Summary: Lars come back to work, but things are confusing. He doesn't know who has to believe.
Note: Ludwig is Germany, of course. Stacy is just a fill character. Again sorry if there are mistakes.
Fake
Although the memories of the last few years had been erased from his mind, life never stopped and went on as usual. It had been several days since Mei's departure. He had no idea that when she left, she would take the warmth of home with her. No matter where he was, something was always missing.
On the other hand, he intended to call her several times to check on her, but he repentant in time. Most likely, she didn't want to hear from him again, after all he had hurt her with his words. He could still evoke her expression of pain, her resignation, and that goodbye. Maybe it was better that way, he wanted to live without pressure, postponing the search of himself that he feared so much and the memories that he knew he would not recover.
He thought he would see her again when she went to get the rest of her belongings, but instead Mei's sister, and best friend arrived. Neither of them dared mention her nor did he ask questions. For a moment he had the idea of asking them to tell her not to worry about him, but after that he thought what right he had to believe she was doing it. He tried to comfort himself by thinking that the separation was for the good of both of them, he didn't want to give her false hope or tie her to a vague future. He was no longer the Lars she knew, but a complete stranger. Besides, she was very pretty and nice, it would be easy for her to rebuild her life by the side of a good man who would offer her what he could no longer give her. Thinking about it, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of bitterness.
He wondered if he would be able to live in peace now that he had taken her out of the way. However, whether he loved her or not, the truth was that sometimes he used to think about her. At first, he felt it as a burden, as a sort of charge of conscience, but as the days went by, he began to miss her presence and her company. Maybe he just felt lonely, though.
Finally, Lars decided to go back to his old life, to when he had an established routine and every day was the same. In the morning he'd drink that one cup of coffee, then go to the law firm. Returning to work hadn't been easy either, but he found a way to occupy his mind with other issues he considered more important. He had lost about 5 or 6 years of experience, but at least he could remember a good part of what he had studied and learned during his first years at work. So, in that respect he was at ease.
Although it was odd since some people were now unknown to him. Except for Ludwig Beilschmidt who was his best friend and had attended his welcome from the hospital, but hadn't had time to talk. Right now, at least he had his support. His office looked the same except for the picture of Mei on his desk. He stared at it for a few minutes and put it in his drawer so he didn't have to think about her. The morning went by as usual and all he wanted to do was go home.
After work, while waiting at the metro station, a tall, black haired woman approached him. For the first time in days, Lars was comforted to recognize another face. It was Stacy, an old colleague he had known since university, who had stopped seeing him when she went to study for a few semesters in the United States and they met again during their first years of work. As far as he knew they got along quite well and consider her a friend. She invited him for a drink and he accepted.
"Long time no see you. I'm glad you are all right. I heard about your accident, but I couldn't contact you before. I was very worried; it is true that you lost your memory?" she asked after entering a café.
"Not completely, but I remember you"
The woman smirked. After a short talk about his health, he felt confident, after all she was an excellent lawyer and had graduated from college with honors, so there was no one better to trust at the moment. Of course, perhaps apart from Ludwig.
They both tried to catch up. For Lars it had been nice to talk with someone about serious issues that didn't relate to his condition. She spoke eloquently and it was of real interest what she had to say. She was such an interesting and intelligent woman, the kind of person Lars felt very comfortable with. The talk went on so long that when they realized it was already night, but they decided to meet another day after work to continue the conversation.
"I don't think I saw you when I came back from the hospital," said Lars a bit puzzled, as they took a walk.
"It's just that, well, maybe it's not the time to tell you, I'm a little embarrassed," she said shyly.
"What is it?"
"No, it may bring you problems with your wife. In fact, we shouldn't even be talking right now" she said with some sadness.
"Did something happen between you and Mei?"
"Well, I don't want to be dramatic, you may not even believe me when I tell you. I guess she already warned you."
"Warn me? What are you talking about?"
Stacy hesitated, thinking for a while, as if looking for a way to tell him, making the suspense between them grow.
"I guess she didn't do it as I thought she would. You should know that we haven't talked much since you married her. This is the first time we've really talked."
"Why?"
"See, it happened after I got back from a trip, I heard you were dating her, so I wanted to meet her, she looked nice, but one day she came to me and threatened me not to come near you again"
Lars looked at her in confusion. He knew that Mei was immature, but he didn't think she would be capable of doing such a thing. On the other hand, why should he trust the stranger more than a flawless colleague he did trust and remember. He was quite annoyed, who she thought she was to forbid him to speak to. Though on second thought, it made sense, Mei could be suffocating, he now understood a bit of the need to follow him around. He knew their marriage couldn't be perfect.
"I can't believe it"
"Neither did I, she looked so sweet, I just wanted to be her friend. You know I have always appreciated you and that's why I wanted to meet the woman you had fallen in love with" said the latter with resentment. "But don't get mad at her. The last thing I want to do is cause problems in your marriage. I just wanted to talk to you to see if you were feeling better," she added.
