After a terrible car accident left me with partial amnesia, I woke in the hospital to a man named Derek who claimed to be my fiancé. I didn’t remember him at all, but he stayed by my side, showing me photos and telling stories about our supposed relationship. My mom seemed skeptical, but I tried to trust him—until the day he brought me home and my dog, Otis, reacted like Derek was a complete stranger, barking and snapping with a ferocity I’d never seen. Derek brushed it off, but I couldn’t shake the feeling something wasn’t right.

The unease grew when Derek replaced my phone, changed my number, and discouraged me from seeing friends. One afternoon, my best friend Sally showed up unexpectedly. She told me she’d tried to look up Derek but found nothing—no records, no trace. Before we could process that, a courier delivered a marriage contract stating that if we divorced, Derek would receive half my inheritance from my grandmother. Suddenly, everything made sense—this wasn’t love, it was a setup.

Sally called the police and hid while I waited for Derek to return. He acted casual, but before he could convince me to sign, there was a knock at the door. Officers swarmed in and arrested him. His real name was Harry, a former nursing home worker who had cared for my grandmother in her final months. That’s how he learned about my inheritance and decided to prey on me when I was most vulnerable.

As the police car drove away, Otis wagged his tail and nuzzled against me. I realized that without my dog’s instinct, I might never have questioned Derek’s story. My memory was still patchy, but one thing was crystal clear—Otis had saved me from marrying a conman, and I owed him more than I could ever repay.