Chapter 2

Seeing Jean kiss Ben sent a sharp pain through me.

She had sworn up and down that she would do her best to keep her distance from him. Whenever I was around, she went out of her way to avoid getting too close.

I couldn't remember when that had changed. Now she kissed him without a second thought.

"I know you're looking out for me, but let's talk about this later. Finding an apartment isn't easy right now," Jean said.

Ben had come prepared. "I asked a friend to check out two apartments a few days ago. They're both close to here and to her office."

Jean gave in. "Alright. I'll talk to Noelle when she gets back."

Fighting back tears, I slowly looked around the home I had decorated for Ben and me to share after we got married.

After Ben lost his memory, I went from calling it home to living there as a guest. All my belongings had been moved into the tiny spare bedroom.

Within six months, Jean had erased every sign that I had ever lived there. And now Ben wanted me gone.

Their laughter carried from the kitchen. I couldn't bear the sound.

I took a deep breath and slipped quietly out the door. Instead of going to the office, I headed to the hospital. I still had one last hope.

What if that post wasn't Ben's? What if he hadn't regained his memory after all? What if he only treated Jean that way because he believed she was the woman he had loved before the accident?

…

"Ben Cullen?"

Dr. Campbell flipped through a thick stack of medical records until he found Ben's name.

"I called him three months ago to schedule a follow-up, but he told me he'd already gotten his memory back. I remember it was Thanksgiving. I even congratulated him on recovering just in time to celebrate with his family."

I froze.

That day, Jean's parents came to Vareston with homemade pies. Ben drove to the train station to pick them up himself and couldn't have been more courteous to them.

Mom and Dad arrived in Vareston that same day, their arms full of bags. But Ben claimed he didn't know them and had security throw them out.

There was no hiding the truth after that, so I finally told them about Ben's accident and memory loss.

Mom sighed and tried to reassure me. "All that matters is that he's okay. The doctor said it's only a matter of time before he gets his memory back."

So Ben had already gotten his memory back by then. He knew Jean wasn't his girlfriend. He knew that we had been together for four years and were planning to get married.

Yet he still chose to pick up Jean's parents and have Mom and Dad thrown out. He was even ready to pretend he had amnesia for the rest of his life.

Dr. Campbell noticed that I was lost in thought. "What's wrong? Is something going on with Ben again?"

I shook my head, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice. "I just wanted to make sure the blood clot in his brain was gone."

Dr. Campbell smiled. "Don't worry. He came in for a follow-up, and he's completely recovered. The wedding can go ahead, and your love life won't suffer either."

Back then, Ben was unconscious for a full week after the accident. I took time off work and barely left his side.

The one time I went downstairs to pay the hospital bill, I asked Jean to sit with him for a few minutes. That was when he woke up.

No matter how hard I tried to explain, Ben insisted that Jean was his girlfriend.

Dr. Campbell warned me that Ben's brain was still healing and that we couldn't risk upsetting him. Still, he assured me there was nothing to worry about.

"I know how much you love him, and I know the two of you are about to get married. Don't worry. His memory will be back within three months. Your wedding won't be delayed."

But fate had other plans.

Now, it looked like our wedding might never happen.