After three years of my intermittent amnesia, I happened to overhear my husband, Liam Stone, chatting with his friends. “Liam, Elara blanks out every few months. You make us take shifts pretending to be you. What if one of us catches real feelings?” “Why would I worry?” Liam laughed, a wild, unbridled sound. “Elara ‘s libido is practically nonexistent. As long as you keep your hands to yourself, she won’t be starting anything.” “But don’t get any ideas about making out with her. When I’m finished having my fun, I’m returning to my marriage.” For three years, every time I lost my memory, the men who held my hand, hugged me, and even shared a bed with me, were never the real Liam. Three years. Nine blackouts. Nine stand-ins. But what they didn’t know was my memory had returned two years ago. My ninth “husband” arrived home to find me staring blankly at the sofa. A smooth voice cut through my thoughts. “Elara, I’m home.” I turned my head to look at the man at the door. “Who are you?” I frowned, feigning confusion. “Are you my husband? I thought my husband’s name was Liam Stone.” The man froze for a second, then quickly retorted. “No! Uh… I’m a friend of your husband’s! Don’t worry, I’ll call him right now and tell him to get over here.” With that, he pulled out his phone and hurried to the balcony. “Liam, Elara’s lost her memory again! Whose turn is it this time? Get over here and relieve me!” I stayed by the window, listening as Liam’s friend made excuses into the phone. “Liam, Elara is too clingy, we have to watch her 24/7, we can’t handle it!” “Yeah, Elara’s great and all, but she’s way too controlling. What guy doesn’t like to stray once in a while?” “How about you just go back yourself, Liam?” “No way.” Liam’s lazy voice came through the speaker. “I’m still having fun. Who’s gonna cover for me back home? Come on, we’re brothers. You can’t just leave me hanging like this?” Amidst their excuses, a cool, clear voice spoke up. “I’ll do it.” I recognized it instantly. It was Aidan Walker, Liam’s best friend. Aidan was known as the notoriously unapproachable heartthrob in our circle. Rumor had it, he’d been single for all thirty years of his life. When Liam first suggested finding someone to impersonate my husband, Aidan was the first to object. But now, he was interested in playing this game, too? Half an hour later, the front door clicked open. Aidan walked in, backlit by the evening sun. “Elara, I’m home.” His cool voice had a hint of magnetism. I stood up, watching the tall, handsome man before me. “Are you my husband, Liam Stone?” Aidan cleared his throat into his fist. “Sorry. Work ran late. I should have called.” Just as he finished speaking, his phone rang. Aidan made an apologetic gesture, then took the call on the balcony. Through the earpiece, I heard Liam’s nonchalant voice. “Oh, right. Aidan. Forgot to mention. You can hold her hand or hug her. But don’t sleep with her. No matter what, she’s still my wife.” “Got it,” Aidan’s voice was low. For three years, no matter how those men pretended to be Liam, they only ever held my hand or hugged me. They never crossed the line. For three years, there were no photos of us in the house, no identification documents of any man. They naturally assumed I wouldn’t find out. And I played dumb, pretending to know nothing. But this time, I wanted to play a different game. I walked over and actively wrapped my arms around Aidan’s waist. “Even with no memory, something about you feels…familiar. You must be my husband.” I squeezed Aidan’s waist tightly, and didn’t forget to run my hand over his firm abs. Aidan’s body stiffened for a second. He quickly pushed me away. “What’s wrong?” I asked innocently. “I lost my memory. Don’t you want me anymore?” “…I do.” Aidan’s eyes flickered away slightly, his voice hoarse. My fingers went to the buttons of his shirt. “It’s so cold today. We’d be warmer in bed?” His throat worked. “Okay.” That night, we shared the bed. An unspoken agreement to lie there, perfectly still.
