Chapter 3

Blaming it on the alcohol, I lifted my head and kissed Janet.

The second our lips touched, her eyes went wide. Then she took over and wrapped her arms around my neck. Things heated up fast between us.

It took a long moment before we finally pulled apart.

Janet's eyes flickered, bright as she looked at me. "Chet, I'm really happy tonight."

She was clearly saying more than just the words.

My hand at my side curled into a fist on its own.

What Janet said didn't match her actions. She said she hated me, but she never pushed me away, and even now, she was letting this happen.

I couldn't make sense of it.

Back when I was with Tiffany, Janet hated me. No matter how I acted or how much I tried to win her over, she kept me at arm's length.

She even mocked my relationship with Tiffany, saying we'd never last. That was why I used to avoid her whenever I could.

But after I lost my memory, and Tiffany handed me over to her, she flipped into a whole different person.

Was Janet doing this to protect her friendship with Tiffany? But wasn't that a pretty steep price to pay?

My thoughts were a tangled mess. In the end, I stopped dwelling on it and just went with the act.

Janet never gave anything away. She reminded me to eat, held me at night, and greeted me softly every morning. Because of my condition, she even helped me get a full month off work.

I spent my days at Janet's villa, watching movies, tending the garden, and going on walks with her. The days were simple, yet I felt at ease and unexpectedly happy.

That calm lasted until one phone call shattered it.

I saw Tiffany again. She was in tight shorts, a fitted tank, and a biker jacket, leaning against her bike and looking effortlessly cool.

I watched her bright smile, quietly clenching my fists.

She'd hurt her lower back before, so I was always worried she'd get hurt again when we were together. I always stopped her from activities like racing or bungee jumping, but she always said I was overreacting.

With the number of creeps out there, I used to talk Tiffany out of going out in shorts and a tank top. If she insisted, I'd still bring a jacket and stay close, just in case.

To her, it was all control. She said I was holding her back and killing her freedom. After she pushed me away, she finally felt like she could breathe again.

When Janet and I appeared, Tiffany smiled and waved at us. I nodded back politely, but she clearly wasn't happy with my response.

She stepped right up to me and tugged at the hem of her shorts on purpose. "Chester, do I look good today?"

"Yeah."

I gave her the answer she wanted, but her expression still darkened.

"But not as good as Jan."

I said it on purpose. She'd pushed me onto someone else, so why couldn't I compliment someone else, too?

Tiffany looked pissed.

"This race is only happening because Mervin likes it," she snapped.

I nodded. "Good for you."

Tiffany opened her mouth like she had something to say, but then thought better of it. She went straight to Mervin and, with everyone hyping them up, pulled him in and kissed him.

She kissed him hard while staring right at me. When she finally realized that I wasn't reacting, she pushed him back.

Her lipstick was smudged from the kiss, but she didn't even notice. She grabbed a megaphone from someone nearby and brought it to her lips.

Looking at me, she guided Mervin's arm around her waist and said, "I've got something to announce. Mervin and I are getting engaged."

The whole place went dead quiet.

After all, Tiffany and I had already made our engagement official. Mervin was just the side guy who came along after the fact.

In our circle, nobody cared if you played around, but once it was made official, you couldn't just undo it.

Everyone looked at Tiffany in disbelief, but she didn't flinch.

"I've realized that the one I truly love is Mervin," she said decisively, staring straight at me.

I started clapping, breaking the silence. "Congrats to you both."

I smiled, ignoring the sting in my chest.

Tiffany never took me seriously, treating me like someone she could call in and toss aside. So yeah, I could get a new fiancee too.