Chapter 1

My smile froze the second my eyes landed on my fiancee, Janice Lloyd, and my best friend, Wayne Quayle, whose hands were intertwined. He pulled her close, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Colin, you really don't remember us? We were supposed to get married yesterday. But your accident delayed it all."

A cold shiver ran from my fingertips to my chest. What had started as a spur-of-the-moment joke had turned into an unexpected surprise.

I forced my lips into a stiff smile and managed to say, "I don't remember that you two were supposed to get married."

A tiny spark of hope flickered in my chest—maybe they were messing with me too.

But then Wayne held out his hand. The blue diamond on his ring caught the light, stabbing my eyes like a shard of ice.

He grinned, his voice dripping with joy. "You lost your memory. Of course, you wouldn't remember. When I proposed to Jan, you were the one who handed me the ring."

His words were part lie, part truth.

I'd been the one who proposed to Janice, and he'd handed over the ring. And now, the ring that should have been mine was shining on his finger.

"You two look like you've been together forever," I blurted out as I watched them act so comfortably together.

Wayne cast a glance at Janice, then laced his fingers with hers. "We've been together for seven years. And now we're finally about to get married!"

Janice cleared her throat to hide how awkward she felt.

I forced a wry smile. Seven years? Janice and I had also been together for seven years and had seen each other almost every day. And yet, somehow, I'd never realized that I'd been sharing my partner with someone else.

The air went still until a knock on the door cut through it. Janice glanced over her shoulder as though she were relieved.

At the doorway stood a graceful, striking woman, Sonia Jarrett. She was Janice's closest friend—and my relentless nemesis.

She loathed me and always shot a cold glare at me whenever we crossed paths. Ever since she'd learned that I was with Janice, her glare had only gotten sharper.

Yet now, beneath the frost in her eyes, there was a flicker of worry. Maybe she thought the accident had scrambled my mind.

Before I could study her expression any further, Janice spoke. "Colin, this is your girlfriend of five years, Sonia Jarrett."

My back went rigid, goosebumps crawling over my skin.

Apparently, one lie wasn't enough for Janice—she even had to make another one. But seriously, she claimed that Sonia and I had been together for five years? That was ridiculous.

I drew in a deep breath, ready to speak, but Sonia cut me off.

A cryptic smile curved her lips as she murmured, "You've forgotten your own girlfriend?"

I stared in shock, my eyes widening. I couldn't form a single word.

Janice caught my stunned expression, winked at Sonia, and strolled off with Wayne. I kept staring at Sonia, trying and failing to figure out what she was thinking.

Then she reached out, brushing her fingers lightly over my bandaged head. "Come on, let's get you home to rest."

…

Sonia led me to a spacious apartment in the heart of the bustling city.

The place was decorated in warm colors, but it had only the bare essentials. It didn't feel like anyone actually lived here.

She opened the closet and pulled out slippers and loungewear, the tags still attached to them.

I hesitated for a moment, feigning ignorance. "Janice said we've been together a long time, so why are all these clothes and shoes brand new?"

Sonia's expression remained calm. "This is the home we picked out for after the wedding. It's your first time here."

I stared at her, saying nothing.

She gently guided me into the bedroom. "Your injury hasn't fully healed yet, so rest for a while. Let me know if you want anything to eat."

I shook my head. "I don't have an appetite."

A trace of disappointment flickered in her eyes, though I couldn't fathom why. My head was spinning, and all I wanted was a moment of solitude.

Sonia tucked me in, nuzzling her forehead affectionately against mine, and said that she had some work to take care of.

I nodded.

Ten minutes after she left, I got up and moved toward the study door. She hadn't closed it all the way. Through the crack, I caught snippets of her conversation with Janice.