The Choice to Forget

It was 9:30 am.Courtney Lloyd sat propped against the headboard, wrapped in a blanket. The other side of the bed was empty, and she could hear faint, intimate voices coming from the guest room next door."Missed me already?""I only see you once a month. It feels like forever."The man chuckled softly. "Then let me take good care of you today.""Keep your voice down; don't wake Courtney.""Don't worry, she stayed up late last night. She won't wake up any time soon.""You're so naughty…"Courtney recognized the girl's voice immediately. It belonged to Mia Sanchez, a college student who she had provided financial aid for the past four years.On the first of every month, Mia would visit their home. Courtney would hand her the monthly living expenses, check on her studies, and offer life advice.Then, Mia would stay in the guest room next to the master bedroom.Courtney had even arranged Mia's graduate advisor and internship for her.But instead of striving for independence, t

"It's a gift I redeemed with points," Courtney responded.Jesse heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh, you scared me. I thought you were leaving me."Courtney took the envelope from him and said, "Why would I leave you? You didn't betray me."Jesse grinned. "Exactly. My heart belongs to you alone."Once, his words would've melted her. Now, it left her cold."What did you redeem?" Jesse asked, curious."Just a little souvenir.""Voyage Airlines makes souvenirs now?""Apparently."Courtney returned to her room and opened the envelope. Inside was a plane ticket for a flight to Alorian scheduled for a week later. She had purchased it under the name Nessa.Her phone also displayed tracking information for an international package—a memory-erasing potion sent by Melvin Clark, expected to arrive within the same timeframe.Seven days from now would mark the end of Courtney's relationship with Jesse.From downstairs, Jesse's voice called out, "Babe, are you feeling unwell?""I didn't sleep

That evening, Jesse took Courtney to the beach. The place was bustling with people, and he kept an arm securely around her to shield her from the crowd.The next moment, dazzling fireworks exploded in the sky. Soon, the fireworks lit up the entire night sky."Wow, is someone proposing? This is stunning!""Look at all those fireworks! Did they buy out the entire supply in the city?"'"How romantic! If a man did this for me, I'd marry him in a heartbeat!"Courtney let out a small smile when she heard that.Young girls were so easily swept off their feet, she thought. A single display of fireworks could win their hearts, and they'd promise a lifetime of love without hesitation.However, Courtney wasn't so gullible.Jesse had asserted that a man's love and lust were separated, but not for her. No matter how much he claimed to love her, betrayal was betrayal, and she could never forgive it."Babe, look!" Jesse pointed to some fireworks bursting in the sky.It formed two letters—J

Courtney slept soundly that night.The next morning, she met with staff from a local charity and donated all the clothes she had sorted through.As for her personal items and every gift, letter, or memento Jesse had ever given her, she took them directly to the crematorium. She handed the staff a generous sum of money and had everything burned.Meanwhile, Mia's text messages arrived as expected."This place is stunning! Thank you, Courtney. If it weren't for you, I'd never have met Jesse. Without him, I couldn't have dreamed of vacationing in such a luxurious place!"Mia proceeded to flood Courtney's phone with photos, and all of them were of Jesse. He applied sunscreen on Mia's shoulders, grilled lobsters for her, and held her close as he kissed her.Courtney didn't bother opening the photos. She shut off her phone and focused on making final preparations to leave.On the second day after Jesse's departure, Courtney went to the bank. She withdrew every cent from her accounts, c

With just a few succinct sentences, Courtney had ended their relationship.Jesse gripped the letter tightly, reading it over and over until the edges crumpled under the pressure of his hands. Finally, he jumped to his feet and began shouting her name as he searched through the villa."Babe! Stop playing games! I… I can explain!"He believed Courtney was just trying to scare him as a punishment. Yet, after combing through every room, there was no trace of her.The walk-in closet still held her shoes and bags, and even the one she used most often was hanging behind the door.Jesse didn't believe someone determined to leave would abandon all their belongings. He rushed to the backyard, but there was no sign of her there either.Desperate, he sprinted to the rooftop, thinking perhaps she was waiting for him in the sunroom. However, it was empty, save for the swing they had set up together.Jesse slumped onto the swing, lightly pushing himself back and forth with the tip of his shoe.