A Permanent Memory Wipe

Nathaniel came home in the middle of the night. The lights were off, and I was curled up on the couch, watching him without a word.He flipped the switch and froze when he saw me sitting there. After a moment, he started walking slowly toward me."You already knew?" he asked, his throat tight as he swallowed.I nodded.We'd spent five years together, long enough to know each other inside out. The way he blurted out his promise, his shirt half-untucked, told me everything. He was guilty and panicking.To Nathaniel, I'd always been the carefree one. Me, sitting there dead silent in the middle of the night? That wasn't like me at all.We both knew something was wrong.He eased down, leaning against me, and placed a test tube filled with drugs before me."It breaks my heart to see Jo lying in that hospital bed, all hooked up to tubes," Nathaniel said, looking completely at ease. "I promised Mr. Lanier I'd take care of her."A cold dread seeped into me, stiffening my limbs. "So you

When Yelena got back, I'd already ordered a huge bag of snacks and was happily munching away while watching a show. "Hey, Leni, want some? They're maple bacon-flavored potato sticks."She shoved my hand away and yelled, "Are you serious? You're still eating? Nathaniel is a total bastard! He cheated on you!"All she got in response was the sound of me crunching on potato sticks.Yelena went on. "That woman coughing in the background was his first love! And the bride from today's wedding! Apparently, she has cancer."I kept chewing, louder than before. Then I held out another stick to her. "Damn, that's crazy. What else happened?"Yelena automatically took it and started chewing before suddenly stopping. "Wait, your fiancé cheated on you! And you're not even freaking out?"I kept munching away."Wow, dramatic," I said, popping two more potato sticks into my mouth. "Cancer, first love, a bride swap—this is straight out of a soap opera. But I don't even know the guy. He can marry wh

As soon as Nathaniel left, the tension finally left my body. He'd scared me half to death. That man was completely insane.Yelena stood beside me, arms crossed, and said dryly, "Getting involved with someone like him is like staining your life forever."It was like my perfect reputation had been ruined by some lab psycho."Come on, let's go home," I said, nudging Yelena. When she gave me a questioning look, I pressed my lips together and added, "We need to take a shower to get rid of the bad energy. We've been tainted by something disgusting."After washing up, we finally started to relax.I turned to Yelena and said, "Nathaniel was supposed to be my fiancé, but he married someone else and went on a honeymoon instead. That just shows you what kind of man he really is. I was blind before, but now I see things clearly. And honestly, it's better this way."My words made Yelena pause. "I just think you deserved better. You gave him five years of your life.""But I don't even remembe

Two days later, as I was leaving work, I noticed a car parked by the roadside.Nathaniel was leaning against the door, wearing a sharp black suit. His posture radiated confidence. The back of the car was filled with calla lilies, so eye-catching that people actually stopped to stare.For a second, my heart raced. There was no denying that Nathaniel was stunning. Just looks-wise, he was on another level entirely. It was a pity that every single thing he did made me sick."Mae." He walked up to me with a big bouquet of calla lilies. "Remember our first date? We came across a whole field of calla lilies. You told me you loved them."He was smiling, so bright and open, and something about it felt strangely familiar. It reminded me of a young man from years ago, standing just like this, holding the same kind of flowers, grinning at me without a single guard up.I was dazed for a second. Was he seriously insulting the calla lilies? They meant unwavering love. He didn't deserve to be the

Nathaniel had finally disappeared. After that last incident, he was gone for good.I was packing my things and preparing to leave for Aetherbury to start my teaching job.Yelena was helping me with my luggage when she suddenly asked, "Oh, did you hear about Jolene? She was faking her illness. Turns out she never had cancer."Jolene had forged medical records and diagnoses to trick Nathaniel into marrying her. Now that the whole forgery operation had been exposed, she'd been dragged into it too."Really? That's good," I said.I'd be fine as long as they stayed away from me.I never expected to run into Nathaniel at the airport. He hurried over, a little out of breath, and said we needed to talk.Even as he tried to steady his breathing, he looked put together in his tailored suit, nothing like the mess he'd been before. It was obvious he'd gone back to his old life.Yelena's voice was laced with sarcasm. "You again? Where's Jolene this time?"Weariness hung heavy in his eyes. T