Chapter 1
The night I caught my husband kissing a pretty girl against the bathroom sink, I didn't bother to interrupt their fun.
I simply left him a divorce agreement along with a death certificate.
Ever since my memory came back after that car crash, all his lies were out.
A month later, just as planned, I, the perfect wife of Alexander—Neriton's golden boy—would be killed in a staged car accident.
And the missing heiress of the richest family in Selvane? She was about to make a spectacular return at the wedding that would have everyone talking.
*****
A random car crash in the freezing streets of Neriton triggered the full return of Leah Evans' memory after three long years of amnesia.
With fragments of her past swarming her mind, she reached for that phone number she hadn't dared to call in three whole years.
As soon as the call went through, a hoarse, shaky voice came through. "Leah, is it you?"
Owen Evans gripped his phone, his voice trembling, struggling to believe his daughter, who had been missing so long, was actually alive.
Listening to Owen's trembling words, Leah felt tears sting her eyes in an instant.
She remembered that after a fight with Owen, she had gone to Neriton all on her own in search of her mother's things.
She never expected that the day she left would mark three years apart.
Leah's eyes shimmered with tears as she choked out, "Dad, it's me."
However, she found herself unable to explain the three years of lost memories.
Gripping the marriage certificate thick with deception, she forced the words out. "Dad, I'm fine.
"Just give me a month. I'll sort everything out, and then I'll come home."
She was ready to take back her life as Selvane's lost heiress—not some nameless wife Alexander had deceived and locked away behind doors.
*****
The moment she hung up, blood flowed back through the syringe, staining her palm.
She had just made it through a car crash, her body throbbing with fresh pain, but nothing hurt like the storm inside her chest.
Moonlight spilled across the window, illuminating Leah's pale face in the deep night.
She chuckled softly at herself, like she could see the person she had been three years ago when she first woke up.
She cried quietly.
Three years ago, Leah woke up in the hospital with no memories at all.
The very first thing she saw was Alexander Rivers' strikingly handsome face.
Her sudden awakening surprised everyone else in the ward.
Leah clutched her head, wincing in pain, and blurted out, "Who are you? And who am I?"
For a moment, everyone looked completely stunned, but Alexander rushed over with concern, pulling her into his arms.
Alexander leaned in, his voice gentle as he reassured her, "Leah, you're fine. You have me. I'm the one you love most."
Leah, confused and with no memory to cling to, could only piece things together from what Alexander told her—she had survived a car crash.
He claimed they were childhood sweethearts, engaged for years, deeply in love.
At first, Leah couldn't bring herself to trust him, her mind still a blank slate and every instinct on guard.
However, over that year, Alexander never rushed her. He stayed patient and gentle, never showing the slightest sign of frustration.
He helped her take care of her scars and kept her company during the boring rehab exercises for her legs.
Whenever Alexander saw Leah's face twist up in pain, he would get all worried.
Whenever she nearly fell, he would be there to catch her, holding her close.
Even if he ended up covered in bruises, he would just smile and joke.
He said, "I couldn't catch you when that accident hit, but from now on, I swear I'll never let anything hurt you again."
Leah found herself falling for each moment of his attention and love.
Their growing affection set the air between them crackling with sweet tension. Leah gave in, letting herself believe every single thing Alexander told her.
When she was finally discharged, Alexander lit up Neriton's night sky with fireworks in a high-profile proposal, making sure everyone saw how much he loved her.
For the next two years of their marriage, he showered her with affection, tending to her every need.
Whenever rainy nights made her gloomy, he would keep her warm until morning. Every day, he cooked for her, putting love into each meal. The gifts and surprises never stopped coming, one after another.
Even Alexander's friends couldn't help but joke, "Leah doesn't even have to say a word, and Alexander's already there to please her. Looks like he's willing to die for her."
Leah immersed herself in this beautiful illusion for three years.
However, the instant she stepped into GoldenTune, this so-called happy life was shattered completely.
*****
Winter in Neriton was freezing, and Alexander's stomach just couldn't handle the chill.
Knowing he had a client meeting today, Leah had already made dinner, planning to surprise him and bring him home herself.
However, the moment she got to the private room in GoldenTune, she overheard familiar voices joking around. "Alexander, ever since Rachel came back, you've been looking way happier."
