Leonard eventually regained his memory as time passed. The treatment seemed to be working.
The day before the wedding, he suddenly stopped what he was doing and fixed his eyes on me for a long time.
"Liv," he called out softly, sounding slightly hesitant. "Recently… I seem to recall something."
His voice suddenly became serious. "Do you still have the music box I gifted you? The one with our photo inside."
I looked up and saw the anticipation in his eyes.
My heart ached at the sight. The music box had turned into ashes when I burned all our memories.
I forced a smile and said softly, "I accidentally lost it."
His gaze dimmed instantly. Soon, he regained his composure. "It's okay. I'll buy you another one."
I didn't reply and looked at him in silence.
His gaze wasn't as apathetic as before. Instead, it was filled with gentleness and guilt.
However, I knew his gentleness wasn't meant only for me. Someone had begun to hold a place in his heart a long time ago.
Leonard walked to the window, looked at the empty land in the backyard, and frowned slightly. "Where's the weeping willow tree? I remember planting one back there."
I walked up to him and explained calmly, "The workers accidentally cut it down during the renovation."
He subconsciously tapped on the window frame, his eyes darting around. Then, he seemed to regain his composure. "Let's plant another one. It's the right season to plant a tree now."
I nodded and didn't turn him down.
He held my hand and strode to the yard with me in tow. He then found the necessary tools and started digging a hole.
"Liv, do you remember? I planted a weeping willow tree here when we were 16 years old."
As he dug the hole, he continued, "Back then, we said we would hold our wedding under the tree. I even promised to enjoy the sight of the fully grown tree with you every year."
I stared at him in a daze. For a second, I seemed to see the young man from the past.
It was true that he had loved me then, but it was also a fact that he had fallen for someone else now.
He placed a weeping willow sapling into the hole and looked up at me, his gaze painfully gentle.
"We can make the tree grow again. It's the same as our love, right?" he asked.
I opened my mouth but had no idea what to say.
Just then, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen and frowned before declining the call.
A few seconds later, the phone rang again.
He declined the call once more. Only this time, he looked slightly irritated.
"Answer it. Maybe it's something urgent," I said softly.
He hesitated for a moment and eventually answered the call.
Yelena's sobbing came from the other end of the line. I couldn't hear her clearly, but I could see Leonard's expression change instantly.
He hurriedly ended the call and turned around to say to me, "Liv, something urgent has come up. I need to go. Don't worry. I'll definitely have the tree planted tomorrow."
I replied with a nod and watched him leave anxiously. Then, his silhouette faded into the dusk.
I knew he was going to Yelena.
I stood at the same spot and stared at the weeping willow sapling that had yet to be planted. I felt eerily calm at this moment.
Leonard and I had no future together.
The wedding would be held the following day, but I had already booked a flight ticket out of the country.
This time, I wouldn't look back.
