Chapter 1

Hearing was the last sense to fade after death.

It was only then that Ana Avery realized that Noah Wilder, the very man whom everyone believed was deeply devoted to her, had changed his feelings about her since the moment he recovered his memory.

Half of his heart was still bound by duty toward her.

Meanwhile, the other half was reserved for Celeste Paisley, the woman who had taken him in when he lost his memory. However, she took her life when he recovered his memory.

Perhaps the heavens had been moved by Noah’s sincerity, for Ana could hear her assistant’s frantic voice beside her when she opened her eyes again.

“Mr. Wilder has been refusing to come back with us ever since he lost his memory.

“Rest assured, we have already contacted a neurology expert, and hopefully, we’ll be able to restore Mr. Wilder’s memory in no time.”

The words were exactly the same as those she’d heard in her previous life when she tracked down the missing Noah.

The only difference was that this time around, she did not feel the same elation and urgency as she felt the first time.

Ana rubbed her throbbing temples, then shook her head. “Forget it, there’s no need to call in an expert.”

After that, she did two things.

Firstly, she went to the hospital to conduct a comprehensive medical examination.

Next, she went to Noah’s parents with the medical report so she could call off the engagement.

When Noah’s elderly parents, Russell Wilder and Mylah Wilder, looked up at her with shock in their eyes, she calmly explained what happened, “Noah has lost his memory and doesn’t remember me anymore. He doesn’t remember our engagement either.

“If he regains his memory, he’s only going to end up getting weighed down by me and my incurable condition. If you ask me, I think it’s better to leave things as they are so he can marry the person he truly loves. I don’t want to hold him back anymore.”

Ana meant every word.

In her past life, she was more certain about her love with Noah than anything else.

Even after she was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as ALS, it did not occur to her to leave Noah. She believed that true love transcended all and that he would stick with her through thick and thin.

At last, she was forced to confront the brutal reality.

Noah had never loved her. The whole time, his heart belonged to someone else.

Mylah clenched her hands tightly in her lap, then shook her head with her eyes frayed with tears. “You silly child, why would we, along with Noah, ever see you as a burden? If Noah knew you were sick, he would only blame himself for not taking better care of you.

“Besides, he loves you! How could he ever want to marry anyone else?”

Rather than commenting, all Ana did was play them a video her assistant had just sent her.

It was a video filmed at an aquarium. Behind the massive glass tank, a woman swam in a bright pink, custom-fitted silicone mermaid tail.

She twisted and turned in the water while sunlight penetrated the surface of the water and bathed her with an ethereal glow as if flakes of gold had been showered on her.

Noah stood on the other side of the glass and watched her in silence. He wore a mesmerized look that contained a gentleness which Ana had never witnessed before.

The woman wearing the mermaid tail suddenly turned to him and smiled.

His eyes softened with tenderness, so full of warmth you could drown in.

It was as if his eyes held all the vibrant energy in the world. His irises reflected nothing but the woman with the pink mermaid tail.

When the video ended, a heavy silence settled over the living room.

Ana looked at Noah’s parents, who had fallen silent, then reasoned calmly again, “This is the best choice I can make for both Noah and myself.”

After a long pause, Russell brushed a hand over his face, then asked in a cracked voice, “What… What’s your plan from here on out?”

Ana lowered her gaze to conceal the emotions within them. “Back when my brother went overseas to expand his business, I didn't go with him because I was engaged to Noah. I’ve been a burden to you all these years.

“I told my brother about my situation, and he has helped me file an application for permanent residency. Once the paperwork is finalized, I’ll be flying to him.

“They have some of the best medical professionals there, which should buy me at least a couple more years."