The next day, Aidan took me to a bar, saying he wanted to reintroduce me to his friends. As soon as we entered the private room, we saw Liam passionately kissing a woman. Aidan cleared his throat, interrupting them. Liam saw us, froze for a second, then slowly stood up. “Hi, I’m Aidan Walker, Liam’s childhood friend.” Liam extended his hand to me, introducing her unhurriedly. “And this is my girlfriend, Chloe Davies.” “Oh,” I nodded, but didn’t take his hand. Chloe Davies. Of course, I knew her. Liam’s first love. They had broken up due to family reasons, then secretly rekindled things when I lost my memory. Liam’s unwillingness to return to our marriage for three years was all because of her. There were many of Liam’s other friends in the room, several of whom had pretended to be my husband. Now, they all casually teased me: “Elara, you lost your memory again? Our Liam is such a great guy, no matter how many times you forget, he’ll always stick by you!” “Yeah, Elara, you really need to cherish a man like that!” I curved my lips into a sarcastic smile, but said nothing. Aidan put his arm around me and we sat down on the sofa. As soon as we were seated, I picked up a piece of fruit and fed it to him. “Husband, eat more.” In the dim light, I glimpsed Liam’s eyes flicking towards us. I leaned close to Aidan’s ear and deliberately nipped his earlobe. “Husband, you were poking me all night last night, it hurt so much~” Aidan’s face stiffened, and he awkwardly squeezed my hand. “Baby, stop it.” Liam gripped his wine glass tightly, his expression clearly displeased. Chloe, sitting beside him, jabbed with a sugary sweetness. “Elara, you’re a real witch. The man, who never so much as glances at a woman, has turned into a lovesick puppy over you.” At that, Liam’s friends, afraid I might catch on, all let out awkward laughs to smooth things over: “Haha, that just proves how strong Elara and Liam’s feelings are!” “Exactly, even with amnesia, it doesn’t stop them from showing affection!” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Liam take a sip of his drink, his face as black as charcoal. A wave of satisfaction washed over me, and I got up to go to the restroom. When I came out of the restroom, Chloe walked towards me. As we brushed past each other, “Splash!” she flung the red wine from her glass all over me. “Oh, I’m so sorry, my hand just slipped.” “Slap!” I raised my hand and slapped her hard across the face. “Sorry, my hand just slipped too.” The words had barely left my mouth when a furious shout came from behind me. “Elara, what are you doing!” Liam strode over. Chloe immediately threw herself into his arms, crying dramatically. “Honey, I just accidentally spilled wine on Elara, and she got angry and hit me. Now my head feels so dizzy.” Liam’s face was dark, furious. “Apologize to Chloe!” I sneered. “Who are you to tell me what to do?” “Elara!” Liam’s eyes were icy, his face terrifyingly grim. “Why have you become so arrogant and unruly after losing your memory?” “What I become has nothing to do with you.” I couldn’t be bothered to deal with him anymore. Just as I was about to turn away, Liam kicked me in the knee, forcing me to drop to my knees with a “thud.” “Elara, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you lost your memory. Apologize to Chloe, now!” Looking at the enraged man before me, I felt nothing but pathetic and ridiculous. I had no parents, and in this huge city, Liam was my only anchor. We had been together for ten years, ever since we started dating in college. When he proposed, he swore he would always protect and love me, and would never betray me. But now, he had not only betrayed our marriage but was also getting physical with me for another woman. All those sweet words and solemn vows had become a cruel joke. Amidst my grief and indignation, Aidan’s cold, sharp voice sounded from behind me. “Don’t touch her!” I endured the pain in my knee, stood up quickly, slapped Liam across the face, then hid in Aidan’s arms and complained, “Husband, your friend is so rude. He bullied me!” Aidan’s expression was grim, his eyes shadowed, looking at Liam with a warning glare. “Don’t you dare bully Elara.” Liam gritted his teeth, a hint of violence on his stern face. Chloe, still shrinking in Liam’s arms, sneered disdainfully. “What’s so great about a girl who’s been passed around and a guy who’s picking up the scraps?” “Shut up!” Liam and Aidan’s voices rang out simultaneously.
