Arthur has always been a devoted husband. But the day his high school sweetheart was diagnosed with cancer, he handed me a pill designed to induce amnesia. “Mia, Claire is going to die soon. Give me three days. I just want to fulfill her dream of having a wedding.” “I don’t want to break your heart. This pill causes temporary amnesia. In three days, after her wedding is over, you can take the antidote. You’ll fall right back in love with me, and we’ll get remarried.” Looking at his determined face, I took the pill and swallowed it without a second of hesitation. What Arthur didn’t know was that I was the one who invented this amnesia drug. There was no antidote. In three days, I would forget him completely. Forever. 1 Stepping out of the courthouse after finalizing our divorce, Arthur checked his watch. “The pill will kick in in exactly two minutes. Over the next three days, you’ll forget every single memory of loving me. When you take the antidote, you won’t remember anything that happened during these three days. You won’t have to suffer at all.” “This divorce is just temporary. Once everything is over, we’ll get remarried. Don’t worry, my one and only true wife will always be you.” I stared at him in silence. There won’t be a remarriage. As the developer of this drug, I knew exactly how it worked. It didn’t erase memories instantly. It eroded them slowly, piece by piece, until you completely forgot the person you loved. And the antidote? I had never finished developing it. But Arthur obviously didn’t know that. I asked him softly, “Are you absolutely sure you won’t regret this?” He smiled, affectionately ruffling my hair. “Claire has loved me for years. Her only dying wish is to have a wedding with me. I can’t refuse her. Since I’ve made my choice, I won’t regret it.” “Mia, I know you’ve always been understanding and empathetic. There’s no need to hold a grudge against a dying woman. Once this is all over, we’ll go right back to our happy life together.” I forced a bitter, self-deprecating smile. I let the overwhelming, sour pain in my chest spread through my entire body, but I didn’t say a word. During the peak of our love, I drank myself into the hospital with a bleeding ulcer just to secure a crucial business deal for him. He, in turn, stayed up for days, his heart rate dangerously erratic, just to reclaim my stolen research data. Later, I joked with him, asking what he would do if we got old and I forgot who he was. His eyes immediately turned red. He kissed me fiercely. “Mia, I love you. Please, never forget me. I would lose my mind.” And now? The moment he found out his precious ‘white moonlight’ had cancer, he proactively divorced me. He demanded I take an experimental drug to forget our entire history. I guess he wanted to give her three perfect days of love. A love without flaws. Without the awkward presence of a ‘superfluous’ wife. His complete, undivided love. If he was bold enough to change his heart so openly and feed me this drug… why even bother with the charade of remarrying me later? I laughed aloud, a sharp, bitter sound. Suddenly, a blinding, needle-like pain shot through my head. I swayed, my body pitching forward. Arthur caught me with lightning speed. His deep eyes were filled with endless concern. “Are you feeling sick? If you’re really that scared… if you’re worried I won’t come back to you… you can keep the divorce decree and all the paperwork.” I forced myself to stand up straight, looking at Arthur in confusion. “What divorce decree?” Arthur froze. Then, he cautiously tested the waters. “Mia, we just got divorced. Do you remember?” “Divorce?” Seeing the blank look on my face, a barely perceptible flash of joy crossed his eyes. I looked down and saw the divorce papers clutched tightly in my hand. Suddenly, it all made sense. The drug was kicking in. The very first thing it erased was the memory of our divorce. Arthur quickly snatched the papers from my hand, terrified I would read his name on them. His voice softened dramatically. “Mia, I’m your brother. You’ve been very sick and lost some of your memories. I’m going to hold onto these important documents for you.” I looked up, meeting his evasive gaze, but I didn’t expose his lie. Fine. If he wanted to play a role, I would play along. Just then, a sickeningly sweet voice cut through the air. “Arthur, there you are!” I turned and saw Claire jogging toward us. Suddenly, she tripped over a crack in the pavement and stumbled forward. Without thinking, Arthur shoved me aside and reached out to catch her. Thrown off balance, I crashed hard into the brick wall. My head, already throbbing with agonizing pain, hit the stone with a sickening thud. Claire fell into Arthur’s arms, blushing coyly. “Thank you for catching me, Arthur.” Realizing what he had just done, Arthur’s face paled. He immediately turned to me. “Mia, did