The Memory I Faked, the Betrayal My Mate Hid

“Mom, Dad, please don't be so hard on Alison.”

Megan took my hand and gave it a gentle shake, as if we'd always been close.

“She just really likes Nolan. She hasn't done anything wrong. I don't mind.”

Nolan sighed and pulled a chair up behind her.

“Sit down. Your heart's been acting up again. You shouldn't be on your feet this long.”

Once she was seated, he glanced at me.

“Megan, you never learn, do you?”

“Alison knows you can't handle stress, but she still insists on competing with you. And here you are defending her.”

A bitterness settled in my chest.

Megan was the Omega my parents had adopted.

Her father had died saving their lives, so they'd always had a soft spot for her. She also had a heart condition and couldn't handle stress.

If she wanted something, I had to let her have it.

If she did something wrong, I wasn't allowed to get angry.

Even when she broke a birthday present Mom had given me, I was the one who got blamed.

“She's already lost both her parents. Why can't you let this go?”

I'd heard that all my life.

I'd once told Nolan I thought my parents loved her more than me.

He'd comforted me then.

“It's okay. You're the only one I love.”

But now he was making me sound selfish and spoiled.

“Don't say that. You'll hurt her feelings.”

Megan tugged lightly on his sleeve.

His expression softened.

“You're still making excuses for her.”

“Last month, she took the birthday present I bought you without even asking.”

I had found a gift bag at home.

That day was also the anniversary of the day Nolan and I realized we were fated mates.

I'd assumed he was planning to surprise me.

But evening came, and he still hadn't mentioned it.

I'd never been good at waiting, so I brought out the bag myself.

Inside was a soft cashmere scarf. I put it on and asked him how I looked.

His smile had seemed forced.

Now I knew why. I'd taken Megan's birthday present.

“She won't even give back the ring I bought for our ceremony.”

I looked down at the moonstone ring on my finger.

Nolan had put it there himself.

It had been a size too big.

“I left a little room so it's easier to take off,” he'd explained.

I'd believed him. I'd spent so long admiring the stone he'd chosen.

Apparently, the ring had never been meant for me.

When I looked up, everyone was staring at my hand.

Nolan's expression was cool.

“When are you planning to give Megan her ring back?”

Megan smiled, trying to smooth things over.

“It's fine. If Alison likes it, let her keep wearing it.”

“As long as you're beside me at the ceremony in three days, that's all I need.”

Nolan wouldn't hear of it.

“No. That ring is yours. It belongs on your hand.”

Mom nodded.

“Nolan's right, Megan. You can't keep letting her have her way.”

“She's been taking things from you since you were little. Now she's taken your ring. Where does it end?”

She turned to me, trying to sound reasonable.

“Alison, you resented us adopting Megan from the start. You've always had it in for her.”

“Now you're taking her bonding ring? How can you do that to your sister?”

None of them seemed to suspect I was pretending. They acted as if I would never remember a thing.

But my story was full of holes.

I remembered Mom and Dad. I remembered Megan. I hadn't even asked why I was in the hospital.

A few questions would have been enough to catch me out.

Instead, all they cared about was getting that ring back to Megan.

As long as I stopped competing with her, it didn't seem to matter whether I'd really lost my memory.

When I didn't move, Mom reached for my hand.

Before she could grab it, I slipped off the ring and held it out to Megan.

“Fine. Here you go.”

“I won't touch anything of yours again.”

Maybe it was time to leave this family, too.