"No, she has no right to forbid me anything," he said, shaking his head.
"I feel like I should have told you before, but you know, I didn't want to get in the way and she said she'd have me fired if I thought to tell you. It seems she has some influence…"
"It's ok, it's not your fault. Honestly, I think I just realized her true nature. At least I'm calm now. We've been giving each other some time."
The woman's eyes shone and she tried to hide her smile.
"You don't know how sorry I am"
"It's ok. I guess it would happen sooner or later" he replied disappointedly.
Of course, Stacy already knew that. She knew very well that he had lost his memory, and had consequently, separated from his wife. The rumors among her colleagues were something that one way or another ended up spreading and she still had very close friends who informed her as soon as they heard. So, she believed that this was her chance to get him back.
She remembered perfectly the day that she met him at the college. Lars was one of the brightest students in the class. She started to admire him, first from afar and then trying to be his friend. Some classmates thought they would make a great couple. She simply called herself a friend, while he was indifferent. However, just when they had become close, she went on an exchange to the United States. Before she left, she couldn't confess her feelings to him, which she had regretted.
They lost contact, until, by fate, they met again at work. They regained their friendship, although this time with Ludwig Beilschmidt in the middle and the inconvenience that she had a boyfriend with whom she had been dating for two years. Leaving him for Lars had been her intention in the first place, but there was always something going on, work, family, some important matter, anything. Finally, she decided to end her engagement during a disastrous trip, but when she returned Lars was already dating Mei.
She found out what kind of person she was and was almost outraged when she met her. She thought she was, by far, better than that girl in the colorful clothes and silly girlie face. She hated her from the moment she saw her. How was it possible that such a focused and serious man could be capable of falling in love with a simple brat when she had been waiting for him for so long, she wondered. That couple just wouldn't last, no way, he probably just slept with her until someone better came along, maybe that was it.
She tried everything to separate them: being especially affectionate and attentive with him, tagging him in suggestive posts, making more physical contact than usual, even leaving belongings of hers on purpose to create conflicts between them. But nothing worked, somehow that little hag managed to blind him completely, she thought. Finally, when she heard about their engagement, she decided to put an end to it, she couldn't take it anymore. She went to his apartment; he opened the door and right there she asked him to break up with Mei so he could give her a chance. She even offered to be his lover. Lars listened to her as if she had gone mad, but simply shook his head.
"I can't do that to her. Besides, I'm going to marry her"
"She doesn't deserve you; I love you the most. I'm the one who should be with you. I have loved you since college. Give me a chance, she doesn't have to know."
"You're wrong about me, I'm not that kind of person"
Through the door, Stacy could see Mei witnessing the scene. It had been so humiliating, especially when she saw concern in her eyes and wanted to let her in until she calmed down, but Lars refused.
"I think you'd better go, it's late. The neighbors had heard everything and may call the police," he said angrily.
Days later, Stacy decided to cut all ties with him. She left for a while determined to forget him, but for her it had become an obsession. She often looked to Lars' social media to see him, but he didn't use them. So, she was content to secretly make fun of Mei's comics. She would write malicious comments, criticizing and offending her, but there was never a lack of support or she was just ignored.
Then, she heard about his accident, and since she had decided to return because of a special case that only she could take care of, she saw the chance to get back what was rightfully hers. Ludwig didn't take it well. As soon as he saw her, he warned her not to approach Lars with bad intentions, for he knew what she was capable of.
"Don't worry. He only likes me as a friend. Have you forgotten?"
Ludwig didn't trust her. Several times he witnessed her tricks to ruin Lars and Mei's relationship. At first neither of them believed it, because she was too decent, but when he caught her going into Lars' office and rummaging through his things, Ludwig knew that she was up to no good. He recorded her and thanks to that, he was able to save them troubles, but he didn't count on her confronting him. So, when she left all of a sudden, he thought things were over, but she came back.
Lars and Stacy met again a few more times after work. They talked for hours about the time they didn't see each other, her travels and the last case she had taken care of. Lars was impressed by her professionalism and ethics. Something quite admirable. Then it came to his mind why he didn't ever notice her? She was exactly the kind of partner he was looking for. Stacy was sophisticated and brilliant, plus her conversations were becoming a great relief to distract from his situation.
He unintentionally told her that he enjoyed talking to her more than he did to Mei. Then, Stacy started sobbing, saying that when Mei had threatened her, she was terrified. She didn't want to lose her job just out of simple jealousy, but what hurt her most was losing his friendship. Then, she told him about some messages harassing her with getting rid of her, calling her a bitch because in her eyes she wanted to steal Lars from her. Even when she offered her her friendship, Mei had rudely rejected it, saying she could never be friends with a whore.
