BETRAYAL

15

Winnie and Martin looked at Michael intensely, waiting for him to start talking.

"When did you get your memory back?" Martin asked after a few seconds, unable to wait anymore.

"Umm yesterda... the day before yesterday."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Martin, heartbroken that he didn't come to him first.

"I...I wanted to surprise you when you get back. I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

"Is that why you didn't come back to us? Because you lost your memory??" Winnie asked more to herself, in a low sad voice.

"Yeah," Michael looked down apologetically.

"He was in a coma for a whole year, and when he woke up we found out he had no any memory of his past," Martin explained.

"Oh my god!!" Winnie sobbed "You must have felt so alone and sad not knowing who you are, I'm so sorry Michael."

"No, it's ok. Martin treated me like his own son. I wasn't lonely at all," Michael assured her with a small smile. Martin and Winnie returned the smile back.

"We've to get you to the hospital. Let's go see your doctor to see if everything is okay," Martin told him.

"No Dad. It's fine, I'm really okay,"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm sure," Michael reassured him.

"I understand you calling him Dad, since you had no one and he treated you like his son so it's understandable but why is Mr Martin calling you Henry? Or did I hear it wrong earlier?" Winnie questioned after a small silence.

"No you did not," Michael responded.

"Then why would he call you by that name when his son is alive and well?? We read about him in newspapers everyday," Winnie looked at the two, not understanding what was going on.

"My real son Henry is dead," Martin said sadly, "He died five years ago."

"WHAT?? so who have we been reading in the newspapers and magazines everyday? The one who has been working in the Martin Gold and raised the profit peak, the one who won that award?" she asked them dumbfounded. They both looked down.

"Was that you Michael? Have you been living as Henry all this time?" she questioned after seing their reaction and put two and two together.

"Yeah. It turned out that way," Michael answered her in a low voice.

"What the hell!??" Winnie yelled before turning to Martin "Why would you do that?Because of that we never found him!! If only you could have tried to find his identity and use your power to find his family you would have gotten his family in no time. Do you know how much his family longed for him? How sad we were?"

"Winnie calm down. I myself agreed to it. It's not like he forced me to be Henry. And-"

Martin interrupted him, "No Henry, that's not entirely true. I was selfish. I should have done that, I didn't put myself in your family's shoes. I only thought of my happiness."

"No that's not true. You cared about me. All this time you wanted me to be happy. If that's not putting yourself in my family's shoes then I don't know what is," Michael argued.

Martin smiled sadly at him. He couldn't help but feel that he was selfish, that he only did what was best for himself and not him.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I wasn't thinking straight. Instead I should be on my knees thanking you for taking care of him when he was sick and when he had no memory of his past, I'm really thankful for that," Winnie said apologetically.