Chapter 2

2 Sometimes, he'd hold me and say, "Avery, you're the best woman to me. You don't even care about my money."

"I wouldn't refuse it if you offered," I’d teased.

"But you don't ask for it." He'd study my face with those dark eyes. "You don't spend my money, you don't wear the jewelry I buy you, you don't pressure me to go public." He'd add, almost thoughtfully, "Sometimes I even wonder if you're using me as a placeholder."

I’d just nuzzle into his chest, laughing. Placeholder or not, it didn’t matter. We’d spent six years together. Those years were important to me. But not to Ethan.

He still loved Olivia. A late-night drunken phone call from her and he’d be out the door in a flash. At first, he’d leave without a word. Later, he started making excuses, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. I thought it meant I was becoming more important. I was wrong.

He still chased after Olivia, leaving the country without a backward glance. And he was gone for a year.

He came back once during that year. Drunk, he called me to pick him up. He was in a VIP room at a club, video chatting with Olivia. Seeing me, he beckoned me over. “Avery, come here.” He turned the phone to me. “Let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend of six years, Avery.”

Olivia’s face was impassive, but her eyes lingered on me for a moment before a small smile played on her lips. “Ethan, have you moved on?”

He smiled back. “Yeah. Why would I keep chasing you when I have a wonderful, caring woman at home?”

Olivia watched as he put his arm around me and asked how long we’d been together. I answered honestly: six years. Olivia hung up without another word. Even the usually composed Olivia couldn’t hide her shock.

Ethan’s arm tightened around me, then suddenly went still. That night, he’d held me close as we slept. Then he’d taken a phone call. When he came back, he kissed me relentlessly, watching me all night. By morning, his voice was hoarse. “Avery, it’s over between us.”

I hadn’t slept either. I’d overheard his phone call. Olivia had told him to break up with me. She said if he did, she’d be with him. I knew I couldn’t compete. I simply nodded, turning away to hide the tears welling up in my eyes.

He held me from behind, his grip tight. He whispered in my ear, “I found your cousin’s son. He’s not dead. He has amnesia and he’s living overseas.”

My whole body went rigid. I turned to face him. “Can you bring him back?”

He kissed my lips one last time. “Yes. I owe you that.” He left that same day to go back to Olivia. A few days later, I saw Daniel. He was in the best hospital, with the best doctors. His memory soon returned. He remembered me.

Daniel had been injured and lost his memory while saving a child in a war zone. The moment he woke up, he held me tight, his voice gentle in my ear, “I’m so sorry you had to go through all this while I was gone.”

I burst into tears. The emptiness inside me finally began to heal.

Daniel and I had lost ten years. We didn’t want to waste another moment. We got engaged quickly. He asked if I had loved anyone else during those ten years, warning me not to rush into anything I’d regret. Ethan’s face flashed through my mind, then vanished. I shook my head, smiling. “No.” I traced the scar on Daniel’s hand, a reminder of his bravery. “No,” I repeated firmly.

Before Daniel asked, I'd had a recurring dream about Ethan. He’d sneered at me, telling me not to flatter myself. It stung, but as time went on, the dreams stopped. Those six years felt like a distant memory.

Olivia sometimes asked if I ever thought about Ethan. I’d pause, then shake my head. “I hope he and Olivia are happy together,” I’d say. “It’s best we forget each other.” At least I was trying my best to forget.