Chapter 4
I replied calmly, “But I’ve forgotten all of that. It’s actually better not to have such terrible memories.”
Yelena nodded thoughtfully and high–fived me, reaching an understanding.
“Come on, let’s go get some barbecue!”
After eating barbecue and wandering around the streets, we walked home hand in hand.
+2 Bonus
As we approached the entrance to our residential complex, Yelena kept looking back over her shoulder. When I asked what was wrong, she said she felt like someone was following us, but couldn’t see anyone.
I was startled and quickened my pace. Just as we reached the complex entrance, Nathaniel blocked our way.
He looked at me with relief: “Mae, I finally found you. You weren’t home, and you wouldn’t answer your phone. I was going crazy with worry.”
“Do you remember me? I’m Nathaniel.”
His tone was tender, as if he were speaking to a sulking child.
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+2 Bonus
A surge of inexplicable anger rose within me. It had only been 12 hours since the mediation ended, and here he was again–even flies weren’t this persistent!
I stepped back: “Mr. Mercer, I have nothing to do with you. I don’t know you! Even if we were once engaged, we’re not anymore! Stop harassing me!”
“The memory–erasing drug only lasts a month, and it’s been three days already. Why haven’t you remembered me yet?”
Nathaniel looked dejected and confused, then rallied himself again.
“It’s okay. I’ve already had the lab work around the clock to test the formula. You’ll definitely remember me again.”
Yelena couldn’t hold back anymore: “Are memories really that important? The point is you cheated, and she doesn’t love you anymore.”
Nathaniel was stunned, then smiled: “She loves me. She’s just forgotten me for now.”
With that, he didn’t linger and walked away on his own, probably rushing off to test the formula.
In the days that followed, he kept finding opportunities to see
When I blocked his calls, he’d wait outside my office, asking
- me.
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if I’d recovered my memory.
No matter how sternly I scolded him, he would only smile gently, his voice filled with hope: “It’s okay, Mae. You’ll remember me. We’ll have the most magnificent wedding.”
It was absolutely nauseating.
+2 Bonus
Yelena and I had planned to have fondue at my place after
work. Just a
we reached my front door, we saw Nathaniel leaning against the corner with his upper body, his expression unreadable.
“Nathaniel! What are you doing here again!” Yelena cursed, clutching her chest in fright.
Nathaniel didn’t answer. He walked out slowly, staring at me without blinking, his eyes cold and distant, no longer showing the warmth and anticipation of the past few days.
His tone was cold and disappointed: “Maeve, are you having fun with me? You recovered your memory long ago, didn’t you? But you’ve been pretending to have amnesia to fool me! Do you know how terrified I’ve been these past days!”
“I was afraid you’d really forgotten me. I was afraid your future wouldn’t include me.”
As he spoke, he became emotional: “Did it make you proud to
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watch me lose my mind with worry and panic over you?”
+2 Bonus
His sudden accusation infuriated me. This constant harassment -I’d had enough.
I slapped him across the face: “You’re a stranger, understand? There are no strangers in my future.”
Nathaniel covered his face, ignoring what I’d said, and held up a vial in front of my eyes: “I’m a top neuroscientist leading a top–tier team. After two weeks of testing, both the memory–erasing drug and the memory–recovery serum are fine. There’s no way you couldn’t remember me.”
“You clearly recovered your memory but chose to toy with my feelings. You know I don’t like these kinds of games.”
I was so angry I laughed. He was the one who cheated and had a wedding with someone else, yet he had the nerve to question me.
“Get lost!” I shoved him away viciously. He staggered back a couple of steps, then came forward again to grab the door handle, preventing me from entering.
I didn’t want to get entangled with him, so I called the police. With the previous police report on record, they responded quickly and immediately headed my way.
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