"Come on, it's been three whole years since they last saw each other."
"If Rachel hadn't accidentally hit Leah while drunk, and Alexander hadn't sent her abroad that night out of worry, his wife wouldn't be Leah at all."
"Lucky for you, Alexander, the time limit for filing charges has passed. Rachel can come back into Neriton, and finally, you can stop forcing yourself to be with Leah."
"Honestly, Alexander played it smart. Worried Leah might pretend she lost her memory, he kept her under the guise of love, preventing her from recalling the truth of the accident all this time."
Every word of teasing and ridicule hit Leah hard, and she felt like her blood seemed to freeze in an instant.
A moment later, Alexander cut in, serious and commanding. "That's enough."
He frowned, lightly flicking the ash off his cigarette.
He said, "That's all over. Rachel just got back, so shut the hell up and don't go causing trouble for her.
"Leah is still my wife for now. When things calm down, I'll take care of it myself."
Leah felt completely disappointed.
In the dim light, Alexander seemed suddenly cold and distant. When he talked about her, his voice was so emotionless—like he was ready to toss her out with the trash.
In that moment, flashes of memories hit Leah, each one slicing through her chest and almost knocking her off her feet.
Tears spilled uncontrollably as Leah bolted out, too wrecked to care who saw her crashing out of the room.
Even racing down Neriton streets in the dead of winter couldn't calm her down.
Those voices echoed over and over in her mind, but she could only snatch a few broken pieces from the chaos.
She felt a constant haze of confusion and ache tearing through her.
With a deafening crash, she slammed into a massive truck at an intersection.
The moment of impact triggered the airbags, and Leah's head struck violently.
The suffocating dizziness, mixed with the taste of blood trickling from her lips, brought her memories back.
It turned out the man who had always called himself her loving husband was actually the one who had helped the hit-and-run driver escape after that crash years ago.
All the affection he ever showed her had been nothing but a lie—just a way to protect Rachel, his true love.
He was a masterful deception.
*****
Tears streamed down Leah's cheeks, and suddenly, the door to her ward flew open.
"Leah." Alexander burst in, his voice desperate with worry.
Alexander's eyes were bloodshot and helpless as he looked at her. Once he confirmed she was safe, he pulled her into his arms, overcome with emotion.
"Are you okay? What happened? How did you end up in an accident?" he asked.
He trembled, and the panic in his eyes was so real.
He hovered anxiously beside her, gently inspecting every bruise and scrape—his voice soft as he murmured, "I'm so glad you're okay."
That was exactly what it looked like to love someone with everything.
She almost wondered whether, in all those three years, he hadn't been completely lying.
After all, after regaining her memory, Leah had her lawyer friend run a check on that marriage certificate—just to be sure it was legit.
Yet in the middle of the night, a nightmare woke her, and that hope was completely shattered.
She opened her eyes and, in the dim hospital, caught Alexander cheating on her while she was out cold.
He pressed Rachel against the sink, kissing her with deep passion.
Rachel, her cheeks burning, playfully tried to push him off. "Alex, stop. Someone might see us."
Alexander's voice came out rough and hungry. "Wearing nothing but that trench coat, huh? Isn't that why you came to find me?"
"But you're someone else's husband. I can't do anything, no matter how much I love you." Rachel sniffled, putting on a fake pout as she blinked back tears.
That only turned Alexander on. He grabbed her waist, slamming her right up against him so hard that she couldn't help but let out a soft moan.
Alexander chuckled, voice dripping with temptation. "I've always belonged to you.
"As for Leah, she was just there to take the hit for you."
Hearing that, Rachel finally hooked her arms around his neck, her eyes sparkling with smug satisfaction.
Through the door, the sound of their low moans kept drifting over, turning Leah's face deathly pale.
Tears streamed down her face. Her heart felt gripped by an invisible hand, the pain so sharp that she could barely breathe.
Leah let out a bitter laugh, her tears mocking her for ever being so naive.
It was all a lie, yet she had believed there was genuine love.
Leah bit back her tears, calling someone. "Get me a divorce agreement and a death certificate in one month."
She was determined to leave Neriton and Alexander behind.