“Chloe, Elara may be wrong, but you can’t insult her like that,” Liam’s voice was cold and hard. Aidan’s brows furrowed. He looked at Chloe, his eyes icy. “Don’t let me hear you badmouthing Elara again.” With that, he put his arm around me and we left quickly. We went straight home. The moment we walked in, I wrapped my arms around Aidan’s waist, my hands running over his solid abs. “Darling, you were so hot protecting me just now, I loved it!” Aidan’s ears tinged red, and he cleared his throat. “As long as you liked it.” I reached out to undo his belt. “Darling, it’s too cold. How about we go to bed and warm up with some exercise?” “It’s still early.” “Who says we have to wait for a certain time to go to bed?” I kissed his Adam’s apple, coaxing softly. “I lost my memory, and I can’t remember what being intimate feels like… Can you help me remember?” Aidan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his voice rough. “Elara… stop teasing.” I simply pushed him onto the sofa. Aidan struggled for two seconds, then flipped over, pinning me beneath him. From afternoon until late into the night, Aidan was like a starved wolf finally off the leash, he was insatiable, devouring every moment. I was so exhausted I fell into a deep sleep. In a hazy state, I heard Aidan ask hoarsely in my ear: “Elara, did you really lose your memory?” I opened my mouth, but said nothing. Did it matter, whether it was true or not? Actually, I wanted to ask Aidan the same thing. You clearly hated this game of playing house, so why did you finally join in? … The next day, Aidan took me to the hospital for a follow-up on my neurological condition. Unexpectedly, we ran into Liam and Chloe in the lobby. Chloe was the first to call out to us. “Elara, Ai… Liam, what a coincidence.” She touched her lower abdomen, speaking boastfully. “I’m pregnant, here for my prenatal check-up. What about you two?” Aidan glanced at her coolly, his tone detached. “Just bringing Elara for a check-up.” Liam said nothing, but his gaze was fixed on Aidan’s and my tightly clasped hands. Suddenly, his eyes moved up, noticing the dense hickeys on my neck. “What happened to your neck?” His voice rose sharply. I deliberately looked at Aidan coyly. “You’ll have to ask my husband.” Liam turned to Aidan, his stern gaze holding a dark intensity. I took the opportunity to leave. “I still need to get a CT scan. You guys chat.” After I left, Chloe also went into the ultrasound room. Once it was quiet, Liam stared coldly at Aidan, his voice frigid. “Aidan Walker, did you touch her?”
Aidan lit a cigarette. In the curling smoke, he mumbled, “No.” “Then what are those red marks on her neck?” Aidan paused for two seconds. “Mosquito bites, maybe.” Liam frowned, half-believing, half-doubting. Aidan blew out a smoke ring and sneered. “Besides, what if I did? You don’t want to be with her anyway, so why not just get a divorce?” Liam’s reaction was furious. “No, we can’t divorce! Elara and I have known each other for so many years, there’s still something between us. It’s just… now Chloe’s pregnant, and at this point, I can’t leave her.” “Ha.” Aidan scoffed disdainfully. “Trying to have your cake and eat it too, Liam. You’re such a scumbag.” Liam was silent for a moment, then, as if making a firm decision, he said, “Aidan, the next time Elara loses her memory, let’s switch back.” “We’ll see when she loses her memory next time.” Without a definite answer, Liam grew even more uneasy. He stared intently at Aidan, his face grim. “I just feel like the atmosphere between you and Elara is all wrong, Aidan. Promise me, you absolutely won’t touch her!” Aidan stubbed out his cigarette, opening his mouth to speak just as I strode over, CT report held aloft like a verdict. “I have good news! The doctor says my neural pathways have fully regenerated. No more memory loss!” Liam went rigid. “That’s…impossible.” Aidan’s face, however, split into a genuine, radiant grin. “Really? Elara, that’s incredible!! Come on, let’s go home and celebrate!” I slid my arm through his, turning to leave. But Liam grabbed my arm. “Elara, don’t go! Actually, I-” I cut him off impatiently. “Mr. Stone, even if you’re my husband’s friend, touching me without permission is really classless.” Without a backward glance, I walked away, leaving him standing alone. Back home, Aidan swept me into the bedroom before the lights could come on. His kisses were fierce, raining down on my neck. “Elara,” he breathed, the word ragged. “Never leave me. Promise me.” Lost in the darkness, I murmured. “Okay.” At my word, Aidan became a beast unleashed. He claimed me with a fierce, tireless hunger. Just as we were nearing the peak, the lights slashed on. In the doorway, Liam stood still, his eyes burning with rage.
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