you get hurt? Claire is sick. If she falls and starts bleeding, it might not stop. That’s why I caught her first. I’m sorry.” I had already steadied myself. Suppressing the pain, I brushed the dust off my clothes. “I’m fine.” Claire clung to Arthur’s arm, pouting softly. “Arthur, it was just a quick divorce, why did it take so long? I was waiting for you forever.” Seeing me staring directly at them, Arthur coughed awkwardly. He looked at me guiltily, but he didn’t push her hand away. “It’s done now. We can focus on the wedding.” Claire beamed with joy, shooting me a triumphant, gloating look. “Mia, Arthur and I have been dating for five years, and we’re finally getting married! The wedding is in three days. You absolutely have to come.” I smiled politely. “Of course I’ll come to my brother’s wedding.” The smile on Claire’s face widened. “Then you have to be our official videographer! Make sure you record the exact moment Arthur and I kiss at the altar…” “Claire.” Arthur’s face darkened suddenly, silencing her. He stared at me intently, desperately searching my eyes for even a hint of sorrow. Finding none, a strange, suffocating discomfort settled in his chest. “She doesn’t need to attend the wedding.” My expression remained perfectly blank. Seeing Arthur take my side, Claire immediately frowned and collapsed weakly against his chest. “Arthur, my heart suddenly hurts so much. I can’t breathe.” Arthur’s eyes filled with panic. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Is it acting up again? Just hold on, I’m taking you to the hospital right now.” He looked up at me, asking in a low voice, “Mia, do you still remember how to get home? Do you need me to have someone drive you?” I shook my head. “No, I remember.” Arthur fell silent. The lab technicians had told him the drug only erased memories of the person the subject loved most; it wouldn’t damage any other cognitive functions. Knowing that he was the person I loved most, Arthur’s expression finally relaxed. “Okay, head home then. I need to get Claire to the hospital.” With that, he scooped Claire up into his arms and carried her to his car. Nestled against his chest, Claire spoke weakly, “Arthur, being able to be openly held by you like this… even if I die right now, it would all be worth it.” Arthur scolded her gently, “Stop talking nonsense.” Through the car window, I watched as Arthur leaned over to buckle her seatbelt. Claire suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a soft kiss to his earlobe. Witnessing this incredibly intimate moment, a freezing chill and a sharp, stabbing pain pierced my heart. The agonizing sting of betrayal. As his car sped away, my phone rang. “Dr. Sterling? The Paris Research Institute has prepared your welcome reception. We look forward to your arrival in three days.” 2 I hung up the phone and went back to the house. Only then did I realize that the place was completely empty. It was nothing but a hollow shell. This was the house Arthur and I had renovated together. Back then, he swore he wanted to live in this cozy little home with me for the rest of our lives. But now? The tea set we designed together, the decorations we picked out—everything related to him had been completely scrubbed from the house. He was probably terrified that seeing them would trigger my memories. He even had the landscaping crew dig up and turn over all the soil in the balcony planters where we used to grow flowers together. Looking at the barren, empty house, I let out a mocking laugh. Arthur, you planned all this out so meticulously. Are you really doing this to spare me pain? Or are you just terrified that I’ll remember everything, lose my mind, and ruin your perfect wedding with Claire? If you knew there was no antidote, and that I would never regain my memory… would you regret this? I took off my wedding ring, wrote him a letter, sealed them both in an envelope, and wedged it into a hidden gap between the empty flower pots. Just then, my phone rang frantically. It was my best friend, Avery. She hesitated for a long time before finally speaking: “Mia… I need to tell you something. I think Arthur is cheating on you. I’m outside the hospital right now, and I just saw him hugging and holding some woman.” I just said, “Mm. It’s fine. Let him be.” Avery was shocked by my reaction. “Mia… are… are you okay?” Hearing the sheer panic in her voice, I actually laughed. “Why wouldn’t I be okay? Arthur and I are already divorced.” “DIVORCED?!” I briefly explained the whole situation. When she heard that I had taken the pill, she exploded with a string of vicious curses. “That cheating bastard! He is unbelievable! Feeding you an experimental drug just so he can marry that bitch without feeling guilty?!” “Five years ago, you gave up a fellowship at the Institute just to stay with him! Half of his success is built on your hard