Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I ended up in the hospital with a concussion after shielding my boyfriend from an accident. On a sudden whim, I decided to play a little joke on him.

"Who are you?"

Seeing Luke freeze, I almost burst out laughing.

Instead, Luke suddenly pointed at his best friend, Seth. "I'm just your fiancé's friend. Seth here is your fiancé."

My smile instantly vanished.

Before I could react, Seth took a step forward and gently took my hand. "Yes. I'm your fiancé."

I forced a faint smile. "Then take me home."

……

Seth brought me back to his place.

I looked around the unfamiliar house, where not a single trace of my existence could be found.

I quietly lowered my head and fiddled with my phone.

"Do you want to rest for a bit?"

Seth's voice was soft and gentle.

He really looked like a man deeply in love with his fiancée.

"Okay."

I nodded, using my supposed amnesia as an excuse to let him lead me to the bedroom.

Seeing me settle under the covers, Seth tucked the edges in and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

I closed my eyes. The faint, clean scent of Seth's cologne lingered in the air.

A moment later, a familiar voice drifted in from down the hall.

"Come on, Seth, you're my best bro. Just play the part of her fiancé for a little while!"

Hearing Luke's voice, I sat up and stared at the cracked bedroom door.

"Aren't you afraid she'll get her memory back one day?" Seth asked.

He was clearly keeping his voice down, assuming I was already asleep.

The two of them were talking on speakerphone without any reservations.

"So what if she remembers? I'll just kiss her, cuddle her, and say a few sweet words."

"She loves me to death. She'd never have the heart to leave me."

Luke's lazy, dismissive tone drove straight into my heart like a dagger.

To him, I was completely disposable.

My deep devotion had only turned me into trash he could toss aside whenever he wanted.

"We've just been together for too long, and I'm getting bored. I just need some fresh excitement for a bit."

"I know you can't stand Nora, but just do me this one favor."

I didn't hear Seth's reply.

He walked toward the balcony as he spoke. I stood up, opened the door, and quietly walked over to him.

Would it scare him to death if I suddenly popped up behind him?

A dark humor flared inside me.

Yet Seth seemed to sense my presence. He turned around.

Our eyes locked.

He hurried to hang up the phone, walked over, and naturally wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"I thought you were resting. Why are you awake already?"

He rested his chin lightly against the crown of my head.

It really felt as though we were a couple who had been passionately in love for years.

"I got a little hungry," I said with a smile that didn't reach my eyes.

Seth didn't notice the coldness in my expression.

"What do you want to eat? How about some egg fried rice?"

I froze.

Luke didn't even know that egg fried rice was my ultimate comfort food.

"Sure."

I stepped back slightly, feeling an odd tension, and sat down by the dining table.

Seth didn't mind my hesitation. He tied on an apron and walked straight into the kitchen.

Watching him move around the kitchen with practiced ease, I felt a strange wave of emotion wash over me.

Isn't this the exact married life I had always dreamed of?

I just never expected to experience it with my real fiancé's best friend.

Soon, a steaming plate of fragrant fried rice was placed before me.

Seth rested his chin in his hand, looking at me with a warm smile.

My heart fluttered. I quickly lowered my head and took a bite.

It tasted incredible.

"Is it good?"

I didn't answer with words.

My rapid bites spoke for themselves.

Seeing how quickly I was eating, Seth leaned closer and gently wiped a grain of rice from the corner of my mouth.

"No one's going to steal it from you. Eat like that, and people might think I'm starving you."

His sudden touch made my breath catch.

As our eyes met, I could hear a heart pounding furiously.

Was it his, or was it mine?

I couldn't tell.

I quickly looked away and leaned back.

Seeing my lingering guard, Seth gave a gentle laugh and pressed a soft kiss to my hair, light as a warm breeze.

"It's okay."

"I know you don't remember me right now. We can take things slow."

"Deal?"

Looking into his tender eyes, I found myself nodding as if under a spell.

What I couldn't understand was why he was acting like this. Over the past few years, Seth had never shown the slightest interest in me.

In fact, he had always acted like he hated me, just as Luke said.

I stared at him.

Which version of Seth was the real one?