The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Herman's barrage of questions left Sandy reeling-shocked, bewildered, and strangely excited. Could it be that Herman really didn't remember anything? Sandy took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and asked, "You don't remember your name? Where you're from? Your home? Nothing at all?"

Herman tried hard to remember, but all it did was give him a splitting headache. He couldn't recall a single thing. He clutched his head, looking utterly pained.

"I can't remember anything!" Herman said in a panic, grabbing Sandy's hand. "Who am I? How did I end up here?"

His eyes were bloodshot, and Sandy was taken aback. She forced herself to stay calm and quickly spun a story. "You're George, and I'm Sandy. We're... boyfriend and girlfriend. You don't remember?"

The information seemed alien to Herman, and he looked at her with a mixture of confusion and doubt. "You're my girlfriend?"

"Yeah, we had a fight, and you took off in your car and got into an accident," Sandy explained. "Stay here, I'll get the doctor."

Sandy pulled her hand away, her heart racing as she stepped into the hallway to catch her breath. She quickly hatched a plan in her mind before going to find the doctor.

The doctor examined Herman and said, "The patient suffered a serious head injury, and there's a clot that hasn't cleared yet, which is causing the amnesia." Sandy asked anxiously, "Will he recover? How long will it take?"

"It's hard to say. He might remember soon, or it could take a while. It really depends. Family should try to remind him of past events to help jog his memory."

Sandy thanked the doctor and saw him out. When she returned, Herman was staring blankly out the window. She thought, if Herman never remembers, how perfect would that be? Such an amazing man, and now he could be hers. No, he was hers now. Fate had brought him to her doorstep.

Sean returned with lunch, and Sandy quickly pulled him aside to explain Herman's situation.

Sean was stunned. "Herman really doesn't remember anything?"

Sandy nodded. "Yeah, I tested him earlier. He doesn't even recognize me, and he doesn't know his own name."

"Sis, what are we going to do? He doesn't know us, so how can he repay us?"

"Brother, don't be silly. Herman's talent is the biggest reward we could ask for." Sandy smiled confidently. "From today, he's George, my boyfriend. He got into the accident because we argued, so you better keep quiet and not slip up."

Sean was taken aback. "Sis, what are you thinking? He's Anastasia's husband. How can he be your boyfriend? If the Salstroms find out or if Herman remembers, we're in big trouble."

Sean thought Sandy was being too reckless, thinking she could hide the truth forever.

"But by then, it might be too late," Sandy said with a sly grin, then looked at Sean with pleading eyes. "Please, you have to help me."

Sean had never been able to refuse Sandy anything.

"Sis, of course, I'll help you. But I'm worried we won't be able to keep it under wraps. He's Herman. How can he become George? If he starts asking questions, how do we cover it up? Are we supposed to make up a George? What if he goes to the police and they find Out?"

"We don't need to make up anything," Sandy assured. "There's already a George in our family. Don't you remember? Nicholas's son was named George, and he went missing a year ago while hiking. If I recall, Nicholas never officially declared him dead. Back then, IDs didn't have fingerprints. George and Herman even look somewhat alike. As long as Nicholas acknowledges him as his son, Herman becomes George."

Sean listened, his heart pounding. While he was still anxious about pulling off such a deception, Sandy had already mapped out a detailed plan.

Sandy felt relieved that she had used Sean's identity to handle Herman's hospital discharge, especially since Herman's face was bandaged up. In a small town like Springfield, folks hadn't seen Herman in person and wouldn't recognize him.

To avoid exposure, Sandy decided it was best to take Herman back to Willowbrook soon.

She urged Sean, "You need to go to the countryside and bring Nicholas here. We need this plan to be flawless."

"Sis, how can you be so sure Nicholas will accept Herman as his son?"

"His son died, and Nicholas has been grieving ever since, refusing to declare him dead. Of course, he's hoping for a miracle. Even if he knows it's not true, he might accept it to ease his sorrow. Besides, Herman and George look somewhat similar," Sandy said with unwavering confidence.