work! And now he’s tossing you aside for another woman, claiming he’s doing it so ‘you won’t suffer’?! Who the hell does he think he is?!” A profound, agonizing ache finally surfaced in my eyes. My face turned ashen. Five years ago, when Arthur was at his absolute lowest, I married him without a second thought. I leveraged every single connection I had to drag his failing company back from the brink of bankruptcy. Back then, he would hold me every single night, whispering in my ear that I was his one and only, his forever love. But then, slowly, everything changed. His heart started wandering. He gradually forgot all the sacrifices I made. He demanded that I be ‘understanding’ and ‘obedient’. He demanded that I accept his ‘merciful charity’ toward Claire. Is it really that hard to just love one person consistently? I did it. Why couldn’t he? Avery ranted furiously for another five minutes. Finally, exhausted, she caught her breath and declared: “I guarantee you, Arthur is going to regret divorcing you and feeding you that pill! He’s going to regret it until it destroys him!” “Hah, he definitely doesn’t know you never actually finished the antidote! Let him suffer! And you? You get to finally move on.” I looked over at the gap between the flower pots where I had just hidden the letter. After living with Arthur for so many years, I knew his habits inside and out. Whenever he felt stressed or depressed, he would stand on the balcony and drink alone. If he truly regretted his decision on the day I left, he would definitely find that letter. Late that night, Arthur came back to the house. I heard him tearing through the closets in the bedroom. “What are you doing?” Arthur froze. He turned around and saw me standing in the doorway in my pajamas. He frowned and quickly draped his coat over my shoulders. “It’s freezing tonight. Why are you wearing so little?” I ignored his question and asked again, “Are you looking for something?” “Yeah. I need to borrow your wedding dress. Claire wants to wear it for the ceremony.” Arthur explained, “You probably forgot this too, but it’s the one you wore when you got married.” I stared at him in silence. Of course I hadn’t forgotten. He had designed that dress for me himself. From sketching the blueprints to the final tailoring, it took him two entire months. And he did all of it just because I had casually mentioned, “I want a wedding dress that is completely unique.” And now, he was taking the dress he designed specifically for me, to make another woman’s wedding perfect. I found the absurdity of it all almost funny. I asked him intentionally: “Is this dress really that important? Why does it have to be this exact one?” My question seemed to trigger a memory for Arthur. His hands stopped moving. The day the dress was finished, he had told me, “This dress will only ever belong to you.” I watched him closely. He hesitated for only a fraction of a second before smoothly lying. “It was designed by a master. It’s the only one of its kind in the world. Claire loves it, and her only dying wish is to get married in this dress.” Seeing my eyes lower, he quickly added, “Don’t worry, as soon as the wedding is over, I’ll bring it right back. And then, whatever you want, just name your price.” It was the same flawless, airtight lie as always. But my heart took another brutal, heavy hit. On the day of our wedding, Arthur’s eyes never left me for a single second. After the ceremony, he carefully, meticulously preserved the dress and locked it in the closet. I had teased him, “Why are you treating a piece of fabric like it’s a religious artifact?” He had looked at me with total seriousness. “Because you are the one who gave this dress its unique, irreplaceable beauty. I’m going to preserve this memory forever.” But now? Just because Claire said she liked it, Arthur handed it over without a second thought. The dress lost all its sacred meaning. It was just a tool to make Claire happy. “It’s late. Go to sleep. I have to go.” Arthur, completely oblivious to my internal devastation, grabbed the dress and left. I let his coat slip off my shoulders and fall to the floor. I looked down at the empty closet, my heart drowning in disappointment and grief. “It’s fine. It’s fine. Just like the house, once he finishes sweeping everything out, it will all be over.” It was just an abandonment. Once my memory was wiped clean, I could finally, truly let it all go. Just as the thought crossed my mind, another agonizing spike of pain drilled through my brain, and another massive chunk of my memory vanished. I was violently yanked out of my grief. 