocket and placing it in Sarah's hand, saying, "Sarah, this is for you."
Sarah gently took the card and told Damien, "I appreciate your kindness, Mr. Sterling, but I can't accept this card." She returned it to him. "I understand that you mean well, but it makes me feel uncomfortable, so I must refuse."
Damien observed her for a moment. Then Chloe interrupted, saying, "How can you refuse it, Sarah? He is Damien Sterling!" She leaned in, her eyes wide with frantic greed. "Sarah, what are you doing? This is Damien Sterling! He's known for not taking no for an answer, and you don't say no to this kind of money." Sarah turned her head away from Chloe. She spoke again. "Mr. Sterling, thank you for saving my life. I am in your debt. But I can't take your card. If I do, that would mean I'm taking advantage of you, and I don't want that misunderstanding between me and my saviour."
Damien nodded and took the card back, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. This was the first time anyone had ever declined his money. He felt a bit embarrassed and speechless. This woman was righteous, kind, caring, and strong. In his heart, she already had a place, though he didn't yet know exactly what kind of place that was.