"I'm sorry you have to find out this way. How could I possibly confess it to you anyway? She sure acted as a model wife while she was taking care of you. And I guess she didn't even call you. How can you trust someone like that?"
"Well, no, I haven't even contacted her," admitted Lars, feeling partly guilty.
"Do you think she asked someone to keep a close eye on you? If I were you, I wouldn't trust anyone, not even my best friend," she said.
Lars was upset that he had been cheated on by his supposedly devoted wife. But at the same time, he was sure something was wrong. This felt different from how Mei was, as if something didn't add up, even though Stacy couldn't be lying. So, she started filling his head with bad ideas about Mei, for whatever reason, even if he wanted to change the subject, she insisted on telling him the worst of her and insulted her, but for Lars those couldn't be lies. The more he thought about all that, the more he felt his marriage was a lie.
One morning, Ludwig called him aside. He told him that he wanted to talk about something important and payed that he wasn't intervening too late.
"So, you have been seeing Stacy lately," he said directly.
"Yes, it was nice to see her again," said Lars without making too much of a fuss.
"Lars, please be careful. I don't trust her" he answered shyly, but worried.
"What do you mean?"
"She is not to be trusted. Besides, legally you're still married. Don't get involved with her, you'll regret it".
At that point, Lars became defensive. He would believe it from manipulative Mei, but not from his best friend.
"I think I know what this is about, Mei found out, right? I can't believe she asked you to keep an eye on me."
Ludwig seemed offended and shook his head.
"No, I haven't had any contact with her and I doubt she knows about this."
"So? You know Stacy, you know she is a right and respectable woman," replied Lars.
"Lars, listen to me. Trust me. I have been your best friend for many years. What would I gain by lying to you in the state you are in?" he said seriously. "You know very well that I'm not the kind of person who lie about something like that".
"I know, but it seems strange to me that you're getting into this. Why didn't you do the same thing when I met Mei? Did you have any idea how controlling she was and yet you didn't tell me?"
At this point, Ludwig thought he'd never seen Lars being manipulated like that. He never thought he was naïve as to believe any of the lies Stacy was sure to tell him.
"Tell me, why didn't you say anything? I should have married Stacy instead… she is the kind of woman I should have been from the beginning and…"
"Lars, do you really think that the woman who spent days in anguish, waiting for you to wake up and that exhausted herself day after day to bring you back is like Stacy insists on making you believe?" he patiently interrupted him.
Lars looked at him incredulously, how he could doubt that woman who had been a victim of Mei's constant harassment. She had even cried in his presence. He didn't know who to believe, just then he hated himself for not being able to remember anything. Ludwig told him what she had done and why she had left, but Lars couldn't believe him.
"Look, I think you should trust your intuition. Something tells me that you don't completely believe her yourself"
"How do I know that it's not Mei who lied anyway? How do I know she is not a fake?"
Ludwig sighed impatiently. Lars was always too stubborn, so he sometimes avoided contradicting him. It was too difficult to convince him, but this was the last straw. He got up from his seat and walked to the door.
"Fine, have it your way. If you are gonna listen to her, at least be decent, talk to Mei and ask for a divorce, and if you are gonna do something stupid like stay with Stacy, don't count on me at all."
Lars was silent, it was the first time Ludwig spoke to him in such a sharp tone. He had always been patient and somehow avoided conflicts, but this time, it was different. He wanted to end their friendship because of a misunderstanding that happened long ago. He was sure that Stacy was someone else and she understood him very well, so why think there was something wrong with that, besides it wasn't as if he was dating her.
That afternoon he met with her again. They went to the café that Lars could recognize because it was the one Mei said they frequented often. Stacy greeted him with special affection. It was a surprise to him, but he didn't avoid it. He thought about what Ludwig had told him. In fact, at that moment he felt as if he were being unfaithful, even without having that intention, perhaps because he thought he would have preferred to marry Stacy and not Mei. To think that she was better than Mei, when he hadn't given her the benefit of the doubt.
"You know, I was thinking, since you are finally going to divorce that hag, maybe it's time for you to move on. How about you and I starting something?" she said, caressing his hand.
"I haven't talked to her about it yet, and even if I had, it's too soon," he replied, having a very bad feeling.
"Why not? You don't live together anymore; there are no children involved. We've known each other for years and I have always been in love with you."
Lars had a terrible flashback, like from someone yelling that. He thought he had dreamt it before, and it was Mei saying it, but that didn't sound like her. He suddenly felt dizzy and looked down.
"Come on, you won't regret it, you can start a new life by my side. As it should have been from the beginning, before I was forced to leave, before the jerk I was dating, and before that little idiot came between us," she said, caressing his face and slowly approaching to him.
At that moment, Lars turned away and looked out the window. What he saw wouldn't let him sleep that night: Mei saw him with eyes full of pain, contemplating what appeared to be a betrayal. Her sister, and her best friend, took her away immediately. As Stacy laughed, as if it were all on purpose.