3 The next day, Avery told me that Arthur was running around like a madman preparing for the wedding. The scale of the event was rivaling the one he threw for me. I nodded thoughtfully. Arthur was so busy, yet he still managed to have someone deliver three meals a day to my empty house. He really was trying to balance everything. It must have been exhausting for him. On the day of the wedding, Avery brought me to the venue. Before the ceremony began, we sat in the darkest, most secluded corner. In the distance, we saw Arthur and Claire acting incredibly intimate, surrounded by her group of bridesmaids. “I remember Arthur threw a massive wedding for Mia too. Tsk, tsk. I never thought our Claire would end up being the lucky one.” Hearing my name, Claire tightened her grip on Arthur’s arm. Arthur quickly clarified, “Mia and I are already divorced. Today is Claire’s wedding. There is no need to bring up the past.” Hearing Arthur proactively distance himself from me, the bridesmaids immediately sneered, “Our Claire is young and beautiful. How could Mia ever compare?” “Arthur, Claire is entrusting the rest of her life to you. You better not let her down.” Arthur offered a gentle smile, looking exactly the way he did when he made his vows to me. “Don’t worry. I will never let her down.” My eyes dimmed. Avery gritted her teeth in fury. “What kind of toxic garbage is this? Since when is the mistress the victim?!” Nearby, someone suddenly shouted. “It’s a beautiful day! Why don’t the bride and groom give us a kiss?!” The bridesmaids immediately started chanting. “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Claire blushed furiously and looked up at Arthur, playing the shy, innocent bride perfectly. Urged on by the crowd, Arthur reached out and gently brushed her hair behind her ear, then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her lips. The cheering erupted, reaching a fever pitch. Amidst this chaotic, joyful scene, I felt absolute, deafening silence. I couldn’t hold onto his heart, and now, I couldn’t hold onto him physically either. I smirked mockingly. Thank god the drug had already erased so much. I wasn’t in agonizing pain anymore. My phone screen lit up. It was a boarding notification for my flight. “Avery, it’s time for me to go.” Avery gave me a tight hug, her eyes completely red. “Go! Leave this trash behind and go shine! I’ll be waiting for you to become famous and conquer the world!” “As for this place… I’ve got a massive going-away present for them!” “I’m off.” I smiled and tapped her nose, not really caring what her ‘present’ was. After all, in less than thirty minutes, every single memory of loving Arthur would be gone forever. I dragged my suitcase toward the exit. Arthur, holding Claire’s hand, casually glanced over. He seemed to spot my silhouette and froze in panic. But thinking about it, he probably convinced himself it was impossible. Even if I did show up at the wedding, I would be there as his ‘sister’. I wouldn’t be avoiding him, and I certainly wouldn’t be dragging a suitcase. He must have assumed he saw wrong. The lights in the venue dimmed. Arthur and Claire stood center stage. They exchanged rings and gazed lovingly into each other’s eyes. The crowd erupted again, screaming for them to kiss. Suddenly, a massive banner unfurled from the ceiling. Avery stood beneath it, holding a megaphone, a wicked smirk on her face. “Congratulations to the homewrecker, Claire, and the cheating scum, Arthur! May you live a long, miserable life together, suffer from infertility, and give birth to eight useless sons!” Claire’s face instantly went paper-white. She instinctively shrank behind Arthur. Recognizing Avery’s face, Arthur grew furious. “What the hell are you talking about?! Mia and I are legally divorced! Claire is not a homewrecker!” Avery let out a chilling laugh. “You want to have your cake and eat it too. You can’t let go of your ex-wife, but you’re throwing a massive wedding for your mistress. You kept telling Mia to wait for you so you could remarry. Do you have any idea how much agony she’s been in these last three days?!” Arthur’s eyes turned lethal. “That is none of your concern. I gave Mia a drug. She won’t remember any of this.” “You absolute idiot. The drug doesn’t cause instant amnesia. It takes three full days to completely erase the memory of the person she loves. Everything you’ve done over the past three days… Mia watched every single second of it.” Avery tilted her chin up, glaring at him with pure disdain. “Do you even know who the lead developer of that drug was? It was Mia. Your ex-wife.” “And let me tell you one more thing. There is no antidote. Mia has completely, permanently forgotten you. She will never remarry you. You can live out the rest of your miserable days with your feral mistress in peace!” 4 All the color drained from Arthur’s face. He looked absolutely terrified. He marched over to Avery, his brow deeply furrowed as he tried desperately to maintain his composure. “Are you lying to me?!” “Lying?!” Avery sneered. “Do you think I have nothing better to do than come here and lie to you? You are so unbelievably arrogant. No wonder Mia wanted to leave you.” “Do you know what she told me? She said she hated herself for being so weak. She hated that she loved you too much to leave you. She told me she was actually grateful that you forced her to take that pill. It finally gave her an escape.” Her words completely pulverized the final psychological barrier in Arthur’s mind. His voice trembled violently. “Where… where is she right now?” Avery’s eyes were filled with mockery. She lifted her chin provocatively. “Weren’t you just bragging about how much you loved her? If you love her so much, go find her yourself.” Arthur clenched his fists. He threw the bridal bouquet onto the floor, turned around, and sprinted toward the exit. “Arthur! Arthur! Don’t go! Our wedding isn’t over yet!” Claire hiked up her wedding dress and ran after him in a panic, reaching out to grab him. But his jacket slipped right through her fingertips, leaving her with nothing but his rapidly retreating back. When Arthur frantically rushed back to the house and pushed open my bedroom door, he was met with absolute emptiness. All my clothes were gone. “Mia?!” He called out several times. Silence answered him. The bed was perfectly made. The desk was spotless. I had a habit: whenever I packed for a trip, I always deep-cleaned the room. And now, my room was so clean that every trace of my existence had been erased. It looked as if no one had ever lived there. He slid down the doorframe, collapsing onto the floor. According to his original plan, as soon as the wedding was over, he would give me the antidote. Everything would go right back to normal. Claire would get her dream wedding, and I wouldn’t have to suffer. But why… why did everything turn out like this? Arthur clenched his fists and punched the wall violently. Then, he immediately dialed his assistant. “Find out exactly where Mia went. Right now.” After receiving confirmation from his assistant, Arthur hung up. Frustrated, he poured himself a glass of whiskey and downed it. He walked out onto the balcony, staring into the night, slowly trying to calm his racing heart. He poured the remaining liquid from his glass into the dirt of a planter. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small envelope wedged tightly in the gap between the pots. He pulled it out. Seeing my familiar, elegant handwriting on the envelope, his fingers froze. Inside the letter was the love I had painstakingly held onto for five years. “The drug doesn’t cause instant amnesia. It slowly erases you. Over these past three days, I watched you give Claire your entire heart. I watched you lie to me for her.” “I know you still love me. But your heart cannot beat for two people at the same time. Arthur, what I wanted was absolute, unwavering loyalty.” “Thank you for forcing me to take that drug. You severed my indecision. This time, I choose to leave.” Arthur stared blankly at the letter. A memory from long ago suddenly flashed through his mind. It was our very first major argument, and the first time he had ever seen me lose control. Just because he had stayed at the hospital to keep Claire company while she received an IV, he had accidentally missed our anniversary. I had exploded in a furious rage. He didn’t understand. He couldn’t understand why I was being so petty and unreasonable with a sick woman. But now, reading my words, his heart trembled violently. He had always convinced himself that his feelings for Claire were nothing more than pity and tolerance. It was absolutely not something as heavy as ‘love’. But now, even he had to admit the truth to himself. His emotions did fluctuate because of Claire. That was why, when he saw her red, swollen eyes, he agreed to throw her a massive wedding without a second thought. When exactly did he start caring so much about Claire? And when exactly did I give up on him? Arthur’s mind was a chaotic, tangled mess. He crushed the letter in his fist until it was crumpled and ruined. His knuckles turned white as he muttered hoarsely, “Mia, I was wrong.” Meanwhile, I was sitting on an airplane, checking the time. In exactly two minutes, my memories of Arthur would be completely erased. By now, he had probably already seen the letter. Would he regret his decision? I looked down and let out a soft laugh. Whatever. Whether he regretted it or not, it had nothing to do with me anymore. From now on, our paths would never cross again. After deleting his final contact number from my phone, I suddenly clutched my chest. The very last fragment of my memory of him shattered completely. When I looked up again, a flight attendant was handing me a cup of hot water, asking gently: “Miss, are you alright? You looked unwell, so I brought you some water.” I shook my head and smiled. “I’m fine. Thank you.”
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